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Have you ever prayed and felt like heaven was silent?
Maybe you’ve poured out your heart before God again and again, and it feels like nothing is changing.
If so, you’re in good company. The Bible gives us story after story of desperate parents bringing their children to Jesus—asking for healing, deliverance, or a miracle. And tucked in the middle of those accounts is the remarkable story of a woman who had no reason to hope… yet refused to give up.
Parents Who Brought Their Children to Jesus
Scripture is filled with examples of moms and dads taking their children straight to the Lord:
- In John 4, a father in Capernaum begs Jesus to heal his son—and Jesus does.
- In Luke 7, Jesus raises a widow’s only son from the dead.
- In Matthew 9, Jairus, a synagogue leader, pleads for Jesus to heal his dying daughter. She dies before Jesus arrives, but He takes her by the hand and brings her back to life.
- In Mark 9, a desperate father asks Jesus to help his son, crying out, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Each of these parents had one thing in common: they brought their child to Jesus and He helped.
A Desperate Mother with No Promise
One of my favorite stories is in Matthew 15:21–28—the account of the Canaanite woman.
This mother wasn’t Jewish. She wasn’t part of God’s covenant people. And at the time, Jesus’ ministry was focused on Israel. She had no reason to believe He would help her.
But she came anyway.
She called out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
And Jesus… said nothing.
Silence.
From the outside, it might have looked like He didn’t care. His disciples certainly didn’t. In fact, they told Him, “Send her away.”
Pressing Through Silence, Rejection, and Offense
Jesus finally answered: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
If there was ever a moment to give up, this was it. But she didn’t. She knelt before Him and pleaded, “Lord, help me.”
Then came the hardest reply of all: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
She could have walked away angry or offended.
Instead, she agreed with Him—“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
She recognized who He was. She believed He could and would help. And she refused to be offended.
Faith That Won’t Let Go
At that moment, Jesus said: “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
And her daughter was healed instantly.
This woman’s faith wasn’t based on her worthiness. It wasn’t rooted in a promise she had been given. It was anchored in her belief that if she could just get to Jesus, He would help her.
What This Means for Us
We have even more reason to come boldly to Jesus than she did. Through the cross, we are now part of the New Covenant—children of God by faith.
And yet, sometimes God allows our faith to be stretched:
- Through silence—when it seems our prayers go unanswered.
- Through delay—when the answer doesn’t come right away.
- Through disappointment—when His response isn’t what we expected.
In those moments, we can learn from this mother:
Don’t give up. Don’t walk away. Don’t let offense or hurt stop you.
Keep Knocking
Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18) to show that we should always pray and not give up. If an unjust judge will grant a request because someone keeps asking, how much more will our loving Father hear and answer our cries?
Your children need your prayers.
Your marriage needs your prayers.
Our world needs our prayers.
So keep knocking. Keep asking. Keep believing that even when you can’t see it, He is working for your good.
“Woman, you have great faith.”
May it be said of us, too.
© Audrey McCracken Creatives LLC, 2025
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