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by Helen LescheidSusan and Esther attended the same small group Bible Study at church. During a time of sharing prayer requests, the women frequently requested prayer for their husband’s who were ill.
Susan’s husband suffered from kidney failure. A previous kidney transplant had failed. Now they were waiting for another donor but four years later, they were still waiting. Her husband was becoming so ill that if he didn’t get a transplant soon, he would die.
Esther’s husband was hospitalized with a severe depression. Despite the latest and best treatments he was getting worse. He attempted suicide several times and threatened to kill his family. Over the years new drugs were tried and more therapy sessions followed to no avail. "There isn’t much more we can try," the psychiatrist said. "Your husband is chronic." When Esther related this latest news to her group she added, "But I believe God can do the impossible. Please pray."
As the group prayed earnestly, Susan and Esther found consolation in hearing their needs brought to God again and again. "We’re the most prayed over people in the group, something is bound to happen," they told each other.
And it did. One day Susan could barely express her joy as she told the group of a late phone call one night. A donor had been found and arrangements had been hurriedly made for her husband to be admitted to hospital. There was great rejoicing in the group that evening and more earnest prayer that the transplant would be successful this time. A month later Susan’s husband was at home recuperating. Soon he was back at work. God had indeed answered prayer and brought about a miraculous healing.
Meanwhile Esther’s husband also returned home but was soon hospitalized again. Raised hopes followed dashed hopes. Year after year. Psychiatrists, baffled by the situation, kept changing the diagnosis: early Alzheimer, manic depressive disorder, then dementia. He was moved to a Care Home. The stress of the years worked havoc in the family. Esther’s marriage ended in divorce. For a time, the children became estranged.
What happened to all the prayers on Esther’s behalf? How were they answered?
"God gave me grace to get through those tumultuous years," Esther says. "Feeling overwhelmed, I would cry out to God, ‘What do I do with this? How can I cope?’ After pouring out my heart, a peace would settle upon my spirit. It was as though an invisible hand had lifted me. Often a Scripture I was reading would be exactly right for me. Or a friend would call and offer me respite. Yes, I sometimes wonder why didn’t God heal my husband too? But then I remind myself, God has written a different life script for me. He used just as much love and care to write my script as he did when he wrote Susan’s script."
One faithful God–two different kinds of prayer answers.
In Hebrews chapter 11 we read of these two responses to faithful prayers:
Group A: Some persons through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength, and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again.
Group B. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated...these were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.
(Heb 11:33-39)
In answer to fervent prayers, Group A received deliverance now while Group B received endurance and grace to wait for their deliverance in heaven. Both groups exercised believing prayer which honored God. Both groups were commended for their faith.
What are we to learn from this?
Prayer is about relationship more than about answers. Our earnest prayers do not convince a reluctant God to act on our behalf, but rather, they provide an opportunity for us to open ourselves to God and to get to know Him. As we pour out our hearts and tell him our hurts, we find that He listens. In reading the Bible we receive his comfort and guidance. In our weakness we learn to depend upon Him. Prayer is God’s answer to our poverty, not a power we exercise to obtain an answer. (1) The right function of faith, in prayer and in life, is to open us up to God and to deliver us over to God. (2)
I’m reminded of a small boy who ran to his father with a broken toy. "Fix this for me, Dad," he demanded. He was still of the age when a boy has absolute confidence that his father can fix anything. And being of an impatient nature, he wanted it fixed now. One day this wise father said, "Stay awhile, son, and watch me. Let’s fix this together." Day after day, as they were working on the broken toy, heads together, talking softly, father and son got to know each other better. As the boy fetched screws and nails for his father and held certain parts while his father hammered and glued, he learned some important skills for his life’s work.
God is like that father. He desires for us to bring our broken dreams, broken relationships and broken bodies to Him. Often He does not fix them for us now but invites us to spend time with Him in a loving relationship and in so doing we experience the comfort of His healing presence. And in the process we learn that our prayers are answered not when we are given what we asked for but when we are challenged to be what we can be. (3)
In life we need both kinds of prayer answers: the overt miraculous and the inside-ourselves miraculous. Both display the power and goodness of God. Both strengthen faith and bring glory to God.
When God heals now, give Him praise; when God does not heal now, give Him praise. No matter what the answer, know that God has acted in love and wisdom toward you. And in eternity all will be healed.
~ Used with permission, www.retirementwithapurpose.com.
Helen Grace Lescheid, author of numerous articles and one book published worldwide, resides in Abbotsford, British Columbia. She's a retired nurse, mother of five children and grandmother of three.
References: (1) Oswald Chambers, Devotions for Morning and Evening, page 25; (2) Caroll Simcox, Prayer, the Divine Dialog (3) Morris Adler
