Prayers of Humility

I preached on healing yesterday, from the texts on a prophets instruction for a man of power and of another faith [2 Kings 5:1-14], and the direct healing of a leper by Jesus [Mark 1:40-45]. I was struck by the leper's approach. He didn’t beg or demand healing as we tend to do in our prayers. Instead, he professes faith and acceptance, “I believe that you can heal me, if you choose.” How often do we pray, “I know you can heal, God. Please do so, if you will.” In this instance, Jesus replies simply, “I do choose.”

Many of us accept that prayer can be powerfully healing, including doctors and unbelievers. Some link the phenomena to the power of positive and focused thought on the part of those being healed and those praying. Some believers insist that we can order up healing by confident proclamation. The “failures” of that kind of prayer are then attributed to some defect or weakness in the faith of the sufferer or person praying. Most of us have witnessed very faithful and positive people who die all too young from serious illness. Likewise, we can cite examples of angry, bitter, negative people who get better. This is the very paradox which produces the proverb: “Only the good die young”.

Does God sometimes choose not to heal? We could enter into a discourse here on the will of God. I find that subject presents great temptation to arrogance as if we could know the mind of God, especially with regard to another’s life. We can’t get answers in every case, certainly not when we want them. Life and death abounds in mystery. Even if we have a strong intuitive or reasoned guess as to God’s purpose, should we really presume to declare it?

Yes, the statistics and studies on the power of hope and prayer are important and should be taught and understood alongside other healing methods. I wonder also if our concern ought not to be with the outcome of the physical condition, so much as the experience and journey of the team and companions and the person in need of healing. God does choose to heal. Question is: What needs most to be healed? Body, soul or mind? How about the relationships and patterns in behavior of families, marriages, communities?

In all things spiritual, I strongly recommend humility (though I’m not claiming any kind of mastery thereof). The leper models humility in acceptance. (Naaman not so much, but then he’s a whole other story.)