Had a conversation at work today with a watch repairman about how he thinks the world ticks, especially regarding pain and illness. He said in that in his view, God doesn't want anyone to suffer. And then we didn't have time to get much further than that.
Our chat started when I asked about his classes on worship and prayer. He facilitates a satellite course of a much larger program out of northern California. We both agreed that God is able to do anything, including miracles of instant healing or pain relief. I asked him about cases where healing doesn't occur and did he think we could assume that God heal every time we pray for this? Or could we pray for healing from mortality, if it came down to it? The watchmaker said he prefers to focus on what God can do instead of on Him not healing.
Some things I wonder: If people receive healing prayer for physical pain, what about healing prayer for emotional pain? Say, loneliness? Disappointment? Sadness? Isn't pain pain, no matter what form? I'd love to have those prayed out of my life. Are my prayers too limited for myself or for others? Or, if God can do anything, doesn't this also apply to the miracles of Him getting people through suffering instead of just out of it? Are there things God does only through suffering? I think most of us have seen something good come through suffering at times, even if we hate it. Should Jesus have prayed away His own suffering while on earth even before He went to the cross? I think if He was tempted in every way I am, He must have suffered in every way I do too.
