PRAYER WORKS GOD’S WILL
My heart thrilled when I
received
this unexpected message: “You prayed for me in 1979 when I was pregnant with my
oldest daughter. I had health issues, which caused me to fear that I would lose
her.” It wasn’t long after I ministered to this girl that I was sent to a
different city and lost contact. I never heard the results of my prayer until
34 years later! The message went on to say, “You said you saw a clear, healthy embryo. Today, she
is 33, the mother of two.” Wow, what a blessing! So often we don’t hear back
what God did for the people we prayed for or ministered healing to. So how do
we know if it worked or not?
I remember when I was
living in South Africa and prayed for a friend of ours, Sammy. I laid hands on
him and prayed that his kidney stones would dissolve. He ended up in the
hospital with appendicitis!
That bothered me for
years. I wondered why I didn’t get it right. When I ministered to people after
that, I seemed always to have this little doubt coming up, wondering if I got
it right. One day the Holy Spirit stopped me from doubting and gave me the
answer.
The Lord explained to me,
“When you prayed for Sammy, I dissolved the kidney stones instantly. He did
have them. You didn’t get it wrong. There was just more, that’s all, and he got
that taken care of in the hospital.” Wow, what a simple answer and it set me
free! I’ve never doubted myself in this category since.
The answer is simple: When
we pray or minister in faith, from our hearts, and do the best we know how then
we can be assured that it works. Healing is always God’s will.
In the Old Testament: “For I am the Lord that healeth [is healing] thee”
(Exod. 15:26). And in the Gospels, “Jesus went about healing every sickness,
and every disease among the people” (Matt. 9:35) and Jesus said, “they shall
lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18).
In the
Epistles: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospereth [is prospering]” (3 John 2) and “the prayer
of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:15).
There are
hundreds of scriptures about healing, and many that address specific ailments.
We need to look them up, meditate on them, and believe. And if our faith is
small in some categories, be assured, with persistence, it will grow.
Paul
wrote about the Christians in Thessalonica, “Your faith is growing more and
more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing” (2 Thess.
1:3). Let’s be like the Thessalonians.
No matter how old or young
you are, don’t ever doubt yourself when it comes to praying or ministering
healing to others. Even if you don’t hear the good results right away, trust
God that He has given you the heart of His love and that when you pray or
minister, it does work!
Love, Carolyn
QUESTIONS AND EASY
CHALLENGES
1. Have you ever had the
experience of helping someone or ministering healing, and much later they let
you know how much you helped them?
2. Is there anyone in your
past you’d like to thank now for something they did to help you? Take a couple
of minutes to write out what you want to say, then later send them a letter,
e-mail or some communication to let them know.
3. When you ministered
healing to someone or prayed for someone, and nothing seemed to happen, did you
remember to ask the Lord why not? If you’ve had this happen recall one incident
and ask the Lord right now. What’s He telling you?
4. Cite at least two
verses in the New Testament about our Lord Jesus that are connected with
healing.
5. What verse in the New
Testament tells us our faith can grow?
My book, WINGS:
A Journey in Faith – an excellent spiritual adventure
and great introspective workbook. Find it on Amazon in paperback or
Kindle.
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