Maranatha Messenger

MOVING THE HAND OF GOD

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? You must not only embrace the scriptures, you must seek God in prayer. E.M. Bounds says, “The effectual fervent prayer has been, and still is, the mightiest weapon of God’s mightiest soldiers.”[1] We all face our individual battles and struggles. However, God has given the believer the unique privilege of bringing all of our problems to Him. How can prayer help the believer during those times of uncertainty? How can prayer assist the child of God when he doesn’t know what to do? Let me suggest to you that prayer moves the hand of God
even when we don’t know what to do.

PRAY MOVES THE HAND OF GOD.

Prayer will move the hand of God (Matthew 21:22). Dear believer, what trial are you currently facing? Prayer can set the hand of God in motion! Have you ever considered that prayer is a name for God? The Psalmist addresses God as “O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come” (Psalm65:2). That’s exactly who God is! He is the One who hears and answers our prayers. David said that God opens His hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). The Hebrew word pathach {openest} means to throw open. In other words, prayer pries open the hand of God whereby He fulfills the needs of all men. The point is prayer moves the hand of God!

PRAYER MOVED THE HAND OF GOD FOR HANNAH

Prayer moved the hand of God for barren Hannah (1Samuel 1:1-28). This chapter tells us that the Lord had closed the womb of Hannah. With a broken heart, she poured out her soul before the Lord with intense prayer. The Bible says that the Lord “remembered” Hannah and “she bare a son and called his name Samuel, because I have asked him of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:19-20). The petition of childless Hannah moved the hand of God to open her womb. The very name “Samuel” {asked of the Lord} is a testimony that prayer sets the hand of God in motion for weeping mothers. A couple of years ago, my assistant Sunday school teacher, Steve Tardy approached me with a class project he had read about in a Christian periodical. This venture had to do with prayer. We decided we would purchase four beepers or pagers for our class. Each week a class member with a specific need would carry the pager. The daily assignment for the class included praying for the four individuals with the beepers. Each morning or sometime during the day the different people in the class would pray for those who carried a pager. At the conclusion of our prayer time we would call all four beepers to let them no we had just finished praying for them. The beepers would go off several times a day depending on how many people prayed and actually called the pager. We called this
ministry, “the paging prayer project.” That first year we saw numerous answers to prayer! So many people were greatly encouraged as they heard the pager going off realizing someone was actually praying for them. However, as we approached the second year of this class project the number of pages dropped off considerably. One particular class member that was carrying a pager was a gentleman named Mike Holman. Mike was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Mike came to me one day a little discouraged and voiced his concerns, “Doc, only two or three people are actually calling the pagers.” I could easily see that Mike was disheartened by the drastic drop in the pages he was receiving. I talked to Steve about the situation since he kind of spear headed the project. The next Sunday morning Steve challenged the class once again to get involved in the “paging prayer project.” He past around a sign up sheet for all those who would willingly re-enlist in this ministry of intercession. Close to fifty people re-enrolled to pray everyday for those who were carrying a pager. That morning Mike gave a passionate testimony before our class concerning the urgency of his particular health situation. Steve and I both encouraged the class to intensify their prayer efforts for Brother Mike. That was on Sunday morning September 18, 2005. The class fervently prayed for Brother Mike! Mike told me the class was “burning up his pager with prayers.” Approximately 12 days later, Mike stopped by my office around noon. We were chit-chatting and talking about Marshall University football. This is a subject Mike is very passionate about because he played for the “Young Thundering Herd” back in 1971. This was the team assembled the year after the plane crash. All of a sudden Mike’s cell phone began to ring. Mike did not actually hear the phone ringing due to hearing loss he received during his twenty-five year tenure at Armco Steel. I said, “Mike, your phone’s ringing.” He reached into the front pocket of his jeans and made an attempt to answer his phone. After five or six rings there was a dead silence. Mike didn’t get to his phone quick enough. He looked down and saw the caller had left a voice mail. He quickly retrieved the message. For some reason or the other, Mike was wearing a replacement hearing aid in his left ear and could not hear as well. The good hearing aid was being repaired by the manufacture. Because of this, Mike had to put his phone on speaker with the volume on maximum level to hear the messages. This meant I would easily be able to hear the message too. Mike held the phone about a foot from his ear when the caller identified herself as “Mrs. So and So of the National Kidney Transplant Foundation.”
She requested that Mr. Holman call her immediately and she left a 1-800 number for him to call. Needless to say, Mike and I jumped to our feet when we heard the words the National Kidney Transplant Foundation. Shocked and dazed we kind of just looked at each other. For some reason, we ran into the staff assistant office and called the 1-800 number. Mike put the phone on speaker as he was being connected to the appropriate transplant personnel. The lady on the phone gave Mike some great news. Very brief and incredibly precise, she said, “Mr. Holman, we have a kidney. Please eat a good lunch and don’t eat anything else today. At 6:00 p.m. I will call you to confirm your kidney transplant for this evening at the Charleston Area Medical Center.” Mike responded with a high pitched voice, “tonight?” The lady said, “yes tonight. I will call you at 6:00 p.m.to confirm your transplant.” In utter disbelief, Mike hung up the phone. We both began to thrust our fists into the air with heavenly euphoria! We calmed down some and reality began to set in. Mike began to think of all the things he had to do before 6:00 p.m. rolled around. He began to verbalize all the uncertainties that lie ahead concerning his future. By this time we made it back into my office. We both fell on our faces in praise and thanksgiving for what God was doing in Mike’s life. I was an eyewitness to the unfolding of this miracle! By this time it was 1:00 p.m. I asked Mike, “Where do you want to go for lunch to celebrate?” Mike enthusiastically responded, “Let’s go down to the hog trough” (the Golden Corral)! The nurse had cautioned him to eat a good lunch and not to eat anything the rest of the day. We went to the Golden Corral and thoroughly enjoyed our time of feasting and fellowship. I vividly remember going for a second portion and upon my return I saw Mike was crying. He tried to dry his eyes before I got back but he didn’t succeed. I knew his mind was racing. We finished our meal and went
back to the church. I had appointments and Mike had to make preparations should he get his kidney transplant that night. That evening I called Mike
around 6:05 p.m. I asked him if he had heard anything from the transplant foundation. He sadly responded with a “no.” I could sense the disappointment in his voice. I told him to let me know what was going on. He said he would. However, approximately twenty minutes later Mike called back at 6:25 p.m.
Mike said, “Doc, can you take me to Charleston, they are going to do the transplant tonight.” Within fifteen minutes we were on the interstate heading to Charleston. In the midst of the excitement I had a difficult time staying under the speed limit. We rejoiced all the way! After about a thirty minute drive we pulled up in front of the hospital. Mike got out to register and they immediately assigned him a room. Nurses, doctors, and friends were coming in and out of his room. After answering a ton of questions, Mike was able to relax a little bit in his room. Around 10:00 p.m. a couple from Antioch Baptist Church came in to see Brother Mike. Rick Pierson and his wife were close friends with Mike and Robin. I believe Rick’s wife prayed and then they left. I must say
I was greatly encouraged by her pray. Around 11:45 p.m. Thurman Burns and Gary MacMullen came for a visit. When these two gentlemen came into the room Mike’s eyes lit up with joy. During this time the doctors were preparing Mike’s new kidney. Around 2:00 a.m. the nurses came in and asked Mike if he was “ready to roll?” After a passionate prayer by Thurman they took Mike to surgery. Thurman and Gary stayed with me in the waiting room until
around 3:00 a.m. and then went home. Early that morning around 6:00 a.m. Mike’s wife, Robin along with her parents, Brother and Mrs. Dobey came to the surgical waiting room. After a couple of restless hours, the doctor finally came out and told us things went very well during the surgery and that we
could see Mike in a few of hours. He explained to us the possible dangers of Mike’s body rejecting the kidney. Around 10:30 a.m. that morning they let me go back to see Brother Mike. I walked in and stood by his side just as he was waking up. I will never forget that smile Mike wore on his face. It was as huge as a sunrise on a clear morning! Just like always, Mike looked up and said, “Hey Doc, you tired.” We talked briefly because Mike was pretty weak. I assured him that Pastor would be in to see him shortly. One time per month on Saturday morning, Pastor Lemming meets with all the young
preachers in our church for a time of instruction and discipleship. On that particular morning Pastor’s group reserved the back room at Shoney’s for the meeting. This is always a great time of practical teaching and sharing. Usually ten to fifteen young preachers attend to glean wisdom from their preacher.
I reassured Mike that Pastor would be their shortly. I left the recovery room area to let Robin come back and see Mike. I was on cloud nine, needless to say! However, I did not realize I would be brought down so quickly. As I entered the waiting room area I received a phone call that Fred Bird had just passed away and I needed to get to St. Mary’s hospital as soon as possible. I will never forget the confusion I felt that morning. I was so thrilled by Mike’s transplant, yet so broken over the passing of Brother Fred. My emotions were on the proverbial roller coaster. I adjusted my bearings and realized I
could not get to Huntington quick enough to minister to the Bird family. They needed someone now! I couldn’t help but weep when I thought about the kindness and gentleness of Brother Fred. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? I thought of Romans 12:12 that says, “continuing instant in prayer.” I remembered 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that says, “Pray without ceasing.” I’m glad I was on praying ground that morning. I quickly called Pastor at the Preacher’s class and he went immediately to the Bird family. About an hour later I went back to see Mike. He asked me, “have you heard from Pastor?” I told him I had been in constant contact with him and that he would be down sometime that evening. I wasn’t about to tell Mike about Fred Bird’s passing away. I got back to Barboursville Saturday afternoon and needless to say I was totally exhausted both physically and emotionally.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? You seek the Lord in prayer, because prayer moves the hand of God. By the way, it has been six months since Brother Mike had his kidney transplant and he is doing great.

[1] E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer, (Springdale, Pennsylvania: Whitaker House, 1982), 42.