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I was scared because I knew the willpower to resist the craving for alcohol was not in me. In desperation I picked up a book I'd been reading the previous week - something on practical advice for young Christians.

Without much hope I turned to a page I'd remembered contained a prayer asking for God to save you from temptation.

To my astonishment, the moment I finished reading it out loud all desire for a drink vanished! It had been just like flicking a switch off. Two years later and the craving has never returned.

That was not the only occasion God intervened in my life to help me. Earlier this year I had an attack of labyrinthitis (a viral infection of the inner ear).

Apart from making me extremely ill for a number of weeks with vertigo, I went deaf in one ear. My hearing has been about 50 per cent less in my left ear than that of my right ever since I had a nasty fall on ice as a child, but after the labyrinthitis attack it packed up totally.

A delegation from the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship on a visit to the UK had been invited to minister to the congregation of the Oasis Christian Centre Church in Long Eaton.

On the Sunday morning, without much hope, I decided to take up the offer of spiritual healing by Duncan Smith, the executive director and a pastor of the organisation.

After placing a finger in each ear, he asked God to restore my hearing. Removing his fingers he then asked me if I could hear. I said I thought there had been an increase of possibly 25 per cent in the level of hearing.

So then he placed his hands over my ears and again requested God's help in restoring my hearing. I was then amazed to discover my hearing had completely returned in my left ear. It is now as good as it had been prior to the labyrinthitis illness.

Perhaps equally miraculous is the change that I have undergone since going on that Alpha course.

I used to whinge a lot about my life, work and the world spend a lot of time feeling sorry for myself.

These days my attitude has changed 100 per cent. I have far greater self-esteem (I'm not sure if I had any before!) I'm more confident, happier and content with my life.

The world hasn't changed, I've changed. I now know that there is a meaning to this life and it is to be found with God through Jesus Christ.