Don’t Give Up: The Power of Prayer

A lot of us hope for physical answers to our prayers. We wait for them, but the answers don’t always come when we want them to. Cindy felt this first-hand. She prayed for a miracle on her own for many years. But, in November 2019, God answered her prayers and changed her life. 

“I have been battling asthma for 20 plus years, and the longer it’s gone, the more severe it’s gotten. 

I’ve been to just about every hospital in the Metroplex and more emergency rooms than that. My last hospitalization was in October, and I did not have even time to get to the hospital, which is a mile away. I almost didn’t make it. 

It’s true, every time God has pulled me through. 

But I just learned to live with it. You know how things just gradually become part of who you are? Well, at some point, I just accepted that asthma was just part of me.

On November 13, 2019, right near the end of my Small Group’s prayer, my group leader said to me, ‘we think God wants us to pray for you to be healed.’ I had prayed for healing for myself before, but, over time, I lost a little bit of hope that it would happen for me. However, when they prayed, I could tell things were going to be different. 

And when they got through praying, I knew I was healed. 

It was all over. My suffering was over.

When I visited my doctor in September, my lung function was only 51%. But on December 16, just about a month after I was healed, I was at 107%. This was just physical confirmation of what I knew God did that night. 

I carried my afflictions alongside me for so many years.  But now, when I see people in need, I can say, ‘you don’t have to carry that alone. It doesn’t have to be part of who you are.’ And that’s all because I’ve seen and experienced what He can do.”

-Cindy

There are so many reasons to believe God when He says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” (Jer. 29:12). But sometimes after praying and believing for healing, restoration, or reconciliation, and it not happening in our desired timing, we can get tired of asking. 

Remember, His promises are to keep you (Psalm 121:7); to give you a hope and a future (Jer. 29:11); to comfort you in any affliction (2 Cor. 1:3-4). He promises to hear you when you call (1 Peter 3:12); to answer you (Psalm 17:6); to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10). 

Those promises are for anyone who believes in God and has accepted Him into their hearts. God is there to help. 

When you’re believing for something that only God can do, here are some verses to focus on:

Exodus 33:14 – Deuteronomy 31:8 –  Psalm 55:22 – Matthew 11:28-30 – Romans 8:15-17 – Philippians 4:4-7 – Hebrews 4:15-16 – James 5:11 – 1 Peter 1:3-9 – 1 John 5:14-15