It's been a week of ups and downs. I prayed with a woman at a store a few days ago who had a shoulder injury. She wasn't healed. I went home that night bummed. I expected her to be healed and she wanted to be healed, but she felt nothing the three times I prayed with her. So I grumbled at God before I went to bed.
I'm aware that she might have been healed three minutes after I walked out the door. Those things happen and I suggested this might be the case for her before I left. But I was still disappointed. I've seen so many people healed of shoulder injuries that when someone doesn't feel better, I feel like I've failed.
The next day I went to work, thinking about the failure from the previous day. On our first call I talked with monitor tech who wore an immobilizer on her wrist. Her job of mousing from one computer screen to another gave her carpal tunnel syndrome. She was going to see a neurologist in a few weeks. I suggested that if she'd let me pray with her, she wouldn't need to. She agreed to let me have a shot at it.
I prayed over her wrist three times, commanding it to be healed. Each time she felt an increasing sensation of heat.
With a look of shock, she blurted out, "What did you just do to me?" Her pain was gone.
I explained that God had healed her and gave her a card to the website. She was beside herself.
So after suffering a setback like a failed healing, you have two choices. Give up, or keep going. Love and obedience require us to ignore temporary setbacks. We must keep going for the sake of love.
So while I was grumbling at God the previous night, I grumbled about something else. I transported two patients on the same day who had muscular dystrophy. I didn't pray with them. I couldn't recall any testimonies of MD being healed and my faith for this condition was so small, it seemed pointless. I've since found a very interesting testimony that involved muscular dystrophy, a brain tumor, a stroke and other conditions - all of which were miraculously healed. Go here for that story.
I've been transporting patients with MD, cerebral palsy, MS and similar conditions, but healing testimonies of these conditions are rare. And because they are, I'm under the impression that they're somehow different. I don't have a lot of confidence that God wants to heal these conditions, so I rarely pray for them. I know the problem is my perception and not God's willingness, but this is an area where my mind is struggling right now and it probably needs some renewing.
So before I went to bed, I grumbled at God. I asked why it is that we see thousands of injured shoulders, knees, wrists and ankles healed, but not muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy in any great numbers.
I'm grateful that He's healing people at all. But I have a nagging discontent that demands healing for everyone. Without exception. So in this new season, my plan is to let my discontent grow and cause me to demand answers of God. I'm asking for strategies, keys, angels or anything else that might help get people healed more often.
You're welcome to tag along for the ride. And if you learn anything you want to share - I'm all ears.
I'm aware that she might have been healed three minutes after I walked out the door. Those things happen and I suggested this might be the case for her before I left. But I was still disappointed. I've seen so many people healed of shoulder injuries that when someone doesn't feel better, I feel like I've failed.
The next day I went to work, thinking about the failure from the previous day. On our first call I talked with monitor tech who wore an immobilizer on her wrist. Her job of mousing from one computer screen to another gave her carpal tunnel syndrome. She was going to see a neurologist in a few weeks. I suggested that if she'd let me pray with her, she wouldn't need to. She agreed to let me have a shot at it.I prayed over her wrist three times, commanding it to be healed. Each time she felt an increasing sensation of heat.
With a look of shock, she blurted out, "What did you just do to me?" Her pain was gone.
I explained that God had healed her and gave her a card to the website. She was beside herself.
So after suffering a setback like a failed healing, you have two choices. Give up, or keep going. Love and obedience require us to ignore temporary setbacks. We must keep going for the sake of love.
So while I was grumbling at God the previous night, I grumbled about something else. I transported two patients on the same day who had muscular dystrophy. I didn't pray with them. I couldn't recall any testimonies of MD being healed and my faith for this condition was so small, it seemed pointless. I've since found a very interesting testimony that involved muscular dystrophy, a brain tumor, a stroke and other conditions - all of which were miraculously healed. Go here for that story.
I've been transporting patients with MD, cerebral palsy, MS and similar conditions, but healing testimonies of these conditions are rare. And because they are, I'm under the impression that they're somehow different. I don't have a lot of confidence that God wants to heal these conditions, so I rarely pray for them. I know the problem is my perception and not God's willingness, but this is an area where my mind is struggling right now and it probably needs some renewing.
So before I went to bed, I grumbled at God. I asked why it is that we see thousands of injured shoulders, knees, wrists and ankles healed, but not muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy in any great numbers.
I'm grateful that He's healing people at all. But I have a nagging discontent that demands healing for everyone. Without exception. So in this new season, my plan is to let my discontent grow and cause me to demand answers of God. I'm asking for strategies, keys, angels or anything else that might help get people healed more often.
You're welcome to tag along for the ride. And if you learn anything you want to share - I'm all ears.
I'll join you for the ride. After having some pretty cool healing experiences over the past few days, I prayed for my wife yesterday for her hip and right knee. No noticeable improvement, no feeling of something working....somewhat disappointed as it was so easy before. So, like you, I had a choice to make. I decided to press on and focus on the truth of the Word of God and what He has done and is doing rather than focus on what I don't see happening. Great post and great reminder! Thanks for being open and transparent! :) I love that when we don't know something we can ask Holy Spirit and He'll teach us. Always got remain teachable and like little kids learning from their big and strong Daddy!
ReplyDeleteI always wonder if it's just faith, or some other secret of God that we don't see some "major" illnesses healed more often.
ReplyDeleteIn some services for example you might see two people healed of something impressive like cataracts but then the third person asking for healing for the same thing doesn't receive it...frustrating.
In the Bible the only reason Jesus gave for failure to heal was a lack of faith and unbelief. Obviously you have a ton of faith for healings so I can see how this type of thing can drive you nuts.
I'm also amazed how missionaries can see back to back healings in Africa, but then in the USA they see almost none. Why?
Great questions....I guess the only thing we can do is keep going and hopefully God will reveal the answers in time.
ReplyDeletePraying Medic, I can testify that God doe heal MS! I was struck down by the disease in September 1983, a few weeks before my planned wedding. I was left with a numb and very weak right hand and arm. Being right handed, this was quite a disability. God was telling me not to proceed with the wedding but as a young Christian I couldn't find the courage to obey.
ReplyDeleteLast year God healed me from ankylosing spondylitis which I'd had for about 40 years. What a miracle. It started me thinking and praying about the MS. I had repented many times for marrying against God's will and we're still married for God never told me to divorce. God took me back in my thoughts to those days in hospital in 1983 to remind me of the circumstances around the development of MS. Suddenly he showed me that I had never repented for hot heeding his warning! You can probably guess the rest! I repented and accepted my Lord's forgiveness and by the following day my hand was back to normal, praise God. That was in January 2013 and I remain completely well. God taught me that forgotten and unconfessed sin was all that was delaying my healing. He also told me that He wants to use me to bring His healing to others, and has started doing so. So maybe there are others like me who God wants to heal but something far in the past needs to be remembered and repented of first. I pray this is a word for someone.