Pray and Do Not Doubt.

My family usually attends the early 9 am service at our church, Grace, but this Sunday my mom told me I could sleep in and we'd go to the later service at 10:30 am (actually, my parents and brothers had classes to go to then and we went to the 12 pm service, but I went to both services because I wanted to). My friend Bethany saw me looking for someone to sit with and generously offered to let me sit next to her and her boyfriend.

Pastor Jonathan's message hit me square in the heart, like so many others have in a convicting, reviving way. Yesterday his message was taken from John 4-5 and he talked about how we need to ask for healing and being set free from sin. God wants us to talk to him and not just read about him. We ought to be reading about God and talking with others about what he is doing in our lives as well as talking to him personally through prayer. Pastor Jonathan used the Samaritan woman at the well, the officer whose son was very sick, and the paralyzed man by the pool to show how God worked in Bible times and then he shared stories of church members who have been healed miraculously in this day and age to show how God continues to work. 

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” -John 4:13-14

The Samaritan woman didn't realize who Jesus was until he uncovered her past without her telling him and then she was astounded. Jesus told her that he was the Messiah and she went back to her town, telling everyone about Jesus. Many believed in him because of the woman's account. The officer asked Jesus to come and heal his son, but Jesus told him he was healed and to go home. The officer believed and received word before he arrived home that his son was healed. The paralyzed man told Jesus how he had been that way for 38 long years and could never get into the pool to be healed. Jesus immediately said to him, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!" and the man did just that!

*Read the rest of the Samaritan woman and officer's stories here and the paralyzed man's story here.

Often as of late, I have been struggling with knowing why we should pray, but the message just affirmed exactly why we need to. God wants us to seek his help and guidance to overcome in this life. We try and try to set ourselves free on our own strength, but Christ is the only one who can and has already set us free with his death and resurrection. We serve a powerful God!