TRUTH AND LOVE PUBLISHING MINISTRY

There are two kinds of illness, mental and physical. A physical illness is any type of illness that affects the body such as a virus, rash, bacterial infection, etc. A mental illness is a condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Some specific mental illnesses are depression, anxiety, obsession and compulsion, suicidal and insomnia.

 

There are two kinds of prayer for healing which are prayer for our own illness and prayer for the illness of others. If we, Christians, can pray for our own illness effectively, then we can surely pray for other’s illness effectively. Whether it is a physical or mental illness, there is only one prayer that is most effective in healing and that is the right attitude of prayer.

 

Before going further, let me quote some verses from the Bible, which are the foundations of a right attitude in prayer. In John 14:13-15, Jesus said, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments.” What does it mean to ask in the name of Christ? To pray in His person means to be standing in His place. It means to be fully identified with Him, joined to Christ. It means that you and I are pleading the merits of His blessed Son when we stand before God. We have no standing of our own before God at all. He hears our prayers when they are in the name of Christ. Praying in Jesus’ name is presenting it in his merit and for the Father’s glory. A prayer that will enable God to be glorified in the Son is the prayer that He will answer. So when we pray in the name of Jesus and for the glory of God, we are not praying for something selfishly for ourselves. We are praying for God. We are praying that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Also the prayer that God will answer depends on our obedience to Christ. This promise is given to those who love Him, and the evidence of their love is the keeping of His commandments.

In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: For without me ye can do nothing.” We have to abide in Jesus because away from Him we can do nothing. Abiding in Christ means constant communion with Him all the time. We must be cleansed – meaning when we sin during our daily walk, we must confess that sin right away in order to be connected with Him again.

In John 6:38, Jesus said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” Now that we are abiding in Christ and being obedient to his commandments, we are also to live according to God’s will and not to our own will. When we pray for healing we must expect an answer from God according to His will and not our own will. Also the answer that we expect must be to glorify God in Christ. Therefore, we are not supposed to ask for healing selfishly. These are the foundations of a right attitude in prayer and it is the most effective healing of illness.

 

More than two years ago, I was diagnosed with Sciatica Syndrome, a pain that started from my right buttock and went down to my toes. It is specifically called Piriformis, a branch of Sciatica Syndrome. I was in constant pain for about a year and constantly took pain relievers during that period. My therapist told me that the pain would not go away so it would be something I would have to live with the rest of my life.

 

Someone once told me that when we can accept the worst thing that happens in life, then we no longer have problems because everything that happens after the worst situation is really a blessing.  So I prayed to God and asked Him to help me heal my pain according to His will. I said, “Lord I do not ask you to heal me completely. All I ask is to give me enough strength to fulfill the mission you have given me. If it is your will to hold back the pain so that I will always remember that away from you I cannot do anything, I am willing to accept Lord. What is more important to me is for you to hold me in you arm and walk with me all the time so that I won’t be discouraged in life.”

 

After saying this prayer, I felt so joyful and blessed because I know from that day on any answer for my prayer is God’s will and I thank God for that. God’s grace did not only ease my pain by using pain relievers but he healed me completely from pain without taking pain relievers anymore.

 

These days I go to the gym three times a week and I am becoming more vigorous every day. I thank God everyday for everything He has done to me. I know it is a joyful life to walk with God here on earth because He takes care of my problems. But I also know that it will be even more joyful when I walk with Him in Heaven. So whenever I have a problem I always believe that it will pass away because God is taking of me and the problem will disappear like a cloud.

 

Written by Osmundo Sabado

Edited by Orman Sabado