With Much Prayer and Fasting

Elder Peter F. Meurs told a story in the most recent general conference of a car accident that he caused. He related, “While driving, I momentarily fell asleep and caused a head-on car accident. After some moments of recovery, I looked around the vehicle. My wife, Maxine, had a badly broken leg and was struggling to breathe. She had a broken sternum. Our three daughters were in shock but thankfully appeared to be OK. I had some minor injuries. But our five-month-old son was unresponsive.” With the help of a priesthood blessing and many prayers, though, all involved in the car accident survived. But he did not yet find peace. Elder Meurs recounted, “Yet I continued to have deep feelings of guilt and remorse for causing such a terrible accident. I would wake during the night and relive the horrific events. I struggled for years to forgive myself and to find peace.” He continued, “Then, as a priesthood leader, while assisting others to repent and helping them to feel the compassion, mercy, and love of the Savior, I realized that He could heal me. The Savior’s healing and redeeming power applies to accidental mistakes, poor decisions, challenges, and trials of every kind—as well as to our sins. As I turned to Him, my feelings of guilt and remorse were gradually replaced with peace and rest.” Perhaps one lesson from his story for all of us is that often the healing of the Savior will come gradually. Though there are many dramatic stories in the New Testament that tell of how He instantly healed people, it may not come always instantaneously for us. Like Elder Meurs, sometimes we may need to struggle for an extended length of time while we earnestly seek His grace.

               A few stories from the life of the Savior do indeed suggest that healing and help sometimes come over time and not all at once, even when we seek it earnestly. Mark related this story: “And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly” (Mark 8:22-25). For some reason, Jesus chose to heal this many in stages instead of all at once. After the first administration the man could see but it was blurry; after the second he could fully see. Surely that was meant to suggest that for us too His help may come in stages. Another story that suggests this principle as well was recounted by Matthew: “And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.” So this man had first gone to the disciples, who sincerely tried to heal the child, but he was not healed. When finally brought to Jesus Himself, he was healed. When the disciples asked why they couldn’t heal him, the Savior said that they needed more faith and said this: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:14-21). While perhaps with more faith on the part of the man and the disciples they could have healed the boy more quickly, this last statement also suggests that they needed to take more time in fasting and prayer to make it happen. It was not meant to be an immediate healing for them.

The story of the disciples in a storm on the Sea of Galilee also highlights the same principle: “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them…. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered” (Mark 6:45-51). They had worked all night in the ship amidst the storm, but Jesus didn’t come to them until the night was about over (the fourth watch is sometime between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning). Surely they were praying to the Lord for help long before that, but He chose to let them struggle throughout the night. These stories suggest that sometimes the Lord, in His wisdom, may wait to help us or come to our aid gradually over time. Like these disciples we may need patience and perseverance—coupled with much prayer and fasting—as we earnestly seek His blessings in our lives.