On Rounds with Jesus

Tag: Healing

  • Stuck

    Stuck

    Scripture reading: John 5:1-15, NKJV

    Sometimes in difficult deliveries, a baby’s head is born, but the shoulders become lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone. It’s an obstetric emergency called shoulder dystocia. In that moment, every second matters. The longer the baby stays stuck, the worse the outcome. It can feel like hell – frantic, helpless, and desperate.

    Being stuck is never easy.

    In John 5, we read about a man who had been “stuck” for thirty-eight years — lying beside a pool said to have healing powers, but he could never make it in. Every time the water stirred, someone else got there first. He had no one to help him.

    Then one day, Jesus shows up and asks him, “Do you want to be healed?” Instead of a clear yes, the man gives excuses.

    Maybe you know what that’s like. Perhaps you’ve been stuck in sin, in sickness, in cycles of frustration and mediocrity. Maybe, like the man, your mind has grown weary, your hope paralysed. But today, grace stands before you and asks, “Do you want to be made whole?”

    Then comes the call: “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately, the man was healed.

    Friend, it’s your turn. Grace is here – for your healing, your salvation, your breakthrough. All it takes is surrender. Lay down your excuses. Hand over your helplessness. He is sufficient – He is all the help you need.

    And just like in that delivery room, the first thing to do when a baby is stuck… is to call for help. Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus — a very present help in time of need.

    Let’s pray

    Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am — tired, stuck, and hopeless.
    Like the man by the pool, I’ve waited, I’ve watched, and I’ve withered. Too long I have depended on others or on my own strength. Too long I’ve believed that healing was for someone else, that breakthrough had passed me by.

    But today, You stand before me. You ask, “Do you want to be made whole?” Yes, Lord. I do.

    I surrender my excuses. Lift me from this place of paralysis — in my heart, in my mind, in my spirit.

    Speak Your word again: “Rise up and walk.” I receive Your grace — grace to walk, grace to believe, grace to become all You created me to be.

    Thank you for Your salvation, Your healing and Your deliverance, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

    Reflections

    1. Stuck. Not anymore.

    Just like the man by the pool who had been immobilized for 38 years, we too can feel trapped in sin, sickness, or stagnation. But Jesus meets us in our helplessness, offering healing and hope. When He speaks, even long-standing situations can shift in an instant.

    2. Excuses versus obedience

    The man had reasons for remaining where he was, but none of them could save him. It wasn’t until he responded to Jesus’ command to “Rise and walk” that he experienced healing. Likewise, we must choose faith over excuses and respond when grace calls.

  • Ankwanoma

    Ankwanoma

    Scripture reading: Luke 7:11-17

    Death is such a painful thing. In this week’s scripture reading, we witness the heartbreaking scene of a burial procession, the only son of a widow being carried to his grave. You can feel the weight of it.

    Then came news of Daddy Lumba’s passing this weekend, the beloved Ghanaian highlife legend, who died on the morning of Saturday, July 26, after a short illness. The same morning, I was grappling with my own ‘personal’ loss. Life is so short. Indeed, how brief and fleeting it is.

    Jesus sees the mourning crowd and is deeply moved. He approaches, touches the coffin, and the dead young man rises.

    Death scorches. And there are things we may never understand, like why we lose someone despite doing everything possible to prevent it. Or why the ones who go are those we feel didn’t deserve it — too young, too kind, too full of promise. Yet even though death feels mysterious and final, it is not the end.

    It may feel like the end, stirring deep grief and sharp stabs of guilt, but as Jesus shows us today, it isn’t. There is more. There must be. Jesus Himself had to die, but He rose again. And He promises the same for all who believe:

    “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)

    This life isn’t all there is.

    Still, we must make every moment count. Grieve, yes. Count the losses. But don’t stay down too long. Rise. Shake off the dust. Go after the next win. Because, like Charles Kwadwo Fosu (Daddy Lumba) once sang, a time will come when each of us will have to ‘fly’ away. Like the bird…

    Ankwanoma

    Mede me kra abɔ afɔreɛ o
    Mereyɛ nea mɛtumie
    Me mmerɛ so a, na mekorɔ o
    Ankwanoma, anoma ei, boo, na anoma ei
    Mm, Ankwanoma ei
    Me mmerɛ so a, na mekorɔ o

    Translation

    Lonely bird
    I have laid down my life as an offering,
    Doing all I can while I can.
    And when my time comes, I will go.
    Lonely bird, bird ei, dear birdie,
    Mm… lonely bird,
    When my time comes, I will go.

    Until then, we press on.

    “As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent us. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4)

    Let’s pray

    Lord Jesus,
    You are the Resurrection and the Life.
    You looked upon a grieving mother and brought her son back to life.
    You entered into our sorrow, and You overcame it.

    Today, we bring before You the ache of our losses —
    The people we’ve loved and had to let go,
    The dreams that died too soon,
    The questions we still carry in our hearts.

    Yet in the midst of pain, we declare our hope:
    Death is not the end.
    Because You rose, we too shall rise.
    Because You live, we can face tomorrow — with courage, with peace, with purpose.

    Lord, breathe new strength into our weary souls.
    Help us live with meaning —
    To love deeply, to give generously,
    To rise from our grief and walk boldly in our calling.

    Teach us to number our days and make each one count.
    Let our lives be offerings poured out in service to You.
    May we press on, even through the tears,
    Knowing that a time will come when we too will take flight —
    Not into emptiness, but into eternal joy with You.

    Until then, we will live fully,
    Love deeply,
    And walk faithfully in the light You’ve given us.

    Amen.

    Reflection

    Grief whispers that death is final, that everything beautiful is now buried and gone. But Jesus shows us otherwise. He steps into funeral processions and rewrites stories. He doesn’t just comfort the grieving, He conquers the grave.

    Loss hurts. It confuses. It breaks. But it does not win.

    Because Jesus rose, there is hope beyond the grave. Because He lives, we can face even the darkest days with the confidence that this — this pain, this ending, this goodbye — is not the end.

  • Authority

    Authority

    Scripture reading: Matthew 8:5-13

    The highest level of decision-making in the clinical setting often comes from the consultant. He or she is usually the most experienced and knowledgeable member of the team. What he or she says must be done. When the team is at its wits’ end in managing a case, the consultant is the one they turn to, and more often than not, he or she comes through. The consultant is the last rung on the clinical ladder.

    In today’s reading from Matthew 8:5—13, the consultant is somewhat akin to what the centurion refers to as a man under authority.

    Authority means power—power to exert influence or command obedience. A Roman centurion had come to Jesus concerning his paralysed servant. Jesus offered to come and heal the servant, but the centurion said, “No, wait. Just give the command. Say the word, like a soldier to his subordinates, and it will be done. I know this because I, too, have men under my command. You have authority over all things.” Jesus marvelled at his unusual faith (verse 10), then gave the command. Instantly, the centurion’s servant was healed.

    Say it: “Au-tho-ri-ty!”

    Jesus has the authority to end the cycle of mishaps you seem to be stuck in. Perhaps you haven’t fully believed that Jesus can come through for you. But He is seated at the right hand of God—a place of immense authority. Pray about it in faith. In Jesus’ name, it will be done.

    But that’s not all.

    Jesus has also given us authority: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19, NKJV). Exercise that authority.

    Power has a source. Then there are channels to outlets. You connect your appliance to an outlet—and then you switch it on. Only then do you see the power at work.

    That’s how you unlock your power: by getting connected to the source. Jesus holds the power. To connect, you must let Him into your life as Lord and Saviour. To stay connected, you need to consistently study His Word, pray, and let His Spirit fill and guide you. The “on-switch” is obedience—when you go where He sends you, when you apply His Word, when you believe…

    …and instantly, the lights come on.

    Say it again: “Pa-wa!”

    Let us pray.

    Dear Lord,
    I thank You that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to You. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, and there is no situation beyond Your power to redeem. Like the centurion, I believe that You only need to speak the word, and healing will come, restoration will flow, and breakthrough will be mine.

    Forgive me for the times I have doubted Your ability or hesitated to believe in Your authority. Today, I choose to trust in Your word. Speak over my life, my family, my work, and my health—and let Your will be done.

    Empower me to act when You speak, to move when You send, and to believe even when I cannot see. Let my obedience be the switch that turns the power on. And may Your light shine brightly through me.

    In Jesus’ mighty name I pray, Amen.

    Reflections

    1. Who or what do I turn to first when I’m at my wits’ end?
      Do I rely on human expertise alone, or do I trust in the authority of Jesus?
    2. Do I truly believe that Jesus can speak a word and change my situation instantly?
      Reflect on whether your faith matches the centurion’s confidence in Christ’s power.
    3. Am I walking in the spiritual authority Jesus has given me?
      Or am I living beneath the privileges of my identity as a believer?
    4. What does it mean for me to “stay connected” to the power source?
      Consider how consistent prayer, studying the Word, and obeying God’s voice keep you spiritually charged.
    5. Is there an area in my life where obedience is the “on-switch” I’ve been avoiding?
      Reflect on how delayed obedience might be keeping the lights off in that part of your life.
  • Who touched me?

    Who touched me?

    Scripture reading: Luke 8:40-48, NKJV

    Amid a crowd pressing against Him, Jesus feels a singular tug on the hem of His garment…

    “Who touched me?”

    Here’s Madam X—we don’t know her age—who had been suffering from an issue of blood for twelve long years. She had spent her life’s savings visiting various clinics in search of a solution, but had nothing to show for it. Her condition, one can imagine, was incredibly distressing. She desperately needed the bleeding to stop.

    Most women experience their menses once a month, and it’s unusual for it to last more than a week or exceed about 80ml a day. When it does, it’s considered abnormal and could be due to several conditions—from hormonal or clotting disorders to structural causes like fibroids or cancer. Abnormal uterine or vaginal bleeding can be deeply distressing.

    But Madam X had heard about Jesus—and she knew He could heal her. So, she made her move.

    Though considered unclean by the laws of her time and unfit to mingle with the crowd—let alone touch a holy man—she pressed on. Nothing would hold her back. Just a touch of the hem of His garment… After all, what was the worst that could happen? Who would know? Who would see? Who would feel?

    Jesus knows. Jesus sees. Jesus feels.

    Many followed Jesus that day. Many pressed against Him. But He felt only one touch. It was a touch of faith—intentional, calculated, and born from a deep, unwavering belief that He could heal her. He didn’t have to notice the touch, yet He did. He didn’t have to see her, yet He did. It was risky… but Jesus was ready.

    He knows all about your struggles—even the ones you can’t say out loud. The ones you sneak around with. The ones you’ve spent years seeking help for in all the wrong places. The ones that make you feel unclean.

    What if, today, you let go of the shame, the fear, the unworthiness—and just reached for the hem of His garment? He might just turn your life around.

    Let’s Pray

    Pray… that unlike the crowd that nonchalantly pressed in, we would truly touch Him. That our daily encounters with Him would not be routine, but intentional. That our worship would not be casual or mechanical, but full of faith, hearts brimming with desire to grasp the hem of His garment—amidst all the distractions of the world.

    That even though the world won’t notice—He will feel it.

    That as we touch the hem of His garment, as we genuinely pursue Him, as we yearn daily to draw near to Him—our struggles, our worries, our pain—will begin to fade away.

    Amen.

    Reflections

    1.  Jesus knows about you, but more than that, He wants to know you on a personal level.
    2. The “who” is not as important as the “how.”
    3. The “how” is always by faith.
    4.  Faith is not “business as usual.” Faith is intentional.
    5.  Jesus is always ready and willing.