Pray Through Pain
When we are in pain, whether it is physical, psychological or emotional, we can turn to God and lay our concerns at His feet. Knowing that God hears all prayers, we can rejoice in His tenderness and grace. “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy” (PS 28:6 NIV). Here is a story about how God intervened to stop the pain and continue His work:
In 1967 my husband began experiencing terrible back pain. It was so excruciating that my brother-in-law had to help him into the shower one day. The pain grew worse. We took him to the hospital where he was examined and X-rayed. The doctor had a grim look on his face as he explained the condition of his back. He suggested that in 5 years he could be an invalid. Needless to say, we were devastated.
That night, he slowly and carefully put himself into bed. I laid there thinking and praying while he drifted off to sleep. Awake, I felt a strange burden and an urge to lay my hand on the painful area of his back. As he slept I prayed, “Dear Jesus, this is your servant. You sent him/us here to do your work and there is no way he can do it unless you touch him. I feel this pain is for your glory and our good and I claim your promises and I’m going to believe you will heal him and take this pain away.” The room filled with God’s warm and wonderful presence. I stayed awake for a long time thanking and praising God for what He had done.
The next morning I decided to not say anything for awhile, but felt confident and peaceful about God’s answer to my prayer. I watched him as he got out of bed pain free, took a shower, ate breakfast and went to the office. He came home for lunch and I asked, “Honey, how is your back, any pain?” Stretching from one side to the other he said, “no, I don’t feel any pain, come to think of it, I haven’t felt any all day.” God healed him. Years later, after we moved, he developed a problem and his back was X-rayed. The doctor showed him the X-ray and said, ” I see here where you had back surgery…a disk was removed.” My husband explained that he never had back surgery. Mystery? I think not. God intervened in behalf of His servant through prayer. – E.D.
God Wants Your Worry
Concern for a child’s well being and safety can be overwhelming when a parent faces uncertainty. Yet, God’s comfort and love for both parents and children are beyond our human imagination. The Bible advises us to turn all our worries, including our loved ones, over to God. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6,7 NIV). Here is a story about how God cures anxiety:
When my daughter moved to San Francisco from New Orleans she gave us a friend’s name and address who she would be temporarily staying with until she found an apartment and a job. After a few weeks, we had not heard from her so I wrote her in care of her friend. The letter was returned marked, “Moved – left no forwarding address.”
I really started to worry. I wondered, “What happened to my daughter? Is she O.K.? Where is she?” Desperate for an answer, I placed “Personal” ads in the San Francisco and Los Angeles newspapers. I wrote employment agencies. I called her friends and our relatives hoping that they may have heard from her. No answers. No leads. I was steadily “losing my cool.”
After several months, I was so depressed I was almost unable to go to work. Although I had been praying for her and that she would contact us, it seemed she had disappeared off the face of the earth. I went into our church, knelt down and prayed, “Lord, I give up. I don’t know what else to do but you know where she is. I pray you will watch over her.”
A few days later we received a letter from her. She had been so busy finding a job and apartment that “time just kept slipping by.” The letter was dated the same day I gave up my efforts and turned it over to the Lord. I have faith and believe in miracles!
R.M.
If you have a personal prayer story that demonstrates God’s love and power, send it to [email protected] or P.O. Box 22785, San Diego, CA 92192. Kathy is a mother, a businesswoman and author of Master Your Disaster. Reprinted by permission from Kathy Alix.
