When God Says No To Prayers For Physical Healing

v. 8 – “pleaded”, stronger word than “ask”, (NLT=”begged”), Paul is desperate

Did Paul literally pray 3 times…only 3 times

Maybe Paul's prayers went something like this...

1- God I’m serious… this is not a “now I lay me down my eyes to sleep” prayer!

2- God, I mean it this time…you don’t understand how this is hurting me and hindering me. This physical burden is keeping me from being 100%. And don’t you remember …3Jn 1:2 NKJV Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

-----Albert Barnes …- You will remember that the Lord Jesus prayed three times in the garden of Gethsemane that the cup might be removed from him, Mat_26:44. At the third time he ceased, and submitted to what was the will of God. The probability, therefore, is, that Paul on three different occasions earnestly besought the Lord Jesus that this calamity might be removed from him. It might have been exceedingly painful, or it might, as he supposed, interfere with his success as a preacher; or it might have been of such a nature as to expose him to ridicule; and he prayed, therefore, if it were possible that it might be taken away. The passage proves that it is right to pray earnestly and repeatedly for the removal of any calamity. The Savior so prayed in the garden; and Paul so prayed here. Yet it also proves that there should be a limit to such prayers. The Savior prayed three times; and Paul limited himself to the same number of petitions and then submitted to the will of God. This does not prove that we should be limited to exactly this number in our petitions; but it proves that there should be a limit; that we should not be over-anxious, and that when it is plain from any cause that the calamity will not be removed, we should submit to it.

-- so whether he prayed three times or repeatedly, we see the desperation

II. Paul’s Actions

…What Paul did

A. Prayed v. 8

. (8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me

* …besought (pleaded) with the Lord (Prayed)

- Paul did ask for physical healing.

- I’m afraid that too often our first response to sickness is to make an appointment with the doctor before we make an appointment with the GREAT PHYSICIAN.

- There is nothing wrong or irrational about asking God to physically heal us.

- Paul asked for what he wanted and desired…not knowing whether it was God’s will to heal him or not

-- Maybe Paul had in his mind, if I pray hard enough and long enough God will realize I’m right and He’s wrong in not responding with a YES to my prayer for physical healing.

B. Listened v. 9

to Lord v. 9 “…Lord said to me”.

- God spoke…Paul listened!

- Listened and received the Lord’s perspective on his situation…a perspective that was different from his own.

- ? When God tells you NO, are you listening?

- Sometimes we are so busy telling God what we want Him to do…what He should do, that we don’t take the time to listen to Him.

* Paul had a sensitive spirit to hear God speak

C. Trusted v. 10