Bob's Story


Years ago an invitation was given to a small group of Christian college students to meet in a local church building for prayer.  For about three years we met on a weekly basis to pray for each other and anyone else who wanted to be prayed for.

One of the regulars was a fellow named Bob.  Bob was and is a great guy, and he was a smoker.

One evening he arrived at the prayer meeting chewing gum furiously, and we all said, "Oh, you have quit smoking!"

Bob replied, "Yes, and I feel like I am dying!  Please pray for me."  So we gathered around him, laid hands on his head and shoulders in prayer, and prayed whatever came to our minds that he might be set free from the withdrawal symptoms he was experiencing.  Nothing seemed to happen.

On my way home that evening I asked Jesus why nothing had happened when we prayed for Bob.  Jesus spoke very clearly to my heart and said, "He needs to repent of polluting the body I gave him to glorify Me with."

That was years ago before cell phones (!), so when I got home I called Bob on our land line, and told him what Jesus had told me on my way home.  He replied (in his succinct style), "Thanks."

Several days later I saw Bob at a church meeting, and he was all smiles and peace!  I asked him how he was doing, and he simply said, "That worked!"

POINT OF THIS STORY:

This is another example of getting no results when we relied on our own understanding, but got great results by simply asking Jesus what to do or why what we did didn't work!