Dave Walker, Author at Scribewalker

How Does God Heal?

By Dave Walker | September 18, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

The interaction of love, medicine and miracles

I suppose it’s because we can go to a doctor without any reference to God, that some people think of healing by doctors as some sort of alternative to God’s healing. I have heard people say, “I’m not going to a doctor. I’m trusting God to heal me.”

I’ve also heard others say, “Well, the doctor hasn’t done much, I’ll just have to pray.”

It’s as though doctors and God are in some kind of opposition.

The fact is, God is responsible for all true healing. As we walk in love, acknowledging His hand in our lives, we can participate with Him in our healing. An attitude of love, medicine and miracles are all part of God’s healing process. I write more extensively on this in Prayer, Medicine and Miracles, but want to write about it now because I’ve had direct experience of God intervening in my life through medicine.

My wife and I were due to go to a picturesque town in the Cape for a four month break house-sitting for my daughter. She hadn’t asked; it was an idea that came from nowhere as I awoke one morning, when I knew she’d be away.

Shortly before we were due to leave, I experienced a slight ache in my arm and a bit of breathlessness while jogging. Had we not been going to a fairly remote village, I probably would have ignored it, but because we would not be near sophisticated medical facilities, I thought I’d better get it checked.

Within a week, I was in hospital having a stent put into a major coronary artery which was close to blocking.

I have no doubt God put the idea of house-sitting in my mind to precipitate me into seeking a medical checkup for a minor complaint which, had I ignored it, could have killed me with a heart attack.

In His love, He used hi-tech medicine to fix my problem without major surgery.

God deserves the glory for all true healing.

When we see Him as responsible for all healing, we can avail ourselves of everything at our disposal

This includes diet, exercise, alternative medicine as well, of course as prayer.

In fact, prayer can enhance any other aspect of healing. In one instance which I describe in Prayer,Medicine and Miracles, I was asked to take over a patient in ICU who was deteriorating. I did not change any treatment, but started praying with him. He immediately improved and recovered.

Of course, it doesn’t include methods that go against the Word of God (psychic healing, transcendental meditation or methods that pay homage to other religions). These might produce physical results but leave you spiritually oppressed/bankrupt, which is not true, holistic healing.

Even if a doctor is not a believer, you can trust God to use him. There are instances in the Bible where God has used unbelievers for His purposes.

It depends on where you put your focus. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and trust Him to heal you in whatever way He wishes (and He does wish it for you.)

Nothing is impossible for God.

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. (Jer.17:14)

Does God Care About Me?

By Dave Walker | September 7, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

When God seems far away

Someone once remarked, “Behind every atheist is a person who has been hurt by circumstances they have attributed to God.” Often it’s personal, or sometimes they just look around at a hurting world and are crushed by what they see, blaming it on God.

For me, it wasn’t as drastic as denying His existence, but it was a change in my perception of Him. When my brother was killed in a car accident, as I describe in God in the ICU, suddenly God seemed distant and uncaring.

So, it’s sometimes not a case of “Does He exist?” but of “Does He care?”, but it produces the same result, for if He doesn’t care, we might as well live as if He doesn’t exist.

So, let’s ask the questions:

1. Does God Care for the World?

Well, He so loved the world that He gave us His only Son (John 3:16). Jesus left the throne of heaven to identify with us and then to die a painful death for us, representing us before the Father and taking the punishment for all the sin of mankind. That’s radical love.

So He loves mankind, but is it personal?

2. Does God Care for me personally?

Does He? Is He personally involved in my life in such a way that it makes a difference?

Counsellors often quote things like, “Love is a decision.”or “Love is not a feeling, it’s an act of the will.” but for me it’s more complicated than that.

I know my wife loves me dearly and sacrifices a lot for me, preferring me to herself to the extent that it is embarrassing at times. Yet, there is so much emotion that goes with it. It wouldn’t be the same if she just did it because she knew it was the right thing to do (although sometimes, I agree we have to do that). She’s prompted by a deep feeling for me.

And there’s emotion in God’s loving us, too. The Bible tells us that He is delighted with us (Zeph. 3:16).

I like to think of the deep joy I get looking at my little grandson, even when he’s naughty, and picture God having the same feelings for me. And for you.

So, although you weren’t there when He died on the Cross, He’s delighted that you can now come into the presence of a holy God because of what He did. So, He actually did do it for you because He has such strong feelings of love for you.

3. He might love me, but does God truly know me? And if He did, would He still love me?

For many years I couldn’t believe that the hugely powerful God who created a billion galaxies could really know little me. Then I realised I was making God, not bigger, but smaller by denying He could be bothered to know me.

A God who commands the courses of galaxies and yet knows every sparrow that falls, and numbers the hairs on my head is surely greater than one who only is concerned with the major events.

“Oh Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. You percieve my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely.(Psalm 139:1-4)

How awesome is that? The Bible says before a word is on my tongue, He knows it completely. While He numbers the stars, He’s looking into my head and knowing my thoughts. And in spite of some of those thoughts (which I’d hate anyone to see), He loves me.

Be assured:

God cares deeply for you.

That love is available to anyone who will accept it.

He loves you in spite of knowing all your bad points as well as your good.

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.