While in India, our team met and prayed for people just about every day. One particular man we prayed for strengthened my faith without realizing it. Our team was finishing up worship in the area of the city considered the slums when a older gentleman asked us to pray for him. So a few team mates and myself started praying for good health,healing and for this man to know Jesus. As we finished he just looked at us with his clouded eyes and said there is a block in him receiving prayer. So we then started praying for this block to be removed so he can receive prayer and understanding from Jesus. Our leader told us we had to go ,so prayer was then cut off shorter, but we continued to pray for him to ourselves as we left.
The following week when we visited that community again,the same gentleman was the first to come forward for prayer. So again some teammates and myself laid hands on the man, praying over him different prayers. My prayer was for whatever was blocking him last week to be gone. After five or so minutes of prayer we asked our translator if he felt like he could receive prayer. He then said ” I can see you”. We didn’t realize as we were praying he was blind in one eye.( mainly because it was dark,I thought it was more of an infection) But god just healed him through our prayers. I was a little taken back,not expecting that to be his answer but over joyed it was.
Why is this? Why is it a little shocking when we first witness a healing when we know God is always healing?
The Jesus of the bible is the same today he was when he walked this earth,he is still healing through prayer.The boldness and courage it took for this Hindu man who knew little about Jesus to step forward and ask for his needs is something I learned from. It took faith to put aside own abilities and come unashamedly to Jesus. This reminded me of the story in Mark 10:52- When Jesus healed the blind man and said ” Go for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see and he followed Jesus. I desire this faith,to continuously to know in all situations that our Heavenly Father works beyond what we can see.To trust in him so deeply to walk up to his presence unhindered and ask. The verse in John 20:29 was shown to me often in India and had so much more power after this experience. ” You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me. I have seen Jesus work in my life for years and believe deeper in him the more I see, but what about when I don’t always see, is faith still as strong. It is the true test of faith in those times to trust when you can’t see his hand at work.
Hebrews 11 says Faith is defined as the confidence that we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. The mere confidence in hoping and believing to be healed defines genuine faith at work. The man that was blind and could see ,that I had the honor of witnessing exemplified the faith described in the bible. I learned to trust beyond what I can see in those situations you just want to know what’s in front if you, and have the confidence what I hope for is assured in Jesus.
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A Swaziland blog will be posted soon folks!
– thanks to all my supporters I’m only about $750 from meeting my deadline.
– I would love to hear from you all!
