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 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 presume that the suffering
betrays a flaw in the affected person ---- they believe either the
sufferer is being punished for some sin, or lacks healing because of inadequate
faith. So, related prayers are seeking forgiveness of the suffering
individual.
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 healings, one can see 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 smoke less, drink less alcohol, engage in
less promiscuous sex and drug use, and have a supportive community to rely on
in coping with life problems.
"Do you see any value in prayer?" I asked.
"Oh, yes, prayer can indeed help a person cope with
stress and have a greater sense of well-being, more hope, and a readiness to
forgive ---- all of which affect health in positive ways."
"How we think and feel has a direct effect on bodily
health because the mind regulates the body's natural healing systems. On
the contrary, fear, loneliness, hostility, worry, grief and helplessness are
enemies of recovery."
Tom continued, "It does not diminish my respect for
God's power in the slightest to realize that God primarily works 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 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
first praise God for the remarkable agents of healing designed into the body,
and then ask that God's special grace give the suffering person the ability 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 a
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 health. Each of us
learns to adapt our hopes and prayers to the fact that natural laws don't
change just because we desire the change."
God is not a magician who rearranges life to fit our
whims. 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 there exists the
great potential for physical healing.
We agreed that perhaps God delights in delegating some of
the mission of healing to the control of human agents like us ---- so,
healing is not completely left 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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