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I wanted to stay on the theme of God’s will in healing for a moment. There’s a great example in Mark and an Luke 5:12. It goes as follows:
(Mark 1:40-41 NIV) A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” {41} Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
For me, God’s willingness seems quite clear, as in the other 25 instances of individual healings in the New Testament. Jesus said “I am willing…” and proceeded to heal the leper. Someone might say, ‘but that was Jesus, not God’. However to this, we say:
(John 4:34 NIV) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Jesus is the will of God in action, ergo, you need look no closer than Jesus to see God’s will. That’s why He said to Philip:
(John 14:9 NIV) …”Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
So is healing the will of God? I suggest the Word is a better witness of this than the folks I prayed for who stayed sick, or the folks you prayed for who didn’t recover. We seem to have gotten ourselves to a place where anecdote and experiences determine theology. Do you agree?
Jesse thanks for your cmoment. We try to start worship by telling the kids what we are going to do then lead them into it then review with them what God did or what we feel God was speaking to us as leaders. The whole purpose of praise is to bring our kids to a place of worship where kids can connect. I personally believe that we need to create space and teach kids to wait on God. I know for us at least we can get so program driven and focused on time and lesson content that we can forget that what God wants to do in a service is what matters most. Have a plan if necessary modify the plan. Hopes that helps. sam