Recently, on my blog, I asked prayer for a friend who had cancer. I received a cordial, yet firm, admonition from a reader who seemed to be suggesting that we should never pray for healing, but rather for God’s will. Before I respond to that comment let me provide a context by reviewing the prayer request information as given both on my blog and my radio show.
Over a year ago The Bob Siegel Show (KCBQ San Diego) celebrated a miracle. My good friend, Greg Grayson, had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his brain. After visiting the Be in Health Healing Ministry in Thomaston, Georgia, Greg returned home to find that the doctors were no longer calling the tumor cancerous, but benign. Nevertheless, they removed it and we all rejoiced with Greg. Again, this happened over a year ago. Only recently I spoke with Greg and his family. I’m sorry to say that the tumor has returned and expanded to the point where it is inoperable. Greg is in great spirits and he believes God will heal him again as He did before.
Whoever you are, I invite you to pray with us. Greg has a wife and daughter who would love to see him around for many years to come. God healed him before and God can heal him again. Thanks ahead of time for praying for my good friend, Greg . He’s a wonderful person and your prayers will not be in vain.
Here is a response I received from a fellow who used the blog name of Chrystopher.
2Cr 12:9
“…And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ”
Rom 8:28
“… And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose. ”
My prayers will be for in accordance to God’s will – and your prayer should be just the same that “not my will, but Thy will be done”
God Bless
Chrystopher
Chrystopher was, of course, referring to a passage where Paul asked God three times for healing but was not healed.
Here’s my response:
The Bible invites us to pray for healing.
James 5:14-15
4 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
We do so with the understanding that God’s will shall be done just as we understand that for anything else we ask God.
What Chrystopher just said about God’s will in relationship to healing we could say about any prayer at all. Should we stop all prayer requests? Requests, for relationship problems? Requests for financial challenges? Requests that people be saved? Should we stop all of this because God’s will shall be done? Did Paul himself act that way? Did not Paul ask God for healing? Yes, he accepted God’s answer but he didn’t mind asking the question. God did not tell Paul that it was inappropriate for him to pray for healing. He was merely giving Paul his answer. I am not in to that “name it claim it” stuff and I see that Chrystopher is not either. But we are still invited to bring our petitions to God in prayer. My petition is for healing. If God chooses to bring Greg home, that will not destroy my faith.
Healing was the general rule in the Bible. Not being healed was an exception to the rule, Paul being one, Job (for a time) being another. But should we dwell on the exceptions or the rules?
This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious, obvious.
All Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE New International Version NIV Copyright 1973, 1979, 1984 by International Bible Society Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Share this on
