Healing

Last Saturday, mom's cancer was diagnosed as Stage 4. Not really surprising because since February, it looks like the cancer has already metastatized in her stomach. Doctor says Stage 4 means she'll live four to six months from the time the cancer has metastatized. This means only up to August this year.

I started including her in our weekly church prayers last February, our bishop prays for her daily, our previous home church prays for her, and her current church also prays for her.

It is interesting how people's view on prayer differs from church to church.

I know in my mom's church (Pentecostal), prayer for healing is like thanking God for the healing that He has already provided through Christ's suffering. It's like assuming that you have already been healed, you just need to claim it.

Honestly, I don't really understand that paradigm. I know what they mean, but it's like more of "cornering God". You said in your Word that I am healed, and since you're God, you cannot lie, therefore you have already healed me. I find this way of prayer arrogant, assuming and very demanding of God.

In the Anglican church, and if I may add, all other ancient churches like the Catholics and Orthodox, you pray for Christ's mercy for a person to be healed. We don't assume that the person is healed, but we hold on in faith that Christ will heal this person. Healing is not dependent on us, but with God's will. God will heal if it is His will to heal you. So to assume that you have been healed can pose a problem because not everybody who prays for healing were healed.

I remember Papa in 2006, the year he died. He was prayed over on the last Sunday that he lived, but he died three days after.

For me, I don't believe that you can just assume the healing. You need to humbly ask God for mercy to heal you or your loved ones. Regardless if there is healing or not, God is still good. If you're not healed, it doesn't necessarily mean that your faith is lacking.

I saw my mom last Friday curl up in pain. I was in tears seeing her in such pain. What I saw in movies about cancer patients, I am witnessing in real life. But she is fighting it and saying "You said that you already bore my pain and sickness." What great faith. I wish I can come close to that kind of faith. I know God doesn't care what view you hold on healing. He will heal as He please. I hope that God will grant our prayers very soon.