What Should Christians Do When There Are Sick...

I can’t believe the title of the thread. The answer is obvious. If you are sick and the symptoms do not improve or get worse, go to the doctor.

Unbelievable.

Radagast said:

Go to the doctor. That's why God provides doctors.

Also, pray.

Click to expand...

What about the woman with the issue of blood, who spent all her money on doctors. Should we have advised her to continue working to see more doctors that God provided? When is it ok to go to God instead?

Hazelelponi said:

Go to the doctor, pray on the way there, pray after you leave, pray while you take medicine, but get to the doctor.

Click to expand...

One can pray that God will deliver them through meds and doctors, and He will. One can also Pray that God delivers them without doctors or Meds and He will.

I find it unwise to tell other where to put their faith, or how they should expect deliverance to come....as everyone has their own measure.

Faith should be increased and not stuck at our own personal levels, or levels any one person believes that one can reach.

Be it unto us as we believe.

The Woman with the issue of blood was healed by faith in God alone......after her faith in doctors faded.

RaymondG said:

One can pray that God will deliver them through meds and doctors, and He will. One can also Pray that God delivers them without doctors or Meds and He will.

I find it unwise to tell other where to put their faith, or how they should expect deliverance to come....as everyone has their own measure.

Faith should be increased and not stuck at our own personal levels, or levels any one person believes that one can reach.

Be it unto us as we believe.

The Woman with the issue of blood was healed by faith in God alone......after her faith in doctors faded.

Click to expand...

We have seen the history of many a faith healers, how they allow their own children to die because they refuse them life saving medicine like insulin.

Maybe God will heal people without a doctor, but He has blessed us with the knowledge of science and technology through which we can overcome many illnesses and prolong life or make what life there is more comfortable.

God gave us one another for a reason, and it's to love and give for one another as believers in Christ.

We can pray for the sick child, and wait for healing which may or may not come.. or we can send a few dollars so that a doctor can be seen and medicine afforded and the child will be healed.

It's certainly cheaper the first way.. less sweat of our brow ... but it is perhaps God told us to make use of the second, storing up for ourselves treasures in Heaven...

We live longer now than a few hundred years ago because of medical science. I think God would like for us to avail ourselves of that when possible.

I mean why sit around sick and dying when a doctor is on the corner and antibiotics cost a few dollars that you already have in your pocket?

Do you think it glorifies God to do so?

I think God gave us reason, for a reason.

We aren't immortal, we will someday die and we neither know when or how, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with availing ourselves of what is available to us... any thing less is sitting around in front of a plate of food and refusing to put the spoon to your mouth because "God will cure you of hunger"

well yes, yes He will if you do that, because Thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God... but it won't end the way your hoping for..

So I stick by my original post.. pray on the way to the doctor, while your there, and while taking medicine.. God gave it all to us... so we use all the weapons in our arsenal.

ABCthings said:

I don't know if this question has been asked before,if it has please share a link to it.

Suppose I notice I'm I'll and I pray to God about it and hoping that He will. Should I keep on ignoring the symptoms even though it has been days now.

Click to expand...

Hi ABCthings. In the New testament there is Luke, who worked as a physician, a Christian doctor. Also in the New testament Paul writes to Timothy telling him to take a little wine for a stomach illness. Sometimes God provides healing through medicines and medical people. Praying and going to a doctor - it need not be one or the other. You can do both. Hope you're feeling better soon, don't worry. God Bless

I've got a hammer, I've got nails, I've got some lumber. I don't ask God to build me a shack, I just build it myself.
Go see a doctor, she's got the hammer and nails God gave her to fix your problem.

greenguzzi said:

I've got a hammer, I've got nails, I've got some lumber. I don't ask God to build me a shack, I just build it myself.
Go see a doctor, she's got the hammer and nails God gave her to fix your problem.

Click to expand...

I prayed for God to build me a new Bathroom......And He did, in a way only He would/could have. and I know I would still have my old bathroom today, had I not asked Him for the new one.

Is my method wrong and yours right? did my method fail while yours succeeded? nay, they both got the job done.

Therefore, let every man reach their goal by whatever means they have faith in, and not be hindered from going further than we have or trying things we have not yet had success in doing.

RaymondG said:

When is it ok to go to God instead?

Click to expand...

Never - it should be as well as.
God should be the first we turn to for help; not a last resort. That said, it is sometimes only when we are desperate and have no one else, that we find God.

lismore said:

Hi ABCthings. In the New testament there is Luke, who worked as a physician, a Christian doctor. Also in the New testament Paul writes to Timothy telling him to take a little wine for a stomach illness. Sometimes God provides healing through medicines and medical people. Praying and going to a doctor - it need not be one or the other. You can do both. Hope you're feeling better soon, don't worry. God Bless

Click to expand...

Can you provide an example, in the bible, where one was told to pray to God for healing, and go to the doctor after, or at the same time? This would do great for your point.

Strong in Him said:

Never - it should be as well as.
God should be the first we turn to for help; not a last resort. That said, it is sometimes only when we are desperate and have no one else, that we find God.

Click to expand...

It is never ok to go to God instead of a Doctor? He must only be relied upon in conjunction with man? Do I understand you correctly?

RaymondG said:

Can you provide an example, in the bible, where one was told to pray to God for healing, and go to the doctor after, or at the same time? This would do great for your point.

Click to expand...

Where one was told by who?

lismore said:

Where one was told by who?

Click to expand...

An example in the bible where someone prayed for healing and also sought physicians after, would do. whether it was instructions, or action.

e.g. the woman with the issue of blood did both, however, she did not go to the physician after or at the same time she went to Jesus......she try doctors first.

Im looking for examples where someone tries the DR at the same time or after Prayer for healing......be it instructions to do it....or one who actually did it.

If this is just your personal belief from general studies, this is ok as well.

RaymondG said:

It is never ok to go to God instead of a Doctor? He must only be relied upon in conjunction with man? Do I understand you correctly?

Click to expand...

Sorry.
Your post asked when is it o.k to go to God instead of a doctor? I read that as, "When is it right to ignore/bypass the doctors and go only to God?" That's probably my fault for reading it like that.
The reason I said "never" is because I have heard of people who say "going to the doctors shows a lack of faith". Or "we're not going to the doctors; we're trusting God," - the implication, again, being that consulting the medical profession is inferior to trusting God and shows a lack of faith.

Turning to God in prayer first is always good. And it does not show a lack of faith to say "these symptoms have persisted for a while now; I need a medical diagnosis."

I suffered badly, as a child, from hay-fever and other allergies; I was constantly having medical tests and treatment. There came a point when I became a Christian, started going to healing services and started saying to myself, "right, we've prayed about that; I don't need my tablets any more." The only thing that happened then is my allergies got worse because I was not taking the prescribed treatment. And someone pointed out that what I was showing was not faith, but presumption; telling God that he WOULD heal me because I was showing faith by not having my tablets.
I was told, several years ago on these very forums, that if I trusted in the medical profession, then I was not trusting in God for my healing. That is dangerous nonsense.

Sorry if I misunderstood what you were saying.

RaymondG said:

An example in the bible where someone prayed for healing and also sought physicians after, would do. whether it was instructions, or action.

Click to expand...

In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Please LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the LORD came to him:
“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the LORD’s temple.
I will add 15 years to your life. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”
Then Isaiah said, “Bring a lump of pressed figs.” So they brought it and applied it to his infected skin, and he recovered.

lismore said:

In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Please LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases You.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the LORD came to him:
“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the LORD’s temple.
I will add 15 years to your life. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.’”
Then Isaiah said, “Bring a lump of pressed figs.” So they brought it and applied it to his infected skin, and he recovered.

Click to expand...

So Do you believe that it was a boil that was going to kill hezekiah? And isaiah is the doctor he went to after praying?

RaymondG said:

So Do you believe that it was a boil that was going to kill hezekiah? And isaiah is the doctor he went to after praying?

Click to expand...

It doesn't matter what I believe, it's more important what God's word says. God Bless

In James 5:14 scripture tells us to pray and anoint with oil. That anointing with oil was a medical treatment of the time. Therefore scripture urges us to both pray and use doctors.

lismore said:

It doesn't matter what I believe, it's more important what God's word says. God Bless

Click to expand...

Yes it is best we quote the word and leave out our personal interpretations......for there is One to gives wisdom freely to those who ask.

RaymondG said:

Yes it is best we quote the word and leave out our personal interpretations......for there is One to gives wisdom freely to those who ask.

Click to expand...

Also in 1 Timothy 5:23. We could speculate why Timothy did or didn't receive physical healing for the stomach complaint, all we can say for sure is that he was told to take medicinal wine. God Bless

lismore said:

Also in 1 Timothy 5:23. We could speculate why Timothy did or didn't receive physical healing for the stomach complaint, all we can say for sure is that he was told to take medicinal wine. God Bless

Click to expand...

Yes, however, even this assumes that the wine and ailment is of a physical nature. There are those called out of the natural side of things and taught the spiritual....for the multitudes can only bear the natural.

Therefore, even the interpretation of physical healing and medicinal meds, should be left to oneself, allowing the spirit to speak to each of us on the level we are on....not assuming that we are at the highest level and everyone else can see no more than we were able to see.

The verse states that to drinking water altogether and to drink wine instead.....I find it unwise to try and pedal a literal interpretation of this nature.....although it is not wrong to do so...and it would be understandable that one is only saying what they believe is right....

yet I still prefer to quote the verse as is, and direct others to the One who knows all....and can give us what we are able to bear....