Have you ever prayed for healing and not gotten it the way you wanted? I know that I have. I prayed often to be healed instantly and not have to work through all the trauma and the emotions that come with it.
I have never been instantly healed, though I believe I serve a God that can, but I have seen now how God used the time of my step-by-step healing to draw me closer to Him. To help me see that He is my strength, and He is the one that is getting me through.
Granted, I had to choose to do the work and to seek Him, but He is blessing me for it, and I can look back and see His hand on my life more times than I can count.
In 2 Corinthians, we see that Paul had a “thorn” as well, and though we don’t know what it was, we do know that He prayed for God to take it from Him, and God chose to leave it.
“Or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-8 (NIV)
To some, that may seem mean, but to those that walk with God and trust His will, we know that God will use it. Maybe it’s to draw us closer to Him or to share with someone else down the line how He is helping you. Maybe it’s to comfort someone. Whatever it may be, we know that God can receive glory from it and that is what we want in this life.
Paul said this about God’s answer to his prayer for healing:
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
I wasn’t healed instantly as I had prayed. However, that is because God was using the process to draw me closer to Him and to learn more about Him and His faithfulness, so that I could trust Him.
He knew I would need to draw upon His strength and to be able to trust Him for what He had in store for me, and to trust He alone will carry me through. Just like I talked about in my blog about the wilderness, He was taking me on the route that He knew was best for me.
I want God to get the glory for the work and redemption He has done in my life and that He continues to do.
I pray that you are able to accept the answer of “no” to instant healing if it means you will “know” God more. It is a blessing for a thorn far beyond what you can imagine. I promise you! Take heart my friends that the Father does know best!!!
Click to hear my prayer for you.
© 2022 Susan M. Clabaugh
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