Last week in my blog, I mentioned Tonio, a man dying of a kidney disease that is very common here in Nicaragua. Like so many other men, Tonio contracted this kidney disease from pesticides while working in the sugarcane fields. Unlike any other man with the disease that I've met, Tonio was visibly sick, weakening in a bed by the day.
In our world today, we like to think, as proud humans, that we have most things figured out. Finding a cure for this particular disease however, is not one of those things. Medicine can slow the disease's progression. It can grant a little extra time to live, but that's the extent of its healing powers. So when the medicine fails, time is running out, and it seems like all hope of a cure is lost, Christians have to intercede on behalf of others.
Prayer for Tonio was our last hope. Over a week ago, we lifted our voices to God in prayer, asking for a cure or just a little more strength for Tonio. The desperation of Tonio's state led our prayers to be stronger, more persistent. As the body of Christ, we have full authority in prayer to ask for gifts. If it's God's will (it usually is) and we have complete confidence in God to provide, our prayers will be answered. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” I am overjoyed to report that in just a handful of days, God has restored much strength to Tonio's previously weak body.
The first time we met Tonio, he needed family members to roll him over in bed. He had no strength to sit up by himself and take a sip of water. The next time we saw him, Tonio was sitting up in bed by himself, smiling at us and able to speak back. He even moved himself into a chair by his bed. Two days later, he walked from his house to a truck waiting outside so he could visit his mother for the day.
As a team, we are in a constant state of awe at watching this miracle unfold. Talking about this one night, Marcus exclaimed, “People just don't get better like that!” It's true; people don't just move from total immobility to making out-of-town visits in just over a week! No earthly medicine could cause such a turnaround. It's all God! Having the confidence to pray for Tonio, and fully believing that God would heal, God did just that! Praise God for this miracle! Praise God for the bigger miracles He's working in each of our hearts!
