Healing Doubts

What causes people to waver (to have doubt) when it comes to praying for the sick?

“Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31 ESV)

Trained not to believe

I did hear someone ask Reinhard Bonke, who had millions show up to his African crusades and there were lots of medically verified healings, why there were so many people healed at his African crusades but not at the churches he spoke to in America, and he said something very interesting. He said in Africa, people come to his crusades filled with faith, expecting to be healed, and many are. But in America, people come not expecting to be healed, and they are not. He said people in America are too religious, have been trained not to believe, and are filled with doubt and skepticism.

What the Bible says about doubt and skepticism

James gives the following warning about wavering in your faith.

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” (James 1:6-7 KJV) Other translations replace the word wavering with not doubt.

The above passage are severe words of warning, indeed! So how much doubt does it take to undermine the faith it takes for healing to happen? It sounds like not much! The verse says, “Nothing wavering” which is pretty conclusive.

So, what could cause you to waver in your faith?

Lots of things! First, you could waver if you thought God doesn’t heal people today. We showed examples yesterday to prove that He still does heal people today.

What if you’ve been taught that God may want you to be sick?

Because maybe He’s teaching you something, perhaps about humility? I’ve heard pastors say that from the pulpit, usually when they are talking about Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7), where Paul prayed three times and God didn’t remove it but said His grace was sufficient. And that answer wasn’t a no. But God pointed out that His grace is enough to handle anything the devil sends his way. In fact, he’ll become even stronger. Also, nowhere in that passage is the “thorn in the flesh” referred to as a sickness. People are just guessing that it is. Paul actually refers to the thorn more than once as a weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). And it’s not from God, but is “a messenger of Satan.” (2 Cor. 12:7). Many scholars believe the thorn is about persecution because that’s what Paul was talking about in this and the previous chapters (2 Cor 11 & 12) without ever changing the subject. And if you check everywhere else in the Bible where it refers to a “thorn in the flesh”, it’s never about a sickness but always about people, (or even giants in one passage), causing trouble. 

 Do not throw away your confidence

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” (Heb. 10:35 ESV)