I recently did a study of New Testament references to "pray for" and similar phrases. The goal was to learn the kinds of things that NT Christians prayed for or were encouraged to pray for.
I was surprised to see relatively few references to praying for the physical concerns that are so commonly mentioned in prayers today (e.g., sickness, injury, safety, etc.). Here's a quick summary of "Biblical Things to Pray For."
1. Enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:28). These passages don't indicate WHAT to pray for. It seems that Jesus is urging us to have a positive and supportive attitude toward enemies.
2. Disciples (for their faith - Luke 22:32; for their unity - John 17:9-11; that they may receive the Holy Spirit - Acts 8:15; in general - 2 Cor. 9:14; for their restoration -2 Cor. 13:9; for knowledge - Col. 1:3,9-10; Eph. 6:18; 1 Thes. 3:10; to be worthy - 2 Thes. 1:11; for the power to interpret - 1 Cor. 14:13; for healing; relief; rain - James 5:13-18; Acts 28:8; for good health - 3 Jn. 1:2)
3. Apostles/Ministers (for the spread of the gospel - 2 Thes. 3:1; see Rom. 10:1; Col. 4:3; cf. 1 Thes. 5:25; Heb. 13:18-19; 2 Cor. 1:11; for Peter in prison - Acts 12:5)
4. Self (Jesus in Gethsemane, praying that "your will be done” - Matt. 26:44; Simon the magician, praying for protection - Acts 8:24; sailors, praying "for day to come" - Acts 27:29)
Yet, Paul issues the general admonition to constantly pray and give God our anxieties and concerns: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Phil. 4:6; cf. Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17-18)
Bottom Line: The vast majority of passages discuss praying for spiritual concerns, not physical ones. Very few mention praying for physical concerns. Jas. 5:13-18 seems to stand out, almost oddly, as the lone proponent of praying for physical concerns.
I don't mean to suggest that praying for physical concerns is somehow wrong. But something is out of whack when 90% of biblical prayers are for spiritual concerns, but 90% of common church prayers today are for physical concerns.
I think God wants us to lean on him and openly thrust our anxieties heavenward. It's just a healthy practice that keeps us constantly aware that we cannot control of so many external circumstances.
In my experience, I find that God grants physical requests extremely rarely. And when someone claims that God granted such a prayer request, I quietly question if the positive outcome came from God or purely from good fortune (dumb luck).
On a practical level, I have dramatically re-oriented the content of my prayers to address spiritual concerns (peace, wisdom, inner strength, forgiveness, patience, etc.). If I pray for a physical concern, it's usually because it's a class/group situation where another Christian requested that I pray for such. Inwardly, I protest such a prayer, but outwardly, I grin and bear it.
I have more to say, but it's your turn ...
tdubya of Illinois.
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2 comments:
generally, i agree. believers are way too preoccupied with remedies for physical ailments. what about this question: is the bible account of prayers prescriptive or descriptive?
I agree with the tendency of prayer requests being for physical healing. Your study did a great job of revealing what is most important; spiritual things. But I do have to quibble just a bit about you attributing most healing to dumb luck. There is no such thing as luck, fortune or chance. If those things exist then God would not be sovereign, and would support the argument that God doesn't exist at all. People are right to attribute the healing to God, it's that I think God's part is indirect. God created us with the ability to heal. He also gave us the ability to think and learn, therefore we have medical science through which we derive treatments and cures. These things are certainly from God.
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