The other night I was on my way to my sisters to help her organize her quilting room. Brailee was in the passenger’s seat, jabbering away. As I always do, I began to pray and plead the blood of Jesus over our vehicle and us, thanking God for angels and the truth that no weapon formed against us would prosper. When I was about to say, “amen,” Brailee grabbed my hand, stopping me in my tracks.
Excitedly she said, “Nana, pray that we can go to the beach this year.”
While I contemplated her request, my mind raced. So much had happened this year already that I just couldn’t see how a trip to the beach was possible. Yet here my little granddaughter sat, holding hands, ready for the prayer of agreement. While I thought about her prayer request, she continued telling me all the different things she wanted me to pray about the beach. She squeezed my hand to let me know she was ready to pray. With reality smacking me in the face, I didn’t know what to do. She said, “Go ahead, Nana, let’s pray and agree, God can do this!”
I prayed – we prayed – and we said AMEN.
I have thought about her prayer request dozens of times since that night. Each time it comes to mind, I have to say, “God, I am leaving this with you, SHE is your little girl, you heard her heart’s desire, I leave this with You.”
This morning as I was thinking about it, I was reminded of a story I once heard. I don’t remember which pastor told it, but it remains with me after all these years.
This man told the story about his wife. She had been diagnosed with cancer. The man wanted her to believe God for her healing instead of having surgery, but she wanted to have surgery and trust God with the surgery. This man was constantly praying about this situation, one day the Lord spoke to him. The Lord told him that his wife didn’t have the faith to refuse the surgery, but she didn’t have faith for God to heal her through the surgery. The Lord told him that she couldn’t link her faith with his, she simply didn’t have the faith for it – BUT he could link his faith with hers and she would be healed. So, that’s what he did, and she was healed.
This man could have judged his wife for what he perceived to be a lack of faith. He didn’t. Instead, he joined his faith to hers and they both had the end result they wanted.
With Brailee’s prayer request, my faith just wasn’t there. I hate to admit that, but it wasn’t. All that went through my mind was the reality of the situation. But her faith was there, so I joined my faith with hers. Then I left it with God.
God is so merciful. He wants to answer our cries even more than we want Him to. He alone knows where our faith is. While this lady in the story didn’t have faith for an instant miracle, she DID have faith that God would be faithful and heal her in another way. Her faith was still there, it just wasn’t where her husband was.
I love this story. It helps me remember that many people have faith in a different way – no one way is right and no one way is wrong. We have to be sensitive to that and pray in agreement with where their faith is, and not expect them to have faith the exact same way we think we do. If God will meet us where our faith is…don’t you think we should do the same thing?
My friend, in every single situation I find myself in, God is teaching me. I pray I am always open to His teaching and His correction. May we all be sensitive to His voice, His correction and His leading. In doing so, may we love those around us just like He loves us, with unending mercy.
