It was a freak accident. The energetic, talented nineteen-year-old decided to try a back flip and landed wrong. The impact snapped his C2 vertebra, instantly paralyzing him from the neck down.
In the aftermath of Kevin’s injury, his family and many faithful friends prayed hard and often for his healing — and they started to see some miracles.
Having sustained the same injury as actor Christopher Reeves did years ago, Kevin should be on a ventilator 24 hours a day. He should not be able to move on his own.
Yet Kevin is off the ventilator during his waking hours. He can manipulate the controls on his special wheelchair and work at his computer. He can even walk a bit. And he continues to make incremental improvements.
Miraculous! And yet …
It’s been nearly twenty years since the accident. Kevin and his family have embraced the mystery of God’s ways, of this partial healing, of how glory comes to Jesus sometimes through healing, and sometimes through adversity.
(Read their story here: Song in the Night. )
We always want the healing part, don’t we? We want to see our friends and family — and ourselves — free from suffering.
We want Jesus to wave his magic wand and make the hard stuff go away.
When it comes to suffering, God does one of two things: He either restores us, or he redeems our suffering. Often enough, as in Kevin’s case, he weaves together restoration and redemption like two threads in a breath-taking tapestry.
We need to embrace both of these eventualities — restoration and redemption — as good things
As believers, we will one day receive whole bodies that will never disappoint us again. Ultimately, physical healing is what’s happening –permanently– for all of us.
It’s the “in the meantime” that we have to deal with.
So when your friend or loved one has endured many medical tests and doctors can’t find the answer, when the pain and limitations just won’t go away, when the healing doesn’t come and you wonder what God is up to, how can you pray?
See, there’s a “both-and” tension between these two truths:
- God does miracles, he is pleased with our faith, and we should ask him for healing. And …
- God uses human suffering to accomplish transformation in us and bring glory to himself.
Please do pray for your love one’s healing, and exercise your faith muscles as you do. At the same time, avoid praying according to personal assumptions or other people’s prescriptions.
You have the mind of Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You can ask him how to pray!
Here are a few ways you can focus on God’s redemptive purposes in the life of a suffering person. Pray:
- That God’s name would be glorified in and through your friend’s circumstances.
- For perseverance to have its perfect work in them.
- For opportunities for them to minister and testify to others (doctors, nurses, other patients, etc.).
- That their faith would not falter but rather increase because of adversity.
- That their physical limitations would open up time and space for a deeper relationship with God.
- For daily moments of joy.
- For fresh hope when the journey makes them weary.
This list is not comprehensive; it’s just meant to launch you into new realms of faith-filled prayer.
Kevin and his family have seen many answers to prayer — some for restoration, some for redemption. One day, I believe they will each hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” as they stand before Jesus himself.
In that moment, it won’t matter if Kevin didn’t receive a complete healing during his earthly life.
What will matter is all that God redemptively accomplished through him.
Excellent and good points made in this article to keep in mind of how to specifically pray for those we know are suffering either physically, emotionally or otherwise. Thanks for your insights Suzanne!
You’re welcome, Linda! It’s true, suffering comes in various ways — and there’s not a magic formula for escaping it.
Thank you for some excellent thoughts on prayer for and in suffering, and living for God’s glory whatever our circumstances.
My privilege, Jacqueline. Both kinds of faith heroes are celebrated in Hebrews … those who “got the victory” and those who persevered through trial!
Suzanne – Thank you for this post and for sharing Kevin’s courageous faith journey. I was diagnosed with an immune system disorder in the early 90’s and prayed feverently for complete healing. To this day, I continue to live with both this disease and chronic pain. Many of my Christian friends only added to my suffering by pronouncing that a lack of faith was the reason I did not receive healing. I appreciate your post recognizing the tension many of us have between wanting healing and acknowledging that God is God.In His faithfulness He has daily offered me both grace and redemption and through this gifts I have been blessed to both testify of His goodness and live a full life in Christ each and every day despite my circumstances. Thank you for writing our some of the many prayers one can pray for a loved one who is suffering.
God bless you, Terry! I’m sorry for the added burden that other believers have placed on you. I spent years battling chronic stuff, too, and endured many hurtful comments and theologically off-base prayers, so I understand. People just naturally want a formula — it makes us feel more secure. However, our trustworthy God does his deepest work in the fires of affliction, and that work lasts forever. Thanks for letting your life be a beautiful testimony to Him!
God Bless you as well Suzanne! Thank you sharing your gifts of encouragement and faith in Christ.