Prayer works, I learnt this again first hand last week when my wife suddenly started to complain of severe abdominal pains. She's not one to feign illness or exaggerate symptoms so when she started to complain about a belly ache, I knew this was really affecting her. That evening, I helped her to rub some ointment on her tummy and we both settled into sleep.
Half way through the night at about 3AM, I was awoken by my wife's writhing in pain, I could sense her desperation and helplessness, what could I do to help her? It's at these times where as a husband, you want to do what you can to ease her discomfort, but everything seems futile. At that odd hour, we didn't want to wake her parents up and cause them anxiety, so that left me with doing the only thing I knew how to. There was no one who could bring a remedy but Jesus.
I don't normally have much confidence in praying for the sick as the only healing I am confident of is when I provide chiropractic care to my patients. God has truly given me the gift to provide adjustments to the body that it almost comes as second nature to me. By His grace, spinal manipulation is simple for me and I have built up confidence in my technique so much so that I would be surprised if there were no positive results after an adjustment. My "hit rate" for praying for the sick is pretty low and I must admit that I don't do it that often, however in this case, there was no alternative that would remedy my wife's pain so I began to pray. Instinctively, I placed my hand on my wife’s stomach and declared boldly in Jesus' name “Let this ailment leave her body in Jesus name! Father, I speak healing into Estee right now, bring her comfort and take the pain away. Father, I declare wholeness and health. I command pain to leave now!” I repeated this for a good 15 minutes and I alternated in speaking in tongues and declaring healing over Estee. I was in such deep prayer (and desperation) that I must have pulled the presence of God into the room. Soon, I was feeling a tingly sensation from the middle of my upper arm flow through to my hands, as if some power was released. This was new to me as I only experience this type of sensation when I praise and worship, and had never felt this when praying for the sick before!
This sensation can be described as an electrical wave-like sensation, causing my hairs to stand. Fueled by this sensation, and acknowledging that it must have been the power of God, I pressed in harder, declaring healing over Estee's body.
Very soon after, my wife started to calm down and was no longer moaning in pain and started sleeping soundly. Clearly, she was exhausted from the pain and had fallen asleep. I looked at her and was so thankful that the Lord had used me to help bring about her healing. All I could do was to thank Jesus profusely for helping us. I was praising Him and glorifying Him, until I myself fell asleep.
Psalms 103:1-5 "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good thing, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s."
To see my wife suffering and I feeling helpless was the worst feeling. Writing this, I have no idea what could have caused her to experience such intense pain, it was very much like symptoms of appendicitis (which can be lethal if not treated), but all I know, whatever it was, God had healed her completely and since that incident, she has not complained about pain since. I know God is teaching me a lesson about the power of a praying husband. It is my prayers for her and her prayers for me on a daily basis that rise into the throne room of God. And that's how marriage is and should be like. We partner each other and bring each other into a deeper relationship with God.
I am proud to be a praying husband, and I know God will use me more as Estee and I develop a more intimate relationship with Him.