In the best of worlds, the prayer watchman’s role would end in the garden. If we effectively kept the serpent out of our gardens, we would not have to drive him from our lives and the lives of those for whom we pray. In a fallen world which Jesus came to redeem, we must look tragedy square in the face and determine to be faithful as watchmen in the trenches and on the wall to drive the enemy from people’s lives and help them reach their destiny in God. An inspiring account of this kind of divine-human partnership comes through the testimony of Justin and Mary.

Justin is a young boy who is eight years old at this writing. His phenomenal story was relayed to me by his adoptive mother Mary through the "Advocates in Prayer" website, and the story can be read in Justin’s own words on his website.

Justin’s story begins when he was an abandoned infant addicted at birth to cocaine and other drugs. When his adoptive mother-to-be discovered him, he was a helpless infant, hospitalized, and in I.C.U. on life support systems. He had no active brain cells, both lungs had failed, and his heart was only pumping with the help of a catheter. He was on full oxygen and had needles and tubes in every limb.

Doctors were ready to remove life-support systems and allow Justin to die when he was chosen for adoption by a praying mother named Mary. All her friends thought it was a crazy move as Justin had no hope of ever being anything more than a vegetable. However, Mary knew that God had moved her to adopt Justin and that there was a divinely ordained purpose for his life. Her faith made her resolute to keep him on life support when doctors advised her to let him go. When they saw she was determined to keep him alive and that she fully expected him to recover so she could take him home, they advised that she would never be able to afford the medical bills to keep him going.

Undaunted, Mary called her pastor to come and pray for Justin. She also started a prayer chain and sought legal counsel for adoption proceedings. The attorney laughed at her and showed her the door.

Returning home from the lawyer's office, Mary prayed, "Lord, did I miss something or what? I've done all I can, and if this is Your will, You will have to move." The Lord said to her that she was to contact Robison R. Harrell. Having never heard this name, she and her daughter looked it up in the yellow pages. It turned out to be the name of a lawyer who owned an adoption center in Shalamar, Florida!

Mary called Mr. Harrell for an appointment. When she arrived, she briefly told him what she wanted. Mr. Harrell replied, "I know why you are here. The Lord told me this morning you were coming and that I was to help place this child with you."

Robison Harrell is a Spirit-filled Christian who had resolute faith for healing. When Mary told him of Justin's condition, Mr. Harrell simply prayed for healing and started the paperwork! Upon returning to the hospital, Mary found that Justin had already shown such improvement that the tube to his throat was removed. As his condition improved daily, tubes and needles were removed progressively, and his oxygen levels were dropped. Within three weeks, only the NG tube for feeding him remained.

When the time came for discharging Justin from the hospital, Mary was waiting for the discharge papers and instructions on how to use the feeding tube when the Lord told her to put a pacifier in Justin's mouth. She knew he had no sucking reflexes, but she obeyed the Lord. He immediately began sucking on the pacifier like he was starving! She called for the nurses, and they removed the last tube and gave him his first bottle.

Justin is now eight years old. At the age of five he attended a field day where he participated in races with other kids, even clearing hurdles. He says, "Thanks to praying people and my Lord Jesus, I won three blue ribbons for first place and one last place (my shoe fell off)."

With the help of his mother, Justin has a website for kids who need prayer.  He, his mom, and his Sunday school class pray regularly over the needs of other children as they come in. He says, "I want kids like me to know that Jesus loves them, and there is a place they can come for prayer."

In Justin’s story, his adoptive mother Mary provides a wonderful example of how God can use us in multiple watchmen roles and with a mix of spiritual gifts to accomplish His purposes in the lives of others. Mary was moved by God to see beyond a hopeless medical prognosis and to envision Justin as healthy, well-adjusted, and part of a happy family. We could say that Mary saw Justin through the eyes of a watchman on the wall. That prophetic insight prompted her to put her faith in action and begin adoption proceedings. As a good watchmen in the trenches, she pressed through the hurdles caused by Justin’s physical condition and the counsel of medical professionals and an attorney. She received a word of knowledge of the complete name of a Christian adoption attorney. As she began the adoption proceedings, her step of faith in doing so released the gifts of healings, and Justin was already markedly improved before she ever got to the hospital to see him. In response to another word of knowledge, she gave Justin a pacifier. This act of obedience to the direction of the Spirit released an additional impartation of healing, and Justin’s oral reflexes were restored. She has been instrumental in Justin’s total recovery, in nurturing him to faith in Jesus, and in envisioning him in the establishment of a prayer ministry for suffering children.

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Contact Information for Mary Holland and Justin: