“Praying Hands” (study for an Apostle figure of the “Heller” altar) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There were many individuals and congregations that prayed for Jesse when he was sick. We even had the elders of our church anoint him with oil and pray over him when he was in critical care.
A friend suggested we invite a speaker who was in the area to pray over Jesse. Apparently, this godly man was known for having his prayers of healing answered quite often. We invited him and he did come.
Although, God did not answer our prayer for healing the way we would have wished, I will always remember the way that man of God prayed. He asked God to heal Jesse. Period. Now, those were not his exact words, but they capture the essence of his prayer. That prayer meant so much to Anna and me.
I don’t know how all those people prayed for Jesse privately, but this man’s prayer stood out from the crowd of public prayer, that we heard, for two reasons. One, it was a simple prayer of faith. Two, it was exactly what we and Jesse had asked for.
Many times we pray a prayer of faith (I include myself here as well) that God would do such and such a thing. Then, we annul the prayer of faith by adding something like “if it be your will.” Sometimes, we even begin our prayer with a similar phrase. I wonder, do we think that we are leaving God a way out to save His reputation in case He doesn’t answer our prayer the way we hoped. Or, do we do it because we truly think God either can’t or won’t answer our prayer. Do we do it to mask our own unbelief?
God is perfectly capable of taking care of His own reputation. He doesn’t need our help with that. We might ask for healing and then our loved one dies. This happened with Jesse. If something is not God’s will, He can say no. It does not tarnish His reputation. It establishes His sovereignty. It does not mean He does not love us. It means He knows better than us. To this day, I do not understand why God did not answer our prayers to take Jesse home with us, but I trust, by faith, that one day it will be made clear to me.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers to the questions I am raising, but I do have a suggestion in regards to praying for others in times of sickness. Ask them how you can pray for them or their loved one, and then do it that way. If they ask for healing, pray for healing. If they ask for grace to sustain them, pray for grace to sustain them. If they ask for the grace to die, then do that. You get the idea. Leave the results to God.
Peter Wiebe 2013
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Great post again Peter. When we remember that God’s will was Eden…never death and suffering, we stop apologizing for asking that he heal and restore. It’s what we were created for, which is why we long for healing and perfection in the first place. We will always reach for Eden and God is pleased when we ask. Blessings, my friend.
Thank you, Trudy. Your insight is much appreciated as always. The Lord be with you.
Wow Peter – excellent post. There are times that I pray with doubt that God will answer my prayer, at least according to my desire. I still don’t understand how it all works between our prayers and the sovereignty of God, yet I believe He just desires that we come to Him in simple faith. As you stated, He answers our prayers according to what He determines is better for us. I really like your suggestion about asking how we can pray for someone in their sickness. I pray that God blesses you all richly with an overwhelming sense of His unfailing love for you. ~Andy
Thanks, Andy. Blessings to you.
Beautiful post – I really needed that this morning. Thank you for listening to God and writing what He wanted.
Cheri
Thank you, Cheri.
You bring up some excellent and practical points. I never thought of asking the person how they wanted me to pray for them. In fact, now that I’m thinking about it, asking them to put their deepest emotional needs into words by telling me what to pray for, and then, them hearing their request spoken to God, may very well minister to their heart and bring them more comfort than me praying for what I thought they needed.
You have a way of seeing things that I really appreciate, Joy.
Yours is a true faith, shining like diamonds, for, having wrestled with the tougher questions, it comes out knowing that God is still God, and that HE is Good. I too have struggled with these questions – and still have questions left, to be honest. But I know this – God is Good, and He never makes mistakes. AND, having never promised an easy life, He HAS promised to walk through it with us…
I’m so glad He didn’t lie to us about how difficult life can be, Melody. He told us to be of good cheer because He had overcome the world. What a profound statement.
One I somehow missed – the learning curve is a bit steeper that way. I’ve decided that to raise our kids knowing that life will be tough is a more balanced approach… I do need reminders that He has overcome – a great hint to ‘abide’, right?
Absolutely right.
Great wisdom here Peter – thank you for sharing.
You are welcome. Thank you for commenting this encouragement.
Great advice! I think simple and to the point prayer is right on with God!
God Bless you, Peter!
Thank you, Lady D.
Pingback: Healing Hope « ConquerorShots