I had a rough day at work and the deep pain I felt in my stomach didn’t help any. I walked into the house through the back door and after briefly talking to my wife  I went straight to the living room couch and threw myself at its’ mercy. The turmoil in my stomach was unbearable and right at the moment tears starting rolling down my cheeks and I felt I could take no more.  My daughter Heidi, who was three years old, walked into the room and quickly headed in my direction. I tried to hide it but she saw me wiping my tears.

“What’s wrong Daddy?” she said, as her big brown eyes seemingly popped out of their sockets.  Speaking to her as calmly as I could, I informed her that my stomach hurt and that I was going to rest  briefly.  She remained focused on the tears rolling down my cheeks and very quickly determined  that I was in much need of her assistance.

“Do you want me to pray for you daddy?” she said, with love and compassion  in her voice. I was really sold out about healing prayers for others but at that moment I could not muster up enough faith to believe for my own.

“Yes, please do, I said.”  I hated myself for being a fake but I resolved not to let her see my failure to trust in God.  She quickly placed her small fingered hands on my over swollen stomach, tightly closed her eyes and began to pray. I watched her every move through my half closed eyes.

” Lord!” she said, with such power and authority, and  then seriously continued, ” Please bless this food.”

I felt like laughing and while I held it back, somewhat, my whole body trembled. It was then that I saw the sincerity of the only prayer that she had been able memorize  Afterwards  she came right up to my face and with a big smile assured me that I would be alright.

I finally stopped laughing inwardly and laughed out loud. She joined in and for a few moments that’s all we did. It was a little after that moment that I noticed it!  All my pain was gone. I was healed by the prayer of faith of a little girl and none of my own.

That day I realized two things,  one,  that God can perform a miracle through the faith of another and  little or none of your own, and two, that words don’t matter as much as the compassion and the trust in the heart .