My 3 year old son sometimes wakes up with what his doctor and I consider "growing pains." They are usually charlie-horses in his legs or pain in his joints. It's not fun when he wakes up like that...he is in a lot of pain, he's disoriented and extremely upset. It's taken me over an hour on some occassions to get him to calm down. I usually can get him to take some Advil and once that kicks in (about 20 minutes), he will start to relax and eventually fall asleep. Thank God it doesn't happen very often, but it happened last night.
At about 2:30, I heard him cry and I went into his room. He was balled up, holding his knee, crying, and rocking back and forth. I got a pit in my stomach, said my motherly "duty" prayer of "Jesus touch him", but instantly my mind raced to what "I" could do. I asked him if he would take medicine if I got it for him, I asked if he would straighten his legs so I could rub them, I asked if he would drink some warm milk to calm down, and I asked if I could hold him. All my requests were met with a hysterical "NOOOOOO!" I realized my hands were tied, so I went back to the thing I should've done in the first place...I prayed like I meant it! My prayer went something like this:
"Jesus, you didn't get whipped and beaten for my son to lay here in pain. You went through all that so we could be healed...and we ARE healed. I refuse to let a drop of blood that you shed go to waste. You gave me a healthy son and the devil is trying to rob him of it. Take away his pain and let him calm down in Jesus' name."
He had kicked off his blankets from rolling around so as soon as I prayed I pulled them up to cover him. The blanket didn't even touch his shoulder yet when he stopped crying, closed his eyes, and started to drift back to sleep. He was completely pain free, calm, and peaceful in an INSTANT...and it happened to be when I prayed. Coincidence? Not a chance. I know how long it takes him to calm down, how the pain usually needs medicine to go away, yet there he was falling asleep right before my eyes without so much as a whine, wimper, or shaky breath.
I welled up with tears of gratitude, but I wasn't surprised. I have to admit shamefully, sometimes I pray for something and I have all the faith in the world...but when God answers my prayers I'm shocked. Then He kindly reminds me "If you truly had faith, you'd be shocked if prayers WEREN'T answered." But last night there was no shock, just gratitude and confirmation...like God was saying "That's the way you need to pray, and you need to be relying on me like that all the time." Well, point taken.
We serve a supernatural God, why we try to keep him in natural bounds is beyond me. I was just guilty of it yesterday. My nephew fell off playground equipment and got a nasty gash that needed stitches. I told my brother I would pray...and I did. But I prayed for him not to be afraid or in pain, to guide the doctors hands, and for his lip to heal without scarring. Ok, not bad prayers, but why didn't I pray for his lip to be healed enroute to the hospital. God was more than capable of healing that cut, but I prayed in a way that was comfortable. I feel bad that I did that now, although God did answer my prayer according to what I asked for-my nephew was brave and feeling better and his lip looks much better already. But what if I prayed with great faith asking above what we expect in the natural? Maybe he would have been touched instantly like my son was.
My pastor has witnessed his own arm, covered in weeping poison oak, be completely healed before his eyes; he also witnessed a terribly broken leg be healed before his eyes and the man went back to work. My husband witnessed a deformed arm be made whole before his eyes. My parents witnessed a massive egg on my head from an injury as a toddler dissappear as quickly as it came. They took me to church that night without as much as a scratch on my head. All these things happened when people prayed "in Jesus' name", and these are just a handful of stories I know of. Plus these accounts are from people that I know well, love, and respect. They aren't into "fake" miracles or lies. Neither am I. It's not always comfortable talking about healing and miracles or even God and the devil. People start to look at you funny...even some Christians. But I can't ignore what happened and if I can give anyone hope, or insight as to what the character of the one true God is, I will take that risk. What these people witnessed, and what I witnessed last night, go way beyond luck or coincidence. When God is this good, how could I NOT love and serve Him!
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