Have you heard of visions being given to people so they can pray for others to be healed? This is often referred to as a word of knowledge for healing.

I was on the phone with a friend and fellow hike team leader. It’s September 2023 and we were discussing plans for the upcoming hike that was only a few weeks away. At the end of the discussion he told me about a muscle in his back he had just pulled and then I had a mental picture, which I would call a vision from the Holy Spirit.

Have you seen those commercials for medications that show a cartoon version of an upper torso and where the medicine is working? Here’s an example from an older Pepto Bismol commercial:

I received a similar vision, with an upper torso but with a location where pain was identified. It existed as a mental picture in my mind. The image was as if made by professional animator, this is as best as I can recreate:

My friend gave me no more information beyond that he had back pain. The vision communicated to me the location of the pain. Here’s the conversation we had on the phone:

Me: Is your pain in your lower left back, in the love handle area?
Friend: Yes!
Me: Would you believe that the Lord gave me a vision to build your faith for healing?
Friend: Yes! Completely.

I prayed for him and afterwards asked him how he felt. He said it felt a lot better, so I told him to go test it out. After we hung up the phone he was out in a field with his wife and said that he started running around and felt no pain. Thank you Jesus!

One interesting point: I didn’t realize it until later that nothing in the vision to which way the person was facing. Were they facing towards me or away from me? Because this would have changed if I thought my friends pain was in his left or right back, and if I got it wrong it would not have built his faith as much, if at all. Maybe the lesson is to just trust my instincts and go for it.

Jesus I thank you for your death and resurrection on the cross that through your sacrifice we are healed!

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5