Dawn Matthews: Worried Sick

We went out to eat, and as I’m sitting there I started feeling dizzy. I said to my husband, “I think I’m going to faint.” The next thing I know, I had gotten up from the table to try to leave the restaurant and I passed out. My husband and my friend that owns the restaurant are over top of me, trying to get me awake. I can hear them, but I can’t say anything.

They called 911, and I go to the hospital. They did all these tests. They told me they thought that I was having a panic attack, because my blood pressure was real high.

I hadn’t had any health issues. I have always been healthy and on top of things. I was trying to control the world and always thought God needed my help. I was learning that I needed His help.

I was sitting at home one night with my husband and my granddaughter, and my blood pressure goes up again. We called 911, and they checked me out. They said my blood pressure was off the charts, so they took me to the hospital. Well, on the way to the hospital, my blood pressure goes so high that I stop breathing. At that point, I thought for sure I was dying. I prayed to God, “Please forgive me for my sins,” because I knew I was gonna see Him. We get to the hospital.

They tell me at that point that if I don’t make some changes in my life, “panic attacks can kill you.”

I always felt like that if you had faith that you would not have panic attacks. So, I started reading my Bible. I slept with my Bible. I started praising God. I knew that He was the only one I could turn to. Everyone else had disappointed me, but I knew that He loved me unconditionally and that He would never leave me.
I would still have panic attacks. I would still be so afraid that I was gonna die. I would just be up at nights, walking the floors and praying to God, “Please, don’t let me die.” I was afraid to go to sleep at nights, because the nightmares would be so bad. I would wake up just sweating, and my heart would be beating out of my chest. This went on for about a year.

I started watching The 700 Club religiously. I would listen to Pat, Terry and Kristi talk about hearing a word of knowledge. I would think that doesn’t make any sense. How do they know what’s going on in my life?

This one night I am watching The 700 Club, and I hear Kristi say, “The Lord is healing someone with anxiety and panic attacks, so much so that literally you can’t take a full breath. God has not given you the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. You rest in that, because that spirit of fear is cast out right now in the name of Jesus. I speak peace into your life.”

I thought, ‘I do not understand this, but I am gonna claim it. I jumped up out of my chair, and I was like, “Oh, God. That’s for me! That’s for me!” I woke my husband up, and I said, “I’ve been healed! Kristi heard a word of knowledge!”

That night I was all excited. The next day I thought, ‘I wonder if this is really gonna work?’ Then I thought, ‘That is just what fear would have me do.’ I just kept praising Him, thanking Him and praising Him.

I have not had a panic attack now for months, and I know I am healed.

Fear is not what God wants us to have; He wants us to have a life of abundance. So if the doubt comes in your mind, take it away. Know that God can heal you.