Healing Prayer
Pastor Amy talked about healing prayer today and read the story from Mark 9:14-29 where a father asked Jesus to heal his son IF he could do anything to help him. Jesus told him that anything was possible to whoever believes. The man said,"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"Healing prayer, Dallas Willard tells us, is part of the normal Christian life. To live under the reign of God, we must believe that His redemption is total. He has the power to heal all areas of our life. But so often, we do pray these "IF" prayers. We don't really think God can heal certain things because no positive outcome or possible way through is foreseeable to us. But in healing prayer, we speak in boldness to invite God's healing because we believe in His sovereignty. And we realize that we do not do the healing, only Jesus can.
So what "IF" prayers do we pray? As I thought about this, I thought that I do believe God is sovereign, but maybe sometimes I could be veiling these "IF" prayers in the phrase "If it is your will" because I don't want to be disappointed if things don't come out the way I think they should or as quickly as I want them to. I think we have to be patient and learn to trust in the God who can do all things.
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:1-2
4 Comments:
My prayer "if" list can be pretty long. If God would bring his saving power to my sister and her family. If God would heal another sister's marriage. If God would save her husband. If God could heal my headaches. And that's the tip of the iceberg. If God would open doors to the Monroe Neighborhood.
Ultimately, I have to ask myself what is my veiw of God? Do I reallly believe he is all wise, everywhere present, all powerful and is Perfect Love?
If I hold a high and lifted up view of God, think I should start my own tree with healing leaves in my home. And committ to asking God for those things that he waits to give me.
Anonymous,
You brought up a good point - that of God's timing.
How am I supposed to believe? Do I believe that God will heal someone with let’s say a spinal cord injury or that God will use this person just as they are? I have to say that I know God can heal anyone that He wants. But, I also don’t want to bank all my hopes on God healing someone and not move forward when He may be wanting to use the person or situation in a completely different way. So, do I stop asking for healing and instead only ask for His will?
Maybe the healing of the person with the spinal cord injury would have more to do with their attitude or acceptance of their circumstances.
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