“The prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” James 5:15 (NASB)
When I was nine my family suffered a debilitating blow. My father, after a night of drinking, was in a devastating car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. My mom tried her best to handle it all. His six-month stint in ICU, the long list of inherited nursing duties when he came home, and the financial and emotional burden, all of which led her to drinking, too, to soothe the pain. My childhood years were riddled with tears and questions.
As I grew up, I blamed my father for most of our pain. When I gave my life to Jesus in college, ironically, the first thing He dealt with me on was my dad. I knew I needed to forgive him, and more importantly, love him. Dad eventually moved out of our home and lived in the town he’d grown up in. The small hospital in a cozy mountain community housed a room for him, so for two summers I spent every weekend visiting him.
One day I told my dad that I believed he could be healed if we prayed. He didn’t know Jesus, but wanted to be free of his physical burdens, so he agreed. I showed him the Scripture where friends of a paralyzed man lowered him before Jesus to be healed, but instead of immediately healing him, Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” Dad started to weep, and we prayed as he asked Jesus to heal his heart. He never walked again, but that day his life was restored. Some healings are internal, some are external, and some are eternal. Our role is to pray, and let God do the healing.
Faith Step: Pray a bold prayer of healing for someone you know. Pray consistently for two weeks without fail and see how the Lord works in you, and in them.
Awake each day to the wonders of Jesus!
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