I am experiencing one of the biggest miracles in my life. And, I want to share with you a testimony of supernatural freedom from severe incurable pain and opioid pain medication. This is a long post, but I hope this message will bring hope to you and will add some value to your life.
Even though I lost my legs in a car accident, I have a sensation as if I do have legs. For over 10 years I was suffering from pain in my feet, which is called phantom pain. It seemed as if lightning strikes hit into my feet. The shots of pain were so sudden and violent that my body jumped, pierced by sharp pain. It was excruciating.
I have learned to live with daily never-ending pain in my paralyzed arm, but the phantom pain was something I could not tolerate. The doctor said there is no cure for it. I started taking pain medication Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) to get temporary relief from pain. Pain medication did help with the pain and it even gave me a little boost of energy (which I liked, I admit) but little did I know what I stepped into…
Over time, my body got used to this medication and it no longer helped with the pain. So I received a prescription for a much stronger pain reliever, Norco. Slowly but surely, medication pulled me into a trap of the addiction to the pain-relievers. From taking one pill a day I ended up taking 6-8 pills a day of 10 mg/325 mg Norco drug just to be able to function. Furthermore, after some time Norco also was no longer strong enough to knock down the pain.
When I realized the horrible effect that medication had in my life and I did a research about this type of medication, I faced a terrifying fact: these were a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin.
After reading online about the experiences of others in this matter, I think for the first time I felt frightened about my life. The opioid medication was the only option for me to handle the pain (alternative medications and acupuncture did not help), but this option had only one direction – to a deeper addiction which led thousands of people to illegal drugs and a life of drug addiction.
What did I get myself into?! How to get out of this?
There was no way out.
This kind of pain is not curable and it actually only intensified over time. Quite frankly, the pain and taking medication became such a usual part of my life that it just became a part of me; I forgot what it looked like to live without pain and without medication. I did not have enough faith that prayer can help. So I did not even pray about it.
One day, as I was going home from work, I took a pill. I realized it was the 8thNorco pill that I just took in one day. It horrified me. I felt drowsy and spaced out. I hated that feeling. And the pain attacks didn’t go anywhere. Since Norco no longer helped with the pain, I had to either increase the daily dosage or go on stronger medication. But I was so afraid of stronger medication…. I felt hopeless. I just didn’t know what to do. In my mind, I began calling out to God… as a drowning person reaches out the hand to grab the last straw.
In a moment, memories came to me of times when I received supernatural healing after the prayer and many other incredible testimonies of the Lord’s help. Jesus was my only hope. After returning home, feeling total despair I cried to Jesus Christ. I just had nowhere to go. I asked Him to break the chains of pain and addiction and to free me from this invisible prison.
The impossible becomes true
Right on the next day, I received my answer. Totally unexpectedly I was invited to join a bible homegroup. There severe pain shots began attacking me, and my fellows began praying for me. And, to my big astonishment, after the prayer, the pain shots stopped, just like in a story when the storm calmed down when Jesus commanded it to be quiet. I couldn’t believe that what I experienced was real!
Since then, after many years of pain and dependency on narcotic medication trap, I began my journey toward my freedom. It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do. When I would not take medication, it seemed like someone was breaking my bones, tearing apart all my organs inside. At times it felt as though someone was pulling my soul out of me. I couldn’t do any work, couldn’t sit still, couldn’t rest, and couldn’t sleep. In addition, returning pain shots made it nearly impossible to stay away from the medication.
At times, after the prayer, the pain would stop, and at times the pain would persist regardless. Often taking the pill was an easy way out. Thus, the stronghold of returning pain and both mental and physical addiction kept me in this endless roller coaster. For the last five years, it’s been an ongoing battle.
In the beginning of June of 2020, I felt so tired of this ongoing battle between bondage and my strive to have freedom… As I was thinking about it, I heard/felt this gentle and yet clear and lousd voice within: if you are going to continue taking medication, you will not be able to fulfill your calling. Now you have a choice: to continue and jeopardize your purpose or by faith completely surrender yourself and this matter to the Lord and trust God to help you with pain and with withdrawals.
I knew that I was at crossroads – the choice that I was going to make would determine the further direction of my path. My future depended on my choice.
Just a thought of withdrawals made me sick. I’ve tried to quit medication multiple times and I was never able to. But I knew this had to stop. So I made the decision to trust God with it all. I already witnessed tremendous power in the name of Jesus Christ, and I decided to fight this battle on my knees.
That night was a sleepless night. Phantom pain like electricity shock relentlessly attacked me throughout the night. I got up feeling exhausted. Overwhelmed. Pain relentlessly continued to the point of me saying I could no longer endure it.
I got angry. The pain attacks suddenly became even more vicious than ever before just when I decided to stop taking medication! My anger fueled a determination to be relentless in my prayer of faith. I went into my office and began praying. When I rebuked the pain in Jesus Christ’s name – the pain stopped. It was just gone right after the prayer.
It was so clear – this battle can be won only in the name of Jesus Christ. The narcotic medication would only lead me to destruction. Freedom will come only through faith and the power of the name of Jesus Christ.
There was one thing though that I was concerned about – agonizing physical withdrawals. I was so tired from going back and forth… I wasn’t sure how I was going to handle it all over again.
On the next day, there was a Friday prayer night at Flame of Fire Ministry, and my friend and I decided to join them. I wanted to spend time in prayer. While I was praying in Spirit, I felt the change within me. Instead of concern about withdrawals, I felt growing determination and strength to withstand it, and my faith surrendering to God this matter was getting stronger. I felt total resolve seeing it as being done and over.
At the end of prayer night, leaders asked the attendees if there is someone who would like to be prayed for. At first, I wanted to ask for prayer, but then I stopped myself. I felt shy. “I will just go into my room and continue praying as I did,“ I thought.
After they prayed for others and were about to dismiss the crowd, one of the leaders came up to the front and said “The Holy Spirit says to me that there is someone here in the room who needs freedom from the bondage. Someone, who is really tired from going back and forth. We can pray for you to end this, so you finally can have the freedom that you want.”
Needless to say, my eyes were full of tears! It was me.
Father knew. The Lord heard my cry, and He broke the shackles and delivered me from the invisible prison. Since then, I never went back to medication.
Remember, it’s a battle
First I had to face a battle though, which had a lesson for me. For the next several days, at times the pain did show up. But, instead of medication, I chose to handle it with the prayer of faith and through the power of the name of Jesus Christ. After several days, the pain shots went away.
Withdrawals came along as well. They weren’t as bad as they normally were. At times though, I wished somebody would get me out of my own body. Nevertheless, I was determined. In those times, in my mind, the verse kept coming to me “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 And, like never before, I had the endurance to withstand withdrawals. After several more days, they also went away.
For more than 10 years, there has not been a day that I did not feel the lightning strikes of phantom pain, and neither painkillers, nor alternative medicines, nor acupuncture helped – THESE DAILY PAINS ARE GONE! For more than 10 years I could not live a day without opioid drugs, and now almost four months have passed – I HAVE NEVER TAKEN THESE PAINKILLERS!
I want to take the opportunity and thank my church “Hand of Help” in San Francisco and every single person who prayed for me. This was a long and strenuous battle. Especially, I want to thank Aleksandr Kolesnikov, who taught me about faith and the power of prayer and who prayed for me countless times. The first battle is won, Aleksandr!
Lord knows our hearts and true intentions. He knows our hardships and battles. Even if it may seem to us that there is no way out of the situation we are in, God always has a way. And, He hears the cry of those who call out upon His name for help with a sincere heart. He comes to help us and He is never late. So, if you feel trapped in a certain situation, call out to God. Faith in God and prayer is not a ‘religion’ that many views with an ironic mockery. Faith and prayer have great power beyond our comprehension. And it can give you what the world does not have and cannot give.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. (Psalm 50:15)
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:3)
If you feel discouraged because you did not receive your answer, keep persisting. Resist the enemy and doubts. Remember that it is the battle. Jesus has already won the battle, we just have to take back what the enemy has stolen.
My best wishes to you, be safe and blessed!
In my book “UNSTOPPABLE. It’s a Choice” you can learn my full story-testimony, which is an inspiring story of overcoming adversity and transforming life in spite of all odds. This book is about a living God who can restore the broken, heal the deepest wounds of a soul, and transform one’s life no matter how desperate the situation is. The story is about resolve and relentless perseverance that can break through the insurmountable stumbling blocks. The story is about the power of resilience that can lift you up and carry you forward no matter how tired you are or how many times you fall. It is about God’s immeasurable mercy and grace even if you make a horrible, unpardonable mistake.
Finally, this book is about THE POWER OF DECISIONS that are made by us, once we stand at the CROSSROADS OF A CHOICE.
In May of 2018, “UNSTOPPABLE. It’s a Choice” received two Honorable Mentions in Biography/Autobiography and Spiritual/Religion categories in the San Francisco Book Festival 2018, which honors the best books of the spring.
“UNSTOPPABLE. It’s a Choice” can be purchased on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2D5pfMa
For more testimonies, please visit and subscribe to my YouTube channel:
Steady in the Midst of the Storm: Inga’s testimony
3 Testimonies of God’s help and lessons that empower ~ My trip to Lithuania in March’20
UNSTOPPABLE 