When God Says No To Prayers For Physical Healing

* ILLUS - for years, I have prayed for sick family members in the church and ministered to grieving families.

-- after losing my parents in 2014 & 2015… and especially after losing Debby(wife) in 2023 (little over a year ago) I have had to reevaluate my ministering to grieving families and my praying for those who are physically sick.

- As many of you know my dad became ill about 9 years before he passed away …in 2014. It all began when his body was attacked by the shingles virus. The rash wrapped around his body from the front of his belly, around to his back. Initially, my dad continued to work but after a few weeks of excruciating pain from the shingles, he finally came to the point that he couldn’t work any longer. The rash eventually went away but His nerve endings were damaged through the virus and the only relief from the pain he could get was through oxycodone and hydrocodone. We took him to Mayo clinic in an attempt to get him some relief, and we came back empty handed. I drove him to Memphis to begin a series of nerve blocks to get relief from the pain. The first one was somewhat effective…Dad said, “I haven’t had this much relief from the pain in months.” I took him back to have another one and he wound up in the emergency room with heart problems. No more nerve blocks. Dad wound up dependent on pain meds. Without them, he wept, because the pain was so unbearable. My dad was no cry baby. The pain was real, severe, and debilitating. I watched my dad go from a strong, healthy, everyday hard working man to a disabled frame of bones with skin and minimal muscles.

I prayed for his healing,…our family prayed for his healing,…our church prayed for his healing…and he suffered for almost 9 years. God said NO to physical healing in my dad’s life.

When God says "No" to prayers for physical healing, it can be a profoundly challenging and painful experience. This response often leads to feelings of confusion, frustration, and even a crisis of faith.

I want you to see first of all...

I. Paul’s desperation.

* How Paul felt when praying for physical healing.

* See Paul’s desperation when God said no to physical healing.

- Paul desperately wanted a yes to his prayer for physical healing.

* Paul was praying for miraculous physical healing…

-- apparently this physical ailment (thorn in the flesh) had been a long standing illness …II Cor. 12:1-6 – 14 years ago v.4 “how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

- It’s written in such a way as to suggest that at the time of these revelations is when he received this thorn in the flesh (v. 7)…it was to keep him from becoming proud.

Paul , II Cor 12:7-10

2Co 12:7-10 NKJV And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. (8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. (9) And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.