The Fine Print

[kayeraven]

I have a tendency to be verbose, so let me see if I can do this in thumbnail style. The Bible admonishes us to have the faith of a child; to seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us; and that when one or more of us is together in faith, our prayers are heard. I feel that something has been lost in the translation from Aramaic to Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English, because I faced a situation in my life a year or so ago which demonstrated that these scriptures are in error. … Several months ago I made a conscious decision to have the faith of a child and pray for the miraculous healing of a young woman with cancer. It was diagnosed during her pregnancy, but she denied herself medical treatment, refused to abort her child, and eventually bore a perfectly healthy little boy. By that time the cancer had advanced and she then sought treatment. She survived almost two years but eventually perished in spite of prayers, fasting, our vigilance and a childlike faith. For me, it was like being sucker punched - - it felt like a betrayal. What is the purpose of these scriptures and these “how to” instructions from our Lord if it bears no result? Prayer is a wonderful tool to use during times of praise and thanksgiving, but I feel that prayers of petition are futile. If God is going to do exactly as he pleases no matter what we do to intervene, we are wasting our time. The fine print (which does not appear in scripture) is " … provided it is God’s will," but again, I repeat the previous sentence. If prayers for mercy are denied and God does as he chooses irregardless, we may as well find something else to do with our time. I confine my prayers to those of thanksgiving and praise. I have learned the futility of asking for miraculous intervention. If it’s going to happen, it will happen anyway. I wish the translators had included the fine print, or the writer of the gospel had chosen to make that clear. Sure would have saved a lot of people a lot of heartbreak!

 

[CatholicGeek1]

While this is truly a tragic situation, the prayers were not in vain. God has a greater plan for all of us. While it is sad for us that those we love pass on and leave us behind, she is in a place where she is infinitely happier than she ever could have been here. The mercy that you prayed for was given, she was called home by her Lord and Savior to be at peace and without suffering for all of eternity.

 

[dshix]

I have a tendency to be verbose, so let me see if I can do this in thumbnail style. The Bible admonishes us to have the faith of a child; to seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us; and that when one or more of us is together in faith, our prayers are heard. I feel that something has been lost in the translation from Aramaic to Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English, because I faced a situation in my life a year or so ago which demonstrated that these scriptures are in error. … Several months ago I made a conscious decision to have the faith of a child and pray for the miraculous healing of a young woman with cancer. It was diagnosed during her pregnancy, but she denied herself medical treatment, refused to abort her child, and eventually bore a perfectly healthy little boy. By that time the cancer had advanced and she then sought treatment. She survived almost two years but eventually perished in spite of prayers, fasting, our vigilance and a childlike faith. For me, it was like being sucker punched - - it felt like a betrayal. What is the purpose of these scriptures and these “how to” instructions from our Lord if it bears no result? Prayer is a wonderful tool to use during times of praise and thanksgiving, but I feel that prayers of petition are futile. If God is going to do exactly as he pleases no matter what we do to intervene, we are wasting our time. The fine print (which does not appear in scripture) is " … provided it is God’s will," but again, I repeat the previous sentence. If prayers for mercy are denied and God does as he chooses irregardless, we may as well find something else to do with our time. I confine my prayers to those of thanksgiving and praise. I have learned the futility of asking for miraculous intervention. If it’s going to happen, it will happen anyway. I wish the translators had included the fine print, or the writer of the gospel had chosen to make that clear. Sure would have saved a lot of people a lot of heartbreak!

God’s promise that if we seek we will find, and if we knock then the door will be opened, is not a promise that everything we ask will be given in just the way we expect. God intends the greatest good for every person, and He knows what is good for us better then we know ourselves.

It appears that this was a holy woman who died because of cancer. It looks to me as if God let her die to call her to Himself; she is now enjoying Heaven. Men do not think as God thinks; He sees all, the spiritual and the temporal, and apparently He saw that the greatest good would come out of her death.

Do not doubt God’s love just because he does not answer your prayers as you expect. He knows better than any person possibly could what is best for us all.

 

[LongingSoul]

I have a tendency to be verbose, so let me see if I can do this in thumbnail style. The Bible admonishes us to have the faith of a child; to seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us; and that when one or more of us is together in faith, our prayers are heard. I feel that something has been lost in the translation from Aramaic to Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English, because I faced a situation in my life a year or so ago which demonstrated that these scriptures are in error. … Several months ago I made a conscious decision to have the faith of a child and pray for the miraculous healing of a young woman with cancer. It was diagnosed during her pregnancy, but she denied herself medical treatment, refused to abort her child, and eventually bore a perfectly healthy little boy. By that time the cancer had advanced and she then sought treatment. She survived almost two years but eventually perished in spite of prayers, fasting, our vigilance and a childlike faith. For me, it was like being sucker punched - - it felt like a betrayal. What is the purpose of these scriptures and these “how to” instructions from our Lord if it bears no result? Prayer is a wonderful tool to use during times of praise and thanksgiving, but I feel that prayers of petition are futile. If God is going to do exactly as he pleases no matter what we do to intervene, we are wasting our time. The fine print (which does not appear in scripture) is " … provided it is God’s will," but again, I repeat the previous sentence. If prayers for mercy are denied and God does as he chooses irregardless, we may as well find something else to do with our time. I confine my prayers to those of thanksgiving and praise. I have learned the futility of asking for miraculous intervention. If it’s going to happen, it will happen anyway. I wish the translators had included the fine print, or the writer of the gospel had chosen to make that clear. Sure would have saved a lot of people a lot of heartbreak!

That situation brought tears to my eyes. May she rest in peace.

I think this kind of doubt will naturally arise in times when our desire ridden prayers seem to have been futile in the end. Even Jesus who had been able to concede to His Father in the garden… “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke22-42)… yet was moved from such deep pain from the Cross to cry “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me” (Matt27-45).

We have to ask God for what we need as a child would ask, and through the maturity of faith fashioned by the trials of living… move to concede "not my will, but yours be done’. That’s displaying our love through sacrifice in the spirit of Jesus love for His Father through death on a Cross.

 

[Oldtimer_7]

She bore a healthy child. She was there for the first two years of its life. As long as anyone can remember her life, it will be an example of selfless love to that child. It will inspire his life beyond all the years she might have lived otherwise. My fellow child of Christ, you have had prayers answered mightily. To see it otherwise would be like starving in a room full of Swiss cheese, because all you saw was the holes.

 

[Aloysium]

She sounds like an amazing person and you are fortunate to have known her. I do not know how the heartbreak would have been any less had the message been clearer that in the end it is God’s will and He knows what is best for us. My reading of the Bible shows miracles happening when one does God’s will; it is not a matter of His doing ours. It is natural to feel angry that this young woman passed away, but a child, who might otherwise not have been, is in this world as is the love that seems to permeate the lives of those involved. Your friend is surely with God now. I cry at these losses, but rejoice in the fact that such people exist.