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Really Walking Sober By Dave Battaglia Being a functional alcoholic every day for over twenty years, you live your life in a constant fog. In 1995, I gave my life to the Lord while attending a harvest crusade. Growing some in the Lord, taking classes, and attending church made a big difference in my life, but my bondage to alcohol continued. All my efforts to quit drinking failed, though I prayed for deliverance and strength regularly. I just could not quit no matter how hard I tried. Every other day was my best effort for short periods of time. I knew the Lord wanted me sober. I was very convicted to stop drinking since being saved. But I was slowly losing confidence that I would experience any help from the Lord. The following is a true account of how God answered my cry. An odd pain began occurring in my right foot. I had not injured it in any way or had any problems with it in the past. It was there one morning upon waking up. I lived with the pain for five months. The pain traveled up my leg to my knee to the point that it hurt to walk or stand. Lacking medical coverage, I feared to go to the doctor for a diagnosis. I knew this pain was like none I had ever experienced before in my body. It felt like a pain coming from inside my bones. I pictured a diagnosis of a severe case of something really bad, and I just did not possess the mental strength to want to find out exactly what it was. During this time, a friend in the Lord who knew of my alcohol problem called many times to invite me to a Mary Craig healing service. Something always kept me from going. After a period of time and my friend hounding me to go, I finally committed to attend a service. While praying with me, Mary mentioned my right leg in pain and asked Jesus to heal it. She had no prior knowledge that anything was wrong with my right leg or that it had been in pain. My body tingled from the top to the bottom, and I walked out of there with that pain gone! I came home that night and awakened my son from sleep, telling him of the miracle I had experienced and dancing around the room as proof. My son, who has also received the Lord Jesus Christ, knew I was not faking a healing because I stopped complaining about my foot every single day and we were able to resume our rigorous biking and skating workouts that had ended when the pain started. However, I continued to drink my entire bottle of alcohol every night as I had always done in the past. Several months went by, and while stopping at the liquor store for my nightly fix, my son tried to convince me to leave the parking lot. He said, "What do you think God would say about bringing home alcohol?" Experiencing a lot of guilt and conviction, I nevertheless brought the bottle home. I hesitated to bring it out of the car, but then I brought it in and left it on the counter awhile. Then I considered pouring it down the drain, and then I just gave in and drank it instead. The alcohol could not remove the guilt of conviction I felt. Before sleeping that night, I prayed that God not undo my healing. After all, I felt I deserved it. Guess what. I woke up in the middle of the night with the foot pain back like it was before. I said to myself that it was only a bad dream and went back to sleep. It was not a bad dream. For a week I limped, and my production on the job decreased. I prayed that the pain would go away and asked others to pray for me, but it hurt even more than it ever did before. I eagerly attended the next Mary Craig service. When it was my turn for prayer, Mary Craig announced to all that there would be a healing. I don't remember everything said, but I did hear her say, "Come out of the bones." The next morning the pain was completely gone. Again! I learned that if I were going to "limp" with alcohol that I really was going to limp! God revealed Himself to me in an unmistakable way. He gave me the strength and the impetus to quit drinking that very night. I know that I know that I know that God is really for real, and He loves me and knows what is best for me. In His perfect timing, I was both healed and delivered. Thank you, Jesus, for Mary Craig Ministries! |
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