Love in prayer
My pastor said recently that if we pray for someone and they are not healed, it’s not a problem UNLESS we haven't loved them. He said that love is the most important. He wants the church to be faith filled BUT if the church was known as being full of faith, but not known for its love then it would have failed.
I’ve experienced a lot of prayer, some answered and some not.
In my experience prayer without an expression of love can actually work, it may even be answered! But when the prayer is not answered and loving kindness was lacking, hurt is caused. The prayee is very unlikely to come back for more or be interested in further searching for answers from God.
Whereas a prayer that is unanswered but done in such a way that the prayee feels an expression of God’s love from the praying person will still build relationship, regardless of the lack of answer. We Christians need to see praying for people as an opportunity, not just to invite God into a situation but also for us to care. To show respect, love and kindness to them in their need. We need to see prayer as more than just the act of speaking to God, but also the act of connecting with a person who is asking for help.
Sometimes the very act of connecting and caring for someone will help meet their needs. Sometimes they might just need to feel that they are not carrying their worries alone, that we are there with them and we want to help.
But love is not expressed just through words and feelings
In James 2 verse 16 the bible says that if you say to people “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat,” but you don’t give them the things they need. If you don’t help them, your words are worthless.”.
It seems that once someone has come to us with a need we are expected to do more than say we care, we are expected to help if we can.
I can remember once a woman had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and her family were in a terrible financial situation.
I asked God what he was going to do about this and I distinctly felt him say to me “I have done something about it, I’ve told you”. I was pretty annoyed with him and said that I couldn’t fix her tumor.
I didn’t get another response, but I felt that what I could do, I should do. My grandmother organised a grocery donation for the family and I donated what I could. It felt so insignificant in the face of such a tragedy.
Our prayers for healing went unanswered in this instance, but I hope that through the small insignificant assistance of her community this woman and her family knew that someone cared.
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