There are seasons of life that are really hard. My family is going through one right now. In the last month, we have been hit with the death of my grandpa, a painful autoimmune disease in my four-year-old daughter, the discovery of a large four-inch mass on my father-in-law’s spine, and the serious prospect of pancreatic cancer in my uncle. We’re getting hit hard. But I don’t think we’re unique. Many people go through periods like this.
During this painful season, we have been praying fervently. Unfortunately, we are not seeing the miraculous healings we are asking for.
These kinds of experiences have caused some to doubt God’s ability to act. Maybe we don’t see healing because God can’t heal. These circumstances may leave you asking, is there any good reason to believe miraculous healings happen today?
The short answer is, yes. And I can prove it to you. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
The Recorded Healing of Duane Miller
In 1990, Duane Miller was serving as the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas when he contracted a flu virus. Duane’s situation went from bad to worse when the virus attacked his vocal folds, permanently damaging his nerve tissue.
In his testimony, Duane writes,
Over the next three years I was seen by over 63 specialists and their teams (totaling over 200 doctors) as they tried to diagnose and treat me. I had been left with a voice that sounded like the worst case of laryngitis you have ever heard, and could only make that if I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Given his inability to speak clearly, Duane resigned from his post in 1991. Soon after, Duane and his wife moved to Houston, where he became a private investigator and his wife became the primary breadwinner. They also began attending Houston’s First Baptist Church.
In 1992, Duane was asked to teach an adult Sunday school class. He declined at first, fearing no one would be able to understand him, but after some persistence, he reluctantly agreed. On January 17, 1993, Duane was scheduled to teach through Psalm 103, which was the curriculum assigned from the “Bible Book Series.”
Continuing his testimony, Duane recalls how he felt after reading the words of verse 3 (“who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases”). He says,
But, when I began to talk about healing, my words were, “I still believe God heals,” while my thoughts were, “but why not me?” I moved through that discussion as honestly as I could and began my third thought: He redeems my life from the pit.
I began my discourse, “I have had, and you have had, in times past, pit experiences.” On the word, “pit,” the pressure that had been in my throat for three years was gone as if someone had removed their hand from choking me. I continued, startled, “We’ve all had times when our life seemed to be in a pit, in a grave, and we didn’t have an answer for the pit we find ourselves in.” While I was speaking, I was swallowing choke-free, and I’ll never forget my thought, is that what I think it is?
It was. Duane was healed.
In the days that followed, doctors confirmed that his voice had been totally restored. In fact, the doctors couldn’t find any evidence that he ever had a problem.
What’s truly incredible about this story is that the whole thing was recorded. When you listen to the audio, it’s almost as if you are in the room as God restores Duane’s voice. Listen in amazement as his voice goes from barely understandable to crystal clear.
Be encouraged today. God still heals. Duane Miller’s story—and countless others—provide evidence. We must fight the temptation to judge God’s character and ability based on our immediate circumstances. Our current situation is not the full story. So the next time you begin to doubt God and His ability to act in your situation, listen to the miraculous healing of Duane Miller.