A Prayer for Healing
by Oliver Carlos
A few months after my son was born, he was diagnosed with primary complex. That is the infant’s version of tuberculosis. My wife and I were devastated. How could such a small and innocent being get that deadly disease? We couldn’t figure out where he got it. There’s abundant fresh air in our community. We were never smokers. There weren’t smokers in our compound either. But still Jethro had it. It must be a combination of a far-reaching air-borne bacteria coupled with a weak immune system.
The doctor explained to us that primary complex can be healed. There’s a medicine for that, it’s just expensive and it will take several months to be completely healed. I thank God for that glimmer of hope. Aside from time, and medicine, I would add one more ingredient- prayer.
At that time, I was working as an instructor at the UPLB College of Development Communication. Aside from teaching, I was also in LB Talk, a cable television show for the Los Banos community. My bosses probably saw my passion in television production, so they sent me to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN-Asia) for a 100-hour intensive training. CBN-Asia is the producer of the long-running show “The 700 Club-Asia.” For almost a month I was away from home, but I would always pray for my son’s healing.
At CBN-Asia, I learned so much about the nitty-gritty of television production. I also learned more about God and his power. We were given great hands-on training, what we learned in theory, we also put into practice. We were placed in the actual studio and did a lot of field work too. We handled the actual equipment they use in their show. We met in person the 700 Club’s hosts, and I also got to see their platoon of prayer warriors. They had a room with lots of telephones, and the operators would be receiving prayer items from those phones. They would be praying for the strangers who would call their lines.
Upon seeing that telephone room, I suddenly felt hungry for prayer; not me doing the praying, but somebody praying over me. I told myself, “I hope I can call one of those phones and ask the operator to pray for my son.”
So on our last production night, during a lull, I approached our trainer, Rolando Alto IV. He’s the technical director of the 700 Club. He’s a cool guy, and I’ve made friends with him in the duration of the training. I told him I had a son who was sick with children’s TB. I also asked him if he could pray for my son. Immediately, he pulled me to a corner and he started praying for Jethro.
I was always taught that prayer works. If I had any problem, they say just approach God in prayer. I first learned that from my Mom. I also heard that in church. And so that became my habit. When I became a teen, I started teaching it to my peers. Later, as an adult, I continued teaching young people about God’s concern for them, solicited their prayer items, and I prayed for them often.
For so many years I was praying so often for others that I unconsciously neglected the fact that I also needed other people to pray for me. So when Alto prayed for me and my concern, I broke down in tears. My eyes were like faucets and I was sobbing loudly. I cried because of the joy I felt in my heart. It was such a great feeling that somebody was praying for you. I’ve never felt such feeling in a long, long while. The last time was probably decades ago when I was a new Christian and my kuya in the faith prayed for me. This must be the feeling the young people feel when I pray for them. Now, I’m on that spot. I felt God’s embrace at that moment.
This experience is what James 5:13–15 (MSG) is all about:
“Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray…”
After that prayer by my friend Alto, I felt great peace running like a river in my heart. I knew God touched Jethro’s lungs that night. Years later, I was a living witness to God’s healing power as I saw my son grow up to be an elite athlete. Jethro became a football player competing in big leagues. Footballers are known for their strong lungs, and I’m glad God gave such to my son. When God answers prayers, he pours out his blessing not in droplets, but in torrents. Praise be to God for his immeasurable love and concern!
