Lynda MacDonald, Nova Scotia

DOES GOD HEAL AND ANSWER PRAYER?

I saw a plaque that said, “God always answers prayer. Sometimes He says “Yes”, sometimes He says “No” and other times He says “You have got to be kidding.” God must have a sense of humor, I think.

Over the past 35 years that I have loved serving God, I have found out some things about Him that I would like to share with you in this article.

Hebrews 4:12 say that God's Word is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword. When we speak and pray the Scriptures, we are coming into agreement with God, and His power is released to answer our prayers.

God answers prayer. God still heals people. Prayer really works.

The basis for my knowledge of these statements is God’s Word and His actions.

Let’s look at prayer first according to the Word.

Yeshua (Jesus) prayed –

John 17:11, 13, 15, and 17 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one? I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into
a solitary place, and there prayed." Mark 1:35

Hebrews 5:7 “During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”

See other scripture where Yeshua prayed

-Matthew 14:23
Mark 1:35; 6:46; 14:32-40
Luke 3:21-22; 5:16; 6:12-13; 9:18, 28-29; 11:1; 22:31-32, 39-46; 23:34
John 6:15

Paul prayed

-Romans 1:9 "... without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."

2 Corinthians 12:8
Ephesians 1:16 "Cease not ... making mention of you in my prayers."
Philippians 1:3, 4 "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy."
Colossians 1:9 "... since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you ..."
Philemon 4 "... making mention of thee always in my prayers."
2 Timothy 1:3 "...without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day."

The 1^st century church prayed for they knew the importance of prayer and intercession in behalf of its leaders.

Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly ... in prayers."
Acts 1:14 "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication..."
Acts 12:5, 12 "... but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him."
2 Corinthians 1:11 "Ye also helping together by prayer for us..."

Scripture says we should pray "for all men " (1 Timothy 2:1), for anything (Philippians 4:6).

For boldness to speak the truth Ephesians 6:19, 20 For fellow-believers Romans 1:9, Ephesians 6:18

For healing. Acts 28:8 James 5:16, For unity John 17:9, 11, 20-22, For our needs Matthew 6:11
Proverbs 30:7, 8, For forgiveness Numbers 5:6, 7 1 Kings 8:47- Ezra 9:15; 10:1 Psalms 25:11; 32:5; 51:1 Daniel 9:4-5, 20 Matthew 6:12 Luke 11:4; 18:13 Acts 8:22 and the list goes on….

So- does it work?

I have to write from my personal experience here. Compiled is a list of times (that I can remember) when my prayers were answered.

When our son, Steven, was born with bronchial asthma, we prayed for his healing and he has never suffered from another bout. He is now 35.

One time, an elderly friend had lost a diamond ring of great sentimental value. We prayed and it was returned to her. Another time, I misplaced an important receipt: I prayed and God showed me right where it was. Now perhaps you think that I just remembered. Well, we had moved into a new home and someone else had moved that receipt, shoving it into a wicker basket where it never should have been. I would have never even thought to look there for it. God saw it! He knew just where it was!

Another time, our car broke and we had no money to fix it. The part was “done”. Jack and I prayed; he asked the mechanic to put it back on the engine and it was still working when we finally sold the car.

In June of 1981, I was scheduled to have surgery for a cancerous condition (see Matt 9:20-22). I prayed for guidance for the Dr’s and God placed in my heart the knowledge that He had healed me. I cancelled the operation and this greatly upset the Gynaecologist and my personal Dr. They contacted my family and warned that this action could result in my death. I remained steadfast in my trust of Him and I have never had that condition return. By the way, my own Dr repeated some tests that I had earlier (when the bad news showed up) and he was astonished to see “healthy cells where dead ones had been”. God heals in answer to prayer!

Some other answers to prayer (Jack is here reminding me) – through praying, I was healed from psoriasis. My skin turned from hard, crusted skin to baby soft skin. Another time, I developed nodes on my vocal chords and went for surgery to remove them. I was “put under” in preparation for the removal of the nodes and when I awoke was told that the nodes had disappeared and that there was a scar to show that they really had existed. The Dr’s had no explanation for how they had disappeared –they were baffled.

During a revival service, my left ear was healed. I had lost most of the hearing in it from a childhood incident. I was prayed for and I could hear!

These happened to me personally but I could go on with accounts that I know of from our family and friends. I hope that by now, you know that God answers prayer, heals and that He is no respecter of persons.

Just last October (2006) my sister was in a horrific car accident and death was imminent. We prayed, believed and she lived! The brain damage is 99% gone (God will continue to restore her), she walks and just recently we ate a delicious meal that she cooked in her own home. Check in the “praise section” of Strombolis and read the amazing story of my sister NancyLee and the accident that almost took her life.

If you need a partner to pray with you, to believe with you and stand in prayer with you, I would count it a privilege to do so. (hearttoheart@ns.sympatico.ca)

Our God can do anything BUT fail.

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