I’ve been praying for a medical miracle.
This week’s edition of Mid-Week Miracle comes to you the day after I’m scheduled for total hip replacement surgery. I continue to pray fervently to avoid the scalpel, so that plan could change.
Yes, I believe God still works miracles of healing today.
I’ve seen a woman I know with MS get up from her wheelchair and never look back. I’ve rejoiced with a friend whose cancerous tumor disappeared between appointments with her oncologist. I experienced physical healing personally several years ago, which builds my faith that God might work another miracle on my behalf today.
Remembering the Good Things
David testified in Psalm 42 to the faith-building practice of recalling victories God had already provided while in the midst of a current battle. Just as David remembered good things as he poured out his soul, I remember the thrill of being healed from two chronic and debilitating diseases. Neither disease had a cure, and the prognosis for one of them was not good. I took 15 pills a day to manage the symptoms with a goal of keeping the diseases in remission.
Every Sunday morning, I opened the various bottles of prescribed medication and filled my a.m. and p.m. pill cases. One of those Sunday mornings, I cried out to God with a desperation I’d never before expressed.
After dumping all the pills I would swallow that day into the palm of my hand, I stared at them with a fresh realization that—according to my doctors—this pill-counting process would never end.
I began to weep and raised my arm high above my head, presenting my cupped hand to God. I told him through sobs that I didn’t want to keep this up every Sunday morning for the rest of my life. I told him I didn’t accept the prognosis that condemned me to a future of surgery after surgery. I fell to my knees and pleaded for healing.
I usually attended the second Sunday morning gathering of my church, but had lost track of time in prayer. When my husband, Steve, called wondering where I was, I told him I would catch up with him for the final gathering. I was accustomed to sitting alone during the worship music while Steve ran camera. I saved a seat for him to join me for the sermon. However, Steve had listened to the previous sermon and planned to head home as soon as he finished running camera.
My pastor routinely gave an altar call and this particular Sunday was no different. As usual, he asked the congregation to stand and recite the sinner’s prayer together. He then invited new believers to approach the platform to connect with a member of the prayer team. My pastor would normally drop back as the worship team brought the gathering to a close. But this morning, my pastor lingered and then gestured for the sound engineer to turn his microphone back on.
“I sense a healing presence of God in the sanctuary this morning that I cannot ignore,” he said, which set my heart to pounding. “I’d like to issue another invitation to come forward for prayer, but this time it’s for believers who have been asking God for physical healing in your body. I believe He wants to heal you this morning.”
My jaw dropped and tears fell all over again as I hurried down the aisle.
I shared the desperate plea that had made me miss the second gathering I usually attended with my husband. The prayer team member took out a vial of oil, anointed my head, and prayed earnestly for my healing.
By the time I turned to leave the sanctuary, it had completely emptied. I reached for my phone to turn the ringer back on, and Steve called as I walked to my car—once again asking where I was. With my voice quivering, I told him what had happened. My sense of awe magnified when he responded. “Shawna, that didn’t happen after the other two gatherings.”
God healed me of both diseases that day, and I threw away those pill cases. Yes, I believe in miracles, and my faith will remain strong whether I avoid the scalpel or receive a prosthetic hip.
Even if God doesn’t work things out the way you want every time you pour out your soul, be encouraged to remember the good things he has done for you. Put your hope in God. You’ll find reasons to praise him.
