Praying for Needs, Requests, Healings

As Christians, we exercise trust that God hears, cares, and is working.

What does it mean to cast our cares upon Jesus, because He cares for us?

1 Peter 5:6–7 ESV

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Be Submitted to God’s Will

Part of being submitted to God’s will means that we let God call the shots: on timing, on provision, and on method. We may pray for provision, expecting one thing, and God may choose to provide a different way.

My mother had a friend once who was a mom with several younger children. She was probably mid-fifties. She also had grandchildren. She was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, and no mater what the doctors tried to do, they could not help her. One day, as my mom was taking her in her wheelchair for a walk, they were talking about everything that was happening, and what the outcome of all this would be. My mom’s friend looked at her and said “well, either He heals me here, or He heals me there!”

We may pray for healing, expecting God to immediately heal all our problems. But God doesn’t always work like that. My mom’s friend was assured of her healing because of Jesus, but she left the how, what, where, why and when up to God. Sometimes God heals on the spot. Other times, God uses the wisdom of doctors and medical staff to diagnose and cure problems. Sometimes, we don’t receive healing on this earth, but God chooses to wait for full healing in eternity. That was my mom’s friend’s story. God didn’t grant her full healing on this earth. Instead, He called her home to glory. Does that mean we missed something, or that God was wrong? I’m sure her family has had to wrestle with

Be Faithful in Prayer

We are called to faithfully bring our requests to God! Not to convince Him, not to change His mind, but to demonstrate and posture ourselves in faith, living in expectancy of what God is going to do. Luke 18

Be Assured of God’s Working (or hearing?)

Luke 12:24 ESV

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

Mark 11:24 ESV

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

James 5:16 ESV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 John 5:15–16 ESV

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.