When I offered to pray for Charly*, she wasn't enthusiastic about it. In fact, she wasn't 'enthusiastic' about the 24-7 Prayer Room we’d set up in her school at all.  She preferred to lean on her crutches in the entrance we'd constructed between rows of lockers, and watch her year-9 class-friends noisily explore the room.

"No thanks," she mumbled, when I offered her a chair, "I'm OK."
"You don't look OK," I replied, motioning to her plaster-casted foot, "How did you do that?"

She explained that a horse had trodden on it a few days before, and had badly fractured one of the small bones. I winced (I'm not good with other people's pain/injuries... probably worse than with my own!)

"Does it hurt?"
"All the time," she replied with a wry smile.

She was due back in hospital to have her foot re-cast on Tuesday (last week) and the Doctors had warned her that she'd be in this cast for about 6 weeks, pretty much all Summer. She wasn't enthusiastic about that either.

I decided that if Charly weren’t going to venture into the prayer room, then I'd just explain each of the prayer stations to her where she stood... a captive audience! At the end of her stationary tour, I asked again, "Would you like me to pray for your foot?  I can't promise that your foot will get better," I said, admitting that my 'healing' track-record wasn't very impressive. I told her about my daughter Poppy's deafness, and about others who I've prayed for, who haven't been healed.  But then I also told her a few stories about those I know who have been inexplicably, physically healed. "It's Jesus who heals, Charly... he's the one I believe in, he's the one I have faith in - even just a little bit." Charly just listened without saying anything.

"Look at it this way," I said, "if we pray for you, the worst thing that could happen is... well, nothing; but then, if something does happen, if the pain goes away or if your fractured foot gets suddenly repaired... well, you've got some explaining to do!" She smiled... and eventually nodded her agreement. So, with a couple of her friends watching, smiling tolerantly, I prayed a very simple little, hopeful more than faith-full, prayer.

Yep, I admit it... I honestly didn't think she would be healed, but I really hoped that something would happen. I pointed out to the Lord Of All Creation on the way home that afternoon what an excellent opportunity this would be for him to 'make an appearance' via one of those 'miracle things' (I reminded him of a few I remembered were in the Bible too).

So... I was a bit disappointed, but not very surprised, when Charly didn't come skipping and dancing into the prayer room anytime that week. Oh well...

Halfway through the following week, I received this text from one of the Christian teachers in the school:

"Hi Phil. Charly came to PE today. She said that the day after you prayed for her foot the pain had gone. When she went to the fracture clinic, the fracture was fixed, they have removed the plaster. She still has crutches but she said it is nearly better. One of her class mates asked if her knees could be prayed for!"

The teacher also said that other students had been pummeling her with questions about why she is a Christian and others had been asking for prayer.

Needless to say, we are very, very excited! Thank you Jesus. You are amazing.

(*name changed)

If you’re resident in the UK and are running Prayer Rooms in schools then please email the 24-7 UK Team, we'd love to hear from you and help you in any way that we can.  In September 24-7 UK is hoping to launch a big push for prayer rooms in schools all over the UK, and we need all the co-conspirators we can find!