Observant readers of this site will remember that about a year ago I posted a short piece about my on-going battle with Psoriatic Arthritis. Psoriatic Arthritis is a disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis. My immune system malfunctions and the result is muscle and bone damage that causes me to have periods where it is difficult to use my hands and sometimes to walk. These days the medicines available for treatment often times keep the disease under control. Before getting a diagnosis and appropriate treatment I ended up in the hospital on three occasions. The medicines, of course, have side effects and I’m always at increased risk for infections and even different forms of cancer. Even a common sinus infection becomes a major ordeal. The worst part for me is that even on good days I live with some measure of pain and on bad days that pain can feel overwhelming.
There have been several studies that show prayer can help in the recovery of those who are ill. My own theological worldview rejects the notion that God only helps those who ask (or even know how to ask). But I have found that meditative prayer during times of increased pain (and the stress that comes with it) helps me become God-centered and more relaxed. I can share the pain and grief that comes with it with God and know that God suffers with all those in pain (mental, physical, spiritual). That is comforting and often allows me the mental space to accomplish tasks that some days feel impossible. Some people have even claimed that through prayer they have been cured from aliments. I won’t reject those claims out of hand, but it always makes we wonder why God would cure one person and not another. My own understanding of God makes these claims suspect.
What I’m wondering is what other people feel about prayer and healing? Have you had a personal experience with it? Do you believe in a God that intervenes with individual cases and offers miracle cures? Or do you think it is a miracle enough that God created humanity with the capacity to treat illnesses?
Related Resources:
Facts About Psoriatic Arthritis
