here's what I think...
I think that yes, faith is important for healing. We can clearly see this in the Bible. And sometimes people don't receive from God because their faith is too weak.
BUT.. I think it's very important to remember that it's not our faith that makes the miracles happen, it's God's choice.. it's a gift of grace...not something we can "buy" with faith. Miracles have no "currency". There have been times when God chose to grant someone a miracle or a healing because they trusted Him soo much, but this is solely because of His MERCY, not because they 'earned' it with their trust. It's because He looked upon them with compassion, since they trusted Him so much even in trials. God does reward that. But.. we should always glorify God's mercy because He is not obligated to give us anything, but He does, out of love.
I see that in some churches..faith IS treated as a 'currency'. I won't name any churches. But in some of them, it seems like they're saying... God wants to heal us, make us rich, give us all this worldly stuff..and we'll get all of it if we only believe with all our hearts. And then if people suffer..if they're struggling with something, or sick, or have depression... instead of reaching out to them in love, their Christian friends tell them that they're just not believing enough. WELLL to put it simply..this can mess a person up!! It's so judgemental and just...wrong.. even on a theological level. Christ said that it's difficult for a rich man to get to heaven (possible, but difficult). This is why many early Church Christians, and also the monks/nuns of today give away all their possessions and become poor, because in being poor they gain more of Christ. The reason this happens is because this is how we die to self and to the world!! Only if we give up ourselves will we truly find God.. and these modern churches, they're saying the opposite. That God wants us to have all this stuff. But they don't see that if we gain it, it would become a *temptation* for us to be even more worldly... God loves us too much to give us everything we ask for!
Sorry I got off topic lol.. we're talking about healing.. well as I was saying, in some churches, it's like if you're sick then your faith is too small and you're a BAD CHRISTIAN..
But then I have to wonder, was the faith of the Saints and Martyrs 'too small'? No.. They could heal others with their prayers, but let themselves suffer, for the sake of God's Kingdom. This takes MORE faith.. they believed that God will use their suffering, without any signs or evidence or instant results. The Martyrs could have asked God to deliver them from their enemies, instead they died for Christ, trusting Him that everything He said is true.
So...yes we should have faith when we pray, yes we should trust God with all our hearts, and yes we should really believe when we ask for healing.. but if nothing happens...we shouldn't get discouraged...we should STILL TRUST GOD... and this consists in trusting Him that even though our prayers weren't answered, that is for the best, that He knows what He is doing, and will bring everything to good. At its best, it's a submission to God's will inspite of ones own suffering; saying: Lord if this is Your will, that is enough for me, even if I dont get anything in return and none of my prayers will ever be answered.
Of course God is merciful
and does answer prayer. But we should remember it's because of His love and mercy, not because we were "faithful enough".. if a great sinner were to ask for mercy he'd receive just as much of it, maybe even more, than if a good Christian does. God does in fact reward faithfulness, and good works, and we need both...that is why "the faith of a righteous man avails much" and why some of us ask the Saints and Mary to pray for us. If we call ourselves Christians but don't trust God and don't live out our faith, we might not go to heaven in the end. But what I'm saying is that sometimes when people say "I trust God", they just mean that they trust HIm to do what THEY want.. instead, we should trust Him that His will is best for us. And that no matter how much we suffer, God will be with us. Isn't that somehow even better than simply being healed; having Jesus always be with us and share in our pain, comfort us through it..this helps us understand how much He loves us..
above all, we should just be surrendered to God's will.
And I have to work on this myself, so I'm not speaking from a pedestal here.
God bless
I think that yes, faith is important for healing. We can clearly see this in the Bible. And sometimes people don't receive from God because their faith is too weak.
BUT.. I think it's very important to remember that it's not our faith that makes the miracles happen, it's God's choice.. it's a gift of grace...not something we can "buy" with faith. Miracles have no "currency". There have been times when God chose to grant someone a miracle or a healing because they trusted Him soo much, but this is solely because of His MERCY, not because they 'earned' it with their trust. It's because He looked upon them with compassion, since they trusted Him so much even in trials. God does reward that. But.. we should always glorify God's mercy because He is not obligated to give us anything, but He does, out of love.
I see that in some churches..faith IS treated as a 'currency'. I won't name any churches. But in some of them, it seems like they're saying... God wants to heal us, make us rich, give us all this worldly stuff..and we'll get all of it if we only believe with all our hearts. And then if people suffer..if they're struggling with something, or sick, or have depression... instead of reaching out to them in love, their Christian friends tell them that they're just not believing enough. WELLL to put it simply..this can mess a person up!! It's so judgemental and just...wrong.. even on a theological level. Christ said that it's difficult for a rich man to get to heaven (possible, but difficult). This is why many early Church Christians, and also the monks/nuns of today give away all their possessions and become poor, because in being poor they gain more of Christ. The reason this happens is because this is how we die to self and to the world!! Only if we give up ourselves will we truly find God.. and these modern churches, they're saying the opposite. That God wants us to have all this stuff. But they don't see that if we gain it, it would become a *temptation* for us to be even more worldly... God loves us too much to give us everything we ask for!
Sorry I got off topic lol.. we're talking about healing.. well as I was saying, in some churches, it's like if you're sick then your faith is too small and you're a BAD CHRISTIAN..
But then I have to wonder, was the faith of the Saints and Martyrs 'too small'? No.. They could heal others with their prayers, but let themselves suffer, for the sake of God's Kingdom. This takes MORE faith.. they believed that God will use their suffering, without any signs or evidence or instant results. The Martyrs could have asked God to deliver them from their enemies, instead they died for Christ, trusting Him that everything He said is true.
So...yes we should have faith when we pray, yes we should trust God with all our hearts, and yes we should really believe when we ask for healing.. but if nothing happens...we shouldn't get discouraged...we should STILL TRUST GOD... and this consists in trusting Him that even though our prayers weren't answered, that is for the best, that He knows what He is doing, and will bring everything to good. At its best, it's a submission to God's will inspite of ones own suffering; saying: Lord if this is Your will, that is enough for me, even if I dont get anything in return and none of my prayers will ever be answered.
Of course God is merciful
and does answer prayer. But we should remember it's because of His love and mercy, not because we were "faithful enough".. if a great sinner were to ask for mercy he'd receive just as much of it, maybe even more, than if a good Christian does. God does in fact reward faithfulness, and good works, and we need both...that is why "the faith of a righteous man avails much" and why some of us ask the Saints and Mary to pray for us. If we call ourselves Christians but don't trust God and don't live out our faith, we might not go to heaven in the end. But what I'm saying is that sometimes when people say "I trust God", they just mean that they trust HIm to do what THEY want.. instead, we should trust Him that His will is best for us. And that no matter how much we suffer, God will be with us. Isn't that somehow even better than simply being healed; having Jesus always be with us and share in our pain, comfort us through it..this helps us understand how much He loves us.. above all, we should just be surrendered to God's will.
And I have to work on this myself, so I'm not speaking from a pedestal here.
God bless
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