God's Power to Heal

I believe in the power of God’s healing. I’ve seen it in my own life. I’ve watched Him heal friends and family members of various ailments. But until recently I had never seen it in my ministry overseas. There have been many times that my husband and I have prayed for people, expectantly, in faith, hoping for God’s healing touch on various maladies and diseases. But His healing power was made known to me here in a loving, gentle way just this month. 

I have a dear friend who is a Muslim Syrian refugee. She is the mother of three rambunctious little boys, and she recently told me with great joy that she was expecting again. She said with a smile that she hopes to have another daughter, as her firstborn was also a girl who tragically passed away. Though it was a surprise pregnancy, I could see the joy in her eyes over this precious gift of another life growing within her. 

However, just about a week after sharing her news with me, my husband and I received a phone call from her where she was overwhelmed with grief. She had been to the doctor and did not receive good news. After conducting an ultrasound, the doctor told my sweet friend that the baby had passed away. She was devastated. She had wanted this little baby and the news just tore her apart. We were distraught for her, knowing very intimately the grief she was experiencing. We told her how much we hated this for her and assured her that we were praying for her.

She returned to the doctor a couple of weeks later. At this point she received different news. The baby had not passed away, but the doctor assured her that the heartbeat was very weak and the baby would not survive. She was advised to terminate the pregnancy as soon as possible. She called us again to inform us of the news, and additionally she asked for help. Because her husband didn’t make much money, could we please help and pay for this procedure? 

My husband was on the phone with her, and I heard him speaking to her very gently about our views on this. No, we would not help to pay for an abortion. We were praising God that the baby was still alive! What we would do instead was pray for complete healing for the baby, for a healthy pregnancy, and for no more issues to arise. We know that children are a blessing, and it is not our place to decide if their lives are viable or not. We also know that God is the Healer, and we were placing this precious little one in His hands. My husband and I both prayed with this sweet friend over the phone and in person, asking God for a miracle to be performed and for this baby to grow strong and healthy.

My friend spoke with us just last week. Her news made us both smile and praise God. At her last doctor’s appointment, she was told the baby is healthy and strong, and she is now halfway through her pregnancy. We were able to remind her of the fact that we asked God for help and for His intervention when the doctor had no hope for the baby. He healed the baby’s weakness and sustained the baby’s life! We are praying that the testimony she now has of God’s healing power will have an impact on her own faith and relationship with God.