Against all hope, desperate for an answer, this man approached our small group with a plea for help. His friends carried him to a nearby chair and explained how he had been unable to walk for nearly a year. He looked starved, discouraged, and tired. He wanted something but could not articulate what. His friends had heard of one of the village boys being healed from deafness the night before. These friends were hoping a miracle could happen for this man.

We all gathered around him and started praying. We have all heard stories of lame men walking. Jesus Himself healed many from this condition. We believed it could happen again. It was not instantaneous. Actually, we stayed by this man’s side all afternoon. An hour passed and he started feeling a tingling sensation in his feet. This encouraged everyone to keep pressing on. Faith began to rise. Another hour and he wiggled his toes. More faith. Another hour and another. Slowly, he had the courage to be helped up to attempt to take some steps. He took a step and then another but not alone, so we prayed on. Excitement and faith grew. He tried again and had more progress. By early evening we had to part ways. We did not see him run off and do a skip for joy, but he walked slowly aided by his friends back to where ever they came from. All the while, tears streamed down his and his friends’ faces. Their miracle was not quite complete, but their faith grew and it was enough to keep them going. Healing tarried in the physical but their hearts were healed besides. 

Not only were legs and ears healed in those couple of days, but hearts as well. Hearts that previously carried doubt or skepticism were shown the reality of what faith in God’s healing touch can do. The lame do walk. The deaf can hear. It is not just old stories in the Bible times, but our present in the here and now. We merely have to have the courage to believe, the perseverance to continue when the answer is slow coming, and the faith to believe that when He said “all authority has been given to Me”, He meant it.