Prayer: A Story of Hope

Several years ago, my father in-law Roger was diagnosed with cancer. This after two consecutive strokes leaving him paralized on his left side, confining him to a wheelchair even to this day. I remember my wife Jessica telling me that the doctor said the cancer looks like a garden growing on his bladder. The main problem with performing the surgery and the chemo was that his physical condition was so poor from the strokes, that the doctors were not sure if he could handle it. It seems that there were also problems with his medication which I don't remember all of the details of.

At that time, I was a couple years new in my faith. Right around the time we were doing a church wide study on intercessory prayer. The stories we read of healing, of protection and of people coming to faith in Christ through prayer, inspired me and gave me faith to call on God.

I distinctly remember that time of my life after learning of Roger's cancer. Getting up early in the morning or being awakened by God late at night, to pray for him. It was often emotional. Like I felt a glimpse of God's love and compassion for this man. Like God knew exactly how he felt and what he was going through. Like God so desperately desired healing for him. It was earnest. It was humbling. And it was powerful.

Later, when Roger went in for a follow up appointment, the doctor said that the "garden", as he earlier described it, was completely gone! It still amazes me when I think about it! There is only one explanation for a miracle like this to take place- God healed him! It could have been for any number of reasons, but I believe one of the reasons is because I asked God to heal him. Not because it was me asking or in any way because of me. In fact, there were many people praying for him. But because the Bible tells us that when we ask for anything that pleases him, he hears us and will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). That's the importance and the relevence of prayer!

It's strange how our faith wanes. After the strokes, Jessica, Tyler, Renae and I used to pray every night for him. We still pray for him, but we've gotten lazy or perhaps lost hope and no longer pray for him every day. For whatever reason, God has not yet healed him from the effects caused by the strokes. This past year the cancer returned. Because of my relationship with Jesus (or lack of), I did not sense the urgency to pray like before.

Lately, I've been re-energized as I attend prayer meetings and pray for people through our church. God has been placing a lot of prayer needs before me, primarily from unbelievers at work.This is exciting because there's no telling what God will do. My hope and prayer is that these people who do not know Christ, will come to know him through their difficult circumstances as well as my opportunity to minister and pray for them.