"James is non-responsive.” When I was a young pastor, in my early twenties, a family in my church called me as they took their nineteen-year-old son to the emergency room at a local hospital. I hurriedly traversed the sixteen miles to Waco, to find a family in anguish. Spinal meningitis had come on James quickly. “They are not giving us much hope,” his mom said.
We sat with them on and off for a few days in the Intensive Care waiting room. James’s EKG showed no activity. A wonderful hospital chaplain named Curtis Holland walked us through the process of disconnecting James from life support. It was so hard. Recently I walked into another room and saw a twelve-year-old boy in a similar situation after drowning. One of our young ministers and I prayed over the boy asking God to do the miraculous. No miracle of healing came.
Luke tells of a disciple named Tabitha, who died in Joppa. Greatly loved by all, she had done so much good making clothes for the widows. The disciples sent for Peter to come at once. Once Peter had waited with Jesus for four days after hearing of Lazarus’s illness. But not this time. Peter went with them, saw the widows weeping, and then prayed. Through his prayer, God raised Tabitha back to life. As a result, many people believed in the Lord.
Jesus healed people with a touch and a prayer. Peter, John, Paul, and the other disciples would continue the things Jesus had begun to do and teach. We are in continuity with these wonderful forerunners in the faith. Not too many years ago I was called to Dallas because one of our disciples was near to death. Upon my arrival, her daughter told me that her mother would not wake up. I was to go and pray with her quietly without disturbing her. When I entered the room, this sweet saint opened her eyes, propped herself up on her elbow and said, “Duane Brooks, what are you doing here? I am going to live!” And she did for over another year.
We do not know what God may do. So we offer the ministry of presence and prayer. Sometimes God surprises us by healing someone here. At other times, he heals them in heaven. We never know. So we go. Jesus continues to heal. We continue to pray. May many people believe in the Lord as we follow Jesus together.
