Raise a Hallelujah 

I sat in the hospital bed, pain wracking through my body, not knowing what the cause was, alone because COVID19 is present and my husband was not allowed to be with me. The silence in the room started to get to me. I was alone, in pain, and a little afraid. It is in this moment I decided to pray, not only for myself but for every person in the hospital. My husband had just preached a message the previous Sunday about Paul and Silas and how their prayers had freed prisoners, broken chains. So, I raised up my hallelujah. I prayed for God’s healing power to fill the hospital, every room, every person. My husband sent me a text of a man who just arrived by an ambulance. He had gotten pinned between two semi-trucks and it was unsure whether or not he would live. I began praying for him as well, adding him to the praise and worship I lifted to God in that hospital bed. It was a few minutes later that I realized my pain had subsided so much so that I felt almost no pain at all. I began thanking God for my healing, proclaiming His work done. I sat in the hospital for two hours that night. Finally, the nurse came in after having tests done, an IV with fluids put in, and lots of waiting to say that everything came back normal and I can go home. I left my room asking myself “why couldn’t the pain just go away when I was at home?” “Why did I have to come all the way to the hospital, leaving my kids, sitting alone in a room, before all my pain went away?” I was a bit annoyed and tired. But as we walked out the hospital doors, my husband turned to me and said very nonchalantly, “oh that man is going to live. They aren’t even transferring him to another hospital. He just had a couple broken ribs.” It was then that I felt why I was there, to pray for those in the hospital, to raise up my hallelujah not only on my behalf, but for everyone that was having pain and needed healing. I am not sharing this story to toot my own horn, please don’t misunderstand me when I say that it wasn’t me who sent the healing. That was all God. I was simply doing what I felt was my part, I prayed.

I told that story because that night opened up my eyes to the fact that wherever I am and whatever I may be facing, it is so very important to put God first, to be tuned in to God’s moving. If I followed what my flesh felt that night I would have simply layed in that hospital bed, in pain, angry and frustrated and I would have left feeling defeated, and even more angry at the fact that I even had to go there. But I prayed. I said, “God I don’t know what pain people are experiencing here in this hospital, but I say Hallelujah.” Paul and Silas had been chained, put into an inner prison cell, surrounded by other prisoners, it was dark, and I am sure they were afraid of what was to come, but they prayed. They lifted up praise unto God. They had faith that no matter what becomes of them in that prison, God was still on the throne and He was still victorious. And that realization, that understanding is what set every prisoner free that night. That is what got them out of there. God honors our faith. He honors our prayers. He honors our hallelujah’s. 
 

We may not understand why we have to go through hard times. We may be angry. We may be worn down and tired. We may feel like we are losing hope. But I ask you here and now, wherever you are and whatever you are going through to lift up praise unto God. Begin to pray for others. You don’t have to know what they are facing or where they are, you just pray. God is listening and he will come to the rescue not only for you but for those who you lift up in prayer as well. You may not be facing troubles or hardships right now, and if that’s you, I ask that you lift up thanksgiving and begin praying for others. They still need God. You see, there are people in the world, a lot of people, that do not know God, that do not know how to pray or to reach out to him, but you do. That is what we are here for, to pray for those who are lost, those who are too weak to reach out to Him. We all go through periods of time where we feel we are too far gone to lift up praises to God. If you haven’t been there yet, praise God, but that doesn’t mean you will never be there. So, in our times of weakness and in our times of strength, we should be lifting praises unto God and lifting up others as well. Who knows, someone out there may be lifting you up that you don’t even know. Or God may send someone to you to be an encouragement in your time of need. Wherever you are in your life today, whether a season of weakness and struggle, or a season of fulfillment and joy, find a place where you can get onto your knees and pray. Pray for yourself but pray also for your brothers and sisters who may be going through something. Lift up your hallelujah.  

He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.