“If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.” —Exodus 15:26
My friend Ken (hunting, fishing, and general mischief farmer buddy, who always lived on the edge of everything he did) had a four-wheel drive pontoon army vehicle. He loaded up his two kids and several neighborhood kids and was driving up a huge mound of dirt in a vacant lot. As he was going over the top of the mound, his foot slipped off the clutch and the pontoon flipped over backward. Most of the kids were thrown off safely; Ken’s two-year-old, Mandy, had a broken collar bone. The steering wheel landed in the middle of Ken’s chest, and he had to be rushed to the emergency room.
When I arrived, the nurse escorted me into his room. Ken was in extreme pain, having difficulty breathing. His skin was ashen color, and I was fearful that he might not make it. When he began trying to talk, with excruciating pain and effort, he said, in broken sentences, “Sam…I’ve got it figured out…” I thought he was going to say something deeply spiritual and profound, like, “If I don’t make it…take care of my family,” or “This is what I want you to do at my funeral!” He continued, to my consternation, “I’ve got it figured out…when I get out of here, we’re going to put some roll bars on that thing!” I didn’t know whether to laugh, or cry, or punch him! I blurted out, “Oh, no, you’re not! Janet and I have already decided to sell that pontoon before you get out of here!” Of course, he was under heavy pain medication, and in a lot of pain, and wasn’t up to saying much more. I took him by the hand, and in prayer I lifted him up before the throne of our healing Lord. After praying, my heart was heavy, and I needed to cry a bit, and I wanted to see Janet. He still looked ashen, and every breath was extremely painful. I went out and visited with Janet and the family, and had prayer; and because I felt so intensely for Ken, I went back to pray with him.
I was not prepared for what I witnessed! He was breathing normally, effortless, freely. His skin was back to its normal ruddy complexion. He was talking clearly and smoothly. He said, “Sam, get the doctor. I’m ready to go home!” Our friend Elvan had been to pray with him a few minutes before my first visit in the room. Ken said, “After you prayed, as you were walking out of the room, suddenly, I started breathing normally and feeling better!” Of course, he still had sore ribs and muscles, but his breathing was good; and that was the main thing he needed. The doctor came in and discharged him and Janet took him home. Later that night, Ken’s neighbor, a doctor, came to see him and said, “Let me check you over and see how your ribs are.” The doctor said, “I’m taking you back to the hospital. There’s air in your abdominal cavity; you have a hole in your lung!” After the doctor ordered new lung X-rays, he said, “Ken, over here is a scar from when you had Valley Fever; but here is a new scar. You had a hole in your lung, but it is all healed up! You’re OK, and the air will go away.” Ken told him about Elvan and me praying for him and how he started breathing normally as I walked out the door; and the Muslim doctor raised his hands and said, “Praise be to Allah. Only God could have done this!” I remembered the words of God to Moses, at Marah (place of
bitterness), in answer to his prayer, where God sweetened the bitter water and said, “I am the Lord, who heals you!” (Jehovah-Raphe).
Thanks, Lord, for that day in the emergency room when you demonstrated the awesome power of prayer to you, the One who says without hesitation, “I am the Lord, who heals you.” Transforming Hearts…Transforming Lives! Amen!
Dr. Sam Bruce, President, Sam & Sandie Bruce Ministries; Pastor, Hope Point Church, Pearl, Mississippi; Online Instructor, Mid-America Christian University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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