“All I have is a simple prayer”

“I have nothing but my prayer, when the burden is too heavy.

I have nothing but my prayer, when my tears flow,

But deep in my heart I know,

NOTHING IS MORE POWERFULL THAN A SIMPLE PRAYER.

Nothing is more powerful than being on the ground,

On my knees, praying with my hands stretched out towards the sky.

Therefore, I will pray to you for all eternity.”

(Extracted and translated freely from the lyrics of “Je n’ai que ma prière” by Benjamin & Thomas Pouzin and performed by the band Glorious.)

The past year was a difficult year for me. I had one health challenge after another, which kept me in isolation and often in my bed, away from all the plans and projects that I had. At first I became frustrated and angry. That didn’t change anything. I was ranting and raving on social media and feeling increasingly sorry for myself. I was disappointed in God and (being very verbal) I told Him all about that. I also challenged His possible ideas of the way my life should be going – to be a Kingdom Purpose driven life, where I declare that “I Move in Miracles”, considering my paralyses in 2002, multiple health issues since and a prayer healing that got me off my walking stick and walking in November 2024. I had a public testimony … “Come on Lord, let’s move with this!”

Many months later, I thank God that He has more grace and forgiveness than I have and that He has a sense of humour, better than mine too. Most of all, I am so very thankful to God for showing me His heart.

We all live challenging lives. You may hear my story and be glad you did not have to face my challenges. I may hear your story and thank God for giving me my unique set of challenges. What I did learn this past year is that most of the time nothing, that happens or does not happen to us, makes any sense to us. If we’ve had a heavy load to carry for many years, even decades, some of us tend to lack the trust and submission to leave our future in God’s hands – because, seriously, check how that turned out! And frankly, I’ve had my load of lessons to be learned and battles to fight and having to stand up time and again after losing (what I considered) everything, having to start at ground zero AGAIN. Enough!

But then God showed me His heart! I was in tears for at least a week and could think of nothing else. Let me show you what I found!

Let me set the first scene. Jesus finished a teaching to many on the mountain, so he left for Capernaum. As he entered He was approached by some Jewish elders, on behalf of a centurion, to request that the Lord heal a very valued servant of his. They were begging and motivating why this would be a worthy action for Jesus to take. Before they got to the centurion’s house they were brought a message from the man, saying that he’s not worthy of the presence of the Lord. He understands authority and giving orders. Apparently he just expected the Lord to speak the word and his servant would be healed, without the actual physical presence of Jesus. Jesus declared, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” They turned around and the servant was found healed by the messengers.

Then Jesus and his entourage travelled to Nain. They were still outside the city walls, when Jesus noticed a large funeral procession. The only son of a widow had died. “And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her. Do not weep. And He went forward and touched the funeral bier, and the pall bearers stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise! And the man who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother” Luke 7:13-15

Wow! What a contrast from the previous healing! He was not approached by important people, not begged or convinced to heal this boy. No one asked it of him. He didn’t know the weeping mother and she obviously did not know Him either. She would have been drowning in her grief and tears and probably did not even notice Jesus approaching. But Jesus felt her grief and it touched His heart and moved Him in compassion, so that He resurrected the man and gave him back to his mother.

Imagine this woman, a widow and losing her only son. Historically it would have left her in a very vulnerable position. She was broken hearted at the loss of her son, but also anxious and fearful of her own future. She must have been completely overwhelmed. Jesus saw this, and her position moved His heart, without her saying a single word.

This is the heart of the Jesus we pray to.

On a different occasion, Jesus, Peter, James and John were on the mountain, where Jesus was transfigured before them. Elijah and Moses appeared and God declared to the disciples, and affirmed to all the prophets represented by Elijah, as well as the Law of the Old Testament represented by Moses, that Jesus is the Messiah. He said, “This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” Mark 9:7 NIV

What a glorious and important moment in the life of Jesus and in the Gospel as a whole! However upon their return, to join the other disciples, they found them in a crowd. Scribes were questioning them and arguing with them. When the crowd noticed Jesus, they ran to Him. Apparently a man brought his son to the disciples to have a dumb spirit driven from him. The attempts of the disciples weren’t successful. The boy convulsed with epileptic fits regularly and was wasting away. The spirit would throw the boy into fire and water trying to kill him. The parents were exhausted and in distress.

Jesus asked that the boy be brought to Him. Once the spirit saw Jesus, it convulsed the boy into a fit, falling to the ground, rolling around while foaming at the mouth.

The father pleaded, “But if You can do anything, do have pity on us and help us. And Jesus said, [You say to me], if You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes! At once the father of the boy gave [an eager, piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith!”  Mark 9:22-24 AMP

You can imagine the scene, the arguing crowd, watching the traumatic scene, to see what Jesus would do. “He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it. You dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you to come out of him and never to go into him again.” The spirit shrieked and convulsed the boy terribly before it left. Leaving the boy lying like a corpse. “But Jesus took his hand and began lifting him up, and he stood.” Extracted from Mark 9:14-27 AMP.

Wow! Can you imagine the desperation of these parents? Perhaps some of you can! First in doubt after the disciples’ failed attempts to help. Then hearing from Jesus, that all they needed was to believe.  “Everything is possible for one who believes.” And the father cried, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24 NIV

I’m struck by the timing of this healing. It would have been so easy for Jesus to tell the crowd to go home and return the next day, at a more convenient time. In deep contrast with the centurion, this father doubts the authority of Jesus over an unclean spirit and is unbelieving. He is not an important man, famous or a known believer. He is only a father desperately begging for a possibility. Jesus does not send him away to get some teaching on faith or to hear the track record of this Healer. Jesus gives him the teaching and delivers the child of this unbelieving father, who recognises his own unbelief and his need for help with that too.

What a simple prayer this father prays! “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” This is the heart and the way of our Jesus!

The next healing scene that I am drawn to, is of a man who was paralysed for 38 years. This speaks to me deeply, having suffered with my mobility for decades myself.  This man was lying on his mat at a pool where many sick people gathered, waiting for the pool to bubble up as they believed the first to enter after the stirring would be healed. It was a Jewish festival, the place would have been even more crowded than usual.

 Jesus was amongst the crowd, by himself and “Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition. He said to him, Do you want to become well? [Are you really in eagerness about getting well?] The invalid answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to come [into it] myself, somebody else steps down ahead of me. Jesus said to him, Get up! Pick up your bed (sleeping pad) and walk! Instantly the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked.” John 5:6-9 AMP

Now this might seem to be just another healing. Jesus declares healing and a lame man walks. However it is not only that at all! Here’s what grabs me!

It is a religious festival and the celebrity teacher of the time is not at the temple or celebrating with his disciples, he is walking alone, finding his way through the sickly crowd at the bath of Bethesda. He is more concerned with the suffering of people than the festival.  Then the lame man calls him “Sir”, he clearly has no idea who he is speaking to. If he did, he might have addressed Him as “Lord” or “Teacher”. After leaving the baths carrying his mat he is confronted for carrying a bed on the Sabbath. When he explains the miraculous healing, he cannot tell the Jews who healed him. He had no idea who did it. Verse 13 states, “Now the invalid who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away, since there was a crowd in the place”.

This was not a healing with spectators and a crowd being wowed into realising that Jesus is truly more than a teacher, He is the Son of God. The disciples didn’t even witness it. So their faith was not built by it. The lame man didn’t even know who he was speaking to and didn’t become a believer as a result. (Not that we know of.) So why did Jesus do it? The answer lies in, “Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless] and knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition”, He had pity on the man. His heart was moved with care and compassion for the lame man, so much so, that he healed him.

This is the heart of the Jesus we pray to!

Knowing this enabled me to trust God in a way I’ve never trusted Him before. Finally I knew who I was entrusting with my future and I could let go of my attempts at control. The devil did not have a hold on me, Satan was not keeping me out of my mission. All those battles were taken care of on the cross. If God allowed me to be isolated and ill in bed, instead of running with a project (for Him), He knew what He was doing and why.

Now the big breakthrough realisation for me was, that I am not being punished and He is not angry with me. He is not rejecting my prayers and turning His back on me. He has a caring, compassionate heart and feels every bit of our sorrow and grief. He is aware of every condition that makes our days difficult. He knows how we sometimes lack faith and struggle to pray. He hears our hearts crying out in broken anguish and fear. And not a single tear we cry goes unnoticed.

Now if this is Him – Clearly he has a very good reason for keeping us in a situation we are not happy with. He is thinking big picture and long-term, Kingdom purpose, while we stare at the here and now.

“Our Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8 AMP this is the intro to the “Our Father” prayer and therefore it is clear that although He knows what we need and what He is doing, we should not stop praying. We should keep our relationship with our Father alive.

 We can ask Him to make it clear to us, what we need to learn or what role we’re playing in keeping ourselves in the position we want changed. If we know what we are doing that is contributing to our position, we can learn from that, effect changes in our way of thinking or doing and perhaps we will discover a shift in our situation after this. Perhaps our situation is needed to teach us to trust and rely on God completely. Spiritual lessons take time, I’ve discovered. Learning patience takes even longer.

The bottom line is … all you need is a simple prayer and knowing the heart of the Father you are trusting.

Glory to our Lord Jesus, the Son of God.

Lynette Gerber-Lochenkov

21 February 2026

Note: The examples of healing are not chosen to show that God heals at request or unrequested. It is chosen to show His heart, even towards people he does not stand in a relationship with. How much more your heart touches His!