Blank Cheque Answers to Prayer?

Q So the bottom line is we don’t know whether God will answer unless we ask and try. If that is the case, why does Jesus say in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”?

• Always know the context when interpreting any Bible passage. Here, the Lord was addressing His disciples, not the crowd. Who can be His disciples? In the Lord’s own words:
• Lk 14:26-27 If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and comes after Me cannot be My disciple.
• Lk 14:33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his possessions.

So, Mk 11:24 was not a blank cheque to the multitudes to grant them whatever they ask for, but to dedicated followers who have given up everything to follow Jesus. These won’t ask for riches, wealth, honor, the life of those who hate them, or long life (2 Chron 1:11).

Nor does Mk 11:24 override God’s will on prayers for healing. Paul was a top-notch disciple and certainly had faith. However, God’s higher purpose was to teach His grace is sufficient for any weakness, so Paul’s prayer for the thorn in the flesh to be removed was not granted. We need to know the “who” when asking questions on “what” and “why.”

Q. So, we are not Jesus’ disciples because we haven’t given up everything?

• Discipleship is a matter of degree. Let me quote from Vines’ Expository Dictionary of NT Words: literally, “a learner” (from manthano, “to learn,” from root math–, indicating thought accompanied by endeavor), in contrast to didaskalos, “a teacher;” hence it denotes “one who follows one’s teaching,” as the “disciples” of John, Mat 9:14; of the Pharisees, Mat 22:16; of Moses, John 9:28; it is used of the “disciples” of Jesus:

(a) in a broad sense, of Jews who became His adherents, John 6:66; Luk 6:17, some being secretly so, John 19:38;

(b) of the Twelve Apostles, Mat 10:1; Luk 22:11;

(c) of all who manifest that they are His “disciples” by abiding in His Word,

• John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are disciples of Mine;
• John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.”
• John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

(d) in the Acts of those who believed upon Him and confessed Him, John 6:1, 2, 7; 14:20, 22, 28; 15:10; 19:1.

“Disciples” were not only pupils but adherents, hence spoken of as imitators of their teacher; cp. John 8:31; 15:8.

We continue in His word, love one another, and bear fruit, so we are His disciples. But how much? Some do it better than others:

• Mt 10:24-25a A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the slave like his master.

The more we become like the Lord, the better. How good a disciple are we? We know how well or poorly we are doing, but only God’s evaluation counts. No quantitative self-assessment is given in the Bible to satisfy our curiosity.

Mustard Seed Faith

Q. “Jesus replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.’” —Lk 17:6

According to the passage, it would seem the amount of faith one has does not really matter. Even if small, God will still respond. But we often ask for people to be healed, yet it does not happen. Is it because we have no faith at all? Perhaps one may say this is not God’s will. But if it is God’s will, it would be done anyway. Why, then, do we need faith in that case?

1. Many assume that “the greater the faith, the better the result.” That is, the “quantity” of faith determines the outcome. But according to Lk 17:6, it is not the quantity but the “quality” of the faith that is important.

Let me give you an illustration. You can have great faith walking on thin ice. It cracks, and you fall into freezing water. Or you can have little faith walking on thick ice that holds you up. The amount of your faith is not the deciding factor; the object of your faith, in this case, the strength of the ice, is. In prayer, the quantity of faith depends on the person praying. The quality depends on who grants the request, in this instance, God. The individual may/will fail. God never fails.

A mustard seed is tiny. But it is whole and can grow. Other passages also teach that it is quality that counts, e.g.:

• Mt 17:20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you.
• Mt 21:21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.
• Mk 11:23 “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.

Regarding prayers for healing that did not happen, sometimes it is because we doubt (Mt 21:21, Mk 11:23). Sometimes it is simply not God’s will. For example, David inquired of God for his child, and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. Then, on the seventh day, the child died (2 Sam 12:16, 18a). Paul prayed that the thorn in the flesh might leave him, but it was denied: “Concerning this, I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He had said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Co 12:8-9a)

If it is God’s will, why do we still need faith? Because faith is the channel through which God’s grace flows! Go back to the example of walking on ice. The ice is thick enough and strong enough to uphold the man walking on it. But if the individual does not exercise his little faith to walk across, he will never find out. So, faith is needed to experience God’s grace. The issue is, “Is faith present or not?” If there is faith, however little, the person can walk across safely, even if he is trembling. Without faith, he will not dare venture across and stay stuck; he will never know the love and power of God. Period.

Pre-nuptial Agreement?

Q. I have a question on financial issues in the case of re-marriage. So hypothetically speaking, I, a Christian widower, met a Christian widow. Both of us have adult children and are financially independent. Suppose we decide to get married. My question is this. The assets I have were jointly earned by my first wife and me. It was her desire, and mine as well, that whatever assets are left when I pass away, I want them to go to our children and grandchildren. The only way I can think of to make this happen is to have a pre-nuptial agreement, and I think the other woman would probably want to do the same thing. However, having a prenup doesn’t feel right, for it gives a sense of distrust. I believe that one must put this down in writing so there will not be misunderstandings or confusion, as later on there will be other people involved. So, is it OK to have a prenup?

There are no pre-nuptial agreements, or prenups, in the Bible, but there are biblical principles on marriage that apply here. A prenup is an agreement entered into by a couple before marriage that sets out how assets will be divided if they divorce. In essence, it is a business contract between partners. Typically the more wealthy partner asks for a prenup to protect his (her) assets in case the poorer partner marries him (her) for money. While prenups are quite common among the rich and the famous, they show a lack of trust in the partner, hence a legal document to protect oneself. But a fundamental question is, “if you don’t trust your partner with your money, how can you entrust your life/health to your mate?”

Biblically, marriage is a covenant, not a contract, between husband and wife:

• Mt 19:4-6 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
• Rom 7:2 For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
• 1 Co 7:39 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

God’s design for marriage is one man-one woman, one husband-one wife, one union-one flesh, and one marriage for life. Marriage is dissolved only when one partner dies, after which the surviving spouse is released and free to remarry. Since covenants are unconditional, permanent pledges made for the other’s benefit, a prenup in anticipation of a divorce is inconsistent with a biblical marriage. Why plan for getting your “fair” share when you divorce, when the two of you should be working together to make your marriage great?

From your preamble, you are planning to leave your assets to your offspring when you pass away, not when you divorce. I assume your future wife would want to leave her assets to her offspring too. One solution is to set up two trusts. The first will hold the bulk of your assets for the benefit of your children and grandchildren. The second holds most of her assets with her offspring as beneficiaries. I say “bulk” because, presumably, both you and your future mate would want the surviving partner to be adequately provided for until the second partner dies. I suggest that rather than talk about a prenup, you two should share and come to a mutually agreeable arrangement. Then incorporate that arrangement in your respective wills. That would be a more productive conversation than a prenup which shows mistrust, as you rightly pointed out. Hope this helps.

Do We Recognize Each Other in Heaven?

Q. I attended a funeral service for an 86-year-old lady who is a Christian. During the service, their children said they wished to meet their mom in Heaven soon. This raised a question in my mind. The question is: do we recognize each other in Heaven? For example, will that lady recognize her children in Heaven when they meet again?

There is no direct statement in the Bible to that effect, but lots of indirect evidence points to the conclusion that we will recognize each other in Heaven. For us to recognize each other, we must retain our identity and have the memory to recall it as the same person. Let us take a look at some cases in the Bible:

• Saul and the medium at Endor (1 Sam 28:3-19). Saul asked the medium to conjure up Samuel. When the woman brought up a divine being, Saul knew it was Samuel (v 14) and asked him what he should do (v 15).

• David and his infant son (2 Sam 12:13-23). The Lord struck David and Bathsheba’s son with illness (v 15) because of his adultery and murder of Uriah, and the child died. Initially, David fasted and wept to plead with God. But after the child’s death, David worshipped and stopped fasting because he knew he could not bring the child back, but he will go to him (v 23). The Lord has taken away David’s sin (v 13), so he knew he would not be banished to hell. He expected to see and recognize his son in Heaven.

• Jesus’ Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-8, Mk 9:2-8, Lk 9:28-36). Jesustook Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and was transfigured before them. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus (Mt 17:3). Moses lived at least 1391-1271 BC, some historians suggesting even earlier. Elijah was born about 900 BC and taken up to Heaven. There was no way that the disciples could have seen them, yet Peter recognized who they were without Jesus introducing them. We may recognize people intuitively in Heaven.

• The rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). In Hades, the rich man lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus (v 23) with him. All the individuals retained their identities and communicated with each other. Abraham reminded the rich man of his former life; he even remembered his five brothers. Since there is recognition in Hades, and Heaven is incomparably better, there is recognition in Heaven.

• Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances (Jn 20:19-29). Jesus appeared to His disciples for the first time on Easter Sunday (v 19) without Thomas, then again eight days later with Thomas (v 26). Both times they recognized Him.

• Paul’s consolation to the Thessalonians (1 Thes 4:13-18). Paul comforted the Thessalonians that when the Lord returns there will be a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ (v 15). This will be followed by the rapture of those alive in Christ (v 17), to be always with the Lord. These would not be words of comfort for those who have lost loved ones if we will not recognize each other in Heaven.

There are other passages, but these give us sufficient evidence to believe that we will know each other in Heaven.

Spiritual Body

Q. Would you give me some bible references as I would like to study the nature of our spiritual being when we leave this earth?

Sure. The nature of our being will depend on when we leave this earth:

• If we die before Christ returns:
  • Eccle 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Our physical body (the dust) will return to the earth and decompose. Our soul (the spirit) will return to God to face judgment. Then we will be resurrected (raised) when Christ returns.

• If Christ returns before we die:
  • 1 Co 15:51-53 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

If we are alive (not having fallen asleep), our bodies will be changed from perishable to imperishable, from mortal to immortal.

Paul wrote about our resurrection body earlier:

• 1 Co 15:42-44 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

Our resurrection body will be:

1. Imperishable – incorruptible, perpetual,
2. Immortal – undying, everlasting,
3. Glorious – bright, holy,
4. Powerful – strong, able,
5. Spiritual – obedient to the Holy Spirit.

It will not be subject to aging and diseases, nor the limitations we encounter in our physical body. For example, it can enter rooms when the doors are shut (Jn 20:19, 26) and vanish from sight (Lk 24:31). In short, it will be a transformed body as God planned it.

J’s Baptism

I baptized our daughter’s father-in-law with both joy and sadness. We are joyful because:

• Lk 15:7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

J had been angry with God since his first wife died from cancer. We tried to share the good news with him, but he declined and asked us not to talk to him about it again.

We are sad because he was diagnosed with cancer last year but decided against chemotherapy due to his age. Initially, he was mobile, but his condition deteriorated rapidly over the last couple of months. Last week our son-in-law Chris visited him and shared the gospel with him. God softened his heart, and he received Christ as his Lord and Savior. Chris asked if he likes to be baptized, to which he agreed. Since he was confined to his bed, I confirmed his faith and administered baptism by sprinkling. His daughter cried joyful tears as she witnessed her dad’s confession of faith.

All of us have only one life to live. Some live to their eighties and nineties, while others have only a short sojourn on earth. But all of us, without exception, eventually pass away. Some are wise to recognize that the visible is only temporary:

• 2 Co 4:18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

They realize that their decisions in this life affect not just the here and now but have eternal consequences too. They choose to put their trust in Jesus like J and are received into His kingdom.

Unfortunately, despite their being smart in worldly things, others reject the invitations from their Christian friends and relatives to follow Christ. They ignore the only way that would save them from eternal punishment. J repented in time, but some of our family members, friends, classmates, and former colleagues have yet to do so. God is gracious and gives opportunity after opportunity, but only during this lifetime. I pray that it will not be too late for them.

Job’s Wife

Q. What happened to the wife of Job after she told her husband, “Curse God and die.” Was she the same wife who bore the second round of children?

The Bible has only three direct references to Job’s wife:

• Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”
• Job 19:17 “My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
• Job 31:10 May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her.

Beyond the above, Scripture is silent as to her fate. Commentators are divided in their opinion. The majority condemned her for not persevering like Job, while a minority argued that she suffered as much as her husband. She might think that Job had suffered enough, and it is better to end it all by death, so her words are understandable. Since the Bible did not say what was on her mind, I can offer you only my conjecture.

Those critical of her suggested that since she followed Satan’s accusation by asking Job to curse God, she had become Satan’s tool:

• Job 1:11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
• Job 2:5 However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.”

However, those sympathetic to her argued that her words in 2:9 are the same as what God used in 2:3:

• Job 2:3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”

What we do not get from the text is the tone in which those words were uttered. They may express anger toward God for allowing Job to suffer, or simply desperation watching his sufferings and wishing for an early end to his misery.

Furthermore, the word translated “cursed” is the Hebrew word בָּרֵ֥ךְ bāraḵ, which primarily means “to bless, kneel” and secondarily “to praise, salute, curse.” It occurs 330X in the KJV:

• bless (302x), salute (5x), curse (4x), blaspheme (2x), blessing (2x), praised (2x), kneel down (2x), congratulate (1x), kneel (1x), make to kneel (1x), miscellaneous (8x).

Which meaning is used depends on the context. For Job 2:9, almost all English versions chose “curse,” but Young’s Literal Translation has:

• (YLT) And his wife saith to him, `Still thou art keeping hold on thine integrity: bless God and die.’ In other words, persevere to the end.

Which is correct? I believe Job’s wife is one of the most misunderstood persons in Scripture because, unlike her critics, God did not rebuke her. Yet He readily chastised Job’s friends:

• Job 42:7 It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. But God was silent regarding Job’s wife.

I know this is an argument from silence. However, to convict Job’s wife for lack of faith requires evidence beyond a reasonable doubt when her single statement in the Bible can be interpreted either way.

Was she the same wife who bore the second round of children?

• Job 1:2 He had seven sons and three daughters,
• Job 43:13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

I believe she was. The Bible never said she left Job, or Job divorced her, or she died. Those who argue for a second wife would have to assume one of the above options based on zero evidence. In God’s words, Job was a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil (Job 1:8). Job would not desert her for another wife. God doubled Job’s livestock possessions, and He gave him another set of ten children to replace the ten he lost, but He did not give him a new wife because the first one never left.

More on Praying for Healing

Q. Acts 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”  This verse seems to imply that generally, the sick are those oppressed by the devil. Shouldn’t we pray for forgiveness of sins whenever we pray for healing? The Lord’s prayer says we should pray for forgiveness of sins when we pray to God.

Why should we pray without ceasing for physical healing when we are told by these verses?

• 2 Corinthians 5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
• 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. We do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that cannot be seen last forever.

Instead of praying for healing, is it enough to ask God to keep us from temptation (since sickness is usually from the devil) and deliver us from evil? God’s thoughts are higher than ours. I pray for healing for my loved ones because of my selfish agenda. There seems to be no reason for saved Christians to pray for deliverance from their own demise.

Some diseases are clearly caused by Satanic or demonic oppression, e.g.,

• Mt 17:15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill, for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. V18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
• Lk 13:16 And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?
• Mk 9:17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute. V25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.”
• 2 Co 12:7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!

However, there are many passages on healing every kind of disease and sickness that make no reference to demons and unclean spirits. So it is incorrect to say that “generally the sick are those oppressed by the devil”:

• Matthew 4:23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
• Matthew 9:35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
• Luke 4:40 While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.
• Luke 6:19 And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.
• Luke 9:2 And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. V6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. V11 But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.
• Acts 4:22 for the man [the lame beggar] was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

Should we pray for forgiveness of sins whenever we pray for healing? Diseases are not necessarily caused by sin:

• Jn 9:2-3 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents. But it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

But as you rightly pointed out, when we pray (Lk 11:2), the Lord’s Prayer instructs us to pray for forgiveness of sins:

• Mt 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

So my principle is to confess and repent to keep short accounts with God.

The context of “pray without ceasing” is 1 Thes 5:

• 16 Rejoice always;
• 17 pray without ceasing;
• 18 in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

It means we need a continuing attitude of prayer, not praying for physical healing continuously. 2 Co 4:17-18 and 5:1 help us to have an eternal perspective instead of worrying about our short walk on earth.

As I demonstrated above, sickness is not usually from the devil. Some are, but not most. We should pray:

• Mt 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.

But remember the Apostle Paul did pray about his thorn in the flesh:

• 2 Co 12:8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

So I do not consider it selfish for Christians to pray for healing unless they want only to be healed without obedience. Those prayers are not according to God’s will and will not be granted.

Do Not Judge?

Q. A church brother reminded me not to judge another church brother in a private disciplinary hearing (as a deacon I had to participate in such hearing). He said only God can judge. Of course, Jesus said do not judge or we will be judged (Mt 7:1). So I was thinking hard about why Simon Peter had judged the Magical Simon in Acts 8:20 when he told the latter that he and his money would perish. Still a puzzle to me.

When Christians confront unbelievers about their inconsistencies, “do not judge” is one of the most common verses non-believers throw back at them. It is also one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible, as it does not mean we are prohibited from judging under any circumstances.

Consider the context of Matthew 7:

• Mt 7:1 Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
• Mt 7:6a Do not give what is holy to dogs and do not throw your pearls before swine. How do you determine if someone’s character is like a dog or swine unless you judge what they do?
• Mt 7:15-16a Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. How do you take heed against people who are wolves in sheep’s clothing if you do not judge their fruits?

Why would Jesus even say:

• Jn 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment

If He forbid judging under all circumstances?

Or consider what Paul said:

• 1 Co 5:3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
• 1 Co 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
• 1 Co 6:2-3 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
• 1 Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.
• 1 Co 11:13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
• 1 Co 11:31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.

Why would Paul judge the incestuous brother, instruct the Corinthians to judge those within the church, or tell them saints will judge the world and angels if we are not allowed to judge at all?

The problem is not with God giving self-contradictory statements – He is all-knowing and does not make mistakes – but people misunderstanding the Bible and quoting it out of context. What then does the Lord mean by “do not judge?”

The key is the context. The immediate context is:

• Mt 7:2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

So the Lord is saying do not judge using wrong standards of measurement. He then gave two examples of wrong ways to measure:

• Mt 7:3-5 – having a double standard, excusing yourself but being harsh on others.
• Mt 7:6 – not discriminating in exercising judgment.

In the wider context of other NT passages, wrong judgment includes:

• Judging without giving the person an opportunity to explain himself, hearing his side of the story – Jn 7:51 Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?
• Judging according to our prejudices and feelings, instead of the facts – Jn 8:15a You judge according to the flesh.
• Judging with a self-righteous attitude – Rom 2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, every one of you who passes judgment, for, in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
• Judging with contempt, looking down on others – Rom 14:3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Rom 14:10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
• Judging prematurely, hastily, when we do not know hidden things and motives – 1 Co 4:5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

The above principles are meant to be illustrative, not exhaustive. The bottom line is that we are commanded to discern and in that sense allowed to judge, but not in a condemning, critical and hypocritical way. That is why we need wisdom from above. Hope that helps.

Praying for Healing

Q. I have always hesitated to ask for interpersonal or intercessory prayer for physical healing. I know these prayers are valid for spiritual healing because there are many examples in the NT, but not for physical healing. Please advise! Thanks!

The reasons for my doubts are:

1. Jesus Christ has healed directly and upon intercession, but He has not told us to intercede in praying for physical healing. Paul has performed many miraculous healings, but Paul did not ask for interpersonal or intercessory prayer for physical healing for himself, Epaphroditus, Trophimus, or Timothy.
2. God heals the person who prays and gives him instructions to get healed. King Hezekiah and Job were healed when they appealed directly to God’s mercy.
3. There is only one Bible verse about interpersonal prayer for physical healing in James 5:14. It involves the sick person and only the church elders who are supposed to be righteous and have faith. This is an interpersonal prayer for spiritual healing.

My view is different from yours:

Did Jesus tell us to pray for physical healing? Not directly, but He gave us an open-ended “whatever” which is broader and would encompass healing:

• Mt 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
• Mark 11:24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
• John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
• John 15:7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
• John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name, the Father will give you.
• John 16:23 In that day, you will no longer ask Me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.
• 1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.

Of course, Jesus was not giving His apostles and disciples an unconditional blank cheque. The necessary conditions are:

• In His name – something He would ask the Father in person;
• If they remain in Him and His words remain in them;
• According to His will;
• If we believe – have faith.

God reserves the right to grant us our requests or decline them but gives us grace for a higher purpose. But we can certainly ask!

Did Paul ask for physical healing for himself? Yes, he did:

• 2 Co 12:7-9 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

We do not know what the thorn in Paul’s flesh was, but the Greek word for “weakness” is the common word for infirmity, disease, or sickness, not necessarily a spiritual problem. Paul prayed for the Lord to heal him three times but was granted grace to endure it instead. God knows what is best for us.

What about Paul’s coworkers?

• Phil 2:25-27, 30 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 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… because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
• 2 Tim 4:20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.
• 1 Tim 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Some suggested that because the text did not say that Paul prayed for their healing or asked others to do so, he did not do so. But that is an argument from silence. One could easily suggest the opposite based on Paul’s character of caring for his coworkers that he did pray for them. God had mercy on Epaphroditus (Phil 2:27) and healed him but for undisclosed reasons, God did not heal Trophimus and Timothy, just as He did not heal Paul of his thorn in the flesh. The bottom line is that we simply do not know, as there is no evidence one way or the other.

For Hezekiah:

• 2 Kgs 20:1-2 In those days, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz, went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord. (Isa 38:1-2)
• 2 Kgs 20:5 Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now, you will go up to the temple of the Lord. (Isa 38:5)
• 2 Chron 32:24 In those days, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.

Since you agreed with this patient praying to God for healing, I do not need to comment further.

For Job, the text did not explicitly say that God healed him of his sores, but it can be safely assumed as the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former (Job 42:12a).

What about James 5:14-15?

• Jas 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

V 15 referred to “sinned” and “forgiven.” Some, therefore, interpret v 14-15 to mean spiritual healing only. However, the verse says, “if they have sinned,” i.e., sin could be causing the sickness, but not necessarily. The entire statement does not exclude physical healing as an answer to the elders’ prayer. It means that something broader than only physical healing, extending to spiritual healing, would be involved.

My conclusion looking at the same verses that raise doubts for you is that we should pray for healing. God had not promised that He would heal in all cases. Sometimes He would show His power through our weakness, in which case He would give us grace sufficient for the trial:

• 2 Co 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

I would pray and leaves the results to God. Whether He heals or gives me the grace to endure is up to Him.