Prayer and Doubt

Good Morning!  What a beautiful day it is to be alive and know God!  Today I am so very thankful for the healing power of God.  I am thankful for that every day, but today is a new day with a new understanding! 

Last night, my grandson was to play his last baseball game.   He is 11 and it's his first year of 'real baseball' versus kid or coach pitch.  Since it was his last game, my daughter (Jenifer of Sweet Blessings) and her hubby, who are the coaches, planned the end of the season party.  The party was at the park before the game and Jeremiah and one of the other players were playing around hitting the ball and catching it.  The other little guy got hit square in the face with the baseball...very hard.  His family rushed him to the urgent care facility.  The medical staff at the urgent care facility told them to go straight to Children's Mercy hospital.  The mother sent Jenifer a text to keep her updated.  Jenifer immediately sent a text to me and a couple of others asking for urgent prayer.  

As it was Wednesday, church was about to start!  The adults prayed for Collin in their prayer time as did the kids in my Wednesday Night Bible Time class.  We were told it could be very serious...a crushed sinus cavity, a broken bone somewhere in the face...we just didn't know.  So I explained this to the kids and we prayed...

  "¹⁶ ...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

James 5:16 (NLT)

What answer to prayer...by the time we got out of church and I spoke to Jenifer...Collin had been sent home with NO BROKEN BONES OR BROKEN ANYTHING!!!  I immediately contacted as many of the kids that were in my class to convey the healing!  I also contacted several of the adults so that word could spread to the entire group that had been there praying that Collin was HEALED!

I am so very thankful for God's healing power.  I am also thankful for the confidence in prayer and praying that this gave to the kids in my class...to pray and to immediately see God's healing power absolutely strengthens the faith of those pray-ers!!!  I know that it certainly boosted my faith. 

So often I find myself praying a faithful prayer and then as soon as I am finished praying, I begin to think, "What if it doesn't happen?"  or "What if God doesn't heal this person or do what is needed?"  Well, in one of my recent quiet times with God I read James 1.  Verse 6 has been a life changer for me. 

"⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

James 1:6 (NIV)

I must say, I was a doubter.  Now, I know...knew...that God answers prayer...the effectual, fervent prayer!  He has answered MANY prayers in my life.  But I seemed to always doubt after I would pray a diligent prayer.  Well, last night, when doubt started to creep in...I rebuked it...I would quote Romans 8:28..."²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." or any other scripture that came to mind.  I refused to let doubt creep in and take a healing away.  The kids in my class and I talked about and we all acknowledged that God could heal and if He chose not to, it was for a plan and a purpose!

But, PRAISE THE NAME OF JESUS...God did choose healing and what an opportunity for testimony...for Collin, for his parents, for Jenifer & Jeremy, as coaches and as parents of another ball player!

Yes, today is a very good Thankful Thursday!  Be blessed today and be thankful for God's hand in YOUR life!