I guess my charismatic is showing. I’ve written to the point of probably being tiresome of my struggle to understand why God does or does not answer prayers for healing. My faith in that area is admittedly weak, but I can’t help wondering at some of the prayers I hear. People ask for God to influence the doctors to make good decisions. They ask for the medicine to work. They ask simply that God “be with” someone.

I don’t mean to be critical. I’m much too flawed to claim any greater understanding than anyone else, especially on this topic. I just wonder why, if we believe that God moves at all today, we would ask for less than we really want. I realize that for many this reflects their dispensational thinking. God changed, even though He says that He never changes, and doesn’t involve Himself in the miraculous anymore. It seems to me the most miraculous thing ever is the transformation of the human spirit that happens when the Holy Spirit is given control. Why God should be acknowledged by theologians to do this today and not to perform mere healing of a physical malady is beyond me. Is the leading of the human being by an all powerful supernatural Spirit who can be everywhere at once not a miracle?

I don’t know why God doesn’t answer prayers that it seems from scripture that He should. I know all the stock answers to that question having grown up in that environment, but none seem sufficient in themselves. Indeed we must pray in faith. I suppose that we cannot ask for more than we know that He will give, but this is the way I see it. If I believe that He is able to do anything, I must believe that He is able to do everything. I don’t understand what He will do, but I know what He can do. Whether it is for me or for someone else, though I may be yet uncomfortable with the asking, I’m not willing to ask for less than the best. I’m not praying that the doctors be influenced, unless it is that they are convinced of His power by what they see and come to know Him. I’m not praying for future scientific advances, except that they improve quality of life for everyone. I’m praying for complete healing. If I dare to ask the creator of the universe for anything, why not ask for what I really want? The companion prayer is that He teaches me to want what He wants. Then, I know beyond doubt that He will answer.