The healing power of prayer

Marcia Lennon is a legal executive at an investment bank and director of Faithworks Gospel Choir. She is also a living testimony. Thirty-five years ago she was diagnosed with cancer and sent home to die. However, she experienced physical healing after receiving prayer. She shares with Keep The Faith her response to the diagnosis, her healing, and how she shares the goodness of God with others.

KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): Marcia, can you take us back to when you were first diagnosed with cancer? What do you remember about that time?
MARCIA LENNON (ML): I was in my mid-20s, living in Battersea, when I started feeling unwell – fatigued, bloated and with painful lumps on my stomach and thighs. My mother took me to our GP, Mr Saeed, who arranged tests at St George’s Hospital. When the results came back, the doctors said I had ovarian cancer.

At first, I couldn’t comprehend it. I went into complete denial. I remember thinking: “I’m a Christian, I’m God’s child, I sing in the church choir… How could this happen to me?” My mother tried to console me, saying: “You’re special,” but I knew she was just trying to soften the blow. I was terrified. Back then, I believed cancer was a death sentence.

KTF: That diagnosis must have been devastating for you. How did you react?
ML: I cried, I prayed, and I asked God: “Why me?” But even in that darkness, prayer brought me comfort. Eventually, I began chemotherapy at Hammersmith Hospital. After two treatments, my doctor told my mother the words no one wants to hear: “We can’t cure her.” He advised that I be taken home to rest, because there was nothing more they could do.

I became so frail I could hardly walk. Yet something inside me insisted: “Go to church.” My mother begged me to stay home, but I told her: “God said I need to be in His house.” Reluctantly, she helped me get dressed and took me to the New Testament Assembly in Tooting. When I entered, the congregation applauded – they hadn’t seen me for months.

Sister Powell, one of the elders, asked for a chair to be placed at the front. She said: “Only those who truly believe in God’s healing power should come and pray.” A small group gathered – Bishop Bernard, Bishop Powell, Sister Buckley, Sister Newman – and they laid hands on me. As they prayed, I felt something indescribable – warmth and light filling my body. Suddenly, the heaviness left me. I wanted to eat again. I knew I had been healed.

KTF: That’s remarkable. How did you confirm that you had been healed?
ML: A few days later, I returned to the hospital for another appointment. I insisted on a new scan even though the doctors thought it unnecessary. When the results came back, the grey mass that had once covered my ovaries was gone. The consultant was baffled. My parents were speechless. I looked at my mother and said: “I told you. God healed me.” From that day on, I’ve never needed further treatment.

KTF: How did that experience impact your relationship with God?
ML: It completely transformed my understanding of who God is. Before, I believed in Him; after, I knew Him. It showed me that God isn’t distant – He’s intimately involved in our lives and our suffering. Healing isn’t just physical; it’s spiritual. Through faith, prayer and obedience, we can access the divine. That miracle gave me a deeper conviction that God’s power is real and available to everyone who believes.

KTF: I know you often used to visit and pray with the sick. Do you still do that today?
ML: Very much so. I see it as part of my calling. I visit hospitals, pray for the sick, and even do quiet street ministry in Croydon. I’ll buy food or cake for people on the streets, talk to them, pray with them, and remind them that God loves them. I’m never afraid because God gives me courage.

Recently, I prayed for a dear friend named Mary, a fellow choir member who was gravely ill. The day after I prayed, she called me “woman of God” and told me she felt new life in her body. Sadly, she passed away weeks later, but I believe God gave her that moment of peace.

Then there was another friend, Lorraine, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. I prayed over her, told her God would heal her, and encouraged her to ask for another scan before surgery. When she did, the doctors found no trace of cancer. She texted me to say: “Marcia, I’m healed!”

KTF: Incredible testimonies. Have there been other times when your faith was tested?
ML: Oh yes. After my healing, I thought my biggest test was behind me, but life brings other storms. I married at 41, believing it was forever, but 15 years later I found myself facing divorce due to my husband’s infidelity. I felt crushed. I remember crying out: “God, what have I done to deserve this?”

For a long time, all I could do was weep before God. But years later, He answered me – with restoration. I remarried a wonderful man of God, someone who truly complements me. That experience taught me that even in heartbreak, God’s plans are good.

KTF: You’ve led choirs for many years. When did that journey begin?
ML: I joined my first choir at 19 and later became the director of the Beechcroft New Testament Assembly Choir in Tooting, where I served for more than 20 years. Music was my way of expressing gratitude to God for sparing my life. Leading choirs allowed me to see how gospel music can transform people – sometimes more than a sermon can.

KTF: You now lead the Faithworks Gospel Choir, which came out of the Premier Gospel Choir. Tell me about that.
ML: When Premier Gospel could no longer fund the choir, the members didn’t want to disband. They asked me to continue leading them, and that’s how Faithworks Choir was born – 16 years ago now. I financed much of it myself, but it was worth it. The choir became a family, a place of healing and growth. I don’t just teach notes and harmony; I mentor, pray and support members through personal struggles. It’s like a spiritual hospital where music is the medicine and God is the Healer.

KTF: You’ve sung across the world. Which moments stand out most for you?
ML: Singing for Queen Elizabeth II was the highlight of my musical career. After our performance, she came up, shook my hand, and said: “How do you do what you do? I was watching your feet and arms – you’re full of energy!” I told her: “Your Majesty, I’m nervous before I begin, but once I start, the Spirit of God takes over.”

We’ve also sung in Portugal, Los Angeles, Miami, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Barbados and reached the finals of BBC Songs of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year twice.

KTF: What keeps you passionate about leading choirs after all these years?
ML: Seeing people’s faces when the music touches them. Many come to me after a concert in tears, saying: “I’m not usually emotional, but I couldn’t stop crying.” Gospel music enriches lives and creates an atmosphere where faith can grow. It reminds me of Psalm 16:11 – ‘In His presence there is fullness of joy.’ Every rehearsal and every performance is a chance to share that joy.

KTF: You’ve lived through miracles, loss and renewal. What message do you hope your life communicates to others who are struggling?
ML: Never give up. When everything seems hopeless, keep believing. If God could heal me of terminal cancer, He can heal you. Healing begins with faith. It’s not just about someone praying for you; it’s about you believing that God can and will move in your situation.

Faith is a partnership between you and God. You pray, you believe, and then you let God do what only He can do. His healing isn’t external – it starts in the heart of the believer. God’s love is constant. He’s not detached from our pain; He’s right there in the middle of it.

KTF: Finally, as Christmas and the New Year approach, how will you be celebrating?
ML: With my family, as always. Christmas is about love, gratitude, and remembering the birth of Jesus – the ultimate expression of God’s love. It’s also a time to reflect on how far He’s brought me. I shouldn’t be here today, but by His grace, I am. So, I’ll celebrate with songs of praise, laughter with loved ones, and thankfulness for life itself. Miracles still happen.