Wednesday, September 12, 2007

prayers and healing

This week has been quite up and down in circumstances, but I've felt steadily refreshed and renewed in my faith. Not because lots of good things are happening, necessarily, but because I feel like I am connecting with God. But here's the strange part; I feel like God has been rather silent. I don't feel like I'm getting a lot of answers to the plethora of questions my heart is pouring out. But somehow I feel like I'm being heard. The book I'm reading has helped open my eyes to some things. There's been people and random things come across my path that encourage me and speak directly to some of the very issues I've been praying about. There has been no answers, but I feel like they are small signs that God is giving me that tells me He is hearing, and He's involved, but for whatever reason, it's not time for my answer. So I must keep knocking.

Which brings me to another event this week. We are having a prayer meeting tomorrow night, specifically praying for those who need healing. We've invited others to come. This is a really stretching thing for me. I've grown up seeing the hyped-up, 'televangelist' style faith healers that have really been a turn-off to me. It has frustrated me to see something real and true turned into something to gain wealth, fame and left people feeling hurt and exploited. I am well aware of how the world views these 'types' of people. I've many times shared the view. In some ways it's hard for me to shake off that mindset. But at the same time, I truly believe that God heals. He healed countless times in scripture, and I know He heals today. I was healed of asthma myself when I was 10. My cousin, as a tiny infant, had cancer throughout his body. He spent much time at Hershey Medical Center having surgeries and treatments. And then, God healed him, miraculously. The doctors were astounded. The cancer was simply gone. That was about 20 years ago. You would think I would have amazing faith when it comes to believing for healing. And yet I struggle. I struggle with questions of is it always God's will to heal? If yes, then why don't we always see it happen? What are we supposed to do then? Keep asking? Accept infirmity? I don't have concrete answers. But here's what I believe: I believe that God does heal, and is willing to do so. I also know the reality of the fact that not everyone is healed. But I believe that when God so chooses NOT to, it is for a reason and He will give the grace and the peace to know that, to accept it, and the grace to deal with it. Not saying it will be easy, not saying it won't hurt. There are no pat answers. But I believe that until we have a sense of what God is saying or doing in a situation, then we keep asking. If I base my beliefs and actions on scripture, then I don't see a single reason NOT to ask God to heal. The only time that I'm aware of when God didn't heal was when Paul asked God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" and God did indeed answer Paul's prayer, just not by doing what he asked for. But God answered Paul and said that He would provide the grace Paul needed to deal with whatever the "thorn" was.

So, all that to say, I've been timid, actually going back and forth in my mind whether to even post about this. Whenever I thought, "I should post about the prayer meeting", I'd have a niggling at my mind that if I say we are having a 'healing meeting' people will think I'm a wacko - one of 'those' types. What would keep me from sharing this? Fear of what people will think of me, based on the things other people have done. Well, that's a pretty poor reason to not share something that I really believe in and am excited about. The fact is, I serve an all-knowing, all-powerful God, who is a good Father. He has healed in the past, and He heals today. Tomorrow night, we are gathering for a time of worship and coming to Jesus, just as the crowds did when Jesus walked this earth, asking Him for a touch. There are people in our church, (some of them children), friends, co-workers that need healing for their bodies, answers for their situations - some kind of touch from the Father. If you are also standing in a place of need I invite you to come too, and we can stand together, in a place of prayer before the throne of God.
If you would like any more info about the service tomorrow night, leave a comment; if you don't have a blogger account, you can comment anonymously and leave your name and a way for me to contact you. The service will be at 7 pm at the Stowe Brethren in Christ Church, Glasgow Street, Stowe.

Looking forward to God moving in a big way. Watch for a follow up post.

1 comment:

Zoanna said...

I would come if I lived close. I think it's great that you are having such a service. They are too few and far between, and I believe it's because Satan was successful in beating Christians like you and me down with the turn-off tele=types, the hyper ones. But God is able to heal, I agree, and willing to heal, I agree, and asking us to keep asking. He will decide whom to heal, but calls us to praY. That's all. Don't worry about what people will think. In fact, have you read "When People are Big and God is Small?" I can say that is one book that truly revolutionized the way I live. Truly. I can't say that about too many books. I was enslaved to approval before that book. Anyway, I wish more churches (including ours) would hold such services> I pray yours brings in the hurting, both physically and spiritually!