Monday, 12 October 2009
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Medical Prayer: Can It Save Lives?
I found this article on aolzines.com (I think) and I was so interested in it! I was devestated because this couple prayed for their daughter who died at their home, rather than calling the ambulance first. I wasn't devestated because they prayed for her instead of calling the ambulance; I was more surprised that she died when they prayed for her.As a Christian who has witnessed the power of prayer for healing in my own life and other's that I know, when I read this I asked "Why do some people get healed through prayer and others don't?" I have seen a man's right leg grow longer to match his left leg, so that he could walk straight. I have prayed for two girls who had headaches through prayer their headaches immediately went away. As for myself, I was nauseous, threw up two times at a conference once and so I prayed. I rebuked satan and immediately the feeling of nausea went away.
My first response was this: "The parents didn't have enough faith that God would heal their daughter."
But then, I realized something else. God is God and we are not. He knows the best time for EVERYthing, whether it be death, a job change, a call into missions, or whatever. We cannot pray to God with manipulation of His will. Yes, we can and must use the scriptures to pray, for God is not a liar (Numbers 23:19), He WILL honor His word. However. if we pray expecting ONLY our way, rather than being open and content for whatever happens (knowing that God is always good and that the world is fallen and not a result of God's actions but the fallen world's), then that is wrong. I am not saying that this is what the parents here did though. I don't know their hearts or reactions.
The parents were sentenced to jail time, about 6 months for each of them.
You can read the whole article here.
The saddest thing is that on a poll for this article AOL asks, "Do you believe prayer is an effective way of medical healing," 81 percent of poll-takers said they don't believe prayer is an effective method to heal someone, while only 19 percent said they believe it is effective for healing!! YOU KNOW there's a problem with our country when the majority of the people living here are claiming to be Christians yet they don't believe that the gifts of God are active today! The Bible says that God is the "same yesterday, today and forever!" (Hebrews 13:8)
What do you think about this case? Do you think that the parents should have gotten jail time? Do you personally believe in or have you witnessed a healing miracle through praying? If so, what was it? If you don't believe in the power of prayer for things such as healing, why not? Why do you think people (Christians & non-Christians) don't believe in the power of healing through prayer?
Are are your answers to these question? What's your reaction to the decision of this girl's parents?
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About the Author
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- From: MDrabing83@xanga
- About Me: I'm a 28 year old female from Baytown, Texas near Houston. I'm a missionary & a teacher. I love Jesus!! if you wanna know about Him, just ask. He's my Life, my Everything.
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Comments (22)
Please tell me this is a joke. PLEASE.
O_O Those parents should have called for an ambulance. They shouldn't go to jail, but that was very irresponsible of them. I believe God can choose to heal or save a person or not, but I also believe He gives us signs and cues so that we can help ourselves. Like this story:
A flood threatens a town, forcing everyone to evacuate, But Joe thinks, "I'm a devout man, God will save me," and stays put. As the waters rise, Joe's neighbor comes by and says, "Joe come with me, we've got to go." Joe declines, "I'm a devout man, God will save me."
The waters keep rising, Joe scrambles to his second floor. A firefighter in a rowboat comes by. "Get in the boat or you'll drown," he says. Joe again declines, saying, "God will save me."
Finally, the flood waters force Joe to his roof. A police helicopter comes by and throws down a rope. "Climb up or you'll drown," the policeman yells. "No, I'm a devout man, God will save me," Joe replies.
Soon, Joe drowns.
He arrives in heaven and challenges God. "Why didn't you help me?"
"What do you mean?" God says.
"I did help. I sent a neighbor, a firefighter and a helicopter."
God can't do everything for us. He has other shit to do.
I'm pretty sure God is ok with the idea of 911
Its a great question. Unfortunatly, I haven't seen with my eyes any great miraculous healing. I have heard of much, and I cannot say "it is beyond God". You have to believe that he can, if you believe in God, IMO. How much of a God could he possibly be if he were able to create DNA and flesh and blood, yet be unable to repair and fix it when damaged. Like a team of engineers turning out a machine or a car, yet having no ability to fix it when a bolt comes off or a flat tire happens.
There is a nice saying, given for someone in a storm on the ocean "pray to God, but row to shore".
If you have the ability to fix it, fix it. Like sitting by your flat tire with a wrench and jack in your hand but praying for a miracle to fix.
To one of the OP's question: "Why do you think people (Christians & non-Christians) don't believe in the power of healing through prayer?" Because God hasn't healed all the people we've prayed for. A little girl in my church died of brain cancer. You think we didn't pray? Of course, we did! For a year and a half!
@XactiLucius@xanga - Agreed. And I believe God is more than okay with my roommate being a doctor.
Prayer is not a magic formula to get whatever you want out of God, and I think that this is something that we need to remember. Jesus taught us to pray "thy will be done."
Parents are entrusted with the well being of their children. If your infant is crying would you not feed them because "God is in charge and he will save him." ? To me, not getting your children the proper medical care and expecting God to just fix it because you want him to is the same as not feeding your child and expecting the child to live anyway because "God will fix it."
We also tend to forget that suffering is universal. Job, who had great faith, suffered very much because of his faith. He lost family. God does not always fix things just because we want him to.
And it is a parent's responsibility to care for their child. This also includes providing that child with proper medical attention.
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - I agree. If prayer is responsible for healing, it just means that the medical efforts are effective.
Prayer isn't MAGIC. If that's the case, why do Christians even go to doctors at all?
six months isn't nearly long enough.
Wow, those parents only got 6 months?
Although, I have heard a few cases of prayer working, it is definitely not scientifically proven to work. It's basically wishing. I know we want to wish things away, but prayer healing just isn't effective. You can give me testimonies, but it's not going to change my opinion. There are probably medical reasons for sudden miracles. But the majority of the time, if the doctor says 2-3 months to live, that's about how long they've got. So how about enjoy the time you have with them instead of trying to wish them to be healed?
I'm a little surprised to see the doubters here. I totally 100% believe that prayer can heal. However, like another person posted, prayer isn't OUR will. If it's in God's will for a person to die, that's just the way it is. When people are sick you can pray in faith, believing that God can make the impossible possible. But you must also accept that everything that happens is HIS will. Praying isn't a demand. It's a request. God knows what He's doing, and if that result you want isn't in His plan, it won't be done. Not to say you shouldn't ever try, because praying intercedes many problems. But with the people who have prayed for loved ones and had them die, just know that it was their time. Your faith in God was noted by Him, but there was nothing to be done.
Perhaps, God's way of helping was getting her to an ambulance. I don't see why they couldn't have called the hospital and prayed til they got there and throughout. They'll never know. Sometimes when you pray for things, God gives you the means to make it happen, not everything has to be a spectacular display of miracles to be God-sent.
There not being any scientific proof says nothing. God doesn't adhere to the laws of science. He can make anything happen. If anything, the fact that there aren't explanations for medical miracles makes it more likely to be God, simply because it shows that science truly doesn't answer everything.
I struggle with this question a lot as a medical student and I will say straightaway that the answer isn't as clear cut as people make it out to be (for either side). The poll phrasing is very interesting: Do you believe prayer is an effective way of medical healing?"
I would say no, simply because the bias is revealed in the question. To ask that is similar to asking, "Is prayer an effective way for becoming wealthy?" or "Is prayer effective in finding a spouse?" We are subject to the subtle but perverse thinking of using prayer as a means to an end rather than using our ends as a means to prayer. The function of prayer is to viscerally express our need for God and our absolute dependence on Him. By placing the emphasis on prayer as a tool or a method for extracting a particular goal, we distort its purpose in drawing us closer to God by focusing more on the gift than the giver.
This is not to say that we don't expect God's intervention when we pray or that we do it merely as a formality. We long for the object of our prayers deeply, but in doing so communicate an even deeper longing for God Himself. In this sense, seeking medical intervention at the same time or even antecedent to prayer is not an expression of a lack of faith if it is completed in faith as well. I think this is closer to what Paul means when he says, "Pray without ceasing." We pray as a way to root and ground our actions in a reminder of God's provision and sovereignty, for even the best of medical interventions is subject to failure. I know that full well; I see it all the time. To view prayer and action as competing entities is to dangerously misunderstand them both.
yikes..
i guess it was that person's time to go
some prayers are answered
some are not
thats how it be sometimes
@InTheThin@xanga - not a joke
@XactiLucius@xanga - i agree ... he puts doctors here for a reason! Luke (from the Bible, Jesus' follower) was a doctor
@whitetrashpoet@xanga - Prayer isn't magic ... & God's not like a Genie. But we go to doctors because God has given them wisdom to heal us. God uses people to do His work.
@Lil_Firefly_25@xanga - if you say you believe in the Bible & Jesus, but don't believe in healing, then.... Check your faith. Jesus healed many people. & today He still does. THe Bible says that He is the "same yesterday, today & forever."
@MDrabing83@xanga - I do not believe in the Bible or Jesus. I was just commenting how stupid the parents were and how you cannot "wish" something away, which is basically what praying to heal someone is. And although there are stories where someone prayed and it magically went away (usually coincidence or breakthrough in the drugs), the majority of the time, if someone is given a certain amount of time to live by doctors, that is probably how long they have left.
Example...my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer (given 2-3 months to live) earlier this year and died in less than two months despite the fact she had many people "praying" for her. Even if everyone in the world prayed, she would not have survived. And instead of trying to "wish" it away, I spent a lot of time with her and enjoyed being with her all I could. That was more rewarding to me then trying to wish it away.
And I know Christians will say "God has a plan for taking your Mom" but honestly, my brother and I are both so much worse off than before. But what can I do? It was simply her time and HER bad decisions (smoking) contributed to her early demise, not some deity. And I know many people can give me amazing miracle stories and/or point to the Bible for proof of God's healing powers. All I can say is, I'm happy that you got your miracle, but know that many people in the long run don't.
I heard a story over the weekend. A man boating on a lake saw another man in the middle of the lake struggling to keep his head above water. The boater headed over to him but the man waved him away saying, "Thank you but I have faith in God and I know he will save me" so the boater went on his way. Another boater saw the man and headed over to him but left when the struggling man repeated what he'd said to the first boater. Then a third boater came along. Same thing. The man drowned and finding himself suddenly facing God he asked, "God. Why didn't you save me?" to which God replied, "I tried to. I sent you three boats."
@Lil_Firefly_25@xanga - I'm sorry to hear about your lose. I lost a girlfriend who died 9 weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer and she was not a smoker. One never knows. I'm sure your mother wants you and your brother to be happy in life.
You should neverblame the death of a loved one on your lack of faith or weakness of prayer. First of all, loved ones would want us to continue leading happy lives. Secondly, if you truly believe your lack in faith had a hand in someone's death you should own up to it, turn yourself into authorities and tell them you are guilty of negligent homicide at the very least. Of course that would be ludicrous.
@Lil_Firefly_25@xanga - i'm truly sorry that your Mom left & that you are going through so much pain. Speaking from personal experience, we all grow more & better when we go through hard things. If I had had an easy life, I couldn't encourage others when they went through hard times. God uses our hard situations to help others! True! Sometimes we can't explain why things happen .... if we knew everything, we'd be God. There are just answers that we shouldn't know til we meet God one day in Heaven. But the biggest thing to know is this: no matter what pain you go through, God loves you. His love will never change no matter HOW things may seem or look ... God doesn't cause pain or destruction against His people -- people's sin & evil desires are what causes that (otherwise He wouldn't be God because God is said to be completely good). Anyway I am not trying to argue my opinion, just encourage & help you. If you ever need to talk, I'm here. I'll be praying for you.....Believe it not, prayer changes things (it just takes time), & it's TRULY not always what we want (that's why it's not a wish)...it's a request. & you said you don't like to hear it but this is true: God does know best! May He bless you today richly!
Typically when Christ healed people in the Bible, he did so after they tried doctors or whatever other practical methods were available to them, or if there was no known procedures available. And He did not come down on them for not coming to Him first.
I believe blatantly ignoring the God given gifts of medicine and hospitals and asking Him to perform a miraculous healing instead falls under the "you shall not tempt the Lord your God" category.
There is no Biblical support for foregoing available traditional medical treatment and asking God to supernaturally do it instead.
It is a major blessing to have people who study, develop and practice in the medical field. It is a gift of God that we are able to learn about the human body and be able to find ways to treat illness and disease through medicine and surgery. It is tragic that people take those things for granted.
Not to sound too insensitive, but seems to me in this case God didn't heal because the parents didn't let Him.
I believe prayer can heal, however, I also believe God gave us medical personnel for a reason (although He does have the power to heal without any kind of help whatsoever, but that doesn't mean he does it all the time). I believe in praying AND using resources God has provided (in this case, Emergency Medical Services, EMT's, Paramedics, and Doctors). Would this have saved her? Only God knows. Should the parents have gone to jail? I don't know that I can really make that judgement. I want to say no mainly because they have the right to not seek medical care (and to refuse it, depending on what exactly was wrong w/ the child) and they were doing what they thought was the right thing for their child (assuming here).
God heals in His time. even if He doesnt, He has a reason for it. who are we to question Him? i dont mean to pray and do nothing. in some cases, i believe that we should do what we can, like see a doctor and then pray for healing or speedy recovery while the doctor tries his/her best. for some medical conditions where there is no cure or surgery is risky, to undergo d procedure or to pray, tats between u and God. btw, dont let ur faith be swayed by sarcastic comments! =)
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - God CAN do EVERYTHING, but CHOOSES to share the job with us, giving us purpose.
@Lil_Firefly_25@xanga - Doctors' numbers are pessimistic, even if they believe them. I don't listen to them, as I've seen tons of people live well beyond expected limits. Hope and purpose often make a MAJOR positive impact on our lives, and even to extending what others expect to be a rather short life span.
I also believe that prayer DOES change things. It should change the person praying as much as it changes the subject of the prayer.
Prayer is not 'wishing something away' any more than asking a doctor to fix your bum leg, or asking a judge to apply mercy to your court case.
If you don't know the Lord as your personal saviour and God, you can't ask his Daddy for a special gift and expect to get it. You might, but it's less likely.
If you know the Lord and don't ask for a favor, you likely won't get it, same as above.
If you know the Lord and ask with the wrong reason or with misunderstanding, same as above.
If you know the Lord and ask, allowing him the perogative to deny, but continue with faith, then you're very likely to get what you want, if you keep on praying and trusting.
You have not because you ask not, or you ask amiss, seeking to consume it of your own lusts (from memory, please don't flame me for a missed word, unless it damaged the context, which it shouldn't.)
I just posted a dangerous and frustrating thought, but I deleted it because it didn't seem loving to the families of lost loved ones, although it is a true thought.
Just keep believing and praying, no matter how small the chance, if it seems to you to be a good thing... but be willing not to be disappointed if God disagrees for the long haul.