Monday, September 12, 2005

Calling Doctor Bob...

I'll never forget as a young pastor, that little old French-Canadian lady in our church. Mme. Proulx. Her doctor had discovered cancer in her body, and she humbly asked if we would pray for her healing. She wanted what James spoke about in the bible.
"When you get sick, call the elders of the church to pray for you, and you will be made well," kind of thing. Well, we prayed, and she died.
That really was the final trigger that shot me off in the direction of asking God if we should simply erase a good chunk of the New Testament because it didn't seem to apply at all.
Since that time, God has been teaching me to pray for sick people. Sometimes I don't see a physical answer to my specific prayer. But more and more over the years, people would get well when we prayed.
A back problem goes away. A foot is healed. Someone's legs feel 20 years younger. A migraine melts away. An unborn child shifts in its mothers womb to the correct position. Bones knit together, scars melt away, and yes, even cancer disappears. It still surprises me when it works. But sometimes it works, . . .and sometimes it doesn't.
And I know, isn't death and being in Christ's presence a complete healing? Well yes it is, but that wasn't what we were asking for. I was asking for healing of the problem, not a promotion. And there are those I pray for who don't know Him yet. I don't want them to die if they are not ready to go.
Anyway, my percentage of healed individuals is enough to keep me out of the Faith Healer category. But it is something I really enjoy doing. I am always humbled by walking through the process with people.
If you ask for prayer for healing from me at least, you're gonna get the full deal. Not a momentary passing thought, but the time necessary to really wait on God. To listen for his leading. To watch for his direction. To wait on him, because he will eventually be the one who heals, or not.
And we won't stop praying after one session. We will keep gathering together to pray again and again until He heals the individual, or he says my grace is enough for you to live in this brokenness.
I've been thinking these thoughts for a couple of reasons.
Right now we are praying with an individual through a rough cancer patch. For now she seems to be doing really well.
And secondly, this summer I spoke with a friend who is working in an Asian country. She has a friend there who is a believer in Christ. This friends unbelieving grandmother became ill and was put in a hospital room with 2 other ladies. Late one night one of those ladies took a turn for the worse and died. A few of her Christian children came to visit her and were overwhelmed by her death. So, they began to pray. I understand they prayed for some hours, through the night, in the room with her. My friends grandmother watched this unfold and began to pray too. Suddenly, this ladies life returned to her. She coughed and breathed, and came alive again.
Tonight I'm thinking...
How much don't we have, because we don't ask?
How much don't we see, because we don't have need?
How much do we endure, because we don't have patience to wait on God?
Asking for prayer is one of the most humbling things a human can do. Yet it is filled with so much grace and possibility.
So, let me encourage you, one of the things believers in Christ do is to pray for those who are sick. If you are struggling with illness, call the spiritual leaders together to pray for you.
and watch what God does.

1 comment:

  1. I don't think I've ever had the problem of not believing healing could happen - with my intellect. But the real heart belief has come, not by seeing miraculous healings, but by prayer itself and the intimacy it brings with God. The God I have learned to know better through prayer can do anything and because he loves us it is OK for us to ask.



    I just have so much to learn still.

    ReplyDelete



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