This time twenty five years ago I was in labour with our second daughter Shara, and my husband Philip was dropping off his last assignment to finish his degree. I remember that point because I’d specifically asked God to not let me have this baby until Philip had finished his studies. So sure enough as he walked into the building to deliver his work and I waited in the car, I felt my first contraction and the beginnings of labour. It’s one of the reasons I know that God likes it when we pray specific prayers, for then when He answers we know He’s involved.
All through the rest of that day and night I repeatedly experienced God’s hand guiding me and the power of believing in His Word and promises. Shara arrived into the world at 3.30am and the midwife looked at my husband and said, “I’ve never seen a baby born like that before.” This was because I’d taken hold of God’s promise that Jesus has borne our every pain – labour pain included (Galatians 3:13).
Instead of pain Shara was born into an atmosphere of peace, worship music playing in the delivery room and a lot of joy and triumph that we indeed have a God who not only saves us, but also honours our faith, even when we ask for things beyond the ordinary that we find in His Word.
Many times over the past twenty five years I’ve had to practice what I discovered that night as I’ve not only stood on God’s word for Shara’s life but also for her siblings, my husband, the many others I’ve prayed for and in my own life. Sometimes the answers have been instant like legs growing, deaf ears opening or tumours shrivelling up, and other time I’ve had to stand and persist in prayer to see the answers come. I’ve learnt both that, “by faith and patience we inherit the promises“, and that God is also the God of suddenlies. (Hebrews 6:12; Acts 2:2)
We do need to seek God and His Word to make sure that what we are asking for is in line with His will for our life. However once we know His will in our situation we can pray knowing that He desires to answer us. The answer may come differently to what we expect, which is where trust comes in, but He will answer.
Jesus is radical and if you take a look through the gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) you will see that He said and did some pretty out of the ordinary things. Take for example walking on water, turning water into wine, spitting on dirt and putting it on a blind man’s eyelids and telling him to go and wash so that his sight was restored. Touching and healing lepers, causing food to multiply, interrupting funerals and raising numerous dead people to life again.
Today I encourage you to go to God and His Word and dare to believe His promises. Look into what He says about your life rather than settling for the status quo. What others may not have experienced or heard of as possible is not a valid reason to hold back your prayers.
Nothing is too hard or impossible for Jesus, which is why He loves it when we pray bold, out of the ordinary prayers and choose to wholeheartedly believe in Him and what He says.
“For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)
Prayer: Lord thank you for your promises and that you will move whatever you need to answer my requests. Please help me to start to pray bold prayers and to expect answers, for nothing is impossible for you. In Jesus name