That’s Amazing Grace

PLAY AMAZING GRACE AUDIO BELOW ARRANGED AND PERFORMED BY BILL HUTZEL

“Grace is not just a word. Grace is not just a noun. Grace is God’s supernatural, enabling power, and His favor that gives you the strength to be an over-comer of your circumstances. The Lord gives grace to the humble. He will give you more grace. Just ask Him.” (Thirty Days with Jesus in the Secret Place by Yvonne and Sarah Jane Svitlik)

In 2019, my wife and I attended a Global Awakening conference. After the initial day’s sessions, we were encouraged to pray for the person next to us. The person I prayed for had severe vision impairment and legally classified as blind. Although I could not pray for his healing at that moment due to time constraints and being asked to vacate the conference center auditorium, I felt a spiritual prompting to reconnect with him the following day, to which he agreed.

That night, I was awakened from my sleep at 4:20 a.m., overcome with emotion as I wept into my pillow for a man I had recently encountered, whom I’ll refer to as John. Feeling embarrassed, I turned away from my wife so she might not see or hear me. Suddenly, I distinctly heard in my spirit from God that He wanted me to play “Amazing Grace” for this man. In 2019, I received a prophetic word that I was to take my flute with me everywhere, so, in obedience, I brought it to the conference.  

Everything became clear to me in that moment. God reminded me of the words to the song. “I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see.”  I strongly sensed that God wanted me to pray for the restoration of this man’s physical eyes.

The auditorium and hallways were crowded with people, yet the two of us somehow managed to locate each other amidst the throng. “Can we go downstairs where it is quiet?” I suggested.  During our conversation, which lasted almost two hours, he revealed that he had not been blind since birth. Instead, he believed that a macumba curse, a practice akin to Voodoo, had been placed on him several years earlier during a mission trip to Brazil. Macumba, an Afro-Brazilian religion renowned for its potent black magic, was the source of his affliction, he revealed.

“If you want to see the sick get healed, you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” – Randy Clark

I was somewhat apprehensive at first because there was a risk of being disappointed should little ol’ me pray for him and he was not healed. It’s natural to feel a sense of disappointment when stepping out in faith, especially when praying for what seems impossible. It is also the main obstacle that prevents people from experiencing the miraculous wonders of God. However, if you are unwilling to take a risk and step out in faith, you might miss out on His miraculous power to heal and restore. So, in obedience, I decided to obey and allow God to do what came naturally to Him: heal and restore. 

As I yielded to God’s direction to pray for John and follow through with playing “Amazing Grace” on my flute, God’s grace empowered me to minister effectively. I felt more confident, and with my authority in Christ, I began praying and commanding healing in Jesus’ Name.  

But before proceeding, I would first need to get a baseline of what John could or could not see.  I held up two fingers in my right hand, and then Then, five fingers in my left hand.  In both instances, he was unable to discern the number of fingers raised. However, after praying for him, I reassessed his vision. Once again, I held up two fingers in my right hand and five fingers in my left hand, and both times he accurately told me how many fingers I had raised. He then mentioned that he was beginning to distinguish my facial features, which previously appeared blurry. Although he didn’t receive complete healing, he believed that God had begun the healing process and was confident he full restoration of his sight was forthcoming.

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22).

I often wonder what would have happened if we had continued to pray.

Although he was not completely healed, it was a beginning.  Even though I had hoped to see complete healing, we both needed to continue to believe God was still in control.  When we rely on our own strength, the healing process rarely makes sense. This is because God’s faith transcends our own. His faith works supernaturally, beyond the limitations of our natural faith. That’s amazing grace to have such faith.

Copyright 2023 by Bill Hutzel