As a type of prophetic gift, a word of knowledge is when the Lord gives information to someone, often to help in directing prayer or to help show God's presence in a situation when praying for healing.

A man in northern Virginia tells about how responding to this gift helped a a sick woman in Africa.

"I am constantly amazed at how the Holy Spirit leads and supernaturally inspires us to action.  Several years ago in my prayer after daily Mass, without knowing why, I had a strong urge to contact Fr. Daniel Ache Amuhngwa, from the Diocese of Kumbo, a friend and a priest from a very poor diocese in Cameroon.  Rather than send an e-mail to him, since he is a very rural area which often doesn’t have electricity and he doesn’t have regular access to a computer, I wired funds to him through a mutual friend. Within an hour, I received an email from asking me “how did you know?”  I didn’t know anything except he had been on my heart.  That very morning he had been interceding for a woman named Glory who had a cancerous mass growing on her face. There were no funds to provide the urgent medical care she needed. My check had been the answer to Fr. Daniel’s prayer, and it should be of no surprise that the amount was sufficient for the surgery.  Glory was given new life because of my docility to the Holy Spirit and being stirred to respond in faith.  It was remarkable how the Holy Spirit had orchestrated those events for his glory!"

Glory wrote this thank you note.