TBC Notes: Prayer Requests for God’s Healing Touch

Prayer Requests for God’s Healing Touch

More and more, it seems that illnesses are impacting our brothers and sisters in Christ. That being the case, we can take comfort in the fact that our LORD is Jehovah Rapha, “the Lord that healeth thee,” and He is not overwhelmed by too many seeking His healing touch. Neither is there any physical affliction that is beyond His ability to heal. Jesus healed all those who came to Him. Hebrews:4:16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
See All... tells us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” and that’s what we do concerning those who are on our hearts and in need of His healing touch.

Some who misunderstand the Scriptures protest that we are never to “cop out” by “undermining” our prayers for healing by deferring to God’s will per our request. Really? Could there be anything better—more perfect—than God’s will? God knows our hearts and our love for those for whom we are interceding, and often He will answer our prayers as we desire. But more often He will answer above “all we can ask or think” (Ephesians:3:20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
See All...). This means that His will is a good thing for those being prayed for as well as for those praying. It may not seem that way, because God doesn’t always give us the details of the way He’s working things out, nor do we have the capacity to process what He is doing. (Even Jesus, when crying out for the Father to “remove the cup” of suffering that He must soon endure, submitted to His Father: “Not my will, but thine…” understanding that something greater was to come.)

Yet we are to cry out to Him for those He has put on our hearts, and He doesn’t fault us for our love and compassion even though our emotions fall far short of His love and compassion. Therefore, we can look to Paul’s situation regarding Epaphroditus, who was “sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow” (Philippians:2:27-28 [27] For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. [28] I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
See All...). Though Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, He nevertheless wept over what sin had wrought and the sorrow that is experienced from losing loved ones that resulted.

Believers are terribly grieved when death is not held back by physical healing, but they are not without the hope and knowledge of what comes next for a believer in Christ. Nevertheless, we covet your prayers for the healing of Caryl Matrisciana, Larry DeBruyn, and John Leo—all warriors for God’s truth.

When I first wrote this note, I included Ray Yungen among those who needed prayer for healing. We had been praying for Ray’s healing since he was with us at a recent get together at Cambria, California. However, the bittersweet news is that the Lord called Ray home a few weeks ago. Bitter for us who will miss him greatly; sweet for him to be in the joyous presence of Jesus.

We at TBC had the privilege of doing a recent radio interview with Ray and then having him speak at our conference in August. The Lord alone knows why He brought him home at this time, but He graciously allowed him to fight the good fight of the faith right up until the end. His presentation and panel discussion input at the conference was Ray at his anointed best. We are going to miss him and can only pray that the Lord Jesus will raise up men of God like him in these days that are so near to Christ’s return.

T. A. McMahon

Executive Director