How to pray for healing for someone

God will Heal the Sick. Pain and suffering are, unfortunately, a reality of life. At some point in our lives we will hurt, or someone around us will hurt. There will be a life changing accident or soul crushing diagnosis that will shake us to our souls. It can be worse to see a loved one (family member or friend) in pain. Many a mother has said, “I would take on my child’s pain if I could!” Seeing a loved one in pain can leave us feeling helpless, hopeless, and angry. We ask God, “Why did You let this happen, Lord?” and feel that “There’s nothing I can do!” There is something we can do – we can always pray! But does really everybody know how to pray for healing for someone else?

Here’s how to pray for healing for someone else

Few tips for how to pray for healing for someone else:

1. Listen! You need to understand the requirement.
2. Bring your loved one’s prayer requests to God. God hears our prayers!
3. Ask others to stand in prayer with you. Corporate prayer is powerful!
4. Ask church leaders to come and lay hands on her and pray.
5. Be an encourager!

1. Listen with compassion

When someone is going through a hard time it can make a world of difference when loving friends asks, “How can I pray for you?” without judgement. Understanding what another person is saying requires paying close attention to what they are expressing. This is an important key in discerning how to pray for healing for someone else.

Here are a few examples:

A friend who is not feeling well has a lot of things on her mind. If she is nervous about an appointment, tell her, “I will pray that you will have peace during your appointment and that your doctor(s) will have insight into how to treat your illness. I am praying for your healing!”

A coworker is struggling with a new medication. He is frustrated because he just wants to pain to stop! You can tell him: “I understand that you are frustrated about your different medications. I will pray that your body will respond to medication and that you will heal. I’ll also pray that your doctor(s) will help you find the right combinations to deal with your pain”.

A gentle reminder – do not use prayer requests as an excuse to share your friend’s personal business. Respect her privacy! Don’t share anything unless she has given you permission to do so! Prayer requests are not to be treated as gossip!

2. Bring your prayer requests to God

When I think about how God allows us to enter into His throne room and bring our requests to Him. This is not something we should take lightly especially in learning how to pray for healing for someone else. God hears our prayers!

The Bible is full of promises about God’s faithfulness. Bring your loved one’s prayer requests to God during your quiet time. Include Bible verses about healing in your prayers like Jeremiah 17:14, Isaiah 40:29, and Psalms 30:2.

Using the same example as your friend who is nervous about an appointment, here is how you can pray for her:

“Dear Lord, I want to bring my friend to you right now. I know that she is not feeling well and worry is taking a lot of her emotional energy. I pray that You will give her special peace in the midst of her crisis; draw close to her. Give her confidence that healing will come. I pray that that You will give her doctor special insight and wisdom during this upcoming appointment. Show them how to treat her to relieve the pain and bring healing. I remember the portion of Isaiah 53:3 that says, ‘…by his wounds we are healed’. I believe you, God will heal the sick! Thank-you in advance for what You will do! Amen”.

Take a minute to send a text message to your friend and say, “I just said a prayer for you!”

3. Ask others to stand in prayer with you

The Christian Church is a community that we rely on for support and community. When it comes to praying, corporate (or prayer within a group of Christians) is powerful. Remember Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”.

Here’s how you can implement corporate prayer:

• If your loved ones gives you permission, share her prayer request with a trusted group of Christians from your church of Bible study.
• Ask your Bible study to agree with you in prayer for healing.
• Ask your friends if they have any words of knowledge to share or if they have similar stories of healing.
• When you loved one experiences an answer to prayer, share it with your Bible study.
• Give praise to God.

4. Laying on of hands and Anointing of the Sick Sacrament

In the book of James (5:14-15), Christians from the early church were instructed to call the elders to pray for and anoint the sick. They would come together in agreement for healing.

If your loved one feels comfortable with it, ask church leaders to come and lay hands on her and pray. You can gather at a church or in a home.  Many Christians use anointing oil when they pray. A special reminder – anointing oil is symbolic of dedication to and trust in God; the oil does not have any power in and of itself. Talk with your pastor about the process of laying on of hands.

Catholic Church has Anointing of the Sick Sacrament, which is intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness. This sacrament is administered by a priest, who lays hands on the sick and pray over him, then anoints patient’s forehead and hands with blessed oil. The first grace of this Sacrament is one of strengthening, peace, and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness. By Anointing of the sick Sacrament, all Church is invited to pray for their brother in Christ, not leaving him alone to fight with illness and pain. Intercession of God and Church would be a great help for him.

5. Be an encourager

Imagine what you need when you’re not feeling well. Someone to sit quietly with you and keep you company? Someone who is cheerful and reassuring? Thinking through this can help develop empathy for others who are suffering.

Spending time with a friend who is suffering because of health can be very discouraging. It is easy to fall into the trap of focusing on all the negatives. While it’s important to be realistic about any situation, you can support your friend by focusing on being an encourager. Be prepared with some Scriptures to share, some positive news, or a song that touched you.

Even if your loved one isn’t feeling well, your words will be heard and your thought will be appreciated.

Pain is an unavoidable part of life, but it is an opportunity for us to experience God’s presence and faithfulness in a real way. He is there to listen to our prayers and heal us. We learn how to pray for healing for someone else through the Scriptures, asking other Christians to pray with us, and by being encouragers. God will heal the sick!

Also read: INTERCESSORY PRAYER – we pray for others

prayray.com

Prayer is one of the most powerful and miraculous methods to heal people who are sick and someone who needed our help. All we need to do is to spend a couple of minutes and pray for them. Do this work? Absolutely.

Here are some tips you can follow. First, listen and know what you are praying for. Sometimes people will tell you the health problem or disease they are suffering and they needed help, but sometimes, they will not disclose anything to you. You need to know who you are praying for and what to pray for.

Second, ask sincerely from God. You know that God will answer your prayer and you know that God is the Almighty with unlimited possibilities and able to heal and curve anyone with His touch. So believe and pray sincerely and ask specifically from God.

And finally, pray with faith. Most people never do this because they do not believe in the prayers. If you are serious about helping and praying for someone else, just pray. It does not matter if you say it incorrectly, as long as your heart is pure and your purpose is clear, God will answer your prayer and heal the one you prayed for.

Make sure that when you are praying whether for yourself or for someone else, pray with sincerity and pray with clarity. Pray using bold thoughts and words such as “now”. Use present tense and say the specific names of the people you want to heal.

More importantly, do not just pray for only once. Pray every single day and have faith in God. When you pray with sincerity and with faith, God will work its magic and your prayer will be answered.

Below are three example prayers that you can use to reach out to God and ask for His help in healing others.

“Dear Lord, You are the one I turn to for help in moments of weakness and times of need. I ask you to turn this weakness into strength, this suffering into compassion, sorrow into joy, and pain into comfort for others. May your servant trust in your goodness and hope in your faithfulness, even in the middle of this suffering. Let him be filled with patience and joy in your presence as he waits for your healing touch. Please restore your servant to full health, dear Father. Remove all fear and doubt from his heart by the power of your Holy Spirit, and may you, Lord, be glorified through his life, Amen.”

“Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

“Dear Lord, I pray for those who are sick, suffering, and physically uncomfortable. Our bodies can be so fragile and when they are physically attacked, difficulties and fears arise. I pray for anyone who is ill right now and calm healing in Jesus’ name. Help husbands and wives to come together and care for each other and their family members. Do not allow the irritation of sickness push people away from one another. Instead, draw them closer and draw them closer to You in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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Are you facing a difficult disease, illness or malady and want to cry out to God for healing but don’t know what to pray? If you feel scared, alone, unsure of the future, or don’t understand how healing works, pray these words below in faith today! Below are four prayers for healing, an interview with Max Lucado explaining how we should pray for healing, and some of our favorite Bible verses on healing.

God tells us that through prayer, He can speak to us and use us to work miracles for His glory. When you use this prayer for healing you are coming to God completely surrendered and expectant to let His Holy Spirit work in and through you. I pray that you will find miraculous healing as you seek God’s plan for your life – His plan to prosper you and to give you a hope and future!

Here are Four Prayers for Healing you can use today to speak life and hope into your situation.

A Prayer for Personal Healing

God, you know me so well. You created me. You know the number of hairs on my head, and you even know the thoughts conceived in my heart before I ever vocalize them. You’ve told us to come to you and ask for every need of life. You are Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals, and you have the final word on my destiny, the number of years I’ll live and serve you on earth.

I’m coming to you today as your child, longing to hear from you and asking for your divine healing. There’s so much I don’t understand about life. But I do know that with one touch, one word, you can make me whole. Please forgive me of my sins, cleanse me of my unrighteousness, and begin your healing from the inside out.

I don’t always know what your will is Lord, especially in times like now, when I desperately seek your face. I offer you no promises, no bargains, no deals to exchange for my health. I simply bow my heart before you to tell you the desire of my heart: that I want to spend as many years as I can loving you here, loving others, and wanting to become more like you. However you choose to accomplish that is up to you—and okay with me. If you use doctors to provide healing, give them wisdom to know what to do. Regardless of how you accomplish it, the healing you give is always miraculous. And you deserve all the praise.

I absolutely believe you have the power to heal. You demonstrated that on earth, and you still heal in miraculous ways today. Even when my faith is weak, you say it is enough, and my love for you is strong. And I know you already hold my heart and life in your hands. It’s up to you. If I can bring you more glory through healing, then that’s what I ask for. That’s what I desire.

But if your answer is no, or not now, I know that your grace is sufficient for me. Ultimately, I want your will to be my will. I look forward to spending an eternity with you. But Lord, if you have planned still more for me to do here on this earth, I not only need and want your physical healing, Lord, but a thorough, deep-down cleansing and strengthening—a whole-hearted renewal of all that I am. Because all that I am is yours. Use this trial to strengthen me from a “what-if” faith to a “no-matter-what” faith. And no matter what, I choose to honor you and give you glory.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.
~ Rebecca Barlow Jordan

How to Pray for Healing – Max Lucado

A Short Prayer for Healing for Friends

Lord, your Word speaks promises of healing and restoration and I thank you for the miracles you still perform today. Today I claim those promises over my friend. I believe in the healing power of faith and prayer and I ask you to begin your mighty work in the life of my friend. Please reach down and surround my friend with supernatural peace and strength and give her the faith to believe that all things are possible for you. Protect her from Satan’s lies and discouragement and let her miraculous healing begin. Amen.

A Prayer for Healing and Grace

Dear God,
We confess our need for you today. We need your healing and your grace. We need hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running all different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else. We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where no one else is able to fully see or understand. You know the pain we’ve carried. The burdens. The cares. You know where we need to be set free. We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are Able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your Mighty Power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you, and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today. 
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
~ Debbie McDaniel

A Prayer for Healing Sick Family and Friends

Lord Jesus, thank you that you love . I know that you hate what their illness is doing to them/me. I ask that you would heal this disease, that you would have compassion and bring healing from all sickness.

Your word says in Psalm 107:19-20 that when we call out to you the Eternal one you will give the order, heal and rescue us from certain death. In the Bible, I have read of miraculous healing and I believe that you still heal the same way today. I believe that there is no illness you cannot heal after all the bible tells of you raising people from the dead so I ask for your healing in this situation.

I also know from my experience of life on earth that not everyone is healed. If that happens here than keep my heart soft towards you, help me to understand your plan and help me to be excited about heaven.

God, I thank you that belongs to you and that you are in control of everything that happens from our first breath to our last sigh.
Amen.
~ Wendy van Eyck

Read 11 More Prayers for Healing at Praywithme.com – Helpful guiding words for praying over physical, spiritual and emotional healing. 

Healing Bible Verses

Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;  for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.

Psalm 107:19-20
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. 

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. 

Mark 5:34
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 

More Healing Scripture

What are you praying for healing over today? Join our large praying community in the comments below and experience the power, hope and healing that comes when you allow others to cover you in prayer.

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing

Prayer for StrengthPrayer for ProtectionMorning PrayersGood Night PrayersShort PrayersThe Lord’s PrayerSerenity PrayerA Birthday PrayerSinner’s PrayerPrayer for ForgivenessPrayer for Guidance  

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How To Pray For Healing During Sickness

When you or someone you love is facing a serious illness, coming up with the right prayer for their unique situation or malady can sometimes be difficult. Yet, we know prayer is a powerful tool. For that reason, esteemed Christian author and speaker, Dr. Roger Barrier, is sharing 7 powerful tips on how to best pray for healing.

Editor’s Note: Pastor Roger Barrier’s “Ask Roger” column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople, or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your questions at [email protected]

Question: How Can I Properly Pray For Healing?

Dear Roger,

My friend, Barbara, is dying with breast cancer. What complicates matters is that she’s also pregnant. The doctors have told her that she must have chemo if she’s going to live. Unfortunately, chemo will kill the baby. They recommend aborting the baby. Her husband agrees.

She’s decided to reject the chemo so that her unborn baby can live. She’s taking the risk that starting chemo as soon as her baby is born will not be too late for her.

We’ve all been praying for the baby to be well and for her to survive. But, we want to be certain that were praying properly to get the best results. Can you give us some help?

Sincerely, Kelly

Related: Here’s A Powerful Prayer For Healing

Dr. Roger Barrier Answers:

Dear Kelly,

Let me share some observations regarding prayers for healing and then give an illustration to help you experience the principle.

1. The James 5:13-16 healing prayer can really work!

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Kelly had suffered for years with radiation burns on her back and spine. Her treatment to eradicate cancer was not then as precise a procedure as it is today.

Sitting in my office Kelly read from James 5:14-15:

“Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.”

“Would you please gather the elders and pray for me?” she asked. Unfortunately, it was not that simple.

To begin with, I’d never done it before. Also, Baptist churches were organized around deacons; we had no elders. Furthermore, I wasn’t sure what a “prayer of faith” was. Finally, I had never anointed anyone with oil.

I explained to Kelly my dilemma and then suggested that we both pray and fast for five days. “I’ll meet you in my office next Friday afternoon, and if God tells us to proceed, we will.”

Five days later we both wrote on paper what we thought God was telling us. We shared our answers; our conclusions were identical. We made plans for a healing service. Since we had no elders, I invited our deacons.

During the 30 minutes before Kelly arrived, I explained to the deacons her request, the background to her pain, and what I knew of James 5:14-15. I asked if anyone had participated in a healing service before. No hands rose.

When Kelly arrived, we asked her to confess any known sins. When she finished prepared to pour olive oil over her head. Fortunately, one of the deacons averted a mess when he shook his head and whispered that a drop on a finger applied lightly to her forehead might work better. We took turns passing the bottle, anointing her with oil, and praying for her.

I wondered if perhaps Kelly would leap up like on television and shout, “Glory to God! I’m healed!” But nothing happened. She thanked us for our prayers and left a room full of deacons filled with emotions of disappointment and confusion mixed together with some measure of squelched hope.

Early the next morning Kelly awoke to a strange sensation. By the time she was out of bed, the pain was gone. Twenty years later I performed her funeral. She was pain-free all those years.

Sometime later Kelly shared with me: “I think that the reason God did not heal me in front of the deacons was because they might get proud. I think God waited until I was alone so He would get all the glory.”

2. It is not always God’s will to heal. Sometimes He has other plans.

In John 9, Jesus healed a man born blind: His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.”

Some sicknesses are designed to mature us to look like Jesus.

“No discipline seems painful at the moment; but, later on it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:10)

“All things work together for the good purpose of maturing us to look just like Jesus.”(Romans 8:28)

Some sicknesses are discipline for sin.

In Acts chapter 5, Luke records how Ananias and Sophia lied to the Holy Spirit. God took their lives away.

Finally, some sicknesses are under death. It is time to die.

David may bring teenaged Abishag to his bed to keep him warm when he was dying. But he was 75! It was time to die!

My father got lymphoma when he was 84. We could pray all we wanted to for him to be healed. But he was 85. It was time to die.

God never guarantees anyone a set number of years. Some live to the ripe, old age of 85. Others fulfill their life destiny by the age of two. But the point is, we’re all going to die. There comes a time to stop praying for healing and begin to pray for God’s grace.

3. The James 5 prayer of faith can be exercised only with an understanding of God’s will and intentions.

The Prayer of Faith does not demand a leap into the unknown. It is not positive thinking. It does not mean believing something so strongly that we make it come true-or that God must do what we want.

The prayer of faith does not rest on human emotions, feelings or desires. It is based on a word from God.

In every case the heroes of Hebrews 11 based their faith on a word from God. The Prayer of Faith is no different. By definition, it is not possible to pray in faith when there has been no word from God. However, on those occasions when God makes his will clear, it’s exciting to pray in faith knowing that God has promised to answer that prayer.

My first attempt at praying a Prayer of Faith occurred when a young mother was rushed to the hospital with a brain aneurysm. As I walked down the hospital corridor, I contemplated what words of comfort to share with her and just how to pray about her situation.

Several moments later I sensed that God was saying in my innermost spirit that Kelly’s sickness was not unto death. She would survive and live to raise her children.

Related: Prayer for Strength to Help When You Are Weak and Weary

“Surgery is scheduled for Monday,” she said. “The doctors want the swelling to subside before they operate. There is no guarantee that the artery will hold until then.”

I took a step of faith and delivered God’s message. “Kelly, God told me that your sickness is not unto death. You’ll live long enough to raise your children. Be at peace.” I don’t often have impressions like this one; nevertheless, when I sense God speaking in my inner spirit, I want to do what he says.

My Prayer of Faith rested on hearing a word from God.

Kelly’s surgery on Monday was a complete success. I didn’t see her again for 30 years. We ran into each other at a Little League baseball game at the park. She was watching her grandchildren play.

The truth is, I usually have no idea what God intends when I pray for someone’s healing. In those cases I pray a standard prayer based on James 4:2:

“You do not have because you do not ask God.”

So, I ask God for a full recovery with no problems or long-term complications. I want no one to miss out on God’s blessing because we failed to ask. Then, I pray for submission to God’s will: “Father, since we do not know Your will in this case, we submit to whatever You have in mind. Your will be done.” Then, I ask God to pour in the power of Christ with the grace that we need for any situation. Finally, I ask God to let their guardian angel watch over them carefully through this sickness or surgery.

4. Prayers for healing are not intended to replace medical attention.

Going to a doctor does not invalidate earnest faith. Occasionally I encounter Christians who are afraid that seeking medical help symbolizes a lack of faith. These people need instruction.

Evangelicals seem divided as to the meaning of the anointing oil in James 5. Some anoint with oil as a sacred symbol of the Holy Spirit. Others believe that the oil represented good, first century, medicine. James may well have had both meanings in mind. Two extremes are to be avoided. One extreme is to pray with faith and refuse medical attention. The other extreme is to resort to medical help and never pray.

God taught me a hard lesson about this. After suffering with an intestinal disease for almost a decade, I decided that it was time to pray in faith for God’s healing. As a young, idealistic student, searching for the boundaries of practical Christianity, I reasoned that taking prednisone and sulfa drugs was a sign of unbelief. I told God that I would stop taking my medicine and place my full faith in Him for my healing.

In less than a month I was hospitalized, and shortly thereafter the surgeon removed my entire colon. My “faith” was sinful, misguided presumption: “Thou shalt not put the Lord your God to the test” (Exodus 20:7) I encourage people to pray hard and seek the best medical help they can find. Faith plus modern medicine is often a good prescription for healing.

5. God heals in a variety of ways.

“Gifts of healings,” as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:9, is a double plural: “healings.” I wish I’d noticed that when we first prayed for Rhonda. Then I would not have been disappointed when she did not jump up healed. After many prayers I have learned that God uses a variety of healing methods-some immediate and some resolving over time.

Occasionally healing is spoken directly. Peter said to the lame man, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6).

Sometimes hands are laid on the sick: “His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went into see him and, after prayer, placed hands on him and healed him” (Acts 28:8).

Sometimes a healing occurs immediately, like with the man born blind (John 9:1-41).

Sometimes it takes a while, like when Jesus healed a blind man and the job was only half finished: “I see men as trees walking” (Mark 8:24). Jesus then went on to finish the job.

Related: 8 Things to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say

My favorite unusual divine healing happened one Sunday evening after church. A medical student approached me in tears. Cancerous lesions were on her cervix and she and her husband, Anthony, were meeting with her doctor in the morning to plan a course of action. As a medical student Toni knew better than most the risks and complications involved. If she did live, she may never have children. She wanted prayer according to James 5.

I invited several spiritual men and women to a corner of our now deserted church auditorium to pray for her healing. When we finished both she and her husband thanked us and departed.

The next morning Anthony called me. “You’ll never guess what happened after we got home last night. We were discussing the prayer time and Toni said, ‘Wasn’t that exciting when the lighting crew turned that bright spotlight on me when Roger began to pray?’”

I said, “What spotlight? Nobody turned on any bright light.”

“She said, “You mean that you didn’t see the light?”

‘”No,” he replied, “There was no bright light.”

“Yes there was.”

“Then, we realized that the lighting crew had left a long time ago. We concluded that the bright light had to be a sign from God that he was answering the prayers.”

She asked her position to rerun the tests. The cancerous lesions were gone. She needed no surgery, no therapy, no treatment. Toni finished her residency at the University of Arizona Medical School. She and Anthony now have two healthy children. She is a pediatrician in Denver and calls me occasionally to say, “hi.”

6. When God says “no,” stop praying for healing and start praying for grace.

Occasionally, I’m asked, “How long should we keep on praying?”

The answer is simple. We keep praying until God says “yes” or, until we sense that God’s answer is “no.”

There are times when Jesus encourages us to keep on praying and he will give us a “yes.”

On the other hand, no matter how often Paul pleaded, God’s answer was still “no.”

Julie and I were in Turkey leading a conference for Campus Crusade workers in the Middle East. After one evening session one of the workers asked for volunteers to come and pray with him for his healing.

He related that he’d been praying with people for healing from “restless leg syndrome,” for over 10 years.

So, the pleading and praying for his healing began in earnest. Frankly, I was getting a little upset at what I consider to be misguided prayers.

It was obvious to me that God had already answered his prayer with a “no.” I mean, if God hasn’t said, “yes” in 10 years, the likelihood of him saying it now seems slim. Sometimes, God has other plans. The time comes to stop pleading for healing and start praying for grace to handle well the troubles.

After all, God said to Paul: “I won’t take away the thorn, but my grace is sufficient.

I shared those thoughts with the worker after the prayer meeting. At breakfast he thanked me profusely.

7. God will sacrifice the body every time if that’s what it takes to mature our inner spirit.

We spend so much time praying for our bodies to be well. God is much more concerned that we’re praying for the maturing of our innermost spirit, which is eternal, than pleading for the healing of bodies which only last for a short time.

I can’t think of any time when Paul prayed for someone’s body to get healed. On the other hand, he prayed continually, in most all of his letters, for the development of the inner spirits of his readers.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is a great example:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, cut may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Well Kelly, I hope that some of my thoughts are helpful to you. I pray that you will pray wisely and with great insight. May God grant you many answer prayers–especially the ones that are part of his plans.

Sincerely, Roger

Dr. Roger Barrier retired as senior teaching pastor from Casas Church in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to being an author and sought-after conference speaker, Roger has mentored or taught thousands of pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders worldwide. Casas Church, where Roger served throughout his thirty-five-year career, is a megachurch known for a well-integrated, multi-generational ministry. The value of including new generations is deeply ingrained throughout Casas to help the church move strongly right through the twenty-first century and beyond.

Dr. Barrier holds degrees from Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Golden Gate Seminary in Greek, religion, theology, and pastoral care. His popular book, Listening to the Voice of God, published by Bethany House, is in its second printing and is available in Thai and Portuguese. His latest work is, Got Guts? Get Godly! Pray the Prayer God Guarantees to Answer, from Xulon Press. Roger can be found blogging atPreach It, Teach It, the pastoral teaching site founded with his wife, Dr. Julie Barrier.

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