Recently, I had dinner in New York City with Tom, a former
college classmate who had gone on to medical school and now is a successful
surgeon in the Mid-West. We talked about many things, but at one point I
asked him point-blank if he believed that prayer promoted recovery from illness
or physical injury?
Tom paused for a moment and then said. "Are you asking
what is the role of God in all of this, and could our prayers bring God into
action on behalf of the ill and injured?"
Tom noted that we often turn to prayer when illness or
injury strike. He claimed that some Christians expect that the suffering
betrays a moral flaw in the affected person. Perhaps the sufferer
is being punished for some sin, or he lacks healing because of inadequate
religious faith. So, any prayers for this suffering individual should be
seeking the forgiveness of God for the former's sins and absence from God.
"On the other hand," he continued, "some
Christians believe that faith alone can heal any disease and that to look
elsewhere for help ---- for example, to medical doctors ---- demonstrates a
lack of trust in God."
"I do not buy either of these theories," Tom
said. He believed that in many cases of healing one can see only the overall
effect of religion on health, rather than the specific impact of prayer.
Lifestyle choices often account for much of the benefit of prayer, he believed
---- regular church-goers seem to smoke less, drink less alcohol, engage in
less promiscuous sex and drug use, and have a supportive community to rely on
in coping with problems.
"Do you see any value in prayer?" I asked.
"Oh, yes, prayer can indeed help a person cope with
life's stress, give a greater sense of well- being, stimulate hope and feed a
readiness to forgive ---- all of which affect health in positive ways.
One's prayers should be focused on encouraging the needy person's sense of
well-being, hope and readiness to forgive others."
"How we think and feel has a direct effect on bodily
health because the mind regulates the body's natural healing systems. To
the contrary, fear, loneliness, hostility, worry, grief and helplessness are
enemies of healthy recovery."
Tom continued, "It does not diminish my respect for
God's power in the slightest to realize that God works primarily through the
mind to summon up resources of healing in a person's body. The Holy
Spirit has a role in health. A person experiences maximum good health
when all three ---- body, mind and spirit, are aligned in a way that expresses
the will of the Designer."
While Tom caught his breath, I offered an additional
thought: "Those who pray for the sick and suffering, perhaps should
praise God for the remarkable agents of healing designed into the body, and
then ask that God's special influence to cause the suffering person to use
those resources to their fullest advantage. I believe, as you say, that
the prayers of fellow Christians can offer real, tangible help by setting into
motion the intrinsic powers of healing, controlled by God, in the person.
This approach does not contradict natural laws. Rather,,it fully employs
the design features built into the human body."
It was getting late, but Tom had a final thought: "Some
Christians accept the regularity and predictability of natural laws in other
areas, but resist them when it comes to human health. Each of us learns
to adapt our hopes and wants, to the fact that natural laws do not change just
because we desire change and sincerely pray for it.
God is not a magician who rearranges life to fit our
wishes. No prayer will reverse the aging process, banish death or
eliminate the need for nourishment. Or, you could say that God has set
certain rules in motion and only within those rules does there exist potential for
physical healing.
We did agree that perhaps God delights in delegating some of
the mission of human healing to the control of human agents like us ---- so,
healing is not left completely up to God.
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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage your pursuit of personal
spiritual growth this Fall at CPC.
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