Charis Eschweiler

Our answer can be the same as Jesus in Matt 26:39. It says He was exceedingly sorrowful- so we know He identifies with our desperate plea. But He says ‘...yet not my will but as You will’. Our talking, praying, desiring and asking is not wrong- in fact it is the heart of our relationship with Jesus! He loves our constant communication. But like any good relationship we must also listen. James 4 gives us a good way to listen, looking specifically at vs 13-15 “Yet you do not know the least thing about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life?...you ought to say ‘if the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that thing.’ 

So we pray and talk with God and plead our hearts desire to Him—then we take a step back to recognize we cannot know His whole plan, but we can trust The Planner- whatever His awesome plan may be. Ask that He would give us grace to believe in it- even if it’s different than ours. “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” He is good. His plan and will is good. Talk to Him. Trust Him. This is how our faith grows. God bless you and your family member!

April 04 2018 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

It seems to me your question is really asking, "Is it wrong for me to tell other people that I know the will of God - that my family member will be healed?" Why do you need to tell other people? It could come across that you're being boastful about your relationship with God or the strength of your faith. Why not fast and pray, calling out to God for healing with all that is in you - in your prayer closet. That will put a smile on God's face as he is pleased with you.

What is God's will concerning the healing of people from the illnesses and diseases they suffer from? Disease would not exist in God's creation except for our fall into sin. So all illness is directly or indirectly the result of us living in a sinful world. But Jesus came to deal with our sin so we could be reconciled to God. Then he demonstrated the "in-breaking" of the kingdom of God by healing people - every day of his 3 year ministry. But Jesus did not heal everyone. In his home town of Nazareth he healed very few people. 

Bur here is the "guiding principle": Jesus said "I only do the things I see the Father doing and I only speak the words the Father gives me to say." That's what Jesus meant when he said "follow me." When we have a close personal relationship with God through faith in Christ he will direct us who to pray for healing and we can expect, in faith, that they will be healed - but we don't need to tell others about it, just give God the glory after the person is healed.

If you don't know what God's will is for your specific family member then ask God to reveal it to you. Then you can pray with faith and expectation. Maybe God's will is not to heal but rather to use this person and their illness and as witness and testimony for his kingdom that will bring many people to faith in Jesus. Maybe you are supposed to be praying for physical strength, filling of the Holy Spirit, and boldness for your family member to share their testimony and watch what God does. If your family member isn't a believer, then maybe God's purpose is to use the illness to bring them to faith in Christ.

The apostle Paul is a good example for us. He contracted some kind of an eye condition. Scripture says he prayed 3 times for God to heal him. But God didn't. Did Paul pray with faith and expect to be healed? I believe he did, but it didn't matter, because God's will was different. Later in Paul's writings he explains that God finally told him why he was not healed. He says - God did not want me to become proud because of the surpassing great revelations I received about heaven and God's plan for the future, so he gave me this thorn in the flesh - this messenger of Satan, to keep me humble.

So, do you know God's specific will for your family member? If not, then follow his general will and pray in faith expecting God to heal, but - do it in your prayer closet. Then continue to ask God to reveal his specific will to you so you can align your prayers with his will. 

May God use your family member mightily for his glory and kingdom purposes because you were faithful to pray - and God was the only one who knew about it.

April 06 2018 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report