Miracles for Today Series

Seventh & final in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” -Mark 9:24

Why make such a big deal of faith? Simply because Jesus made a big deal of faith. One moment He was rebuking someone for their lack of faith, the next moment He was extolling someone’s outrageous request. It’s hard to believe these faith lessons have no bearing on our prayers today! If we can’t take our impossible situations to the all-powerful and living Christ, then where can we go?

Let me repeat that I don’t believe our faith trumps God’s sovereignty. He may have a higher purpose in not granting our requests. So I’m not implying if our prayers go unanswered that it is only because of our unbelief. At the same time, I don’t want my unbelief to limit what He would otherwise do for me. He made it clear that unbelief can limit His work. Maybe we see fewer miracles today because we simply don’t believe. For me, the bottom line is this: when I pray, I should just do my part and believe, which means to have full confidence my prayer will be answered in the affirmative. Jesus continually demanded and expected people to pray in this manner.

And there is good news for us who “have our doubts.” Our faith does not have to be amazing to receive amazing answers. In the gospel of Mark, a man received a miracle while utilizing imperfect faith. He approached Jesus for his son, who had been possessed by a destructive evil spirit. He pleaded, “If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” (Mark 9:22).

In His response, Jesus first questioned the framing of the man’s request, “If you can?” Then He answered him, “All things are possible to him who believes.” It might seem Jesus was  challenging the man’s lack of certainty in His (Jesus’) abilities. “What do you mean, if I can? Of course I can; I can do anything.” But look again at Jesus’ answer, “All things are possible to him who believes.” He focused on the man’s faith, not on His own ability. The emphasis in Jesus’ initial question should therefore be on the word “you,” not “if.” In other words, Jesus meant, “The question is not, can I do this. The question is, can you do this. You exercise your faith.” So in this exchange, Jesus is teaching the man to believe his prayer will come to pass.

The man quickly realized Jesus was making his faith the issue. Mark tells us, “Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’” Jesus had just rebuked His disciples for their inability to cast out the demon. He declared their unbelief as the reason they were not heard. “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” (Mark 9:18-19). Let’s not make the same mistake of unbelief. Let’s do our part and believe. Then leave the results to our Sovereign God. Amen?

Lord, increase our faith.

Miracles for Today Series

Sixth in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you (Mark 11:24).

I admit, if understanding prayer is like a doctoral degree, then I’m still in kindergarten. Yet I’m convinced this acknowledgment is crucial to praying the way Jesus commanded. Perhaps the most common mistake in prayer is to determine how, why, when, and if God will answer, all before we even ask. We talk ourselves out of really wanting anything. “God may not answer this request, so I need to pray in a way that hedges this whole difficult situation. I don’t want to get my hopes up, or anyone else’s hopes up.” Then we proceed to pray in a manner that strips a key component from our prayers – faith.

Yet according to Jesus, there is only one way to pray – with faith. He said, “All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them.” Note that Jesus does not hedge on the difficulty of our requests. He commands us to pray with faith every time we ask, whether our requests are large or small. In fact in the previous verses, He concluded we could move mountains with faith. After making our requests, we should simply follow His command, and believe we have already received our request.

This is what it means to pray with faith, and this is “the only way to pray.” In James 1:5-8, James seems to confirm this interpretation of praying with faith. In this passage, wisdom from God is the prayer request.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8).

Do you always pray with faith as Jesus commands? Successful sports teams are made up of personnel who fill various roles. As each player performs their role at the direction of their coach, the team succeeds. The same is true in following our Coach in our role in prayer. We should do our part and pray with faith, believing we already have our request. We don’t need to understand everything about prayer. We should be childlike and just believe. God will figure out the rest. Amen? Responses and comments are welcomed.

Lord, help us to simply follow your ways, and not seek to figure everything out beforehand.

Miracles for Today Series

Fifth in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

Some may wonder about prayer, “If God already knows whether He will answer or not, why even bother to pray? It won’t make any difference. He already knows what He will do.” A thousand times, no. In the Scriptures, there are amazing exchanges between God and people when prayer not only makes a difference, it appears to even “change” God’s mind.

• After God declared His decision to destroy the people of Israel for their rebellion, Moses interceded for them. His prayers evidently made a difference. “So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people” (Exodus 32:14).

• There is another notable instance when God declares that King Hezekiah would die from a serious illness. “In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live’” (2 Kings 20:1).But after hearing of his fate, Hezekiah’s fervent prayers “changed” God’s mind. “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life” (2 Kings 20:5-6).

I stress again, I don’t believe our prayers are guaranteed to be answered, but I’m determined to test the limits of the mysterious power of prayer. Won’t you join me?

Lord, please give us mighty endurance and power in prayer.

Miracles for Today Series

Fourth in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.  –Matthew 17:19-20

Can the size of our faith make a difference in God answering our prayers? Absolutely yes! Jesus says so in Matthew 17:19. The disciples’ prayers to cast out a demon went unanswered because of the “littleness of their faith.”

I walk a fine line in discussing these faith and prayer issues. I do not apologize for wanting to spark more faith. I’m convinced God delights in showing off His power today.

Still, I’ve seen prayer warriors with far greater faith than mine who did not receive a miracle healing. So I’m not suggesting if one only has enough faith they are guaranteed to be healed. We don’t control God with our prayers. One champion of the faith, the Apostle Paul, prayed diligently for God to remove a series of severe hardships, which he called a “thorn in the flesh.” He later realized the thorn remained to keep him humble. This story and many other similar Bible lessons teach that God has a Higher Purpose when He doesn’t answer faith-filled prayers.

But I hope we can agree we should always seek to grow in faith and bold prayers. Why would Jesus stress praying with faith and with boldness if it did not even matter?

Mountains in this context are symbolic of the humanly impossible situations in our lives. When we’re in a bind, Jesus must be pleased we are drawn to passages on moving mountains. The good news is our faith does not need to be that big for Him to answer in the affirmative. He said faith the size of a mere mustard seed can move mountains. Mustard seeds are small, about the size of the point of a ball point pen. This is just enough faith to move Him to activate His powers and abilities. Mountain moved.

So will you agree with the disciples and me, “Lord increase our faith”? (Luke 17:5).

Healing Prayer Service—Stronghold Ministry

3rd Tuesdays of each month
7:00-8:00 p.m.
@ Dallas Bible Church
15765 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75248

Miracles for Today Series

Third in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at Him.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. -Matthew 13:54-58

They say familiarity breeds contempt. In this passage from Matthew, Jesus basically agreed. The people of His hometown knew much about Him, perhaps too much. They shared a long history, and that history did not include miracles. They had heard the amazing stories about His miracles, yet refused to believe God might work among them in new ways. Sadly, their expectations were fully met; little expected, little received.

This leads to a penetrating question for you and me. Have we limited the work of God in our own lives? Maybe there’s a reason miracles are few or missing. Someone might say, “How could we ever know on this side of heaven?” It’s true the Lord’s ways are mysterious and beyond our manipulation or control. Still, may the phrase Jesus used so often never be used of us, “Oh you of little faith.”

Sometimes God wants to show off His power over our most difficult obstacles… like cancer. Come pray with us for your miracle at our Healing Prayer Service. We don’t guarantee miracles, but we certainly believe we should ask for one! “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Bring your loved ones to pray together with us. Or, as was commonly practiced in the Bible, come as a proxy for someone who is not able to come. Let’s just see what He will do!

Healing Prayer Service—Stronghold Ministry
3rd Tuesdays of each month
7:00-8:00 p.m.
@ Dallas Bible Church
15765 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75248

Miracles for Today Series

Second in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.’”

At the point of death, God mercifully extended Hezekiah’s life for fifteen years. Certainly his heartfelt prayers made a deep impression on God. Granted, He doesn’t answer all such prayers, but He sometimes intervenes in dramatic fashion. I suspect that even when God doesn’t answer, He is moved to His core. Even as Jesus was about to resurrect Lazarus from the dead, He was touched by his sister’s raw disappointment in Him, which made Him cry.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid Lazarus?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. –John 11:33-35

Yet as long as there are serious illnesses, there will be cries for healing. As long as there are cries for healing, there will be miraculous interventions by God. As long as I have breath, I will encourage the hurting to seek God’s miraculous intervention in their lives. People often report to Stronghold Ministry how the Lord has healed them at the point of death, extending their lives for years, just as He did for Hezekiah and me. We regularly share these stories in our newsletter (sign up for The Exchanger here).

I am convinced that God wants to intervene more than we think. May He grant us that small, mustard-seed-sized faith to pursue Him for the impossible. God loves to defy human odds!

Miracles for Today Series

First in a series on God’s miraculous healing power for today.

From the outset of this series on seeking God for a cancer miracle, or any miracle, let me state my belief as clearly and as strongly as I can,

God does miracles every day, and He is absolutely delighted when we diligently seek Him for a miracle.

This may surprise you, but some Bible believers would disagree with this statement. Once after I spoke about Stronghold Ministry’s desire to see more healing miracles today, a Christian doctor who is experienced in both the Bible and oncology took me aside and said, “You’re getting people’s hopes up; you should just be getting them ready to die.” I replied, “Why can’t I do both?”

As one who was given days to live in 2003, I assure you, I would rather have died with the hope of a miracle than live without hope of one. As cancer spread from under my arm to many sensitive sites, like my lung, kidney, stomach and pancreas, the thought hit me, Stage IV cancer is as easy for God to heal as Stage I. Jesus put it plainly, “Nothing is impossible with God.” If He didn’t intend to get our hopes up with that statement, may I say humbly, He sure needs a lesson on managing others expectations.

Some fail to pursue a miraculous healing because they predetermine that God probably won’t answer. Now I don’t believe He has unconditionally guaranteed healing, but I am confident He delights when our hopes are high. It is reasonable to assume He continually commands us to persevere in prayer because our prayers can make a tangible difference. But don’t take my word for it, God says through James, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16).

My oncologist told me his patients who “beat the odds” were overwhelmingly hope-filled, praying people who boldly sought God for a miracle. Granted, this is not statistical “proof,” but one should not discount such an observation from a doctor who works daily on the front lines of oncology. So go ahead, get your hopes up!

Oh, on being ready to die, do yourself a big favor, make sure you consider your options. Eventually we will all die and stand before God to give an account for our lives. So to help prepare, I encourage you to take a moment time to read this thought provoking two page brochure on our website: THE TWO WAYS TO GET TO HEAVEN. This brochure can lead you to find eternal hope.

So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? –Galatians 3:5

A “wake up call” is any circumstance that triggers reexamination and realignment of my priorities. Being diagnosed with cancer surely woke me up, and definitely got my attention. The scary news and the ferocity of the battle rattled the very foundations of my faith.

There is an old, wise saying, “We don’t usually change when we see the light; we change when we feel the heat.” As I passed through the blaze of aggressive cancer and treatments, I cried out to God for relief. What must I do to be healed? I was ready to make changes and sacrifice for Him. Ironically, His response was not for me to be more holy; to spend more time with Him; or to search myself for some deep, dark sin. I should simply seek Him for undeserved blessings. There was nothing I could do to make myself worthy of His healing touch.

It was then I woke up… to grace. The author of Hebrews encourages us to boldly and confidently approach God for this undeserved help.

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16.

I realized I could boldly approach God through Jesus’ righteous life, not my own. Jesus’ death on the cross washed away my sins through faith, enabling the Father to pour out free blessings on me, including physical healing from cancer.

While trying to grasp the depths of this grace, several points became clear. I should…

·       Resist the notion that God owes me anything

·       Refrain from making deals or promises to entice       God to answer me

·       Readily admit and confess my past and present failings

·       Refuse to dwell on my past sins, since they’re forgiven in Christ

·       Realize I don’t have to pay Him back for His blessings. How could I pay Him back?

At Stronghold Ministry, we don’t believe that if we only pray right or have enough faith, that God is guaranteed to heal. We do believe, however, that our best appeal to Him is through His grace. So let your crisis wake you up – to grace.