128: Does prayer work? Do miracles happen?

Last week we experienced what I believe to be miracles, as we watched our little two-year-old Millie go from being her happy self to being one very sick little kid who was in the hospital for 5 days. Many many people prayed for Millie and today we’re sharing the details of that story, where the little miracles happened, and why I’m calling them miracles. We also dive into how prayer played a part in all of this, whether we change the outcome ourselves by praying, or if it’s just up to God, and if it is - what the point is of praying, and whether it really works.   Time Stamps: [00:42] - We planned a trip to Utah to meet with family, and our trip took a turn. [03:33] - Originally, no one could tell what was wrong with Millie. [06:22] - After the results came, I felt that there was something else wrong. [09:06] - Here are a few of the symptoms we saw when Millie was first sick. [11:28] - It threw us off to see our child be exhausted from a sickness, but we eventually developed the faith that things would work out. [14:02] - Neil and I experienced watching our child be sick slightly differently. I think it’s healthy that we are able to speak together about what we felt individually. [15:45] - Honestly, when we took Millie in for a second diagnosis, we were still trying to process what was going on. [18:02] - I shared Millie’s story on social media, and she had a miraculous shift in mood. The good energy from others around the world seemed to help, but there was more to come. [21:30] - I retell what it was like when Millie woke up out of her sleep screaming while we were at the hospital. [23:00] - I’m blown away that people took the time to send positive energy to Millie.  [24:50] - What happens when the prayers seem to go unheard? How do we deal with the aftermath? [27:40] - It's not a healthy expectation to think God will take away everything unfortunate or unfavorable. [28:07] - How do we define a miracle? [30:58] - I feel Millie’s recovery defied all logic. She suddenly started getting better. [32:23] - Prayer is not to change God’s will. Prayer helps God’s will and our will to correspond and find a balance of dealing with the situations. [33:02] - Blessing and prayer include being active. “Faith without works is dead.” [35:26] - Have a willingness as acceptance of the outcome to really embrace faith and the miracles. [37:53] - I share a story of a miracle with finding a cell phone. The timing of miracles is not up to us. [39:48] - Neil realizes that his reaction to a prayer going “unanswered” is a reflection of the strength of his faith. [41:25] - I think we are given tests of our faith to help build each other up. [44:20] - We should share our moments of faith and make that connection between each other the focus. [46:12] - If you said one of those prayers for Millie, thank you.   Supporting Resources: Mint Arrow Messages  Mint Arrow Messages on Instagram Mint Arrow Messages on Pinterest Mint Arrow Messages on Facebook  Mint Arrow Messages on Twitter  “Has the Day of Miracles Ceased” Talk by Donald L. Hallstrom  The Church of Jesus Christ Bible Dictionary Prayer Definition  “Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball”  “Prayer” talk by Henry B. Eyring  “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by Harold S. Kushner