Theme of the month: LIVE HAPPY... TODAY

DAY 5: LIVE HAPPY... KNOWING THAT MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN

By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

[BACKGROUND: When we choose to put our faith in God when we pray, we might just experience a miracle right under our noses. Here are three readers' testimonies of the power of God. If you have a testimony to share, share it at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..]

Reader 1: Johan: “In June last year, I was on my motorcycle on my way to a friend in Pretoria. About 3km from her home, a woman in a double cab neglected to stop at a stop street and crashed into me and my bike at full speed. I lost my consciousness at the moment of impact.

At the hospital I was moved into the intensive care unit. My one lung collapsed and I was put onto a ventilator. The next day, the orthopaedic surgeon and physician tried to reconstruct my broken body during the operation, but told my parents to expect the worst.

We received notification from people known and  unknown that they are praying for me. E-mails poured in and members of a Christian biker club in Pretoria came to visit me and pray for me. Although I was not aware of everything around me, I now know God heard their prayers and held me in the palm of his hand.

Fourteen days after the accident, I was discharged from the intensive care unit. Two and a half weeks later I could go home and three weeks after the accident, I was back at the office. It was a total miracle!

During my follow-up visits to the surgeon and physician, both assured me that my healing came directly from God. They could not explain it. Even today, a year later, I am still in awe of God's power. Before the accident, I was drifting away from God, but He called me back and helped me to look at life with greater appreciation. My advice: Never stop praying. There is tremendous power in prayer!”

Reader 2, André: “In March this year, our African Grey parrot flew away one Saturday morning. I was immediately angry with my wife and children as for a month, I asked them to take the bird and get it’s wings clipped. I got the bird as a present from my daughter four years ago and held it dear to my heart.

All Saturday we looked for the parrot without success. We even got it mentioned over our local radio station, but by the end of the day there was no sign of the bird. That evening my wife and I read from the Bible and each prayed on our own afterwards, but I knew we had the same prayer in our hearts: “Please God, bring back the parrot so we would have peace in our house again.”

Three days later, we got a phone call. A lady living about a kilometre from us told us that she found our African Grey. He was returned to us and we could not thank God enough. He heard our prayers and He did a miracle for us.”

Reader 3, Cornelia: “My oldest son was born with a cleft palate. When the doctor told me, I was devastated, as I did not even know what it meant exactly! My child was transferred to another hospital where for a month I sat day after day in the hallway praying that my child would drink, as he did not want to. It broke me to see my child like that. One particular day, I felt completely helpless and close to despair. Sitting in the hallway, I decided to give it all to God. I could not take it anymore. At that moment, the nurse called me; my child started drinking from a bottle! Three days later he was dismissed and we could go home. God listened to my prayers and today, three years later I still cannot stop thanking Him for that miracle.”

Peter Andre and Cornelia are right. There is power in prayer. In James 5:16 we read: “The prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Do don’t hesitate to go to God today. He can make the impossible, possible – also for you. God bless.

Father God, thank you that I can bring every situation in my life to you. I lay down (name your obstacle) before you with the knowledge that you will answer in your time and in your way. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

** Benescke Janse van Rensburg is a freelance journalist and author of the books, Ontdek God in die stories van mense, Wysheid-oordenkings uit Spreuke and Hoop in tye van nood-oordenkings uit Psalms.