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Wednesday, 11 July, 2007 3:50 PM
Is There Such a Thing as Divine
Intervention?
Imagine you’re
sitting at the bedside of a loved one in the Intensive Care Unit
and doctors tell you that things look pretty bleak. Do you lose
hope? Or do you start praying to God for a miracle? Each day, millions
of Americans face health crises and for many, a dose of medicine
goes hand in hand with a prescription for prayer. According to a
Newsweek poll, 84% of Americans believe that praying for others
can have a positive effect on their recovery. While many scientists
are not convinced about the benefits of prayer, religious leaders
say there’s no denying the benefits.
Eleanor Riley, evangelist/recording artist, pastor’s wife
and author of the new book, “Rungs on My Ladder: A Compelling
Memoir of Faith,” (Cornerstone Publishing 2007) believes the
power of prayer can heal the ill, even when it appears there’s
no chance for recovery.
“When I was a child growing up in Jamaica I witnessed a dramatic
case of divine intervention through the power of prayer,”
says Riley. “A young girl I went to church with was gravely
ill. When I went to visit her, the grownups said death was upon
her, and it was- she could no longer speak. I felt God working through
me and I asked everyone who didn’t believe that Jesus could
heal her to leave the room. When it was just the two of us, this
young girl who had been too weak to move or talk began speaking
in tongues and was made whole again. That was the grace of our Father,
healing that young girl and casting out the illness.”
Riley is not alone in her unshakeable faith in God’s miraculous
healing powers, even under the grimmest of circumstances. That same
Newsweek poll revealed that a whopping 72% of Americans surveyed
believe that God can cure people who’ve been given zero change
of survival by medical science.
Rungs on My Ladder, Riley’s autobiographical journey of faith
starts off with her humble beginnings as the second of nine children
growing up in Jamaica. She joyfully recounts the happy times with
her family and is precise with her memories of the important role
Jesus has played in her life. Riley notes very clearly that she
first surrendered her life to Christ at the early age of 10. Her
father was a deacon in the church who performed a variety of duties-
choir director, organist and treasurer. She was close to her dad
and they shared a deep love of the Lord and of prayer.
After migrating to America in 1970, she believes divine intervention
saved her from a house fire. The family she had been staying with
asked her to leave without any type of notice. Feeling dejected
and not sure what happened or where she should go, she located a
friend who let her sleep on a sofa. The following day when she went
to retrieve the remainder of her possessions, the house where she’d
been staying was a charred skeleton of its former self. She stood
on the sidewalk, staring at the house, thunderstruck with disbelief
that the very room where she would have been sleeping when the fire
broke out had been ravaged by searing flames.
“All that night I had been praying to God, trying to figure
out what was happening in my life and why I’d been essentially
tossed to the street,” says Riley. “The next day, I
saw the reason why. God is powerful and works in mysterious ways-
but that message was loud and clear. Even though we don’t
understand something when it’s happening, there is meaning
to it all. That’s the work of God. And if we continually follow
our faith, God’s hand becomes clear in all situations. I believe
God hears our prayers and is continually coaxing us up a ladder
that leads us to higher faith and higher powers.”
About the author:
Eleanor Riley, the second
of nine children, hails from Westmoreland, Jamaica West Indies.
She first surrendered her life to Christ at the early age of 10.
Her spiritual Renaissance occurred at the Church of the First Born
in Jamaica where she sang in Sunday school, children’s choirs
and adult choirs.
Riley migrated to the US in 1970. She has been married to Bishop
Dr. Cecil George Riley for 30 years. For the past 25 years Riley
has been very active in the Freedom Hall Church of God, Inc. Ministry
where she currently serves as evangelist, choir director, youth
director, and soloist along with her other duties as First Lady.
She continues to sing internationally, going on various crusades
with her husband. Her musical career includes the recording of several
CD’s including, “From the Setback,” “Taste
the Victory,” and “Goodness and Mercy.”
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