A woman suffered from fibromyalgia and frequent, inexplicable blackouts for four and a half years. As a mother of two, she could no longer work or care for her children and was forced to resign from her job. She was unable to climb stairs, and her husband often had to help her—sometimes even carrying her up. When he did, she would develop bruises on her back where he held her. Because she struggled to keep food down, she lost 140 pounds during that time and became malnourished. When she first fell ill, she weighed 276 pounds. She also had swollen glands in her neck and a greenish tint to her skin. Over those years, she suffered between 10 and 12 concussions as a result of blackouts.
The couple had never heard of Bethel before but eventually, she and her husband visited Bethel to meet a friend. Their friend had come seeking healing and encouraged her to visit the Bethel website to read healing testimonies. She had never encountered a church that believed in healing in this way, but after reading the testimonies, she found herself hoping her friend would be healed.
On a Saturday afternoon, they stopped by the church, where two enthusiastic, young men asked if they could pray for their legs to become the same length. They agreed, sat down, and observed what appeared to be one leg growing to match the other. It was an unusual but memorable moment.
The following day, they arrived at church hoping to sit near the front. After the service, the woman went forward for prayer. Still hungry for more, they stayed for a second service and again sought prayer. This time, a curly-haired woman prayed for the woman, repeatedly returning to share what she believed were words from the Lord. She told her, “You are worthy. I received the word ‘breakthrough’ this morning. Let the dam go. Let the river flow. You and your husband are supposed to minister to thousands.” That same day, two other individuals told the couple they were called to minister to thousands together. Meanwhile, someone else prayed for the husband.
The couple left briefly for lunch, then returned to church to secure seats. While there, they encountered the man who had prayed for the husband earlier. He asked the woman about her condition, and she told him about her fibromyalgia and blackouts. He then asked if she liked herself, a question she found difficult to answer. The man began speaking about unresolved issues from her past—things she had not forgiven herself for and that seemed deeply personal. He encouraged her to ask God if He was present and whether He had always been with her. As she did, she felt she received clear answers, and her husband later said a visible glow came over her each time. The man continued guiding her through a series of questions, encouraging her to imagine closeness with God in ways that initially felt unusual to her. Over the course of about an hour, they prayed together. At one point, they believed they saw a dark shadow lift from her shoulders and disappear as it reached her head.
That evening, Banning preached and declared, “The Lord has judged. He has put His gavel down tonight,” calling out those with chronic muscle or joint pain. The woman initially did not respond, thinking the description was too broad. However, when fibromyalgia was specifically mentioned, she stood along with about 10 others. Banning asked how they would recognize their healing, and the woman said she would be able to climb stairs. A woman named Kimberly prayed with her, and they walked toward a set of stairs. To her astonishment, the woman ran up two flights, then knelt, wept, and ran back down. Kimberly shared that she herself had been healed of fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis and remarked on how good it felt to be free of pain. That night, the woman experienced hunger pains for the first time in a long while.
The next morning, the woman awoke feeling well. Previously, she had needed to soak in a tub for an hour each morning due to severe muscle pain, but from that day forward, she reported having no pain. When her daughter returned home from school that Monday, she called her over, and the child ran into her arms. When asked what was different, the child responded, “You are healed! Now we can play, mommy!” From that point on, the woman was able to embrace a restored life—caring for and playing with her children, returning to work, and enjoying her husband, her family, her faith, and her daily life.