My wife and I were pastoring in the city of Fort Payne, AL in the 1980’s. We had a lady and her young son (Cindy and David Guffey) that started attending our church. One day, Cindy came to me with a request for her Father-In-Law, Freelon Guffey, who was very sick – and had been for quite some time. He was being observed at a hospital in Scottsboro, AL, because they could not figure out what was causing his high fever, chills, and pain.

I went to visit him on Sunday after church, prayed with him, and nothing happened. I wasn’t feeling well myself due to multiple days of fasting. It made me feel guilty because I had not been able to touch God for Freelon that day. However, the next day, I was feeling better and decided to pay Freelon another visit. Upon my arrival at the hospital, I was met by Freelon’s pastor. Freelon had been attending his church, serving as a Superintendent, for 30 years and had never missed a Sunday! Freelon’s pastor asked him if it would be alright for me to pray again. Freelon said, “Sure.”

Once again, I prayed – and didn’t feel a thing! I was getting kinda troubled in my spirit because God wasn’t seeming to hear my prayers. We all need to remember this: God has His own time frame!

Freelon’s pastor left the hospital, and I remained with Freelon. I was explaining to him my dissatisfaction with the results of all our prayers when in walked a tall and stately gentleman. This fellow said, “I guess you have been praying and haven’t felt anything?” “You are correct.”, I replied. He asked, “Where are you from? Who’s church are you out of?” I answered, “Alexandria, LA, GA Mangun’s church.” He exclaimed, “I got the Holy Ghost in that church when AT Morgan pastored there! Let’s pray again!” It seemed like a divine appointment, so I said OK!

Me and that older man started praying and Freelon’s body practically lifted off that bed! God touched him mightly – and we all knew it!

Well, I went back home, and the next morning after my time with Lord, I was en-route back home, when I saw Cindy Guffey standing in the road flagging me down! With urgency in her voice, she said, “Bro. Mike, would you please go talk to my Mother-in-Law and encourage her to take Freelon to the Birmingham Hospital? Those folks in Scottsboro have no idea what is going on with Freelon!”

“What are they saying?”, I asked. Cindy replied, “This morning, they came and got Freelon to run some tests on him. Now they can’t find anything wrong! Those people just can’t do nothing right!”

I got excited and said, “Cindy, you have just told me that a miracle has taken place in Freelon’s body!” I quickly started my car, drove 35 miles to the Scottsboro Hospital, and rushed up to Freelon’s room. I literally slid into his room!

He was sitting up on the side of his bed, eating for the first time in days, and grinning like a Cheshire Cat! I asked Freelon, “What are you grinning about?” He said, “Preacher, you know what I am grinning about! God healed me!” I had myself a little victory dance and we worshiped God for His healing touch!

Freelon had never missed a Sunday service in 30 years, and he had never been to another church except on non-service times of his home church. That next Sunday was Easter. Church was getting ready to start, when I looked up – coming through the doors of the church was Freelon Guffey and ALL of his family. He said, “I had to come to a church where God honors the prayers of a man of faith!” We ended up baptizing several of his family.

Freelon was finally healed after many years of being sick!

Folks, God Showed Up and Showed Out! He is the God of Miracles!

–Michael Sanders