It was in 1987 when my wife was to have our first baby. On the delivery day which was already about 2 weeks overdue, she was on the bed and suddenly the bag of water broke . She called the doctor and she was told to go straight to the hospital. That was 11 a.m September 3rd 1987. She notified me in the office and I came to meet her at the hospital. She was not having much contraction. However, since the water had come out she had to be admitted. We continued to pray that the delivery would be smooth and easy on her, claiming the promise that Christ has redeemed the woman also from the curse that was placed on Eve in Genesis 3:16-25.
The doctor came into the room with a specialist in Obstectrics and talked to us at about 4pm. They said the labour should be artificially excited since there was not much progress in the uterus dialation. For one thing, that started the usual labour pains, which we had prayed against, in my wife . However, she was bearing it. At about twelve midnight, the doctor telephoned again and talked to the nurse on duty. When he learned that the uterus had not dialated more than 3 centimeters, he said if by 2AM the situation remained the same, he would recommend to deliver the baby by surgery. Well, we disliked the idea because we would not have a good testimony of the goodness of the Lord since we had been praying throughout the pregnancy for smooth and normal delivery, and we know the Lord answers prayers. I telephoned a christian couple to inform them and ask them to call our pastor, and ask for prayer that we do not want any surgery. The couple sent in the prayer request and also came to the hospital to visit us and went back home.I was in the hospital room with my wife since 12 noon and was praying constantly for her. The doctor came into the room again at about 4AM, now the second day, after he had called and the nurse gave him the same news that the dialation was still 3cm. When the doctor checked the uterus and confirmed it as 3cm, he said it was getting too long and they had to go through ceasarean operation. What an heavy pressure rested upon me at such a critical time. The doctor ordered the nurses to begin to set up the operation table while he called up the second doctor. It took some boldness, but I asked him: "Doctor, Can you give us 30 more minutes?" The doctor said "Go ahead, it will take more than 30 minutes to prepare for the surgery." I fell upon my knees and called upon the Lord for the last time. I said: "Lord, this is your last opportunity to get glory out of this situation as you answer the prayers we have offered these nine months. I have resisted these doctors long enough till I cannot justify my stand anymore. You have got to give me a miracle now!" As I knelt there, I felt an invisible hand patting me on the back that "it's going to be alright!" The word came to my spirit that when the doctors come back inside, I should ask them to check the dialation one more time, before they proceed with the operation. The nurse brought the "disclaimer" documents for me to sign which states that "In case of any disaster during the surgery the hospital is not liable." That alone is enough to make someone afraid. I told her, "I cannot sign it now until the doctors come back inside." She said: "Nothing will get this baby out except by surgery!" I replied: "that's what you think, but God is bigger than you!"
About 30 minutes later the two doctors came into the room. Our "general-practice" doctor had already given the second doctor, who was the OB specialists, all the information about the dialation and since the bag of water had broken over 15 hours ago, his conclusion to go for surgery. Therefore when they came into the room, the specialist simply informed me that the decision is good for the baby. Of a truth, my wife had already been in labour for 16 hours. I know it takes some boldness to conflict the words of the medical practitioners. However I asked the specialist: "Please can you check the dialation one more time?" He was reluctant at first, then he said "well, okay", just to satisfy me. As he picked up his hand gloves to check the dialation, I was expecting him to see a difference, and He did. He checked it again and again and marveled. He said, "it is almost 7 centimeters now; why don't we give them a little more time and check again whether it will improve further?" Our doctor also took his hand gloves and checked the dialation and confirmed it was about 7 cm. They decided to wait 30 minutes and check it again. Oh what a relief! I just cannot express how gracious I was to the Lord when the pressure to signoff my wife to the surgical knife was lifted from me. Thirty minutes later the doctors checked the dialation and it was 8 cm. They concluded that the specialist can go back home and the normal vaginal delivery would be performed instead of surgery. Our doctor was baffled! He asked: "what did you guys do to change things within 30 minutes?" "It is the Lord Jesus who came in to turn things around", I answered. The doctors agreed that it had to be the Lord.
Friend, what makes this testimony important is that though we had been praying for over 9 months for easy delivery, and though we had been praying from the first minute of admission into the hospital, some folks would naturally have been fed up with prayer as a resource, after 16 hours of labour, and especially when the doctor, who also was tired of waiting, had decided to go through surgery. But the faith that never gives up will continue to knock as the Lord said "KNOCK (and keep on knocking), and the door will be opened".This testimony should help somebody to ask for second opinion from the doctors especially if you are believing God for a miracle. The medical doctors are human beings and many of them don't believe as you do. Therefore don't let them rush you through decisions if you are trusting in God's intervention. Many unnecessary surgeries have been done by doctors which they can not reverse once the body is cut open. I once prayed for a woman who said she was to go through surgery for something the following day. After praying for her I gave her my testimony and warned her to "remember to ASK the doctor to check again before he starts the surgery, because with the finger of God called to action, the surgery will not be necessary anymore". However I can say that only few people have the boldness to conflict the doctors' words or even to suggest a second check before surgery. But remember, IT'S YOUR BODY THAT WILL BE CUT! The recovery days that will follow are not without pains. And you will have to live with it for a long time. Therefore if surgery is not necessary you are better off when the Lord has answered your prayers.
The Lord said "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"An example of faith that knocks is the faith of the syro-phoenicean woman who came to Christ to ask for her daughter's deliverance. She refused to give up even after Christ turned her down: "Jesus said unto her, let the children first be filled, for it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying, go thy way, the devil is gone out of thy daughter". (Mk.7:25-29).
The Lord Jesus again taught us to "knock" and keep on knocking by the parable of the unjust judge: "And he spake a parable unto them to the end that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I feared not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?". (Lk.18:1-8).