"I really believe that it was the power of prayer that saved my child." A conversation with a local mother made missionary Cathy Smith realise it is who we pray to that matters.
Cathy, an Australian CMS missionary in Kobe, Japan, spoke of a recent conversation with a staff nurse at her children's school.
"The staff nurse at our children's school was sharing with me this morning about the miraculous recovery of her daughter, from post-viral encephalitis, which left her daughter paralysed and unable to speak or feed herself last term," Cathy says.
"Our school prayer group had been praying earnestly for this girl, so it was exciting to hear of her recovery. She is now running around the playground with the other children, with just some residual numbness in her fingers and toes.
“Just as I was about to join her mother in praising our God who had indeed wrought this miracle, she proceeded to talk about her trip to a Sri Lankan temple, where she had received special prayers and food and massages. So her mention of the "power of prayer' suddenly took on a whole new significance."
"Who we pray to is crucial'
Cathy says the experience "made me think about how we talk about prayer'.
"Surely we should not be talking about the power of "prayer' as if prayer itself is the power," she says.
"We should remember that it is to whom we pray, not how we pray that is crucial.
"I'm reminded of the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. If anybody thinks they are earnest prayers, they prayed harder: morning till noon, then some more, till they were limping around the altar.
"Elijah, however, just prayed a very simple prayer, referring to God's covenant relationship with his people, and God answered definitively.
"Jesus also warns us not to be like the pagans who think they will be heard for their many words. He tells us that our Father knows what we need before we ask him. Prayer is acknowledging that wonderful relationship, and asking simply and humbly, knowing that God loves to provide good gifts to his children."
Cathy says together with her family and Christian friends they will continue to pray for the school nurse and her daughter.
"We will pray not only for her complete physical recovery, but also that one day, she will know the one who really did answer our prayers, and give him his due glory," she says.
