How God Answered My Fervent Prayer - Lisa Marcelina
“… the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 NKJV
On November 19, 2002 at 10.29 a.m., this beautiful baby boy came into the world. My son.
It would be a few hours before I could hold him, but when I did, I fell instantly in love. And then came the news. “Your son has jaundice.” This meant having to stay a few extra days for observation.
Blood had to be drawn ever so often to check the level of jaundice, and his little hand had so many needle marks, I could not help but feel sorry for him. He also had to be kept under this blue UV light as part of the treatment.
But things got worse. On the third day the doctor said the jaundice was not going down and he may need to have a blood transfusion… at the public hospital. What?!!
You see, a few years before, in another life, I lost two babies right after their birth. They were both premature. The first time a boy. The second time, a girl. When the baby girl died, I lost all confidence in our public health system, because I felt I could have gotten better care considering what happened the first time. That’s why I chose a private hospital this time around.
The care I received was good, I delivered a healthy baby, but I certainly did not anticipate this. So, the thought of my newborn son undergoing a blood transfusion, in our questionable public health system at the time, was very scary for me. Especially when the doctor himself had misgivings.
I Fervently Prayed
When I got home that evening, I laid on my bed, opened the window, looked up to the sky, and prayed. Boy did I pray. I never prayed so hard in my life. I literally cried out to God to save my son and I said “not again Lord, please not again”. Then I fell asleep.
The Lord Answered my Prayer
The next morning as I was getting ready to go visit my son, the phone rang. It was the hospital. I held my breath. And then these words, “…come collect your son”.
“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears”. Psalm 34:4 NLT
Oh joy! I wasted no time in getting to the hospital. When I arrived, he was all fresh and clean with no blue light and no IV tubes. I promptly bundled him, thanked the nurse who lovingly took care of him and brought him home.
We took some time to name him. But then we found the perfect name – Ikechi, a Nigerian name meaning “God’s Strength”. An appropriate name for honoring God.
Ikechi is now 18 years old. A handsome young man whom I love dearly. I always give thanks to God every year on Ikechi’s birthday, because I will never forget how He answered my fervent prayer that day.
Friend, your identity in Christ means you are loved, forgiven and righteous. He wants you to pray with all your heart, fervently and honestly. And when you do, He will answer.
Reflect and Respond
Think about a time when you prayed fervently to the Lord and how he answered your prayer. Share your experience with us in the comments. If you don’t wish to share publicly, then journal as a remembrance to honor God.
