Only Believe

[heartstrings]

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23

 

Every Wednesday night we pray for people on our long prayer list. When my Dad was sick with cancer, we prayed the best we knew how, but Dad passed away anyhow. We are told to pray in faith and, as the verse above says, "all things are possible to him that believeth" ; does that mean my Dad could have been healed if someone's faith had been absolutely doubtless? What if you truly believed but Dad died anyway because it was his "time"; God's will. ?

Edited October 5, 2015 by heartstrings

[Ukulelemike]

No, ALL things are, indeed, possible to him that believeth. However, that does not, ipso-facto, mean it will all happen to meet your will. It is STILL God's will that will come to pass when we pray for it.  

 When my dad recently passed away, my brother and his family solidly believed that God would grow my father's leg back after it was removed. Dad's leg didn't grow back.  I believed God can do anything and prayed for God's will to be done, and my dad p[assed away peacefully, never regaining consciousness or having to experience the pain of the loss of his leg.  I believe God could have grown my dad's leg back, had He chose, but I just don't believe that was God's will-it was his will to take my dad home.

[wretched]

ipso-facto,

Now you are really showing off your greek and I think you are right.

 

Edited October 6, 2015 by wretched

[Ukulelemike]

Now you are really showing off your greek and I think you are right.

 

Maybe I ought to be saying "ipso-fatso", because, you know...I'm fat.

[trapperhoney]

people want to use that verse to build a doctrine on, but there are also equally important verses to take into consideration

Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Luk_22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

I came home from my first year of college to find my father very badly off.  I knew he had had surgery for an ulcer and they found cancer.  He underwent treatments while I was at college.  I didn't see the gradual decline.  My family didn't tell me, because they all hoped he was getting better.  We were all praying for that end.  Within two weeks of coming home we were taking my father to the hospital and were given the news he had only weeks to live.  My whole world was turned upside down.  My Daddy was my world.  I lived to please him.  He was my spiritual guide and instructor.  I was only 19 years old, not ready to face the world without him.  I prayed desperately for my father to be healed.  I knew God could do it.  But one day, as I visited him in the hospital and saw the husk he had become, that evening I begged God to take him, to end his suffering.  All those prayers for my father's healing were really selfish prayers, because I wasn't ready to say goodbye.  What was best for my father was to go home.  Two days later my father slipped into acoma and a day later he passed on to glory.  God did answer my prayer, but not the way I wanted it answered.  He gave my father ultimate healing.  We should pray, above all, that God's will be done.  When we pray, we let our selfish desires dictate what we pray for most times.  What we want is not always best, for us or those we are praying for.  We do not know all things, but God does.   Israel wanted a king.  Finally, God gave them what they wanted.  Thank goodness God knows best and frequently overrules our petitions.

[heartstrings]

 

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him

 

My Wife and I are going through a tough time right now with our youngest son. I won't go into details right now but it's heart breaking and we are grieving.  I don't know how, but we would love for God to work this thing out for good. Our family band used to sing the song "He'll Make a Way"(Out of No Way). This one seems to be no way. I would appreciate everyone's prayers.

Edited October 8, 2015 by heartstrings

[John81]

Lifting you and your family in prayer. We went through some tough and heart breaking times with our oldest son. It was a very difficult valley for us and in our case nothing we tried worked as we hoped. While it was a very dark, long trial eventually the Lord brought us through.

May the Lord grant you and your wife wisdom, strength and patience that you may persevere through this and work in your son for the best outcome.

[heartstrings]

Thank you all.

[Ukulelemike]

My Wife and I are going through a tough time right now with our youngest son. I won't go into details right now but it's heart breaking and we are grieving.  I don't know how, but we would love for God to work this thing out for good. Our family band used to sing the song "He'll Make a Way"(Out of No Way). This one seems to be no way. I would appreciate everyone's prayers.

Boy, continually dealing with issues with my own offspring, two daughters, I understand. God can do great things, but I don't discount our own wills to reject and backslide. All we can do is pray and set a good example of putting Christ first in our lives.

A little on my own daughter: my oldest, got pregnant at 15 with an older man, (I was out of the area and could not stop it and her mother would do nothing). She got into meth later, and it ran her life for about a decade. She started tattooing and piercing herself, got divorced, decided she was a lesbian, and sent her kids to live with their dad while she did her thing.

Fast forward a couple years, after some time in jail, finally got clean, had had enough of the drugs. Moved back to be near her daughters, though still is getting new tattoos all the time. Still, has reconnected with her girls, has started going to an IFB church near her who are being patient with her. Bit by bit some things are changing. She's not a lesbian anymore, (which I knew was just an effect of the bad relationship with her husband), and she doesn't drug or drink any more. 

So, my point being, bit by bit she is working back to God. She's not there yet, not where she ought to be, but she is where I would not have seen her ten years ago. Have faith, keep him in prayer, keep loving him, and let the Lord have His way.

[HappyChristian]

Ah, heart! I'm sorry to hear that. Will be praying. God is merciful - and He does answer prayer. As to not healing your dad, He actually did! Complete healing,with nevermore sickness! I was  heartbroken when God took my dad home, and I still miss him so much (it's going on 5 years). But one thing that God confirmed in my heart is that He did, indeed, answer our prayer for healing. Just not temporary healing.

As to your son - God is merciful even in that area. He does hear your prayer, and His Spirit will work on your son. But your son has to respond. Mayhap pray that God will soften his heart to be able to hear the Spirit (if you aren't already). Will be praying with you, my friend.

(what Uke said!)

Edited October 10, 2015 by HappyChristian