Last year, Spur Ottawa ran an article highlighting how God answers prayer and challenging readers to share stories of what God has done in their lives. Here is another encouraging testimony of God’s mysterious answers…

Allen Macartney
Special to Spur Ottawa

Sunday morning.

Wincing in pain, my wife groaned while holding a hand over one eye. She had never experienced eye pain like this. I looked closely, but it was neither red, nor inflamed. Still, it hurt fiercely.

“Let’s go to the hospital.” I suggested, heading for my coat.

“We’d wait for hours,” she responded, shaking her head slightly. “It will probably go away soon.”

It didn’t.

We waited. Applied eye drops. Waited more.

“Let’s just go to church,” she whispered.

After watching my wife endure this pain for hours, I felt emotionally raw. I pleaded with God.

The pain continued throughout worship. After the service, I whisked the family home and prepared lunch. My wife settled cautiously on our couch, holding a cold cloth to her eye.

From the pain’s first appearance, my wife, our two kids and I, had prayed. Our pleading prayers seemed to soar into space and bounce unanswered off heaven’s door. While making lunch, I continued asking God to intervene. “Please Lord just DO something for my sweetie!”

Nothing.

The Bible says to ask God for healing. Countless times we had encouraged others to bring problems to God, and we had experienced His acts of mercy; a tangible and direct expression of His goodness.

After watching my wife endure this pain for hours, I felt emotionally raw. I pleaded with God. Our son and daughter bickered under the tension. Finally, I called everyone to the table for lunch. My wife slowly slid into her chair, nursing her eye. We always pray before meals, but today, preoccupied with her discomfort, we reached wordlessly for our soup spoons.

Then it happened.

“Pray for her eye,” said a voice deep within me. It wasn’t audible, just a strong impression.

Irritation flooded me. “Okay!” I growled at God, under my breath. “I pray for her eye. Are you satisfied?!”

“That’s what I’ve been doing all morning!” I snapped back silently—sarcastically.

“Just pray for her eye,” the voice calmly whispered in my mind.

“No! I’m going to eat my soup!”

The kids started bickering again. My wife flinched with pain.

“Pray for her eye.” Still silent, gentle.

Irritation flooded me. “Okay!” I growled at God, under my breath. “I pray for her eye. Are you satisfied?!”

“Ohhh!!” said my wife. “The pain just disappeared! It’s gone!” She breathed deeply.

“What do you mean it’s gone?” I responded incredulously.

“It’s gone. Just a moment ago.”

Faith is not just the belief that God is out there, somewhere. Faith is a firmly grounded trust in God’s overwhelming goodness and loving character.

Seconds seemed to drag suspended as I stared at her, unable to think or speak. “Honey?” I said finally breaking the quiet. “Try to make it hurt.”

All heads turned to me in astonishment. She laughed weakly at my preposterous words. Never had my wife or kids heard me say such a thing. Gingerly, she touched her eye, afraid of igniting more painful fireworks. No pain. Then she rubbed it tentatively. It was not even tender. That’s when I admitted to my irreverent argument with God. Worst of all, I had snapped, “Are you satisfied?!” immediately before He healed her.

I’ve pondered that strange morning many times, and God’s gracious patience.

Jesus is called Emmanuel—God with us. Whether we feel His presence or not, He is closer than breath. We can never get away from His passionate love. Our prayers are precious to Him, and never ignored.

I’ve known times when God answered my prayers rapidly, and others when it took decades for an answer. Many times it was, “No.”

Faith is not just the belief that God is out there, somewhere. Faith is a firmly grounded trust in God’s overwhelming goodness and loving character. It’s deeply personal. Through the storms and uncertainty of life, we can rest in it. When suffering through profound emotional and physical pain, Job said, “Though He slay me, I will trust Him.” (Job 13: 15) That’s trust in God’s character. It’s not a question of us believing hard enough in God.

When God answers a prayer, it’s a gift. Instead, I so often accept it as if it’s my right, then quickly forget. Now, I’m learning to consciously remember answered prayers, and bring them to mind regularly. Jesus said that doing this would strengthen our faith muscle.

The heart of faith is trusting that our loving God is good; that He is with us always. Whether the answer to our prayers is yes or no, we can trust and celebrate Him.