“Let Your Spirit Lighten the Word,” The Emmanuel TV Choir sang to prepare viewers’ hearts for another awesome time in God’s presence during the Sunday Live Broadcast of July 19, 2020. With “Let Your Will Be Done,” they performed another worship song to bless God’s name and during the praise session, they sang “Hallelujah” to the Maker of the Heavens and the earth.
“It’s all about the encounter between Jesus and the woman from Canaan,” Prophet Racine said as he started the exhortation for the Distance Is Not A Barrier Interactive Prayer Sessions. Taking a step of uncommon faith, the Canaanite Woman in Matthew 15:21-28 had begged Jesus to heal her demon-afflicted daughter even though Jesus, in testing her faith, had told her that the food meant for the children could not be given to the dogs. However, in humility and total recognition of Jesus’ messianic status, the Canaanite Woman had voiced her readiness to make do with only the crumbs from the children’s table. With such a confession of brokenness from the woman, Jesus was moved with compassion and spoke the Word that activated instant deliverance a long distance away.
On that note, Racine assured viewers: “Anywhere you are – north, south, east or west corner of this globe – God is omnipresent.” And for that reason, he added, it is necessary to display genuine belief in God’s infinitely powerful Word and to confess such belief with our mouth. Racine noted that “the belief in our heart is released by faith out of our mouth” but he also quickly pointed out that a heart full of offence will hinder the power of faith. Racine then cited Matthew 26:41 as he advised Christians to realise that “a time to pray is a time for self-examination.” He concluded: “I pray that any barrier between your heart and the Spirit of God – be removed, in the mighty name of Jesus!”
As the Holy Spirit continues to lead the Interactive Prayer Sessions, an increasing number of people from far-flung parts of the world have been getting the opportunity to receive healing, deliverance and salvation in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. In yet another Holy Spirit-inspired arrangement, the ministers of God prayed simultaneously for people connected via video conference calls. In the first session, Prophetess Anne and Prophetess Yinka prayed for six families spread across the continents, all of whom had tested positive for COVID-19.
Of those who were prayed for were: Peru-based grandmother Amelia and her family; William, a sub-Saharan African living in Qatar; USA-based Togolese caregiver Collette and her husband and son; South Africa-based Mba as well as his wife and two daughters; Jenalyn, a woman from the Philippines; and Dominican Republicans Awilda and her husband.
“Be forgiven, in the name of Jesus Christ!” the ministers declared as they opened the first prayer session. As the prayers went on, the people fell under the power of the anointing and many of them vomited the poisonous substances in their system, for distance is indeed not a barrier to the move of the Holy Spirit. “We can see you being freed, in the name of Jesus Christ!” Yinka declared, praising God’s name. All the families took turns to narrate their experiences during the prayers, after which Anne advised them to be mindful of the salvation of their souls by focusing on God’s Word.
In the next session, Nancy linked up from South Africa over her COVID-19 infection, alongside Hector from Mexico, public health expert Cho from Cameroon, Jose as well as his wife and son from Nicaragua, Charles from USA and Thabisile from South Africa, all of whom also had COVID-19. Their symptoms included headaches, body pain, coughs, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, weakness of the body and loss of the senses of taste and smell. Together, Prophet Racine and Prophetess Angela prayed for the six families, starting with the prayer of forgiveness. As the ministers of God began to uproot the causes of illness in the people’s lives, retching and vomiting started in earnest, even as some thrashed on the floor as heat from the Holy Spirit surged through their bodies.
Although he had been initially confined to his bed, Charles soon gained strength after dropping to the floor and vomiting the poison in his system. He began to move around in his room, exercising his limbs and other parts of his body. “Now I’m feeling free,” he said. Hector said he no longer felt pain in his throat. Nancy said her body had been shaking uncontrollably, even as she took out cake from her fridge and relished its taste. Jose’s wife, who had been dependent on an oxygen tank, recalled: “My hands went numb and I started breathing fast when you were praying for me.” She then took deep breaths to prove her healing. Jose himself said that all of his symptoms had disappeared. “Follow Jesus,” Racine urged them all.
The third synchronous session featured a coronavirus-positive Nigerian couple based in Texas, USA: Oluwaseun and his pregnant wife, Bukola. Having been experiencing symptoms such as consistent chest pain, headaches, body weakness, shortness of breath and redness of the eyes, Oluwaseun had not been surprised when he got his result. For three days, his wife had cared for him while he isolated in his personal room until she too developed severe symptoms of the disease, including vomiting blood. She was rushed to the hospital where she was isolated in the COVID Ward. Doctors found that Bukola also had a urinary tract infection and pneumonia. “I pray God Almighty will heal me and my husband,” Bukola panted as she lay on her side in the hospital bed, connected to many devices.
“To God, distance is not a barrier,” Chris said, to which Bukola mustered a determined “Amen!” As Chris commenced prayers of release in the name of Jesus Christ, Bukola miraculously received strength and was able to rouse herself to a sitting position and began vomiting the poisonous substances in her system, panting out “Amen!” in a quavering voice of gratitude to the Creator. Oluwaseun said: “There is a burning sensation in my system. I am feeling the Spirit of God touching me and healing me from head to toe right now, in the name of Jesus. I am set free; I am delivered, in the name of Jesus!” As he exercised his body and did things he had been unable to do just a few minutes earlier, his voice abruptly broke into a tearful high pitch as his wife waved on in gratitude. “The power of God is everywhere…Just have faith,” Bukola advised.
In the next group to be prayed for, Nurzifa linked up from Kazakhstan to explain how she had suffered pain and rejection from her mother and siblings while growing up. She turned to smoking for relief and had remained an addict for 40 years. In a bizarre dream, she ran into two goats, 10 dogs and flies as she was looking for cigarettes. Her son, Rinat, used to have dreams in which he had affairs with women and constantly found himself in the sea.
Worried over workplace issues, Mayrenis, a Cuban living in Canada, ended up being deceived by ritualist after dialling a number she saw on a card placed on her car. The ritualists not only threatened to kill her children but also afflicted her with knee and back problems. Her son, James, also suddenly developed an allergy that caused him to itch all over his body. After examination, doctors could find nothing medically wrong with mother and son. Since the ritual, Mayrenis had also been having nightmares and feeling something moving all over her body.
From Malawi, Tupochele linked up over his problem of asthma, severe gastritis, nightmares and evil attacks. “Be forgiven, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!” Prophetess Anne prayed for the three families. She then moved on to the prayer of release and deliverance, during which the power of the Holy Ghost knocked down Nurzifa and Rinat. Mayrenis also fell and vomited the blood and poisonous substances in her system, after which she promptly discarded her back and knee braces, glorifying God alongside her son. No less impacted was Tupochele, who also vomited the poisonous substances in his system. All were declared free to the glory of God!
In the fifth prayer session, Sydney called in from Bahrain over the problems of backache and varicose veins, and was using a lumbar corset. The Hamid couple also called in from Algeria. For 30 years, Mr Hamid had the problems of sinusitis, asthma, nasal polyps and tingling all over the body, all of which had led to anxiety and insomnia. From the USA, Brentis called in over the problem of sleep apnea, which caused him to depend on a breathing machine and medication. “Today is your day of healing,” Prophet Chris assured the three families as he urged them to play their part in receiving from God. “Right now every sickness, every affliction, every disease – wherever it is located – come out, in the name of Jesus Christ! Be released right now!” Chris further prayed. He then asked the people to claim their healing by doing the things they had been unable to do before. “Go and make the Word of God the standard for your life,” Chris told each person.
Other recipients of prayer were a family who called in from Mexico. Yareli had the problem of chronic laryngitis. Juanita had memory loss, was fearful of becoming schizophrenic and was full of bitterness and anger. Their brother, Sergio, had the problems of lust, pride and rebelliousness. Griselda had the spirit of lust and was depressed and lonely. Angelica said she had the problems of lust, adultery, jealousy and anger. Their other brother, Salvador, had the problems of lust and violent anger.
Letis, a Honduran living in Spain, also called in over the problem of difficulty in walking due to a discal hernia, in addition to general body pain. As a result, she was strapped in a lumbar corset. Thabo, a professional footballer, also called in from South Africa over a problem with his right knee, which had been operated on twice. He had been inactive since the problem began. During the prayers offered by Prophet Racine, the Mexican family vomited the poisonous substances in their system, while Letis and Thabo received their freedom from pain. The man of God then advised them to follow Jesus now that they had been set free.
Next, prayers were offered for Cayman Islands resident Ewan, for Edgar from Colombia and for Nelly from France. Ewan had sleep apnea and a neck injury as well as pain in other parts of his body. Edgar suffered from alcohol and drug addictions leading to numerous problems at home and work. And caregiver Nelly suffered from difficulty in walking due to disc herniation. As Prophetess Angela prayed in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Ewan’s wrists began to shake profusely. Similarly, Nelly demonstrated her healing by exercising her body painlessly. Moments later, Edgar vomited the poisonous substances in his system, thereafter reassuring his wife, daughter and son with a warm embrace. Finally, Prophetess Angela declared that all had been set free by Jesus Christ.
In the next set of participants, Dauda, a Beninese living in France, described how he had been suffering from difficulty in walking due to a spinal cord problem, while his wife Fatimata had problems with her knees and the nerves in her wrists, for which reason she was using wrist braces and a knee brace. Jose from Colombia was addicted to cocaine, a condition that led him into various forms of immorality. Henry, a Kenyan nurse living in the USA, had problems with his knee and back. Lastly, there was Maria, a Colombian living in the USA. Maria had chronic headaches and bronchitis, and depended on several drugs to help her expectorate as well as a nebuliser to help her lungs work better. Her medical doctor husband Hector said, “At this point, we need a miracle. We need God to intervene in our situation.” Hector also asked for prayers to protect him from contracting COVID-19 as he gives care to his numerous patients. During the prayers by Prophetess Yinka, Maria vomited the poisonous substances in her system. Dauda did the purely miraculous: He carried his 80kg wife like a baby! Fatimata herself had been rid of all pain, as she raised her arm fully and exercised her legs. Maria also stopped experiencing shortness of breath. On his part, Henry exclaimed: “I am a sportsman!” He said he would no longer need his lumbar corset, knee brace and medications. Prophetess Yinka also prayed for Henry’s wife, who had problems with her chest. Finally, Jose testified: “I felt that a burden was lifted from my heart.”
“The kind of person you are determines the kind of people that fellowship with you,” so began Prophet Racine in his message on charity and godly giving. Anchoring the short homily on the theme of reciprocity, Racine reiterated a fact of nature: “The only way we have a friend is to be one. I am because you are; you are because I am.” Given such understanding of life as built on “mutual respect, mutual care and mutual attention,” Racine explained that we are rewarded based on strictly how much love we invest in others. In words echoing Prophet T.B. Joshua’s teachings, Racine concluded: “If we make all forms of sacrifices but have no real burning love in our heart for God and for our neighbour, we have nothing.”
He therefore preached the need to embrace genuine love (1 John 4:8, John 13:34) that rejects loving for “selfish, classic and material reasons” and overlooks “the failure, the mistakes, the weaknesses and shortcomings of our neighbours.” Stressing that there is no perfect person, Racine stated that genuine love “dissolves all prejudices, misunderstanding and suspicion,” and triumphs over “mistreatment, defilement and persecution,” leading to giving generously of our time and resources to people of all races and religions. And as God’s servant, Prophet T.B. Joshua, says, “the love we give away is the only love we keep,” for “love is the golden thread that links God’s creation.”