Dave Walker, Author at Scribewalker

Depression, ECT and Forgiveness

By Dave Walker | August 26, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

One of my duties as an anaesthetist was to give anaesthetics to patients undergoing shock therapy (electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT). In this treatment for severe depression, electrodes are placed on both temples and an electric current is passed between them. This causes the patient to have an epileptic fit. I know it sounds barbaric, but it is effective for intractable depression. It was my job to modify the physical manifestations of the fit by temporarily paralysing the patient so that he/she did not suffer the severe muscular contractions. I gave a short acting anaesthetic and then an equally short acting paralysing drug. I then breathed for the patient, forcing oxygen into the lungs until the ECT was over and the paralysing drug had worn off.

While we were waiting for this to happen, I chatted to the psychiatrist.

“What is the most common cause of depression in your opinion? I asked one day.

His response was prompt. “Without a doubt, it’s to do with forgiveness. Either the person cannot forgive someone else, or a person will not forgive them, or they cannot forgive themselves.”

“And how do you treat that?”

The psychiatrist was vague. “We give them affirming exercises to do. They look in the mirror and tell themselves how valuable they are; we tell them their true worth. That sort of thing.”

“But what if they truly have done something despicable, or have had something horrific done against them? What’s the basis for their experiencing or extending forgiveness?”

He shrugged his shoulders as I continued. “There has to be more than merely looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m okay” when you know deep down that you’re not. Surely Jesus is the only answer. They’re okay because Jesus showed their worth by the price He paid, and they can forgive because they have been forgiven.”

He could only answer lamely, “Well, what we do does help.” But the line of patients waiting for their ECT showed its ineffectiveness to many.

At this point the paralysing drug had worn off, the patient started breathing on her own and the conversation was over.

How valuable it would be to tell these people about Jesus and to offer to pray with them. We all have done things we are ashamed of, and been hurt by others. We all need a relationship with Jesus, and an appreciation of the wonder of Calvary, but when unforgiveness cripples your life, there is an urgency to know the God of Grace and Love. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Recognising the Enemy

By Dave Walker | August 12, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

When Dorelle, my wife, went to town early on a freezing morning, her heart was touched by homeless people sleeping on the porch of an unused shop. We both sensed we should provide a little comfort for them, so we bought some jerseys and sealable containers in preparation for giving them a little warmth and some nourishing soup.

Then we went next door to ask the shopkeeper if she knew how many slept there.

Her eyes widened and she exclaimed, “Don’t have anything to do with them, especially at night. They’ll attack you and rob you.”

We were in a quandary and thought perhaps we should forget about the soup and give the jerseys to a charity to be distributed. Then we realised what was happening. The enemy was using his usual tactic of instilling fear to prevent us from doing what God was prompting. That evening we took the jerseys and soup there. We were greeted enthusiastically and gratefully by six of the poorest of the poor. When I said, “We’d like to say a prayer with you,” they all knelt before us with heads bowed. It was a holy moment.

There is often an element of fear when the Lord prompts us to do something. We need to remember where this comes from. The Lord does not give us a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.

When I prayed with my patients, as I describe in my books, God inthe ICU and Prayer, Medicine and Miracles, it wasn’t always easy. I remember a pre-op visit to a macho man who had Men’s Health and Car magazines beside his bed. How was he going to take my suggestion that I pray with him before his operation? I steeled myself and offered to pray. He answered in grunts and monosyllables and I left wondering what he thought.

The day after his operation I visited him and what a change there was. He was effusive in his thanks. “Dr. Walker, you’ve no idea what that prayer did for me. I was terrified when you came to examine me, but a deep peace settled on me as you prayed and I went into theatre completely calm.”

God might warn us of a dangerous situation and of course, we must be careful and wise, but understand, when the main factor stopping what you sense God is prompting you to do is fear, that is Satan applying his favourite tactic. When you recognise where it is coming from, then you can call on God for His strength and protection and overcome.

On Praying for Others

By Dave Walker | August 10, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

One of the encouraging reponses I get to God in the ICU and Prayer, Medicine and Miracles, is people wanting to pray with others, particularly for healing. They often email me with questions. How do I start? How can I be sure that God is calling me to this? What happens if I pray for healing and nothing happens?

Well, here are some of my thoughts and my experience.

If you feel prompted to pray for healing, go for it. The only response to any gift that God gives us is to start to use it. And more often than not, once you take the plunge, you will know whether it is God or not. In my experience there have been many more times that I have ducked out of praying and discovered to my regret that it was God prompting me, than times when I have prayed and thought afterwards that God was not prompting that prayer. Sometimes it’s better to say, “I’ll pray unless You tell me not to.” It stops you from chickening out!

The big thing is not to get hung up on performance. It’s not up to us to heal. All we can do is to be obedient and to pray and leave the results in God’s hands.

We don’t have to explain any lack of healing. I just do what I think God has called me to do and leave it up to Him. When Dorelle and I visit the hospital to pray, my prayer beforehand is always, “Lord, let me, like Paul, not come with fine sounding words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.” (1Cor 2:4) So far we haven’t seen any dramatic healing while we’re there, but we’ve seen plenty of people weeping as we’ve prayed, with a sense of the presence of God, and we’ve seen others open up and start sharing where, before we prayed they were quiet and reserved.

We often can’t see what God is doing. Very often the healing is internal, which is more long lasting than a physical one. Nevertheless, God healed physically as well, so I do long for that and expect it.

When John Wimber, one of the most influential people in praying with signs and wonders following, started to pray for the sick, for the first six months, he saw no-one healed. Then suddenly, God broke through and from then on his ministry was filled with extraordinary power. The more you pray, the bolder you will get and the more results you’ll see.

I’d love to hear about the experience of others in this field.

Praying With your Doctor

By Dave Walker | August 5, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Asking your doctor for prayer.

Do you want your doctor to pray with you?

How would your doctor feel about that?

I prayed regularly with my patients and have seen God come through wonderfully, as I’ve written about in God in the ICU and Prayer, Medicine and Miracles. I very rarely had a patient who was not pleased to have me pray with them when I offered to do so.

But what about you as a patient? How do you feel about asking your doctor to pray with you?

Well, you might be surprised to learn that 77% out of 428 physicians who were polled by Becker’s Healthcare said they would be comfortable to pray with a patient if he/she requested it.

Yet very few patients ask for prayer. Only 12% of physicians said patients frequently ask for prayer. I suppose those are the doctors who have a reputation as believers. They confirmed that it was mostly Christians who requested prayer.

Then I thought about how I would feel about asking my doctor to pray with me. I think I’d like to have some clue about his/her spiritual commitment. I wouldn’t like someone suddenly calling on a god other than the God of the Bible as they prayed.

But if I knew they were Christian — even without knowing the depth of their commitment — I think I would ask them. Apart from anything else, if they were not used to praying with their patients it would give them the experience, and they might discover what a joy it is and how it can affect an outcome.

What do you think? How would you feel? Have you ever had your doctor pray with you?

I’d love to hear from you