When we pass around the prayer list at church the list is often full of health concerns. Some on the list we have been praying for for a long time. Some aren't on the list any more, but are still on our mind.
Yancey writes, "I would never want to dampen someone's faith, because bold faith surely impressed Jesus. Yet the stack of letters from my file cabinet convinces me that we can do equal harm by holding out false hope of physical healing."
Yancey proposes that God has created our human bodies that they seek health for themselves. We regularly heal from cuts and colds. In addition, God has given us minds to seek health and healing. Doctors and researchers, nurses and technicians, have dedicated themselves to healing and these avenues should not be denied. But sometimes healing does not come. Paul prayed about his "thorn in the flesh" but he did not receive healing.
Yancey offers these questions as filters for our approach to prayer and healing:
- Am I expecting a miracle as an entitlement?
- Am I using the benefits of God's 'common grace'--the healing built into our bodies and the medical knowledge we have gained?
- Do I wrongly blame God for causing the suffering?
- Am I prepared for the possibility that physical healing may not take place?
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