Once upon a time, a family friend was very sick from liver disease. My husband, two young sons, and I prayed fervently for Nancy. We asked St. Therese for her intercession. Our friend’s health continued to worsen until her only chance for survival was a liver transplant. Our prayers intensified. Soon after, my family was praying for her in the car enroute to one of the boys’ baseball games and I got the call. They had found a match for Nancy, in her same hospital. The surgery would be that day. I am not a crier, but I remember breaking into tears from the feeling that our prayers had made a difference. While the team warmed up for the game, I found a local church and, on my knees before the tabernacle, poured out my gratitude to our Lord for his generosity.
Fifteen years later, Nancy still wakes up smiling, grateful to be alive. Do I think that God healed Nancy because of my family’s prayers? And the prayers of her mother, sisters, cousins, and other friends? We wouldn’t have known for sure if it wasn’t for the message Nancy received after her surgery.
Waking up in the Recovery Room later that day, Nancy received a message that she knew was from God. He simply said, “See what prayers have done.” She understood that to mean: “You are alive because of prayers.”
God asks us to pray for others, but He doesn’t usually give us these revelations or consolations. So often we pray and wonder if God is hearing us or if our words are just dissolving into the atmosphere. We know that God doesn’t necessarily give us what we pray for and that He knows best what we and our loved ones need. So, reflecting on this experience a decade and a half later, I ask, “What did Nancy need most? A miraculous healing through medical science or a divine understanding that God hears and answers our prayers?
Scripture: This week, read James 5:13-15. What is it saying to you?
Call to Action: Learn how your intercessory prayer can be more effective at our Prayer for Life Formation Day on Saturday, Feb 21. We have experts coming to teach us the power and practice of intercessory prayer. See bulletin for details and to register. The people you pray for will be grateful.
