To My Fellow Doubters of God's Power to Heal Miraculously

You may be a bit confused my title. Notice I put "To My Fellow Doubters." Miraculous healing isn't something often talked about in Christian circles. If it is talked about it is often within the context of the Gospels of the New Testament, but to talk about miraculous healing in the context of today causes most people to turn on their skeptics radar. Don't get me wrong; I believe in the Yahweh, the Lord of all, and I believe that he healed thousands, and I believe that, yeah, he's miraculously healed people in this day and age. Of course - he's the Great Physician, he can do all things, right? There's just no way he could do something like this for me or anyone close to me, it just doesn't happen.
Now, most of us won't admit that this is our attitude: we believe that God is all powerful - but do we really trust him and believe that he will heal us if we sincerely ask him to in prayer? In all honesty, I didn't. And I ashamedly admit that I still struggle with doubting God in this. I have a story, a true story, to share with you. You may choose to believe it, or disregard it, but please, do not doubt the awesome healing power, adn the goodness, faithfulness, and grace of our Awesome God.

As some of you know, my intramural indoor soccer team, of which I was the goalee won the college championship game this past winter. In order to get to the championship ga,me, you need to go through the semi-finals, in both these games, you face the more difficult and talented teams in the "league" if you will. For all of you non-goalee's or non-soccer players out there, it can be a very rough and physical job. There's a lot of diving on the ground, getting a rather large, fast moving objectile kicked at you can be rather painful; even for a young person. As you can imagine, it was very hard on my body - all my joints were sore - but my back in particular was giving me a lot of trouble after our last semi-final game.
It was sore all the time, and always irritated. Sitting in hard chairs hurt, especially for long periods of time (like classes). I couldn't sit in one position for very long (an even shorter amount of time than normal.) It was painful, and it wasn't going away. It continued for about two weeks at the same rate - not terrible, but definitely hurting, sore, and there. Massages felt good, but they didn't really help.

One day, after Jesse and I met with Pastor Rod as we do every other Monday, we were sitting and talking. He asked me how I was doing - and I told him that my back was still hurting. The conversation turned to talking about healing, and whether we really have faith in God's healing capibilities in our lives. We talked about the passage in Mark 9 where the loving father of the boy with the unclean spirit said to Jesus, "I do believe, overcome my unbelief." And we prayed that God would come in to our hearts and overcome our unbelief. And then Jesse laid his hand on my back and prayed that God would heal my back right then and there, claiming that he knew Yahweh was able to do so.
I tried to pray that prayer with him wholeheartedly, but honestly, I was still skeptical. I didn't think God would do it. I wanted him to overcome my unbelief, but I still didn't expect him to heal me.
I am grateful for the faith that God gave Jesse, and I am grateful for God's faithfulness and mercy.
After Jesse prayed for me, right after has asked that God would heal me, I didn't feel any more pain in my back. I thought it was just a fluke - that after I got up and started moving around, the pain would return. We did get up - and I walked and stretched my back, twisted from side to side, still no pain. I said, "Jesse, I don't feel any more pain. It's gone." I still couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that God had just done exactly what we asked him to do in faith - especially because I was still doubting. God, in his grace, healed me even in my doubt. The pain was gone! All that was left was kind of a relaxed, almost numb feeling.

We praised God, and hugged, me still not really believing what had just happened to me. Jesse was so excited, telling almost everyone we saw that we knew about it. He shared it with different people, even when I wasn't with him. I am ashamed to admit that I was not eager to share my experience with others. What if the pain came back? What if they didn't believe me? - As you can see I still wasn't trusting God, or believing in his power - and while I was in that state - I couldn't thank God for what he had done. I was almost ashamed of what God had done in my life, yet ashamed with myself that I could not bring myself to tell others about God's amazing grace and love demonstrated in my life through this healing.

Praise the Lord! I do believe. Christ has overcome my unbelief in this situation and is building my trust in other situations like it. I will share - not because I want to build myself up or make myself look like an "Amazing Christian!" No - I want to show how humbled I am, and how amazing God is that even in my unbelief, he healed me. I cannot deny that fact. I don't want to deny that fact any more. I desire that he be brought glory through this testimony, however small it may seem. May our thinking this act small, show how great he is that he would care about even the small things in our lives! May it testify to his amazing love and grace! May it show those who do not believe that there is definitely a God and he is good.

I am not claiming that every time we ask God in prayer to bring healing to us or to a loved one, that he will heal them immediately. He doesn't always work this way. Sometimes he calls us to persevere through the pain, trusting in and relying on his grace to bring us through and closer to him. Sometimes he chooses to work through the gifted hands of physicians. Sometimes, injury or illness leads to death. I cannot claim to know why God works the way he does in different situations. One thing, though, is certain, he will be glorified in each one. His plans and his ways are not that of man - they are much better, they are perfect.
Present your requests before God, ask that he will overcome your unbelief, but ask - most of all - that his will be done, and that whatever brings him most glory will be done. I'm humbled and amazed that he would bring glory to himself through not only healing me, but also saving me from MY sin. An amazing, perfect God, is glorified in redeeming us from the sins that we commit against him.
Hallelujah!