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Jabesh Ganta leading a prayer cell
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From the time he went through the UEM residential school, CTC missionary Jabesh Ghanta would pray, “Lord, give me an opportunity wherein I can glorify Your Name. Not myself, not anyone – no flesh will be glorified in Your presence, but only Your Name will be lifted high.”
The Word of God promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will have their fill.
Jabesh was in the village Patapole, encouraging citizens to set up a central worship center where they could all get together and seek God. Seeing the missionary’s eyes shining with a zeal she had never seen before in anyone, one of the women present – whose name was Maria – asked Jabesh if she could speak to him. He gave her permission to do so. She told him about this young eight-year old child who was on the verge of death. For years, he was laboring under a stomach ailment. His parents had taken him to doctor after doctor, but they were unable to come out with a prognosis despite conducting a variety of tests. Meanwhile, little Gopiraj’s stomach became twice the size of his head, and he could not eat, sleep, sit or stand comfortable. He seemed to be in constant pain and was unable to retain food. The doctors put him on drips to prevent dehydration.
When the CTC missionary, led by Maria, entered young Gopiraj’s house, the parents almost fell upon him begging him to heal their child. He frankly told them that he was not a doctor, but that he did know of Somebody Else who could definitely heal their child. He spent the next half hour telling them about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came precisely for this: to help us through our suffering and struggle.
At that, Gopi’s mother broke down into heart-rending weeping. She pleaded with Jabesh, “I am ready to do anything to save my child – please tell me what I should do, take me to this Jesus so that can beg for the life and health of my child to be restored.” Listening to her, two thoughts flashed through the missionary’s mind: One, that his is how Christ must have pleaded with the Father on our behalf when we were moving towards death and self-destruction; two, few things can compare with the intensity of maternal love.
The missionary made all present, (including family members, relatives and neighbors who had come to observe) make the ‘sinner’s prayer’ and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit released the joy of the Lord in the home, and after the event, people were laughing, talking, and singing at the same time.
A week later, when CTC missionary Jabesh Ghanta dropped by to see how the new believers were faring, he was delighted to see young Gopi – completely healed and with a normal-sized stomach – playing with his friends outside the house. The entire neighborhood meets regularly for a prayer and worship service.
