I received a phone call last night about 7:00 from my friend Lanice. Lanice has been a long time friend and is the great-niece of the gentleman our church prayed for on Sunday. Lanice wanted to share with me a story. She said that her father, the nephew referred to in the Father's Day post, went to Memphis to visit the man involved in the car accident. As this nephew was conversing with the family he received a shocking revelation. Sunday, the gentleman became stable enough that the doctors could perform a surgery that was crucial to his chances of recovery. The amazing part is the timing that this took place. This man's condition changed between 11:15 and 12:00 Sunday morning. This is the same time that our church was bowed in fervent prayer and supplication for this man. I got chills as Lanice was relaying this story to me and I thank God for this. My wife prays often that God will reveal Himself to her and that she can get to know Him better. I believe this has happened. God has revealed to us what happens when we pray faithfully.
1 John 5:14-15 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
While we do not know what will come of this situation I know that God's will is going to be done. Perhaps God's will is for our church, or just me, to see what happens when we pray with faith that God will answer. I know in my heart that every man who prayed that morning did so with the knowledge that God is going to answer this prayer in one way or another. We must always pray, not just to pray, but to receive answers so that we can see the power of our God and praise Him even more. If you are reading this I hope that you will stop now and give God thanks and praise for answering prayers, not just this one in this post, but all of the prayers you have offered in your life.
As I write this I am reminded of a series of lessons I heard Dale Jenkins deliver on the book of James. In his discussion of James 1 he points out the importance of expecting an answer when we pray. We must pray knowing that God cares and is listening to us and if not, we have no right to expect an answer. Let us all remember to pray with wisdom and with the remembrance that God is listening.
James 1: 6-8 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
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A prayer borrowed and plagiarized from an unknown brother, but provided by The Spirit:
Dear Heavenly Father, Who breathed life into existence:
I come before You today stripped bare of all pretenses. I come before You a humble yet determined son who believes Your Words and bends to Your Will. And I also come to You in pain, caused by my dad's condition. Oh gracious, merciful Lord I continue to praise Your Name and ask for the courage to pass the hours without fear and doubt. Wonderful Father, submerge my dad in Your glory and drench him with Your Healing Power. Fill the hearts that read this Lord with the courage to change their lives. Lord, I ask that Your Grace insulate the hearts and minds of my mom and family from the searing pain of doubt and fear. I ask this in Your Holy Name. AMEN
*from a loving son
Tim, I am guessing this is you and I hope that you read this reply to your post. Thank you so much. Your mother and father have been like grandparents to me and parents to my parents. Your dad has served as a spiritual guide to my father and his influence in my life has hence been placed. I thank God for using your father and his accident to remind our congregation of the power of prayer. You guys hang in there and God Bless you all.
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