I recently listened to a story about a young man to whom the doctors had given no hope of survival due to a rare cancer diagnosis. Medical professionals were confused regarding exactly what kind of cancer it was, leaving them without answers for how to attempt to treat it. With little hope of living much longer, the young man—along with his family, church family, friends and acquaintances—was devastated. However, they all knew there was power in prayer. His family and church family committed to pray for him for minutes, hours, days, or however long it took for him to be given a miracle. These prayer warriors went to work, attempting to reach the heart of the Great Physician.
Just a few days later, the doctors miraculously were able to pinpoint what kind of cancer this young man had and how it needed to be treated. After a delicate surgery and eight grueling months of treatment, the young man was declared cancer-free. Now, several years later, this man is still cancer-free! This was nothing short of a miracle from God. The man went from hopeless and in need of hospice care to healthy and able to go home. What a testament this is of what God will do when we are willing to pray for a miracle for someone we love!
As I sat listening to this story, I heard a whisper in my ear from the person next to me who had experienced their own devastating health diagnosis in recent months.
“I want a miracle like that.”
My response was simple: “I know you do.”
This person’s words continued to run through my mind, and the realization struck me: Has their miracle depended on me? Have I done what that young man’s family, church family, and friends did in his stead? Have I reached the heart of God as they did? Have I begged for healing?
I considered the miracles that we know from the Bible. How about the man with the palsy that was carried by his four friends to Jesus’ feet? He could not get there on his own. His friends carried him all the way to Jesus, even breaking the roof to lower the man directly down to the Master. The Lord knew what would take place that day. Perhaps because of the multitude, the friends worried that the man would be missed, so they found a way to get him where he needed to be. They physically carried him to Jesus.
Today, we cannot physically carry anyone to the feet of Jesus, but we CAN carry them to Him in prayer to ask for His healing. Would I have physically carried someone as far as it took to get them to the feet of Jesus? What about in prayer?
When the woman with the issue of blood heard of Jesus, she touched the hem of His garment and was healed. It took a “touch of faith” for her to be healed. Maybe she thought, “I won’t bother Him. There’s a big crowd here, but if I can just touch Him and leave, no one will know.” However, Jesus knew. In fact, He knew she was there before she reached for His garment. I wonder who told her about Jesus: her family, her friends, or maybe even a stranger? She had no hope and was dying. Someone knew she needed to get to Jesus because He was Hope and the Healer!
When we read about the many miracles performed by Jesus in the Bible, we easily can forget these miracles happened to real people and are not just fictional stories. Why do we think God cannot perform miracles today? He can! We must believe that He can and will. When we do not believe, our doubt or worry can become a problem and even a sin.
What a convicting thought and truth this is: Am I hindering a miracle that God wants to perform simply because I am not praying for the situations as I should? Has a miracle been withheld because of my lack of faith? Let us ask ourselves honestly, “What if their miracle depends on me?” That person may need to be carried a short distance or for as long as it takes. Is it someone with whom we need to share Jesus to give them the hope and faith to reach out to Him?
When the Lord does not answer the way we would hope or does not perform the miracle in a way we would wish, we must remember that …He hath done all things well… (Mark 7:37) His plan is always perfect, even when we cannot understand. We may not see a physical miracle as expected, but we will have learned to pray on another level; our faith will grow. We must not be angry with the Lord if His answer is “no” or “wait.” We must trust Him and serve Him while we wait for the miracle. Never give up on the brink of a miracle; do not stop praying. If we do, it may never happen. Their miracle may depend on us!
by Taylor Hill
