UPDATE: Bethel Pastor Thanks Everyone Praying for Resurrection of Two-Year-Old: 'We Have a Biblical Precedent - Jesus Raised the Dead'
Bill Johnson, the pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California, took to Instagram on Thursday morning to thank all of those continuing to pray that two-year-old Olive Heiligenthal will be raised from the dead.
Johnson said their church continues to stand with the parents in praying for Olive to come back to life, based on the biblical precedent set by Jesus Christ, Himself, saying, "Jesus raised the dead..."
The child is the daughter of Bethel worship leader Kalley Heiligenthal and her husband, Andrew. Faithwire reports the parents found the little girl not breathing last Saturday. She was pronounced dead by doctors.
As CBN News previously reported, Olive's mother immediately asked her church and the global Christian community to intercede in prayer for her daughter to be raised from the dead.
"We're asking for prayer. We believe in a Jesus who died and conclusively defeated every grave, holding the keys to resurrection power," Kalley wrote, noting that Olive had "been pronounced dead by doctors" on Saturday after she stopped breathing.
"We are asking for bold, unified prayers from the global church to stand with us in belief that He will raise this little girl back to life," the heartbroken mother added. "Her time here is not done, and it is our time to believe boldly, and with confidence wield what King Jesus paid for. It's time for her to come to life."
According to local station KRCR-TV, Bethel Church told them in a statement that this prayer gathering for Olive Alayne was the first-ever public gathering of prayer for a resurrection that Bethel has ever hosted.
The station reported that though the two-year-old, Olive, has been unresponsive now for more than five days, her mother says she is still believing for a miracle.
On Wednesday, Kalley took to Instagram to say, "Day 5 is a really good day for resurrection. I've never been more grateful for Jesus. He is endlessly worthy of our love, trust, faith, and risk."
"All hail, make way for King Jesus! Thank you so much for joining your faith to ours, we feel your strength and radical belief. Keep declaring life over Olive Alayne with us," she wrote. "It is finished" were His last words before bursting back in resurrection life, so we're not done. It is finished, so we're not done. This is awakening. Come alive, Olive!"
Last weekend, renowned missionary Heidi Baker, who has seen miracles in her outreaches to Africa and Mozambique, joined with the Bethel community in praying for Olive's restoration.
"The world may mock, and people may think we're a little bit crazy. But the second I stepped in here I said 'I'm home because there are hundreds of people worshipping God right now, declaring his resurrection power,'" Baker said, according to Faithwire.
"I'm just so grateful to be a part of this," she said.
