The 17th edition of the Healing Streams Live Healing Services with Pastor Chris Oyakhilome opened on Friday, drawing millions of participants from across the world for a three-day programme of worship, prayer, biblical teaching and testimonies.

According to the organisers, the global broadcast connected participants from homes, churches, healing centres, hospitals and community venues across several countries, with the event transmitted through Healing Streams TV, LoveWorld networks and other broadcast platforms.

Welcoming participants, Pastor Deola Phillips, Executive Minister of Healing, Health and Social Services, encouraged viewers to approach the programme with faith and expectation.

“From this very moment, testimonies will begin to happen, and if you open your heart in faith, you will be healed today. Healing Streams brings you God’s Word in a way that will transform your life, and the healing power of God that will transform your body.”

The programme also featured a global prayer session led by Rev. Ray Okocha, followed by worship led by the LoveWorld Singers.

During a panel discussion, senior ministers including Rev. Tom Amenkhienan, Rev. Ray Okocha and Pastor Johan De Beer spoke on faith, healing and the importance of sharing personal testimonies.

The event included testimonies from participants in previous editions of the programme, including Melva Rica from Costa Rica, Esterlin Lopez from Nicaragua and Pastor Olympio from Paraguay, who shared accounts of what they described as life-changing experiences.

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome later ministered during the healing session and delivered a message centred on what he described as the Gospel of the Kingdom. Drawing from passages including Mark 1:14-15, Isaiah 35, Isaiah 61 and Luke 4, he said Christianity is founded on a relationship with God through Jesus Christ rather than religious observance alone.

“Real, authentic Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.”

He also taught that faith, hope, love and righteousness are foundational principles of the Kingdom of God and encouraged participants to place their confidence in God’s promises.

Throughout the programme, organisers reported receiving testimonies from participants in different countries who said they had experienced healing or answered prayers during the broadcast.

Among them was a participant from Vietnam, who said her son, who had been receiving hospital treatment, showed signs of improvement after she joined the service and prayed. A participant from the Solomon Islands said he regained movement after suffering paralysis following a stroke, while a woman from Pakistan testified that she gave birth after praying during a previous edition of the programme. Another participant from Fiji said pain associated with breast cancer had disappeared during the service.

The Guardian has not independently verified these testimonies or the medical claims associated with them.

According to the organisers, reports from participants continued to arrive throughout the opening day, with additional worship, teaching and prayer sessions scheduled for the remaining days of the programme.

The Healing Streams Live Healing Services continue on Saturday and Sunday, with organisers inviting participants worldwide to join the broadcasts through Healing Streams TV and affiliated platforms.