A Miraculous Story of Healing From A Cancer Death Sentence

I’ve had it in my mind to tell you all this true story for as long as this website has been up and I apologize for taking so long, because I believe it is very important.  Let’s get right to it.

There is a woman named Dodie Osteen.

She is the mother of Joel Osteen who pastors Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Her late husband, John Osteen founded this church and the two of them pastored it for their 44 years of marriage, along with traveling and ministering in many nations of the world.

Today, She Is Healthy

She has 5 children and 19 grandchildren, but in 1981, Dodie Osteen was diagnosed with metastatic cancer of the liver.  She was told that with or without chemotherapy, she had weeks to live.  All her life she had been the picture of health.  In fact, she recounts that when someone would ask how she was, she would say “I am disgustingly healthy.”  She does not say that anymore.  Not because she is not healthy, but because she knows the power of our words and will never take her health for granted again.

With no hope…

from the medical community, her husband told the doctor that they believed in miracles and in the miracle worker (That would be Jesus) and they were going home to pray and seek God for what to do.

She is the first to say, “do not necessarily do what she did.”  You must seek God and do what brings peace to you.  Peace is the barometer for what you need to do in any situation.

After she went home…

she had many people pray for her.  Many famous pastors, known for ministries of healing prayed for her, but one night she felt she heard God speak to her heart, “Dodie, others’ faith will not heal you.  It is YOUR faith that you must go on now.”  She knew at that point, it was between she and Jesus.

So she began to live as if she were not sick.

She felt so awful, that she knew if she stayed in bed it would only get worse.  She forced herself to continue to operate as best she could.  Not taking naps.   Sleeping the normal number of hours at night.  And she prayed fervently.

A longer story short  –  she never died.

In fact, she got healthier.  Did she go back for tests to confirm her health?  No.  She knew she was healthy.  She didn’t want hospital tests messing with her faith.  Finally a few years later, she was impressed to see a doctor about another issue and they reported she was as healthy as a young woman.  Her doctors, well known in medicine, say she was healed supernaturally and that is the only explanation.

There are lots of key things she did and thought…

during her time of healing, which I encourage you to read in her $4 book, whether you are well or sick.  (Here is a link to purchase it from Amazon or you can usually find it in a Christian bookstore.)

One of those things, that I am giving you today, was 40 key verses in the Bible that she would look up everyday, read, and confess in the first person. (That means say the verse from the first person point of view – I will give you an example in a moment).

In addition,

here are a few segments from the book that will get you going in the right direction.  In the beginning she says this:

God said, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).  This is a sad thing, but it’s true.  Many people do not know that it is God’s will for them to be healed.  And this information is the difference between life and death!

In another Psalm, David said, How we thank you , Lord!  Your mighty miracles give proof that you care (Psalm 75:1 TLB).

God does care for His children.  The fact that He healed me shows me He cares, and that He wants to heal you too.

Hebrews 11:1 says, Now faith is the substance of things HOPED for (emphasis hers).  If you have cancer, a kidney disorder, or some other terminal disease that has brought pain and sickness in your body, I want you to know there is hope in Jesus.  He does not want you to die an early death.  He wants you to live and declare the works of the Lord (see Psalm 118:17).

Later she says this:

God Did Not Give Me Cancer

Did God send this sickness on me?

No, of course not.  Both my heart and my mind knew it was not God’s will for me or any of His children to be sick.  If I had any doubt in my mind about it being God’s will for me to be well, I would never have gotten well.  That is why we need to fight the lies of the devil.  That is why we need to teach people God’s Word.  Get it clearly established in your mind and heart that it IS God’s will for you to be well.

God did not put cancer on me.  Jesus said it was “the thief,” Satan, who came to steal my health, kill me, and destroy me.  Jesus said, I am come that [you] might have life, and that [you] might have it more abundantly (John 10:10, KJV).  Notice, that verse says that you “might” have life.  You have a choice.  You do not have to have abundant life, but you CAN if you want to.  I wanted to, so I pled my case with God.

40 Healing Scriptures

And now here are the locations of the 40 verses and the general idea of each one.  This is not the verse itself.  She does give you the verse and a paragraph about each one in her book.  I have these listed and when I feel the need, (if I think I’m getting a cold, etc – and yes, sometimes I just forget to do it, but writing this to you is a great remembrance for me!) I force myself to actually look them up in the Bible, instead of reading them off of a page, and say them in first person.  That’s just me.

But she did that too and still does to this day.  She never leaves her house without looking them up and reading them even though she knows them by heart.  She says it does something for her.  So you will need to look them up or get her book if you want to know what the verse actually says.  Sorry.  I’m gonna make you work for this : )

1. Proverbs 4:20-23  The Word of God will save your life.

Here is an example:

The verse from the NIV version:

²⁰ My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.

²¹ Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;

²² for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man’s whole body.

²³ Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Now here is my version in the first person.  Write it how it best works for YOU.

Father, I pay attention to what you say.  I listen closely to your words.  I do not let them out of my sight.  I keep them within my heart, for they are life to me and health to my whole body.  I guard my heart, for I know it is the wellspring of life.

Ok, got it.  Now you do the rest.

2.  Joshua 21:45  God’s Word will not fail.
3.  Philippians 2:13 God’s will – healing – is working in you.
4. Romans 8:11  The Spirit of Life is making your body alive.
5.  2nd Corinthians 1:20 God is for you.
6.  Matthew 8:2, 3  It is God’s will for you to be healed.
7.  Exodus 15:26  Obey God’s work and be healed.
8.  Exodus 23:25  Serve the Lord and healing will be yours.
9.  Deuteronomy 7:15  God takes all sickness away from you.
10.  Malachi 3:10  Obey all God’s commandments and seek all His blessings.
11.  Psalm 103:1-5  One of God’s benefits is healing.
12.  Psalm 107:20 God’s word is healing.
13.  Psalm 118:17 God wants you to live.
14.  Deuteronomy 30:19  Choose to live.  Be a fighter.
15.  Psalm 91:16  You will live a long life.
16.  Isaiah  53:5  Jesus bore your sin and your sicknesses.
17.  Jeremiah 30:17  God will restore your health.
18.  Matthew 18:18  You can take authority over the sickness in your body.
19.  Matthew 18:19  Agree with someone for your healing.
20.  Mark 11:23,23  What you say will make a difference.
21.  Mark 11:24  Believe and you will receive.
22.  Isaiah 43:25-26  Plead your case to God.
23.  Mark 16: 17, 18  Have someone lay hands on you for healing.
24.  John 9:31  Worship God
25.  John 10:10  The devil wants to kill you.  God wants to heal you.
26.  Galatians 3:13, 14  You are redeemed from the curse.
27.  Hebrews 10:23  You will not waiver in your faith.
28.  Hebrews 10:35  You can have confidence in God and His Word.
29.  Joel 3:10  You can find strength in God and in His Word.
30.  Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ has never changed.  What He did in the Bible, He will do for you today.
31.  3 John 2 God’s highest wish is for you to be well.
32.  James 5:14, 15 Be anointed with oil by a Christian.
33.  1st Peter 2:24  Jesus has already paid the price for your healing.
34.  1st John 5:14, 15  Be confident in your prayers.
35.  1st John 3:21, 22  God answers the prayers of those who keep His commandments.
36.  2nd Timothy 1:7  Fear is not of God.  Rebuke it!
37.  2nd Corinthians 10:4, 5  Cast down those thoughts and imaginations that don’t line up with the Word of God.
38.  Ephesians 6:10-13  Be strong in the Lord’s power.  Put on His armor to fight for your healing.
39.  Revelation 12:11 Give testimony of your healing.
40.  Nahum 1:9  Your sickness will leave and not come back again.

Godspeed and remember, guard the words that come out of your mouth!