Of course, we should pray for healing, but we must think eternally as we pray for people facing trials. That’s why James 1:5 talks about lacking wisdom. The context of that verse is trials. The wisdom, then, is needed in order to face the trial in a God-honoring, joyful way in order to grow in steadfastness. Sure, spend a few minutes praying the trial away, but spend most of your time praying that God would improve your attitude in the midst of the trial, and would use the one facing the trial for His glory and for their good.

I didn’t have much of a prayer life growing up. I was your typical kid who only prayed before meals and tests, and asked God to make food that was bad for me actually make me healthy and to help me remember things that I never actually studied for.

Over the years, some events happened that have helped to shape my prayer life.

I remember one time, in the Southern Baptist church I attended in high school, that a lady told the church that she had terminal cancer. So on a Sunday night, the elders of the church laid their hand on her and one of them was asked to pray. I will never forget his words:

“Lord, we know that you will heal Susan. We look forward to hearing the doctors declare that this is a miracle, that you will be glorified by restoring Susan to full health.”

I remember being bothered by that prayed. The bother became anger only a couple weeks later when she went to be with the Lord. I wasn’t angry at God, but I was angry at that elder who had failed to shepherd the soul that was inside the shoulder he had his hand on that evening. Not to mention the dozens of people who heard that prayer.

Since that day I’ve heard many people “pray the trial away” without really thinking through the fact that the Creator of the universe—who can create everything out of nothing—can eliminate disease in a split second. It’s almost as if the only thing we can do is pray for healing, and that’s the extent of our prayer life.

I took a prayer class in Seminary that changed my life.

I was supposed to pray for an hour a day! I remember thinking one hour is not so bad, but that first morning, as I got ready to pray, I was pretty much out of things to pray for after about five minutes. Here I was studying in seminary to be a pastor and I couldn’t pray for more than five minutes.

Read More