Faith to Inspire

by Brad Spangler

Have you ever met someone who believed in something so strongly that it inspired you to action? To some degree, all of us are inherently drawn to people like that. This is why as followers of Jesus, we must become unshakeable in our core beliefs. For example, we should become convinced that healing is a part of our redemption. Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant who would come to bear our sickness and pains so we could be healed. This is not merely an abstract theological doctrine; its eternal reality has real-life implications for those who believe. 

During my first year at RHEMA Bible Training College, some friends and I gathered enough courage to start going downtown to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to share the gospel with people we didn’t know. One of our favorite places to visit was a bus station in the heart of the city. This bus station usually had a wide variety of people who, while waiting for their connecting bus, would have the time and patience to engage in a thoughtful conversation with us. 

Usually, we would talk to people waiting outside, but we decided to venture into the bus station one night. As I spoke to a middle-aged man, a security guard came over to tell us that we were not allowed inside and that we all had to go outside immediately. By that time, the man I was speaking to had already told me that he had been struggling with very painful bone spurs in his heel for months. So after the security guard informed us that we had to leave, I looked at him and said, “If you come outside with me and let me pray for you, when you come back in, those bone spurs will be gone.” I’ll never forget the look on his face. His eyes were wide, and without further prompting, he began to follow me outside.

Once outside, I prayed a simple prayer and commanded the bone spurs to leave in Jesus’ name. Immediately he began stomping his foot down on the sidewalk and exclaimed, “It’s gone! It’s gone! The pain is gone!” And just like that, he started dancing right outside the bus station, praising and worshiping God! He told me later that when I said, “If you come outside with me, when you come back in, the bone spurs will be gone,” something rose inside him. 

I believe that something was faith. You see, Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes by hearing.” As believers, we need to meditate on God’s Word until we become absolutely convinced of what His will is for us and the world at large. We will speak and act boldly when we are convinced of God’s will. And maybe, just maybe, our lives will inspire others to take action to receive God’s best for their lives.