Philippians 2:27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

This one verse completely refutes all the “name it and claim it” people. God does heal people, but He doesn’t do it every time. Paul was certainly not deficient in faith! In fact, it’s recorded that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,” (Acts 19:11) healing people when they were touched by things that had touched him. However, here he says that he feared he would have the sorrow of losing a fellow-worker to disease. It’s not all cut and dried, and we can’t dictate to God. Joni Tada is an excellent example here, having a magnificent ministry even while being a paraplegic from having broken her neck as a teenager. Could God have healed her, completely and instantly? Of course, but He had a greater and higher plan. The same might be said of Charlie Kirk. God could easily have prevented the gunman from killing him, but God has done and is continuing to do absolutely magnificent things through his death. Just yesterday I saw a video from New England that showed an absolute traffic jam of people going to church, and as the person taking the video stressed, that is NOT an area of the country known for faith! We aren’t to hesitate to ask God for anything, but our prayers should never be demands. God’s plans are always best, whatever it might look like to us in the moment. Paul here was rightly grateful that God had mercy on Epaphroditis, and on him, and we should likewise be grateful for all the miracles, large and small, that God pours out on us.

This is an issue that is very close to home. My wife, Cathy, has quite a list of medical issues, having had three back surgeries and living daily with Parkinson’s Disease. She has had people refuse to pray for her because “She doesn’t have faith for healing.” Joni Tada has prayed for people and they have been healed! We don’t know all the ins and outs of God’s plan for Cathy, but we know that it is and will be glorious. Since she has already had a near-death experience and seen heaven, I know that when the time comes, I’m not to pray to try to bring her back. That would be totally unfair to her! At the same time, I remember what Yongi Cho said one time, about how only about a third of the people his church prayed for were healed. He said that he had no idea why the proportion was so low, but he did know that if they hadn’t prayed, no one would have been healed. I’m not to hesitate to pray, for healing or anything else, but I am to remember that, as God told Paul, His grace is all I really need. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I cannot know the details of God’s plan, but I do know His character, and that knowledge should make me free and bold to pray.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for raising me in a family where prayer was as natural as breathing. Thank You for the countless times You have answered my prayers, as I requested or even better, and thank You for all the times when You knew better than to give me whatever it was I was asking for. May I indeed pray, and teach others to pray, on the basis of who You are, and not as if You were some indulgent Santa. May indeed Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!