When You Need God To Hear Your Prayers

I planted some flowers with my son last week. We laughed and chatted as I dug trenches in his front lawn to create something beautiful in his yard. He knows that I need to dig. It’s an act of love for me to create something beautiful for him to see when he pulls into his driveway at night at the end of a day with a stressful job…because we all need joy, something to distract us from the reality of the world and it’s hardness.

We parted ways for the evening and I gave him a hug, told him I would be praying for him and that we would talk the next day. This mama’s heart never imagined that I would get a call at 4 a.m. that my boy–the one with a gentle spirit, always eager to lend a helping hand-the one who has made me laugh a million times over-the one who is a great listener, a loving son and brother to his disabled sister. “Can you and dad come and take me to the hospital? I am in terrible pain and I don’t know what’s wrong.”

A week-long health crisis began in the wee hours that morning when we received the call. Our lives were suddenly put on hold and God showed us with great clarity, what was most important to us. Everything else–those inconsequential worries–the things that don’t matter, fell to the wayside.

Dan was rushed from one hospital to another and we almost lost our son, but God put people on his path that listened to the Holy Spirit and their inner courage to perform surgery for something that seemed unlikely, and saved his life.

During the surgery, I retreated to the hospital chapel that I had grown fond of during my days as a chaplain. I had spent many hours praying for patients and their families in this small room. I paced the floors during our sons surgery, crying out to God, praying aloud and reciting scripture until there were no words left in me. God showed me in that sacred little room that He heard my prayers and it was time to rest in it.

We don’t need to plead with Him. “Do not worry. Learn to pray about everything. Give thanks to God as you ask Him for what you need. The peace of God is much greater than the human mind can understand. This peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6~7.

We don’t have to worry when we talk to God and ask Him for what we need. His peace comes to us to hold our hearts and minds through every kind of trial. He is still able to bring supernatural healing, even when it is beyond what we can understand. That’s the nature of faith~believing in things we cannot see and yet, we still believe.

I sat in silence, thinking about what a blessing my son has been in my life and how dearly he is loved by God. God’s presence filled the room and I could see His beautiful wings covering my son’s body on the operating table. They fluttered over him, touching and healing him. I rested in this, knowing that this peace could only be of Him.

When you feel worries rise up within you, the comfort of relying on Jesus can bring you joy. “When my worry is great within me, your comfort brings joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19 The peace of God washed over me like a flood and brought me joy as I thought about my son.

Jesus is the Great Physician-the only One worthy of our worship. There from the beginning of time, He created the moons, the heavens and the stars, so surely, He can ordain modern-day healing and miracles. Surely, He can grab hold of our hearts and drench us with His love. Surely, His wings can hover over broken bodies in operating rooms. Surely, He can use the hands of a young surgeon to perform His miracles. Just as He uses the stars and the moon to show us when night falls upon the land, He brings hope with each new sunrise. I sat and wondered at the cross, knowing that God had heard my prayers. He already had a hope and a future for my son and He wasn’t going to let go. He held on tight to our hearts and drenched us with His supernatural love for us. He fought for us because that’s what He does.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

If you are going through difficulty, know that the Lord will fight for you. You don’t have to earn His reward, it’s freely given. He still performs miracles and healing. We don’t have to worry when we talk to God and ask Him for what we need. His peace comes to us to hold our hearts and minds through every kind of trial. He is still able to bring supernatural healing, even when it is beyond what we can understand. That’s the nature of faith~believing in things we cannot see and yet, we still believe. We don’t have to be anyone special to receive healing, as we are His children and He has already chosen us through His supernatural love for us.

Be still and know that He is God and your battle is already won. The Lord our God is all-powerful, is still alive and His love for you is relentless.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10