Prayer requests - health

Recently, I've been touched by the fact that so many of us are praying and crying out to God for our loved ones. Whether it's their health, their salvation, or their need to come back to the Savior Who loves them, we are on our knees fighting for our dear ones.

Today, I'd like to encourage all of those who are wrestling with issues of our loved ones' health. Whether we're dealing with cancer, dementia, or any number of other problems, it can be difficult for us to juggle all of the things we need to do, to provide for our kinfolk and to take care of ourselves.

When it's something that we can truly effect change upon, it's easier sometimes to deal with it. We can bolster our hopes with hard work; we can keep our eyes on the goal. But when it comes to one of our dear ones' sickness, we can feel helpless. We can't help shoulder the burden.

The burden of healing sickness is not on the patient; it's not on the doctor; it's on our Father God. The responsibility for healing falls on our God Who knows the plans He has for us, even when our hopes are collapsing around our feet. There's no formula; it's a mystery. It's not that we say just the right words or a prayer that sounds lovely.  In fact, healing can be difficult to pray for - we have an easier time accepting that God can heal emotionally, or that He can heal spiritually. But God can heal physically -- He can work through the natural, or the supernatural.

But what if God seems to be saying, "No."
When God doesn't heal, it can be a real challenge to our faith.
It raises inquiries in the minds of even the most veteran believers. Notice that I didn't say it raises doubts. I totally believe that it is OK to approach God with questions. After all, when we are struggling with these issues and we don't hear an answer yet from God, and then perhaps in devotions we read:

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. (Acts 14:22b)

OK, that's just hard.
Paul, I don't like reading that right now. I want verses of comfort and encouragement.....
Flipping the Bible open again:

 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, (I Peter 2:21)

Really hard.
Peter's telling me the same thing.
Well, then, does God want me to pray for my loved one's healing? Absolutely! We cannot say that God always heals, but we can't say, either, that He never does.

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; (James 5:14)

Should I expect God to heal my loved one?
All healing will come from God's hand. But the kingdom hasn't come in its fullness, so I don't believe that healing is automatic; it's not yet a given. I guess that we can't single out disease, one of the many results of the fall in the Garden, as the one thing that believers shouldn't have to deal with. (Check out Genesis chapter three for the entire list....) So yes, in this life we will have troubles. After all:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Does it show that I don't have enough faith, if my loved one is not healed? No way! The Lord always wants what is best for His children - but "best" is not necessarily a gently-rocking-boat-life with no sickness and no pain. God's idea of what is best may include things that drive us closer to Him, or that witness to others of His comfort and His strength in us.
But why does He heal some people, and not others?  We cannot know what the Father has not revealed to us. In this world, we may sometimes see a preview of what it will be like when "the eyes of the blind will be opened," and the deaf will hear and the lame will walk. (Isaiah 35)  When we see others healed miraculously, we can be encouraged; we can also look forward to the time when all will be healed.
Long story short, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit truly long to fill all of our hearts with joy; they want to fill the spiritually thirsty will joy overflowing. I don't believe that it will be much longer till the curtain is closed on sin and suffering. We will enjoy the pleasures of heaven and the peace of His presence.

So yes, let's pray for our loved ones. Pray for healing.
But also pray that they (and we) will follow in the footsteps of Christ. That we'll daily get alone with Him and lean on Him through each disappointment. That we'll depend on His hand as we go through darkness.
God hates affliction; He permits it to accomplish something way more important, way more precious than anything this world can offer -- He permits it so as to accomplish Christ in us, the hope of glory.

If you are one of the precious friends who has requested that I pray with you, please rest assured that I pray daily for you and for your loved ones. My heart breaks as I read of the trials that you deal with, and I wish that there were more that I could do to encourage you. God has not yet answered in many cases, or He's answered "wait" in others, so let's kneel together and lift those precious souls up to God by name. Let's pray specifically for His healing hand. For wisdom for the doctors and nurses. For strength as we minister, and for strength for each patient.

Father, you know the desires of our hearts. We ask that you work in all of these situations for your glory. Amen.