My mom used to keep a tattered and worn piece of paper near her phone that had a list of people on it that she was praying for. I always knew that if I needed an answer to prayer, all I had to do was ask mom to get involved. I used to tease her that she must have God by the ear because she seemed to have a direct line to him. The truth is that we all have a direct line to God through prayer.
Prayer might seem like a tedious chore. We might have memories from childhood of being told to say our prayers at bedtime. “Now I lay me down to sleep…”. We recited all the things we wanted God to help us with, including asking for prayers for a sick cat or “God, please make sure I get a bike for Christmas.” That last one was my prayer for a couple of years.
Nowadays, we seem to be surrounded by friends, family and acquaintances that are in desperate need of prayer, especially in the area of sickness. Not only are we concerned about COVID-19 but we all probably know someone battling cancer or other illnesses. Their diagnosis might seem insurmountable and praying for them might seem useless. The truth is, that God hears every prayer from the faithful and God will heal. He may not do it in the way that we expect. There may not be an obvious miracle, but God hears our prayers and answers every single one.
So, how can you pray for the sick without letting your logical mind interfere with the supernatural? Here are some simple guidelines to keep your focus on God and his plan for healing:
Pray with Faith
My favorite story about praying with faith is found in Mark, chapter 9, verses 14-27. The disciples have been unable to cast out a demon in a young boy and Jesus has them bring the boy to him. The boy’s father says to Jesus, “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?”, Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help overcome my unbelief!” (emphasis mine)
When a friend is given a terminal diagnosis or is battling a particularly terrible illness, it can be difficult to pray with faith for a complete physical healing. The truth is that we know that God can heal in that way. The other truth is that evil is in the world and we are all going to die someday. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t still pray with faith and ask God to help us when there is that little niggle of doubt in our hearts. We put our focus on Jesus and his healing blood from the cross. He died for our sins and by his stripes we are healed! (Isaiah 53:5)
Pray with Thanksgiving
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
There’s that little phrase between two commas: “with thanksgiving”. I actually love that part of praying for people who are sick. I enjoy thanking God for them, telling him how grateful I am that I can pray for them and that I can trust him to comfort them and heal them. I thank him for their life and all the things that he has called them to accomplish. I praise and thank him for all the good things that come to mind about the person I’m praying for. Praying with thanksgiving causes a supernatural joy to bubble up and it will bolster your faith as you pray.
Pray with Authority
We have been given powerful authority in Christ. Whenever Jesus prayed for someone who needed healing, he was pretty quick about it and spoke with tremendous authority. You might say, well, of course he spoke with authority! He is God! Yes, this is true. But he also told us in John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done…”
When you read through the gospels, you’ll see words accompanying Jesus’ healings such as rebuke, command, reprimand, and instruct. Jesus was full of action and sure authority because of his relationship with the Father. Because of Jesus and his death and resurrection, we have that same authority and certainty when we pray for healing. We are doing battle against the evil of this world and praying with authority is essential when praying for the sick.
In Conclusion
Prayer takes our faith to an entirely different level. Through prayer we transcend the physical world and enter into the supernatural. Our faith will grow from the tiniest mustard seed into a strong tree that flourishes in God’s presence.
Matthew 14:14 is a passage that is indicative of Jesus and the multitudes that he healed during his ministry:
“When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.”
Paula Aiton is a member of Koinonia Church worship team in Hanford, CA and a freelance writer, musician and artist. Her blog, ‘God’s Glory Girl’, can be found at godsglorygirl.com.
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