"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Luke 11:9).
How does God fulfill this promise? Do the answers to our requests depend upon us? Do the answers depend wholly upon God? Must we convince Him of our needs? If He does not agree with us as to the importance of our needs, can our prayers change His mind? We are told that God is more eager to give than we are to receive. Then do we need to change God's mind, or change our approach to Him?
Does prayer in any real sense bring us into possession of the power of God? From personal experience we can answer confidently, Yes, it certainly does! "Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary, in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him."—Steps to Christ, p. 93.
There is no uncertainty about God's desire to have us come to Him with all our needs. He admonishes us, "'Press your petitions to the throne, and hold on by strong faith.' "—Early Writings, p. 73. There are four important fundamental principles that govern the prayer of petition: (1) A sense of our great need, (2) a strong, unwavering faith, (3) a full and complete surrender, (4) submission to God's will concerning what is best for us when He does not give what we request.
God's Promises Never Fail
"Every prayer which is sent up in faith . . . will be . . . answered."—Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 121. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). Could any words be plainer than these? "When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come."—Steps to Christ, p. 96.
God Gives What Is Best
When we say that God answers every true prayer we do not claim that He always answers in the very way and for the particular thing that we request. To make such a claim would be presumption (see Steps to Christ, p. 96).
"God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly."—Ibid. "Man is erring, and although his petitions are sent up from an honest heart, he does not always ask for the things that are good for himself, or that will glorify God. When this is so, our wise and good Father hears our prayers, and will answer, sometimes immediately; but He gives us the things that are for our best good and His own glory. . . . Nothing hurtful is given, but the blessing we need, in the place of something we asked for that would not be good for us, but to our hurt."—Testimonies, vol. 1, pp. 120, 121.
What a comfort it is to know that our heavenly Father always gives what is for our highest good—"that which we ourselves would desire if with vision divinely enlightened we could see all things as they really are" (Steps to Christ, p. 96).
Every Promise Conditional
"There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God will hear and answer our prayers."—Ibid., p. 95. We are accountable for knowing these conditions. Among the conditions are these:
1. Faith is essential. Jesus says, "According to your faith be it unto you" (Matt. 9:29) . "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:22). The story is told of a drought in England. A few Christian farmers who believed in prayer asked their minister to call for a special meeting to pray for rain. The day set for prayer was bright and cloudless. Among those who attended the meeting was little Mary who carried with her an umbrella. When asked why she brought an umbrella on such a lovely day, she said: "I thought since we were going to pray for rain I would be sure to need an umbrella." Mary and the minister went home together under the umbrella, while the rest of the congregation got well drenched. Our instruction from the Lord is: "Talk and act as if your faith was invincible" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 147).
2. Obedience required. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1 John 3:22). "Only as we live in obedience to His word can we claim ... His promises." —The Ministry of Healing, p. 227.
3. Confession necessary. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. 66:18). "He [the Lord] waits with unwearied love to hear the confessions of the wayward and to accept their penitence."—Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 84.
4. Deep earnestness needed. "When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer 'exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' "—Christ's Object Lessdns, p. 147.
5. We must cooperate with God by answering our own prayers as far as possible. This admonition, while addressed to youth, is for all ages: "While you pray, dear youth, that you may not be led into temptation, remember that your work does not end with the prayer. You must then answer your own prayer as far as possible by resisting temptation, and leave that which you cannot do for yourselves for Jesus to do for you."—Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 378. Our prayers must be stamped with our own efforts. For instance, if one prays for health, he should cooperate with the Lord by observing the laws of health.
How God Answers Prayer
Prayer opens the channel through which the Holy Spirit can operate to bring to pass the answer to our requests. Illustrations of this in the Lord's work and in the experience of individuals are seen daily. For instance, there is great need for a worker in a certain field. The Holy Spirit impresses just the right individual to offer his services. Another example—a student has a pressing financial need in order to remain in college. He tells no one of his need. One who lives many miles away is impressed to send him just the amount needed. Thus God often answers prayer through the cooperation of others—perhaps a minister, a doctor, a parent, a friend; or through a revival service, or a rescue from physical danger.
God answers prayer by various methods. He does not limit His ways to miraculous or spectacular means. Sometimes He uses angels. We read in Testimonies, volume 3. pages 363, 364, this impressive statement: "When you rise in the morning, do you feel your helplessness and your need of strength from God? and do you humbly, heartily make known your wants to your heavenly Father? If so, angels mark your prayers, and if these prayers have not gone forth out of feigned lips, when you are in danger of unconsciously doing wrong and exerting an influence which will lead others to do wrong, your guardian angel will be by your side, prompting you to a better course, choosing your words for you, and influencing your actions."
Prayer for the Sick "A Most Solemn Act"
During Christ's earthly ministry "He was just as ready to lay His hands in healing on the sick and afflicted as He was to preach the gospel" (Medical Ministry, p. 238). "The disciples in this time are to pray for the sick as verily as the disciples of old prayed. And recoveries will follow; for 'the prayer of faith shall save the sick.' "—The Ministry of Healing, p. 226. "But the offering of such prayer is a most solemn act, and should not be entered upon without careful consideration."—Gospel Workers, p. 215.
How to Pray
"In prayer for the sick it should be remembered that 'we know not what we should pray for as we ought.'. . . We do not know whether the blessing we desire will be best or not. Therefore our prayers should include this thought: 'Lord, Thou knowest every secret of the soul. Thou art acquainted with these persons. Jesus, their Advocate, gave His life for them. His love for them is greater than ours can possibly be. If, therefore, it is for Thy glory and the good of the afflicted ones, we ask, in the name of Jesus, that they may be restored to health. If it be not Thy will that they may be restored, we ask that Thy grace may comfort and Thy presence sustain them in their sufferings. ' . . .
"(God) knows whether those for whom prayer is offered would or would not be able to endure the trials that would come upon them should they live. He knows whether their lives would be a blessing or a curse to themselves and to the world. This is one reason why, while presenting our petitions with earnestness, we should say, 'Nevertheless not my will, but Thine be done. ' . . . Jesus added these words of submission to the wisdom and will of God when in the Garden of Gethsemane He pleaded, '0 My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me.' . . . And if they were appropriate for Him, the Son of God, how much more are they becoming on the lips of finite, erring mortals!"—The Ministry of Healing, pp. 229, 230. "Our petitions must not take the form of a command."—Counsels on Health, p. 379.
Not All to Be Healed
"Not all the sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus."—Gospel Workers, p. 218. "The Lord has often instructed me that many little ones are to be laid away before the time of trouble."—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 259.
Satan Will Work Miracles
"Men under the influence of evil spirits will work miracles. They will make people sick by casting their spell upon them, and will then remove the spell, leading others to say that those who were sick have been miraculously healed. This Satan has done again and again. We need not be deceived. Wonderful scenes, with which Satan will be closely connected, will soon take place."—Ibid., p. 53. "These [men under the influence of evil spirits] may profess to be followers of Christ, but they have lost sight of their Leader. They may say, 'Lord, Lord' ; they may point to the sick who are healed through them, and to other marvelous works, and claim that they have more of the Spirit and power of God than is manifested by those who keep His law. But their works are done under the supervision of the enemy of righteousness, whose aim it is to deceive souls, and are designed to lead away from obedience, truth, and duty." —The S.D.A. Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, on Rev. 13:13, 14, pp. 975, 976.
A Question Answered
Some people ask, "Why do other denominations seem to have more power in healing the sick than do Seventh-day Adventists?"
Our reply is that the gift of healing through faith, prayer, and anointing, has been manifested throughout our church history. The sick have been healed according to the promise of James 5:14, 15. But the glory has been given to God alone. No man has been publicized or glorified as a "faith healer." We have the assurance that the gift of healing will continue to be manifested in the remnant church till the work on earth is finished (see Great Controversy, p. 612).
Not only has God healed many through faith, prayer, and anointing, but "His presence in our institutions has been a savor of life unto life. . . . Wonderful has been the working out of God's plan [for healing] in the establishment of so many health institutions."—Medical Ministry, p. 25.
Truly God has done great things for His people through the gift of healing!
