Healing and Prayer, part 10

The New Testament writings and Jesus’s healings also confirm that illness is not punishment from God. John 9:1–3 says: “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ‘Teacher,’ his disciples asked him, ‘Why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?’

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,’ Jesus answered. ‘He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.”

The story concludes as Jesus heals the blind man, fulfilling his destiny as an example of the healing power of the Christ. If I imagine myself as that blind man, I envision asking: “Why me? Why was I born blind? Why do I have to suffer this affliction?” Apparently the disciples were troubled by these same ques­tions, and this prompted their questioning of Jesus. It is obvious from the way their query is worded that they believed, as many did then and still do today, that the only understandable explanation for this man’s infirmity lay in some defect in his or his parents’ character. In other words, his blindness was a punishment for some unknown sin. Jesus quickly countered this belief by eloquently explaining that the blind­ness had nothing to do with sins or behavior. He stated that God knew the true meaning of this illness, and it was to illuminate the glory of God through the healing.

Dr. Larry Dossey states, “Sickly saints and healthy sinners show us that there is no invariable, one-to-one relationship between one’s level of spiritual attainment and the degree of one’s physical health. It is obvious that one can achieve great spiritual heights and still get very sick.” (8) Remember, healing is much more than just ridding the body of disease; it is balancing mind, body, and spirit.

FRUITS OF PRAYER

What benefits do we see in prayer? If we don’t know or can’t predict results, then why pray? In simple terms, it’s not about get­ting. It is about learning to achieve a state of prayerfulness—a state where you become open to God’s love and healing presence. Jane Vennard, in an audio tape called “Intercessory Prayer,” talks about the “fruits” of prayer. (9) I love the analogy of fruit because it is a sub­stance that must be cultivated and nourished to grow, and in turn can serve as nourishment to others. Fully developed, it can even seed the growth of additional fruit. Prayer is much like this. She states that one of the fruits of prayer is a God-centered existence. God is responsible for all we are, have, and will be, and through prayer we remind ourselves of our dependence on Him. Praying for healing will refocus us on the Healer instead of the disease. It puts God in the center of our lives and encourages us to replace our egocentric thoughts with those of divine grace. It paves the way for healing.

The second fruit of healing prayer is compassion. Through prayer we embrace a heightened level of compassion for those about whom we pray. This takes the form of empathy, truly feeling the needs of the afflicted. Healing prayer brings hope. When suicide survivors are interviewed, inevitably they report reach­ing a state of hopelessness that drove them to the attempt on their life. There is no greater feeling of desperation than being without hope. Praying for yourself or others restores hope, perpetuates hope, and, in some cases, creates hope.

Ms. Vennard states that another fruit of intercessory prayer is action. Whether it is serving meals to the homeless or helping a tornado victim find parts of their ravaged home, prayer can spur us to action. The action itself may be a form of prayer. We may join a protest for basic human rights or volunteer at a hospice. Prayer gives us direction, provides focus, and forces us to listen. In the si­lence of prayer, the call to action can be deafening.

Finally, prayer emphasizes thankfulness; the attitude of gratitude. Giving thanks to God for healing reminds us where the healing origi­nates. It is a simple concept, but one I find helpful in centering my faith. It is a statement of faith. I believe; therefore, I thank and praise. Only a fool would thank someone for something they knew they wouldn’t receive.