Feb 19, 2025 Was I Doubting Thomas?

When Jacob prayed that prayer, I was so nervous.

In Pirambu, Brazil, our QHM volunteer team was out visiting with the community members who had been meeting with our Gospel Workers. 

“At the third home we visited,” said team member Jacob. “The lady was very talkative, sharing a lot with us about her life. In doing so she mentioned she couldn’t walk because of her right knee, which was very swollen. She motioned for me to touch it and when I pressed my hand on her knee it was really hot, like a fever. When I felt how warm it was, I immediately thought of Peter’s mother-in-law from the Bible, who had a fever and was healed when Jesus put his hand to her skin. So, I laid my hands on her knee, following Jesus’ example. I knelt on the floor while the other team members stood around me. I asked them, ‘Do you all believe?’ they responded with affirmations of faith. It was a team effort. I prayed with her, and we left.”

When Jacob asked us all if we believed, I was hesitant. As QHM’s photojournalist, I’ve been on many mission trips. I’ve seen many walks of faith from the community members all over the world, some shaky, some strong, some new, some old.

So when I realized that Jacob was about to pray for healing so intensely, I was scared. So many questions were running through head.

What if this wasn’t God’s will? What if this woman believed that his prayer was going to cure her, and it didn’t? Were we going to weaken her faith more by praying this prayer? 

When Jacob asked if we all believed, I felt like he looked straight at me. In the back of my head, I was reminded of doubting Thomas. Was I being like Thomas in this moment?

I quieted my thoughts and prayed my own prayer, that God would use us to strengthen her faith, no matter the outcome of her knee. In my prayer, I said to God that I’ve seen and heard of your miracles before; this is no different.

Even after that short prayer, I was still anxious and slightly annoyed that Jacob was being so bold.

Jacob gave me an update a day or two later. He came to me saying, “Our gospel worker just told me that the lady we had prayed for was now walking all over. I just smiled and responded to the gospel worker, ‘God came through for us again.’ That’s what keeps me going. Every mission trip gives us a reason to return.”

When Jacob told me that, I got goosebumps… Why did I ever doubt?

While it’s important to be cautious with how you pray, we must do it boldly because He is powerful. We can show the world how powerful and promise-keeping our Heavenly Father is, by the boldness of our prayers. Every trip I work on, I am so amazed by the lessons He continues to teach me. 

Jacob has a similar feeling. He said,

“When I learned of the woman’s healing, I felt good inside because I knew Satan could not mock us. All the credit went to God. I knew His presence was with us, and that gave me the confidence to continue His work. My guiding scripture is Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus promises His presence when we go out for His mission. I trust Him to handle the results while I do my part. I’ve seen many miracles, but every mission trip feels like my first. Each one is unique, and I never know what I’ll encounter, so I pray a lot. The Lord has given me sufficient evidence to build my faith in His Word, and I study it regularly. I try to practice what I read.”