When I was 11 years old I started getting a small lump on my middle finger joint on my right hand. My finger started to get sore whenever I used it and then the pain spread to my other fingers and to my other hand. Over the next few years the joint pain spread to nearly all my other joints. I started to also have increasing stiffness in most of my joints – especially the big ones (hands, feet, knees, hips, back etc). By this time I had had many many blood tests and was seeing a doctor and specialist who soon diagnosed me with a type of juvenile arthritis. I had to get help in college for exams or anything that required lots of writing as it caused my hands to get stiff and painful. I also had a lot of pain and stiffness in doing everyday activities like walking, sitting, opening jars, doing the dishes etc and a lot of trouble sleeping. From about 12 years old to about 18 or 19 years old I was given so many different types of medications to try – none of which did much at all and many of which made me feel nauseous and yuck. I had special splints for my feet and hands to help with walking and sleeping and had regular physiotherapy to try and help my body. Nothing worked though. From 16 years old to about 18 years old I was on an invalids benefit because I found it too hard to work a regular job.
I had not grown up knowing the power of God, let alone that He actually still healed people today. At 16 years old I went to the Get Smart conference, encountered the Holy Spirit Who freaked me out and got healed from Arthritis for 3 days. I had no idea how to keep my healing though and so when all the symptoms came back after leaving the conference, I just let it be part of my life again.
Four years later I was pressing into God for healing and while overseas at a Pentecostal Church I went to the prayer team and asked them to pray for my healing. They felt that I had taken on my sisters’ burden of being sick with Chronic Renal Failure and so had opened myself up to a curse of death. I repented; they broke off that curse of death and prayed for my healing. And I was healed!! I have not carried people’s burdens in the wrong way I used to . . I trust God with how He carries them and I have been free of Arthritis ever since!!
I can run and jump and dance and live a life of freedom without pain! Thank you LORD!!!!
Emily Campbell
