Prayer. A topic that can be very elusive or misunderstood many times. Many people think that prayer is just a method of letting God know your thoughts or more importantly your requests. I'm not claiming that I know everything there is about prayer. But i know that it is a means of communicating with God. You talk to Him and He speaks to you in return. Is it really that simple? Maybe or maybe not. There are so many verses in the bible that talk about prayer. And many of them are promises of God's answer, miracles and breakthroughs.
Matt. 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
James 5:16b The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
If one does not receive a positive answer to his prayer, is it because of a lack of faith? Is the method of prayer wrong? Is it a judgment from God? Did it just fall on deaf ears?
One of the most difficult moments in my life was when my son Jerome was diagnosed (in November 2003) with a disease called tuberculosis meningitis - which affected his brain. This bubbly and energetic eight year old boy who was always the life of the party was suddenly been disabled by this debilitating disease. This required him to go through five surgeries in a span of two months. My family and I and the whole church tried to muster all the faith that we can have to see a miraculous healing come to pass. We had continuous prayer meetings. Organized a 40 day fasting chain. We laid hands on him. Drove out the spirit of infirmity. Prophesied long life on him. But instead of him getting better, his situation got worse. After two weeks of being sick with high fever and sharp headaches, he suffered a half body paralysis. My little athlete who used to play tennis and baseball suddenly cannot move the left side of his body. At this time, the team of doctors still could not identify what was wrong with him because all the blood tests indicated negative results for dengge, typhoid and other fever causing diseases.
Negative news came when a large mass was found on top of his heart that is as big as a fist. The doctors thought that this was the cause of fever. This required that a biopsy be done. The result was benign. We had a sigh of relief and started rejoicing. But his condition did not get better and instead continued to get worse.
It was at this point that one of the doctors suggested to do a spinal tap - a procedure that will get a sample of cerebro-spinal fluid from his spinal column. Only after a week of culturing did they find out that it is TB meningitis. This sickness caused his brain ventricles to close passage of fluids. This necessitated that a shunt procedure be undertaken to drain the excess fluid and de-compress his brain. By this time, his whole body became paralyzed and he lost his speech. I would not be able to listen to his voice again. He would just moan in order to communicate. And since he lost his ability to speak, eventually he also lost his ability to take in food through his mouth. The doctor had to put an NGT tube through his nose. But after a few weeks it had to be taken out and they had to bore a hole straight to his stomach and feed him through that tube.
All this time we were crying out to God . . . claimed His covenant promise of healing . . . Christian friends and church members visiting and laying hands on him . . . . but healing did not appear. Finally on December 28, 2003, my son died of cardiac arrest and other complications. We felt grief. I felt pain in my heart almost like a physical pain. I told God in the ICU that it hurts a lot seeing that my only son is dead. I did not only lose a son. I lost my dreams for him. There are so many plans for him that will not be carried out anymore. So many unfulfilled expectations. I buried him with a heavy heart. It is every parent's belief that his children will outlive him and bury him when he dies. But i did not expect that I will be burying my son at a young age. It was the grace of God that sustained me and my wife and my daughter as we went through the valley of the shadow of death. We felt God's love through the support of family and friends in church. To all of YOU, we are grateful.
So, do i still believe in prayer? ABSOLUTELY. Do I believe that God is a God of healing and miracles? YES HE STILL IS.
We should not view prayer as a lucky charm or a 'hit and miss' roulette - that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. It is the means I relate with God and a way for Him to build my character.
We can best learn this truth from the convictions of the three Hebrew boys who were exiled when they faced a mighty king demanding that they bow down before his idol or else be barbequed in a hot furnace.
Dan. 3:17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
Dan. 3:18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The God we serve is able to save us. I have seen how the Lord moved in the past in my own personal life and in the lives of others. He is an omnipotent God who can perform signs, wonders and miracles.
He will rescue us. It's a declaration of faith! We know that we can trust the Lord no matter what. He is both able and willing.
BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT. . . . . . . This is a bold statement! Just like the three Hebrew boys, only a few good men may dare say this statement. But this actually shows us the level of commitment, convictions and trust to the One and only true God! It is a statement of surrender to the sovereign will of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I believe that you can only give your life fully to the ONE you trust, knowing that He desires to do you good and not harm. Even though He did not heal Jerome, we are still convinced that the God we serve is faithful and His nature is good. Even if He did not heal Jerome, I can still stand up in church and declare that the God we serve is a benevolent and loving God. BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT . . . . He is worthy of our praise and adoration!
In this tragic moment, the words of Job echo in my ears, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
