What is preventing God from healing more people today?

Laetetia said:

Prayers for healing aren't always answered:
"Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother." (Psalm 35:13-14)

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A piece of scripture written before the atoning work of Christ. As beautiful as it is I'm not sure it's really relevant here.

But like many Psalms it's also a prophecy about Jesus, as though it's written in first person. It can be interpreted as being about how, here on earth, He treated kindly those who mistreated Him, and how God will give Him victory over His enemies.

Laetetia said:

But like many Psalms it's also a prophecy about Jesus, as though it's written in first person. It can be interpreted as being about how, here on earth, He treated kindly those who mistreated Him, and how God will give Him victory over His enemies.

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Which line/verse are you referring to as being directly prophetic about Jesus?

Illness is because of sin.. Not personal sin but because Sin came into the world. Men are born to die. Their bodies will die one way or another.

Crankitup said:

I've said it many times already, I would never blame God if I wasn't healed. The fault would lie with me.

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It's sad that you would blame yourself for something which was not your fault and for which no one else would blame you.

I know it's human to want to look for someone to blame, but why do that in this case?
Who said that not being healed is a fault or failure?

There are plenty of instances in the Bible where God promises something but the answer is delayed - look at Abraham.
Normally when I say that, someone will respond by saying "ah yes, but we are never told that that is true of illness". Really? Not being able to have children sounds like a medical condition to me; one from which Sarai, Hannah and Elizabeth all suffered. Moses told God he was "slow of speech", some people say he stuttered, and God did not heal him, he provided Aaron to act as his spokesman.

"Wait", is a valid answer to prayer from God. We don't like it, and in the case of healing we can't accept it. We look at the Gospels which appear to show Jesus healing everyone, instantly, conclude that he only and always heals like that today, and blame ourselves if he does not do it for us. As if we could DO anything to EARN this healing.

Let God be God, I say. If there IS a fault in any of us, something which is blocking his healing; he is able, and more than willing, to show us what it is. Otherwise, leave your requests with him and trudt him to answer in his own time and the way which is best for us.

Crankitup said:

I think you missed the point of what I was saying though. Sure a sickness can be a trying experience. The point is what James tells us our response to a trial should be (rejoicing) as opposed to what we should do when we are sick, (have the elders pray the prayer of faith, anointing us with oil with us being fully expectant of healing).

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But why does it have to be so clear cut - pray for this, rejoice for that? It implies we can't pray in a trial, or rejoice if we are ill.
Paul says that we should rejoice at all times, (Phil 4:4; 1 Thess 5:16); pray continuously (1 Thess 5:17; Eph 6:18) and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18) because this is God's will for us. It sounds as though both prayer and rejoicing should be pretty much continuous.

Crankitup said:

heymikey80 said:

I think it's pretty clear that the verses and the contexts you've brought up so far do allow such a translation. There's nothing in the way of it.

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In your opinion. Not in mine.

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Well, there hasn't really been something reasonable put in the way of allowing disease as implicit in the term "infirmity". So it's not really a problem for me to pass by an opinion unsupported by reason, when my opinion is reasoned. It's supported by a number of Scriptural texts using the same term to include disease as well as infirmity.

You're simply reducing the arguments to "two opinions". It's not really equal, as for instance the opinion of someone based on feeling isn't as strong as one based on reason.

There are only two possible reasons:

i) karma/God's judgment; or

ii) Satan's freedom is worth more than all the suffering in the world.

MamaZ said:

Illness is because of sin.

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Please demonstrate to me where catching H1N1 is the result of 'sin'?

Not personal sin but because Sin came into the world. Men are born to die. Their bodies will die one way or another.

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Animals die, plants die - what sin did they ever commit?

No wonder atheists have a field day with Christianity.