WAITING ON THE LORD (Part 2)

I have been praying for my childhood-friend “Howard,” who Is in a coma. He is now over 80 years old, and apparently near death. Praying for Howard is much like Mary and Martha praying in the Bible while they waited on the Lord Jesus Christ to come and save the life of their sick brother Lazarus. 

I have talked with and prayed for him about accepting Jesus over many years; but I was not convinced he ever accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. Yet, knowing my love and concern for him, the Lord impressed me to continue to pray for him and his salvation—as well as for others who might need to be saved.

Lazarus’ sister were impressed to pray for him. They knew that Jesus loved them. And they evidently knew Jesus loved and healed many other people who were sick and needed to be spiritually rescued (Acts 10:38.) Among those he had healed was a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years without doctors being able to heal her. After he healed her, he told her “Daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34). But Jesus allowed Lazarus to die; then raised him from the dead—demonstrating that Jesus is “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).  Th Lord wants people to know there is nothing too hard for God to do (Jeremiah 32:27; Luke 18:27).

A doctor at my church, who believes “all things are possible with God,”  said when medical science has reached its limits, he sometimes informs his patients about what the Bible says about God who is unlimited: God created the body and soul of mankind; and he can make changes as he chooses (Genesis 1:27; Acts 10:38; 1 Corinthians 15:52). God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

The same doctor told  me that people in comas may still be able to hear. I believe God allowed my friend Howard to be in a coma. I believe as the Bible says that faith comes by hearing the gospel of Christ (Romans 10:17). Therefore, I decided to send Scriptures about the saving power of Jesus Christ to Howard’s wife to read to him while he is in a coma (they reside in another part of the country). I recently told her to read (or play a recording) one chapter at a time of the gospel of John. The Bible says faith comes by hearing the gospel “word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). It was the gospel of John that I heard when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. When my mother was very sick, apparently dying, I was sitting by her bedside reading from the gospel of John about Christ. She had previously said, “everything is in God’s hand.” She looked up peacefully as though she was seeing the Lord, and the Lord took her.

The Lord God tells believers to pray for all people, for God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” about his Son Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:4).

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Lord is preparing a place in heaven for all who believe in him and wait for his coming for them (John 14:2-3).