A Return Of Tenfold

Luke 11:9-10 – And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (NLT)

While I was working as a ward clerk in the hospital surgical unit, I had an encounter concerning a patient and the hand of God which has stayed fresh in my mind.

Being careful to maintain confidentiality, a doctor expressed grave concern about a patient who was bleeding from the stomach, though he did not seem to be able to find the source of the bleed. He had tried all the obvious things, like giving the man a scope of his stomach, and removing any harsh elements in his diet such as aspirin and acidic drinks like orange juice. He worried that the man's low blood count would continue to get worse. I began to pray for this patient and remembered him in my morning and night prayers along with the occasional prayer during the day, storming heaven for this man and for the discouraged doctor. For days, whenever he came to our department, one or the other of us would ask the doctor how he was doing. His worry about the patient increased day by day.

At that time, I had planned a week-long trip to another city to visit relatives. I lived in a coastal town with my mother, who was also in the hospital herself with an upcoming operation due to diabetes complications in her feet. Everyone advised me to go and not lose the ticket. My mother's surgeon assured me that he would not operate until I returned in a week. The surgeon of the bleeding man had operated and had removed part of the stomach. The man was still in grave danger and his survival was not guaranteed. I continued to pray for him and my mother, not knowing the outcome. While on duty the night before I left, I encountered a daughter of the man, who was very worried. I reassured her as best I could regarding prayer and God's mercy. I mentioned that my own mother was quite ill as well, requiring an operation. We commiserated with each other, and then I left work.

The day I came back, one my co-workers called to say that my mother's surgeon was going to operate on her a couple of hours before I would arrive at work. I was very upset and could not understand what prompted him to operate and not wait or inform me. Therefore, I rushed in to work right away and confronted the surgeon in a less-than-kindly manner. His response was to lead me down to my mother's room, where he took the bandage off her foot, exposing an unexpected mess. I felt ashamed and realized that he was doing the best that he could for my mother. The bleeding man had survived and had gone home. My mother fared well from her own operation and was healing.

Now this could be the end of the story, but God has a way of wowing us sometimes. After a week, one of the nurses whom I hadn't seen came on duty and was telling a story one night about the bleeding man. Before he left, he had wanted to find the nurse whose mother was having an operation and tell her that he and his family had been praying for her and her mother!

Prayer is powerful, and miracles still happen even today. When we obey God's commandment to love one another through praying for them, He will reward us tenfold. God can raise up people to pray for us that we don't even know about. Even if we do not immediately get an answer, we must keep on praying! When we are tempted to worry about situations, just thank God that He has it all under control. He is sovereign, and He can do amazing things!

Prayer: Dear Lord, when life is very weary and we doubt Your presence in our lives, help us to persevere in our faith, remembering Your wonderful promises. Thank You for Your abundant gifts. Help us continue to value our faith as a most precious gift. Amen.

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