There was a church by an African village who met under a tree. A local witch doctor put curse on the tree and it died.

So what did the church do? They had a prayer meeting. What did they pray for? Did they pray for solace or to find another location? Did they pray that the mean witch doctor pick on somebody else?

Reputation was on the line. If the curse was left unanswered, would people think that the Maker of heaven and earth was weaker than a witch doctor?

Only God knows what God will or won’t do in a certain situation. According to Mark Batterson who recounts this story, if you’re going to do something bold you had better make sure you’ve heard from God first. “But if you don’t ask for the miracle,” he says, “you’ll never know what God might have done.”

Back to the prayer meeting under the dead tree. Missionary Bob Bagley led the charge. He laid hands on the tree and prayed boldly that God resurrect it! He added these words: “It’s not my name that’s at stake.”*

And guess what? The tree came back to life! In fact, it became the only tree of its kind to yield fruit twice a year instead of once.

Philippians 2:9 says: “God exalted [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…”

His name is “above” fear, darkness, despair, and even death itself. 

And you are in him.

Pray. Trust. For the glory of God.

“If you don’t ask for the miracle, you’ll never know what God might have done.”

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Notes:

–*Mark Batterson, One Little Yes Can Change Your Life: Exerts from The Grave Robber (Grand Rapids: BakerBooks, 2014), 47-48.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.