Delayed Answer Doesn’t Mean God Says No

“Volunteer work is just my heart. That was most important to me,” explained associate pastor Gail Wood. Gail doesn’t like when things slow her down, especially when it comes to overseeing the church food pantry and leading global mission trips. So, she wasn’t too happy when she injured her right knee in 2012.

“We had just unloaded one of the big trucks and I jumped down into the parking lot, which is just gravel and twisted my knee and I began immediately having problems with the knee,” Gail recalled. “Shooting pain, depending on how many hours I’d been on my feet. Many times, the pain woke me up in the middle of the night. It was constant. I saw a doctor early on. He felt around it and said, ‘Put some hot and cold packs on it, and I think you're going to be okay.’ I didn’t want the downtime of having any surgery or anything like that,” she said. 

For the next ten years, Gail did as the doctor said. Took over the counter pain medication and wore a knee brace. That offered just enough relief to keep her going. “I was able to continue with volunteer work, but it did sometimes take me longer. It was a little bit discouraging at times,” said Gail. “I felt like I had to try a lot harder to keep up with the things that I needed to do.”

Gail says she felt most comforted during moments of prayer. “I would pray and say, ‘Lord, I really need you to heal my knee. I need to be strong and well in order to do all that I want to do for You, for Your kingdom.’”

By the end of 2022, at 81-years-old, Gail had accepted her situation, believing that things may not change. “There's lots of things about getting older and so sometimes I think we just say, well, I'll live with it,” she explained. “I felt like this was going to be with me, especially after I'd asked the Lord a number of times to heal me and I had not been healed. I just pushed through and continued.”

On the night of December 30, she returned home from a full day at the church, exhausted. As always, she turned on The 700 Club. “I'd been volunteering at the church and the knee was really giving me fits that day,” said Gail. “I sat down in my recliner and took the brace off. I was looking at a magazine and watching the T.V.”

Then, Gail heard Gordon giving a word of knowledge.

“You are having problems with your right knee. And God is able to restore. You weren't even praying. You’re kind of wondering is that for me. Yes, it is for you,” said Gordon. “Do what you could not do before. Begin to move that knee and receive healing into that joint.”

“I perked up because it was my right knee that was bothering me so bad,” said Gail. “And I said, that is me! I’m claiming this! So, I got up rather quickly and walked back and forth and I had no pain. The pain was gone instantly, and it felt like almost a surge of strength went to my knee. On the inside it felt secure as if a brace were on it. I was just praising the Lord and saying, ‘Thank you for healing me, thank you.’”

Six months later, Gail was in the Middle East on vacation. “I was able to go on a 16-day trip where there was so much walking. One day it was eight miles. I would never have been able to do that had the Lord not healed my knee. So, He healed it just in time for that big trip,” explained Gail.

“It's drawn me much closer to the Lord and it meant so much more to me, I believe because of the delay,” she continued. “I think if He had healed me the first time that I asked Him to, I probably would not have spiritual insight now that I do have. If He would heal me, He will heal you. Keep praying, keep believing.”