UNBELIEF
Few months ago, a dear friend told me of his father's ill health by stating that his father was "strong.” Understanding this familiar language, I asked to know how ill his health was, but he kept replying by 'confessing' good things about the situation. Meanwhile, unknown to me, his condition was deteriorating, and I only once mouthed a quick prayer for him. Then, a few months later, he reported with bitter lament that his father had died. His anger began to grow God-ward, and my concern for my bereaved friend doubled.
He had “refused to believe the report of the doctors” because he was “not going to focus on the negative,” hence the reason he told me his father was strong and that all was well. Friends, the truth of the fact of the reality (whichever word suits your semantics), was that all was not well, and admitting what the problem was didn't mean he lacked confidence in God's ability to heal His father.
By the way, had he been real with me about the condition of his father's health and asked me to join him in prayers, I may have been more burdened for my friend. I very well could have told a few more people to join in prayers, and perhaps even sought counsel from other experienced or specialized doctors as regarding treatment, recommendations, referrals, etc.
Together with improved quality of life, more time, not endless time, is why we seek health. If he had told me, there's no guarantee that his father would not have died at the time he did, but his chances of living some extra years could have at least been increased. But more, if he was praying to God (not just confessing to the air) and wanted to share his burden with me, it would in fact mean that he trusts God's power to heal and God's love for him. Prayer effects God's will, both within us, by helping us learn to trust God's goodness, and outside us, when He grants our requests.
God has ordained prayer as a means by which He fulfills his good and wise will when he answers our requests to Him of various kinds. Also, in His Providence, He, not men primarily, has granted us the science of Medicine and everything it offers. I wonder why we never refuse the offer of mechanical engineering and so reject the use of buses and cars in order to instead claim divine transportation. When we choose to be unrealistic in this way, we show a lack of understanding of God's Sovereignty over the earth, we disdain His provision, and we abuse that awesome privilege of confident prayer.
He had “refused to believe the report of the doctors” because he was “not going to focus on the negative,” hence the reason he told me his father was strong and that all was well. Friends, the truth of the fact of the reality (whichever word suits your semantics), was that all was not well, and admitting what the problem was didn't mean he lacked confidence in God's ability to heal His father.
By the way, had he been real with me about the condition of his father's health and asked me to join him in prayers, I may have been more burdened for my friend. I very well could have told a few more people to join in prayers, and perhaps even sought counsel from other experienced or specialized doctors as regarding treatment, recommendations, referrals, etc.
Together with improved quality of life, more time, not endless time, is why we seek health. If he had told me, there's no guarantee that his father would not have died at the time he did, but his chances of living some extra years could have at least been increased. But more, if he was praying to God (not just confessing to the air) and wanted to share his burden with me, it would in fact mean that he trusts God's power to heal and God's love for him. Prayer effects God's will, both within us, by helping us learn to trust God's goodness, and outside us, when He grants our requests.
God has ordained prayer as a means by which He fulfills his good and wise will when he answers our requests to Him of various kinds. Also, in His Providence, He, not men primarily, has granted us the science of Medicine and everything it offers. I wonder why we never refuse the offer of mechanical engineering and so reject the use of buses and cars in order to instead claim divine transportation. When we choose to be unrealistic in this way, we show a lack of understanding of God's Sovereignty over the earth, we disdain His provision, and we abuse that awesome privilege of confident prayer.
So true..thanks for this article. This 'positive confession' phenomena is tragically nothing short of arrogance, and biblical ignorance. Where in scripture do we read of the patriarchs, the prophets, apostles etc doing such
ReplyDeleteOur Lord Jesus Christ Himself prayed to the Father and commanded His people to "watch ye and pray" All the so called 'men of god' who teach their congregation such have much blood on their hands!