At a tender age and in the height of her academic pursuits, Liliosa’s life literally turned upside down. Smitten by a strange and sudden ailment, almost every day became a gruelling battle amidst pain and painkillers. It was rheumatoid arthritis, a disease normally associated with people in the latter stages of their life and one with no known medical cure. In the midst of her physical frailty, Liliosa also faced challenges in her marriage.
Here is her remarkable story of restoration through Jesus Christ– one that touched her physical body, spiritual life and marital home.
Hospitalised
“My name is Liliosa. I’m originally from Zimbabwe but I currently reside in the UK. The problem that brought me to SCOAN London was a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. It all began about 21 years ago when I was studying in university in Russia. These pains just started in my joints and as time progressed, they steadily grew worse. They intensified to the point where I was admitted to hospital for three months during the period where I was supposed to write exams. The doctors were surprised at the affliction I was having because they normally associate rheumatoid arthritis with old people. That’s how my ordeal started.
Minimization
“There was not a day in my life where I was not in pain. People would see me and not know anything was wrong – but I knew the amount of drugs I was daily taking just to numb the pains and survive. Rheumatoid arthritis affects your joints such that they begin to wear out and deform. My ankles were wearing out, especially my right one, so for me to be able to minimise the pain, not to get rid of the pain but just to minimise the pain, the doctors gave me insoles. Those were just to aid the tablets I was taking.
Side Effects
“I have been in the UK for the last five years now and it has been the same story. They have also tried to treat me with medication but they couldn’t cure the disease. They said it was just how to maintain it and make the pain tolerable. But you keep taking more and they keep increasing the dosage of the tablets you are taking. Because of negative side effects of the drugs I was taking, the doctors said I could not have a child because the medication would affect the child I would have. They said I would need to be off the tablets for six months just to try and get pregnant or the child would end up deformed. I couldn’t bear the pain to live even a day without medication– so how could I spend six months without tablets? So, it was also a really difficult time in my relationship with my husband.
All Of A Sudden
“I came to SCOAN London in November and registered for the prayer line. As I was sitting down and the Anointing Water was ministered to me, I was just overwhelmed. I can’t describe what actually happened to me but at that point, I just didn’t feel any pain. I stood up and tried to move and do things I had never done before. All of a sudden I felt very light. All of a sudden, I was a different person. I was so overjoyed! That’s how I felt when the Anointing Water was ministered to me in Jesus’ name.
Hallelujah
“It’s been six weeks since I received prayer and hallelujah – I haven’t taken any tablets for six weeks! My health has been good. I can do so many things I couldn’t do before, even things like simple chores in the house. I don’t feel the pain that I used to feel. If I can survive six weeks without the tablets, it means I am healed and I know the LORD has healed me. Aside from my physical healing, I am also now recovering to be a better person and a more committed Christian.
High Heels
“Life for the past six weeks has been great! You can actually see that I am wearing high heels today – something that I couldn’t do for a long time. It has also been good for my husband. Before, sometimes he would accidentally hit me and I would literally scream out in pain. It was so painful. That’s been different now. He is surprised now when he touches me and I don’t scream. Right now, I am feeling great. No pain!
Have Faith
“I want to advise people to have faith in God. When we say, ‘Have faith in God…’ – I have read a lot where people say they have been told not to take medication. It is your faith that is going to tell you to do that; no one else is going to tell you to do it. So you can check yourself if you have enough faith to say, ‘If I believe the Lord has healed me, why do I need to take this?’ So, there comes a time when you question yourself. It doesn’t happen at the same time for everyone – but for me it was last November when it happened. Doctors are wonderful people and God is using them greatly – but they can only try to cure you, not provide a permanent solution. Only Jesus can heal you!”
Marshall, Liliosa’s husband, shares his own side of the wonderful testimony:
Quality Of Life
“Emmanuel. My name is Marshall. I am from Manchester but originally from Zimbabwe. Life had been difficult, especially for my wife. Every time we approached winter or summer, it was very difficult for her because in both hot and cold weather, the pains really increased. I would know it was a difficult time. Sometimes I would accidentally rub her and she would scream out in agony. I would just think, ‘What can I do to ease the pain?’ I really struggled with that. I am glad it is over now. We are living a new life! The past few weeks have been great. Every morning, I would ask, ‘How do you feel today?’ I just couldn’t believe the changes I have seen! Last night I accidentally knocked her and she kicked me back! It’s been a wonderful time. We are enjoying life and things have changed. The quality of life with the medication is different from what we have now with Jesus. It’s wonderful!
Non-Existent
“Earlier this year, our marriage went through a very difficult patch. It’s difficult to put a finger on what exactly went wrong but sometimes you find yourself caught in a quagmire, in a difficult situation and like Isaac Hayes used to say, ‘You can’t wriggle out of it.’ The more you try to wriggle, the faster you sink – like in quicksand. As we found ourselves caught up in that situation and tried to disentangle ourselves from the problems we faced, we even sank deeper into the problems. I think to a greater extent we lacked Jesus. There was no Jesus in our lives. He was not there; He was non-existent. It led the point where we actually separated.
Too Much
“When I went home to Zimbabwe to visit my family, my dad said to me, ‘Son, I have got a tape I recorded here. Do you have time to watch?’ I said, ‘I will see that some other time, dad. I’m rushing to Harare.’ When I came back, he pestered me again so we sat down and he showed me a tape of The SCOAN in Lagos with Prophet T.B. Joshua. That moment, I felt something within me. I told my dad that when I got back to Manchester, I would go to London so I can attend a service at SCOAN London. At that time, I was still having problems with my wife – almost daily arguments and disagreement. When I came back, I ignored what I told my father and didn’t come here. It was at that period that we separated – because the problems were becoming too much. I called my father and he asked me, ‘Did you go to London? I think you better go there now!’ That was the last time he said it to me. So, I came on my own.
Reconciled
“From childhood, my church attendance was more academic really – going to church because you have to go. My mum was very insistent that we go to church – so I used to go, but I was not really there. However, when I came to SCOAN London, it transformed my life. Coming to the first service and seeing the wonders of God, I said, ‘This is where I belong!’ I said I must come every month. After my third attendance at SCOAN London, I made a decision to take the first steps to go to my wife and encourage her to come with me – because I had seen a lot of miraculous things happening. Without Jesus, I wouldn’t have gone back to her because I am a very stubborn person. I wouldn’t have done that; my pride would not have allowed me. But I came down because the way I got to know Jesus at SCOAN transformed the way I looked at life. So I called my wife and said, ‘I am going to church now and I think you need to come with me and make up your mind if you think it’s good for us’. She didn’t argue but she was rather shocked, knowing me! She said, ‘Okay I will go with you.’ That was how we reconciled after six months of separation! Since then, we try to come once a month for one of the services. It has been a difficult time but it is all over now; it’s in the past! Everything is smoothly flowing!
Solid Foundation
“I want to thank my father for showing me the light, for showing me where Jesus is. I thought I was near Jesus but I wasn’t. To people out there, I want to say – you need to seek Jesus no matter what the problem is. My wife knows that I don’t worry anymore. Even if things are difficult, I just say, ‘Well, let’s live today. Tomorrow is in the hands of Jesus!’ My advice to everyone is don’t worry about tomorrow because God will provide through His Son Jesus. So, live and live well today and have faith! It is faith that is the solid foundation we can build on.
Amen
“I thank Jesus for what He has done to my husband. When he called me after coming back from SCOAN London, it wasn’t to reconcile. Jesus made him so humble that he actually wanted me to be healed. He didn’t call me for us to come back together. Because of that… how can you not fall in love again with someone who loves you so much that he wants your healing? That is how we reconciled. This is a great change I have seen in him. Before then, he is not someone who wanted things for others – he would think about himself first. But this time, he thought about me. He thought about others first – and how our life would be. I thank God for that. Amen!
Wow! We thank Jesus Christ for this wonderful testimony and give Him all the glory!
If you would like more information on the next prayer line SCOAN London will hold or indeed any information about the ministry here in London, don’t hesitate to contact us on +44 (0) 7985 034222 or +44 (0) 7432 696657. You can also send us an email: uk@scoan.org
NB – At SCOAN London, we don’t ask people to stop taking medication. Doctors treat; God heals. Please click here for our full statement concerning this. Emmanuel!
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