When I was younger, maybe between 7 and 9 years old, I picked up a pretty strange idea. The idea was that God had given me the gift of healing. I never exercised it, but believed that if I placed my hands on someone sick/hurting and prayed for healing in the name of Jesus Christ, God would grant that prayer (miraculously) and the person would be healed. The only requirement was that I needed to properly respect the Lord's name and never use it irreverently, flippantly, etc.
I'm sorry to say that I have been too casual in the way I've treated the Lord's name since that time. In addition I've never had the confidence to actually step up, and lay my hands on someone who needs healing, and pray in Jesus name for them to be healed. Some of the synonyms for faith are confidence and belief. So it is more accurate to say I've never had enough faith to take action. As a twisted blessing, the opportunities for stepping out in such faith have been scarce as well. Most people around me are pretty healthy, though may need inner healing or could have an easier time about their lives. (NOT that ease is what christianity gives us!! biblically speaking, we should be getting something more like the opposite. nor should we be expecting temporal securities! another matter, i rant.)
I sat down the other night after work and re-thought about this fairly innocent childhood thought of being given the gift of healing (with said 'rules'). One heavy question that came up from my thinking was who I would/should have prayed for to receive healing. I had one person immediately spring to mind, Peter Capell. Peter has gone to be with the Lord, but his time of suffering was severe and not only for himself but for his whole family, and wife with child. God did give strength to everyone to go through such a trial and still stand, but the pain of suffering and loss endured by everyone (myself included), is the greatest I've known so far in my young life.
Did I miss out on what was the best?
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Having never been in your position, I would find it hard to say. Myself, being the skeptical kind of guy I am, would be hesitant to feel down about such a thing unless I was pretty sure I did have such a gift. However, if it was a pretty important thing for me, I would want to test such a notion.
On a similiar note, I have acted on my own compulsions of "this really seems to be one of those situations I gotta just act on faith" but to no noticeable effect, except that I relieved my conscience. Consequently, I've developed the opinion that such compulsions are not necessarily promptings of the Spirit, so my conscience doesn't bug me about them so much. But, that is to say nothing about your experience, just to share mine.
If the above has any kind of bad effect on you, please ignore it.
yeah, i understand what both of you are saying. It's kind-of a perspective thing though Eric, 'cause you know I don't really agree with your perspective. Not that I am irritated by that or anything, your post was not offensive/(had a bad effect on me). I read your posts and understand (sortof) how you view human nature and moral structure etc. So what you said made sense with regards to that. (c:
I don't agree, but think that your description is very accurate. (hmm. this ought to be on your comment list, not mine.. oh well). Similar to the way I see psychology today describing well how the brain works and personality and all the rest, I say 'yes' that does paint a very similar picture to reality, but I don't agree that what looks like it is what it is. The same goes for your philosophical stance. You are more knowledgeable than me though, so I can't give my own stance much credit other than it rings 'truer' in my mind, or some such nonsense as that. (c: Ahh..
But with regards to this post of mine, i was hoping more to get something of a discussion about maybe how i did or didn't have an unreasonable (biblical) idea as a youth.
Two other people came to mind as well as I've further considered hardships in life, my grandpa and his deafness and my dad with his diabetes (my bro and sis are included in that one).
Further thought, somewhat random, if i get a serious illness (such as cancer or something like that), maybe i should travel to africa and get healed there. Miracles are happening over there all the time and people are full of faith. What do *you* think of that thought?
Well, God is all powerful and can heal at any time and under any circumstance. As in Africa, sometimes He does a lot of healing. We know that His goal is for people from every tribe and nation to praise the honor of His name and worship and fear Him. So I will ask you: How could a gift like you may have fit into that picture? This is a real question and I don't have an answer in mind.
As for Dad and Grandpa and especially your friend, do you think that God might have had another end to the story in mind? One that your choice could have affected? That is an interesting question. I know that Dad's diabetes and my partial deafness are part of who we are and God uses these things in our lives in different ways at different times. We know we will be healed when we get to heaven and have no expectation to be healed before that. I suppose we would be willing to be part of an experiment...
peter, you double posted, but I cleaned it up. (c:
Yeah, think you might be right about the 'why' part. And I agree that if I should have had action with regards to Peter Capell, then I would have received a stronger 'push' from the Holy Spirit, or someone speaking to me (in a God obvious way).
It's a delicate thing though, the 'every *push* feeling i get is from the spirit' vs. 'the *push* feeling i get is self-imagined'. The first idea strikes me as exaggerated and likely foolish (though isn't that a life full of faith?) and the second is secular (in my eyes). I can't agree with the second at all, but sometimes the reasons I can't believe the second is because of all the implications. Long discussion there. Bad logic-ish, except for Josh McDowell who helps make the Bible easier to believe.
As to 'experimenting' as mom put it.. uh.. i'm don't really agree with that. (c: Testing something, just doesn't seem right. True, I have prayed for gpa to regain his hearing but i'm not going to lay hands until I am REALLY sure God is moving me.
It's pretty evident to me that it is possible to go with something that is less than the best in God's plan. When I sin, that's worse than if I had chosen to submit to God's rulership. In a similar (if not the same way), when I don't take oppotunities that God gives me (to trust Him, to bless others, etc..) then I'm missing the better plan. True, the end is as secure as ever, but I'm 'missing the mark' when I'm not choosing God. Grace means a lot more now to me as I get older.
"How would a gift..?" well, I can humanly see a lot of good things coming out of miracles to God's glory. I say humanly, because I'm sure God's perspective includes MUCH more than I can begin to understand. Miracles build faith, bless believers (and non-believers). Illustrate God's compassion towards us. I think a miracle would help to bring nominal christians back to the realization of how REAL God is. Not just religiosity or social structure. I guess catastrophes do that as well in some ways. It is sad if we need a miracle to asure our faith, but sometimes we do. I know there are times in my own life when i NEED to know God's presence. So i reflect on where He has undeniably met me before.
yeah, anyhoo, this comment is getting long.
after writing that long comment, i read back over what had been written thus far and would like to acknowledge and thank Bethany for her statement of, "I am not sure that it is always necessary to know the difference between the two unless your compulsions are contrary to God's ways."
well put, your whole comment. makes some of what i've said since a bit redundant.
Don't think that I'm of the second type, one who discredits all promptings. I'm mainly skeptical of promptings that feel awkward, seem strange, would make me feel bad, etc. However, I'm in favour of promptings that show people there is more to reality than the lame existence the world forces them into: exciting, enlivening, and hope filled promptings.
Hi, Luke. Good post. I just wanted to comment on the Africa thing you talked about. I don't know if going to a certain place just because "miracles are happening...all the time" over there and "people are full of faith." I believe that God will heal anyone anywhere, and there are peopel full of faith all over the world. I don't know if going to a place for healing because of the larger density of miracles and faith is right. That's like saying, "I'll go to this other church to pray because people there look like they have a closer connection with God," when in fact you can pray anywhere or in any church and God will still hear and answer your prayer all the same.
I don't know if any of that made sense. I just think it's wrong to go to one place for a certain reason because God seems to be more present there.
Ah, it's late and I'm probably just writing really stupid stuff. I'm sending this now and not thinking of what I wrote. Goodnight.
I am prone to say that your youthful idea of having that gift was there for a reason. so it can either be for a good one or a bad one. if the idea is bad then i believe that testing (like testing a spirit) it will prove it such. i personally can't think of a way that helping people for the Glory of God can be bad, but i may not understand the whole issue. if it is good, then it seems like this is an actual gift of God (who equipts us with every Spiritual blessing). Thus it would seem to be a gift in need of practice. practice in faith and pray for faith (join with the father in Mark 9 saying "I believe Lord, take away my unbelief").
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