There is a lot of rubbish being peddled in the name of Christianity today. Radio and television preachers keep telling us if we just had enough faith, if we just believed God enough, we could be healed of all of our diseases. We would never have to be sick another day of our lives.
But don’t you believe it!
God never promises his people immunity from sickness, pain, and troubles in this life. To the contrary, to choose to walk after God is oftentimes to choose the very path of pain. It was so with Jesus. It was so with the apostles. And it is often true with us.
“Well,” you ask, “if that is true, is there any need for us to pray for the sick?”
Yes! Yes, indeed. We should pray for the sick because God tells us to, and there are just enough unexplained healings to make us know that we are not in control. God can and does work miracles in today’s world. However, that is not the way God usually works. The very word “miracles” suggests that it is something unusual. It is out of the ordinary. Ordinarily God works through the ordinary. Usually he works through the usual.
Should I pray for the sick? Yes, by all means. However, your faith and confidence in God should not be shaken if no miracle comes.