How many of you are waiting for God to answer a prayer? Probably most of us. Why do some of our prayers seem to go unanswered? Does God go into hibernation at times? Is He too busy with more important requests? Did He lose our address?
Early on in my prayer apprenticeship my first reaction to unanswered prayers was frustration, then questioning, then more frustration, and then perhaps some anger depending on how long I had waited.
At least fourteen years ago I was praying with a friend and as we prayed I saw a picture of a backbone with a carpenter's level next to it. The vertebrae were perfectly aligned. At that time I had marked scoliosis and it made me wonder is God trying to say He is going to heal my back? From that point on I took advantage of every opportunity to ask for prayer for my back. I even sought out some services where I knew there would be healing prayer emphasized. Nothing happened. What gives? I thought.
After many years I grew weary of asking for prayer for my back so at one service I decided to ask that God would heal my vision. However, the gentleman praying for me said, "God wants to heal your back. You have scoliosis." He then proceeded to correctly describe my back problem without knowing a thing about it when I came up to him for prayer! I began to weep. Surely this was from God. But nothing changed.
Then I began to go on mission trips to Brazil with Global Awakening where hundreds of people were healed each week at the evening services. On each trip I dutifully asked for healing of my back since the atmosphere seemed charged with the power of God. Nothing happened. Until July 4, 2011...
