I Could Weep

Richard Hollerman

We know that God hears and answers prayer. And we know that this prayer must be according to His will.  He wants us to obey Him and keep His righteous commands (1 John 3:22), to ask in faith—a faith in God Himself (James 1:5-6), to pray in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20), and all of the other requirements for effective prayer.

The online video that I was just watching was from a person who had a dreadful and fatal disease. This likeable man (and some of you might recognize him) earnestly prayed for his healing and relied on God to bring him back to health, by His power and grace. But he was not healed. He died. Why was this? What can we learn from it? What can you and I do to take a lesson from this tragic event and apply it to our own lives?

We assume that you don’t have a terminal disease yourself and the same for me. But we never know when this will happen. Of course, we all know that we will only live for 70 or 80 years (or perhaps even 90 or 100 years) but it will soon end (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8). Then lies out before us the vast stretches of eternity. In fact, the endlessness of eternity! Are we prepared? Are we prepared to face God in judgment? I am not referring now to the young man mentioned above who died not long ago, but you and me in whom life is now found in our bodies. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring but are we prepared?

As James warns us: “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). A vapor? The writer of Proverbs also gives this counsel: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). We don’t know what God will bring or allow tomorrow but we must be prepared!

But what about the young man mentioned earlier? What about the millions of others who have life-threatening or fatal illnesses? What about those who look to God for healing and help but are dreadfully wrong? We know that many pray and pray—but are not healed. In fact, we know that millions do pray for healing and many other blessings but God turns them away and they do not receive the blessing that they have prayed for. Further, what about the millions who see some sort of promise of health—and are not healed? Or what about the millions who hope and pray that God will heal them or provide for them, but they fail to receive their blessing?

We must also think of the millions who pray and follow the directions that they assume God requires but are not blessed in the way that they think they will be. Think of the many, many (actually countless) of people who claim to be Christians (we are not speaking about atheists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and others now) but still are not the recipients of what they assume to be God’s will? Many have thought that God would grant an answer to their prayers—but are not. Some think that an angel will bring a blessing—but they too are turned away. Some pray to Mary or one of the Catholic “saints” but this is to no avail. Some go to a pastor, a priest, or some sort of religious leader and have this person (whether a man or a woman) to pray—but still they continue in their sickness and soon die. What about them?

This is a real problem, isn’t it? It affects so many of us and will continue to do so unless or until we learn God’s truth and submit to His perfect ways. And so, as I mentioned at the beginning, I could weep—weep that so many profess to know God and are following His directions but He turns them away in defeat and discouragement. They are dismayed or disillusioned.

First, it is important to ask whether you are right with God in the first place (we know that there is more and we’ll come to this at another time). Not everyone who seeks God’s will comes according to His will and in submission to His terms. We don’t mean the solutions that are offered by the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church, or the faith healer who says that he or she can heal and help. No, we are referring to what Scripture says. Have you come to God and sought His will in this?

Second, have you turned your life over to God? We know that we are to come to the Lord as He has specified in His Word. In short, have you truly repented of all known sin (Acts 3:19)? Have you made restitution as best you can (cf. Luke 19:8-10)? Have you confessed Jesus as your Lord and submitted to Him as God (Romans 10:9-10)?  Have you truly believed in Jesus as your Savior, your Lord, and your Truth (John 3:16-18)? Do you believe that He died and rose again (Romans 10:9)? And have you been baptized (immersed in water) into Christ (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12)? Have you repented and been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of all sin (Acts 2:37-41; 22:16)? Are you faithful in all things of which you are aware (Revelation 2:10)?

These are some of the questions that you need to ask yourself as you seek for God’s answers. Have you followed what we are saying in all of this?

Third, are you willing to turn from all evil, sinful, and worldly thoughts and practices and begin to live a holy and righteous life before God and according to His Word (1 John 2:15-17; Galatians 5:19-22)? Further, have you turned from all false teaching and compromising churches, fellowships, and groups that would dilute your commitment to the Lord and lead you astray? As you must know, of the 30,000 different churches in the world, there are so many that teach false doctrines and practices false views. We must turn from them and come to God as He would want. Have you turned from all worldliness in all of your ways (Galatians 1:4; John 17:15-18; James 1:27)?

Fourth, are you willing to submit to God’s will in all things? Remember, we must turn from our own ways, our own thoughts, and follow only God in all things (Proverbs 3:6-7; Isaiah 55:6-8). Further, we know that it is not always God’s will to give us what we ask, although He will always give what we need and what He knows is good for us. When we keep this in mind, we will probably know better what the Lord would want. Supposedly, the average lifespan in the world would be 40 or 50 or 60 and some may live to 90 or more—but we will all die (unless we are alive when Christ returns). Even when we pray for a long life, we may not live as long as we would want and hope for. But we will live as long as God wills.

God, being the eternal God that He is (1 Timothy 1:17), knows what is good for us and what will seem important from an eternal perspective. Is it a healing? Is it riches? Is it a good job? Is it a marriage? I don’t know for sure but we know that God knows and He will provide, in answer to your prayers (if you have read and heeded what we have written above). He may not give what you have requested, but He will give what He knows that you need.

As for the man we mentioned at the beginning, I know little about him but I do know that God knows. And we know that God knows your heart. Have you read and submitted with honest, good, grateful, obedient, faithful, and true heart? If you do have a life-threatening illness, God will hear and help. If you have a fatal sickness, depend on God. We hope that a few of the comments in this article will lead in the right direction and help. Surely there are many other things that we should say but this should be sufficient for now to lead in the right direction—God’s direction.

Yes, as the title points out, I could weep. I could cry for the many who think they are saved, but are not. I could cry for those who are hurting but they don’t know the way. I could cry about those who pray for deliverance but are involved in false teachings and erroneous ways. I could cry for the men and women whose heart is sad and confused and dismayed. May God have mercy on them and lead them to His way. If this describes you, may your learn something here and come to God as He would want. We hope that you find something helpful on the website that would help you in this regard.