PRAYER: The Heartbeat of the Church
I
PULLED INTO the driveway and doctor came in to update Dee’s family Still excited, she spoke in one big
noticed the house looked empty. It and friends. “Dee has Lou Gehrig’s dis- breath. “Joe was helping Dee this morn-
was another one of those days where I ease,” the doctor said, then continued as ing, and out of nowhere she said ‘Thank
had to work late, and the sun had if he knew he had to explain more. “It’s a you.’ She just suddenly spoke a few words
since lowered itself below the horizon. neurological disease where the patients and then—wham—she was talking. The
Off in the distance, I could see a mixture gradually go downhill, lose control of doctors said they had never seen anyone
of purple and blue from what was left of their muscles, and then waste away.” with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou
daylight. There was no light or sound I was in the kitchen, pulling my plate Gehrig’s disease, as it’s also known as,
coming from inside when I unlocked and full of food out of the microwave, when regain speech before.”
opened the wooden front door. my excited wife arrived home. She came “Wow, that is unbelievable,” I said.
It suddenly registered that this was running in through the front door slight- “The pastor came by to talk to Dee,
Tuesday, the day my wife would be with ly winded. and he told us that this shows we should
the ladies from the church who persist and never give up in
get together and drive to the prayer. I knew that God could
acute care center. They would be and would miraculously heal
visiting Dee, I realized, praying Dee. She was—I mean, is—such
for her as she lay silently in her a blessing to so many people. I
bed. Not one Tuesday did these can’t wait until she can join our
ladies ever miss their visit with ladies church group again.”
Dee. Their faith that God would The news was so amazing I
heal her never faded. found myself wanting to share a
Dee had been a nurse at the few moments with God, so I
small local hospital. From child- slipped off to the bathroom and
hood, it was Dee who would gently closed the door.
comfort me when I needed my “Dear Lord, You are truly a
shots. She was the nurse who faithful, loving God. I want to
helped the family doctor cast my thank You for giving my wife
leg after Tom, the largest player the faith she has. I want to say
on the high school football I’m sorry for not believing that
team, landed on my leg at prac- You would heal Dee after all
tice. It was Dee who held my these years. Thank You for
wife’s hand during the birth of bringing this miracle of healing
our first child, and mine, after I into my life and affording me
nearly passed out and had to be the opportunity to witness Your
escorted to the visiting room power—a demonstration of
with a solid, comforting chair. Your authority and love. I thank
Dee was a loving and dedicated You, Lord. Amen.”
nurse for 30 years. I believe if it When I went to visit Dee,
wasn’t for her sickness, she she was sitting up in her bed,
would have continued nursing having a lengthy conversation
until someone pried her out of the hospi- “She spoke!” she exclaimed. “She said, with her husband Joe. She waved me into
tal kicking and screaming. She was one of ‘Thank you’ to Joe.” the room and told me that her recovery
those people who loved what they did for Joe was Dee’s husband, a respiratory was the outcome of all the people praying
a living. therapist at the hospital. He was a quiet for her and having the faith to believe
The loving, outgoing nurse became and gentle man. Joe had come straight that God still produces divine healings.
sick and ended up being a patient instead out of college into our little hospital, Dee gently touched my hand and
of the caregiver. Dee not only was a fami- where he met and married Dee. He quick- said, “God is truly with us today.”
ly nurse, but she was also a member of ly became friends with the ladies that vis- I couldn’t help but feel His presence in
our church and a dear friend. So when ited on Tuesdays and would always keep her frail but gentle touch.
she became ill, many loved ones joined them updated on Dee’s condition.
together in the waiting room talking, Not really understanding what she was Timothy Twitty writes his faith-building
praying, and comforting one another. trying to say, I insisted, “Slow down, and account of the healing of a friend from
I will never forget the day when the explain to me exactly what happened.” Cameron, Missouri.
EVANGEL • DEC 2008 19
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