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Prayer and Suffering (Part 2) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to reformed thinking. We take important theological
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discussions and well, aim to get right to the core of what you
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need to understand. We want to help you gain a solid
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grasp quickly cutting through some of the noise to deliver
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clear insights grounded in Scripture.
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And today, we're looking at material that tackles something
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many of us find, frankly quite challenging.
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Yeah, how we should approach prayer and support for people
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who are going through significant pain and suffering.
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That's right, our sources give us a pretty careful overview of
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the theological frameworks involved, but also some very
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practical advice for how to actually comfort people who are
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hurting. So our mission for this deep
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dive is to really unpack the thinking behind ministering to
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folks in trials, especially around this whole issue of
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praying for healing. We'll look at the different
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types of healing the sources talk about, consider God's
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purposes in allowing pain, which is a big one, and then get into
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some really concrete ways to offer genuine comfort.
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Exactly. We want to bring clarity to what
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can feel like a very delicate subject and do it from a
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reformed theological understanding, thinking about
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God's sovereignty and His Word. OK, let's start unpacking this
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first big idea, the concept of healing itself.
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Our sources kick this off with some pretty thought provoking
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questions. Right.
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They sort of set up a spectrum of scenarios, situations where
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you might think about praying for someone's physical
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well-being. Yeah, like, imagine you're at a
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funeral. Would you pray for the person in
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the casket to rise from the grave?
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Probably not, right? Most people wouldn't know or the
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example of a family with a child born with Down syndrome.
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Would you pray for God to just remove the extra chromosome?
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Again, likely a no for most believers, but then they shift.
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What about someone with a terminal illness?
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Or a brand new cancer diagnosis. Or even someone who's just
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really sick with pneumonia. Suddenly the answer starts
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shifting towards yes, doesn't it?
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We feel much more inclined to pray for healing in those cases,
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and it's. That shift, the sources argue,
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that reveals an underlying theological conviction.
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It's something many of us hold, maybe without even putting a
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specific label on it. So this is where the distinction
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comes in between different kinds of healing.
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Precisely this is where our sources draw a clear line
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between what they call miraculous healing and
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providential healing. And understand this difference
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is well, they argue, it's vital. OK, let's define those then.
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How do the sources explain miraculous healing?
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Miraculous healing, according to the material, is when God
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actively ruptures the laws of His creation.
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Ruptures them. So like steps outside the normal
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way things work. Exactly.
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It's described as God performing something inexplicable,
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something that really goes beyond the bounds of science and
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the natural processes we observe.
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Like the examples you gave earlier, raising someone from
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the dead or instantly changing genetics.
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Yes, those are the kinds of things, and the sources placed
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this kind of healing primarily in a specific historical
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context. The New Testament era.
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Mainly, yes, tied closely to the writing of the Scriptures.
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Its main purpose, they argue, wasn't just healing, but to
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authenticate God's messengers. Ah, so like Moses performing
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signs or the apostles doing miracles to prove their message
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was from God. Correct.
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These were sign gifts. They validated the divine
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authority of those individuals who were laying the foundation
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of the Church and bringing new revelation from God.
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OK, so these big law breaking miracles had a very specific
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purpose related to establishing God's Word and His church that
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helps frame it. It really does.
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It wasn't just about fixing bodies, it was about confirming
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truth in a foundational period. So then what about the other
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category? Providential healing?
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How that defined? Providential healing is
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different. Here God is working through
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various means, but importantly, within His creation.
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Within the normal rules, so to speak.
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The mechanisms are things we recognize Medicine working
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effectively, chemotherapy doing its job, skilled doctors
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performing successful surgeries. Or even maybe a misdiagnosis
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that turns out to be wrong, bringing immense relief.
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That could be part of it, too. The key is, God is still the one
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working. He's answering prayer, often in
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ways that surprise us, leading us to thank Him and attribute
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the recovery to His hand. But he's doing it without
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rupturing those natural laws he set up.
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He's working through the system he created.
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Exactly. It's his sovereign hand, guiding
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events and means within the established order.
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It's still his work, his answer to prayer, but through secondary
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causes. OK, that distinction is becoming
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clearer. Miraculous is outside the
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system. Providential is within it.
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Why is this distinction so critical for how we pray today?
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This is where the theological position known as cessationism
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really comes into play and shapes the application.
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Right. For anyone listening who might
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not be familiar, cessationism is broadly the belief that certain
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supernatural gifts, like the Apostolic gift of performing
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miraculous healings or the office of apostle itself ceased
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after the time of the apostles and the completion of the Bible.
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That's a good summary. It's a common understanding
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within Reformed theology. And the sources root this in
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scripture. They do.
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They point to passages like Ephesians 2.20, which talks
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about the church being built on the foundation of the apostles
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and prophets. That language suggests A
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foundational work that's now complete.
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A specific era. Yes, and other texts like Exodus
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19, Second Corinthians 12, Hebrews 2.
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They consistently show miracles functioning to authenticate
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God's messengers and the new revelation they we're bringing.
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Signs to confirm the word. Precisely.
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And once the word, the Scripture was complete.
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As second Peter 1.3 suggests, it's sufficient for life and
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godliness. The argument is that the need
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for those authenticating revelatory signs passed.
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Plus, texts like First Corinthians 15 seem to indicate
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Paul was the last apostle in that unique, authoritative
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sense. Correct.
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So the cessationist view based on these scriptures holds that
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God's primary way of working now is through Providence, not
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through the specific sign gifts of the Apostolic age.
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OK. So if that's our theological
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understanding, what's the danger?
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What's the hazard if we pray as if those Apostolic era
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miraculous healings are the norm today?
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The sources are quite direct here.
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The big concern is giving false hope to people who are suffering
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or to their families. Hope based on a misunderstanding
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of how God works now. Yes, implying or outright
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stating that God will break the laws of nature and do a miracle
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for them if our understanding is that he generally doesn't
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operate that way today. And potential fallout.
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The sources call it potentially catastrophic to the proclamation
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of the Christian faith. It's strong language.
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Why catastrophic? Well, think about it.
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If a pastor or even a well meaning friend promises A
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miraculous physical healing based on, say, enough faith, and
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God hasn't promised to act that way, what happens when it
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doesn't materialize? The person might doubt God's
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goodness or even their own faith.
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Or worse, they might become cynical, maybe even drift
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towards agnosticism. They might think, if God won't
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even keep this promise about healing, how can I trust his
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promises about salvation? It can really undermine their
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entire faith structure. Because the expectation was
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built on something God hasn't actually guaranteed for
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believers in this age. Exactly.
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That's why the plea throughout the material is to only
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communicate truth. Be theologically accurate and
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how we pray and comfort aligning our words with what God has
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actually revealed in His Word about how He works now.
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So understanding this difference, miraculous versus
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providential, isn't just theological hair splitting.
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It helps us pray with well clear vision.
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It protects people from false expectations and grounds our
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hope properly. It grounds our hope in God's
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sovereign wisdom and His revealed will, not in
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assumptions about how He must act based on past specific eras.
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That's a really crucial foundation for moving forward.
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All right, this next section gets into territory that can be
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really challenging. Our sources push back against
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our natural instinct to see all pain, all suffering, as just
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bad, something to be avoided at all costs.
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Right. They really dig into God's
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ultimate purposes, His goals, and allowing suffering to exist
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in the 1st place. It forces us to ask, what is
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God's perspective on suffering? Does he just want everyone
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physically healthy and pain free all the time?
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That seems to be our default desire, Doesn't.
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It but it certainly is. But the sources introduce a
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helpful distinction here regarding God's will.
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They talk about His desired will versus His decreed will.
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OK, what's the difference there? God's desired will reflects his
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moral character, his revealed preferences.
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Scripture is clear. He takes no pleasure in
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suffering or death itself. Think of passages in Ezekiel.
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He desires all people to turn to him and be saved.
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That's his good revealed desire. But his decreed will is
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different. Yes, his decreed will is what he
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sovereignly determines will actually happen, and the sources
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argue he sovereignly allows and even purposes suffering for
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better purposes. For better purposes, meaning
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suffering exists because somehow it ultimately brings God greater
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glory. That's the core argument.
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It's a tough one, no doubt. It really is, especially for
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someone who's actually in pain. How can my suffering bring God
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glory? That sounds hard to grasp.
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It does, and the sources make a bold claim.
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They argue that this world, exactly as it stands, with
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cancer and surgeries and really wicked sin, really difficult
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tragedies, is actually the best world possible for the glory of
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God. Whoa, that's quite a statement.
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The best possible world includes all this.
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From the perspective of maximizing God's glory, yes, the
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logic is that if God could have created a better world for his
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ultimate glory, but didn't, it would imply he was lacking in
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wisdom or power. Stupid, a fool, a failure are
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the blunt terms used to reject that possibility.
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So therefore, even a life filled with pain, filled with
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suffering, must somehow be the life that gives God the most
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glory in His grand plan. That's the conclusion they draw,
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not that God delights in the pain itself, but that he uses it
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instrumentally for a greater end, His glory.
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How does suffering do that? How does it reveal his glory?
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Well, suffering becomes the backdrop against which certain
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aspects of God's character shine most brightly.
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His comfort, for instance, is experienced most deeply in times
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of sorrow. His mercy is most evident when
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He sustains someone through trials.
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His grace in providing strength. Exactly.
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His justice is highlighted by the reality of suffering as a
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consequence of sin in a fallen world pointing towards his
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ultimate resolution, even his hatred of sin is underscored.
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These attributes are displayed. They reveal His nature in ways
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that ease and comfort simply can't.
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So suffering isn't good in itself, but God uses it as a
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context to display his own goodness and multifaceted
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character more fully. Precisely, and it's not just
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about displaying his attributes generally, but also about what
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suffering accomplishes in US, particularly in believers.
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OK, what's the connection there? The sources argue that what
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brings God the absolute greatest glory is when he conforms
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individuals to be like his Son Jesus.
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Making us more Christ like. Yes, and suffering in God's
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decreed plan is a primary means he uses to accomplish this
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transformation. It's a tool for making believers
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most like Jesus, and that being conformed to Christ is seen as
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the ultimate best good for any individual.
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So for believers, suffering plays a role in our
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sanctification, our growth and holiness.
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Absolutely. It forces us to grapple with
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God's sovereignty in ways Comfort doesn't.
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It pushes us to pray for deeper trust.
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Amazingly, it can even lead to rejoicing, not in the suffering,
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but in God despite the suffering.
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Like Job saying blessed be the name of the Lord even after
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losing everything. Exactly or Jesus in the garden
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submitting your will be done. Suffering can pry our eyes off
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ourselves, off our immediate comfort and make us consider our
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purpose. Maybe how we can be a witness to
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others, doctors, family. You can even, maybe
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surprisingly, deepen our assurance of salvation.
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It can, as the Spirit works through it to confirm our
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standing as God's children, held secure even in the storm.
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OK, that covers believers. What about unbelievers?
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How does their suffering fit into God's purposes according to
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these sources? For unbelievers, suffering is
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described as an aspect of God's common grace.
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While not saving grace, it's a mercy.
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A mercy? How so?
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It can serve as a stark reminder, a wake up call about
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the reality and consequences of sin.
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It confronts them with the brokenness of the world and
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implicitly, the greater suffering of eternal separation
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from God in hell if they don't repent.
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So it can actually push them towards seeking salvation.
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It can. By stripping away false comforts
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or illusions of self-sufficiency, it can lead
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them to see the beauty and worth of Christ as the only answer,
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the only refuge. In that way, even their
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suffering can ultimately serve God's glory by drawing them to
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salvation. It's a severe mercy, perhaps,
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but a mercy nonetheless. Wow, OK, this whole concept God
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using suffering for his glory and our ultimate good in Christ.
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It's it's a lot to. Take in it really is, and the
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sources acknowledge it can be a really tough thing to accept,
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especially if you're the one experiencing chronic,
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debilitating pain. It feels counterintuitive.
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It often requires more than just intellectual agreement, doesn't
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it? Definitely.
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It usually takes the work of the Holy Spirit illuminating our
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minds through the truth of God's Word to really grasp and embrace
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that our highest good, being made like Jesus, is inter equine
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with God's greatest glory, even when the path involves
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suffering. So if God has these significant,
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albeit sometimes hard to grasp, purposes for suffering, how does
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that knowledge change how we as believers should actually
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minister to and pray for those who are going through it?
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That's the crucial next step. Our sources layout some very
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specific principles for comforting, wisely balancing
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that theological understanding with a genuine, heartfelt
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compassion. It seems like the starting point
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is empathy and practicality. Very much so.
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It's striking how much emphasis is placed on that before jumping
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into deep theological explanations, especially when
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you're with the person suffering.
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So the approach changes depending on the context,
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praying alone versus praying with them.
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Significantly, when you're praying alone for the person,
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the sources say a certain frankness with God is
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appropriate. You can really pour out your.
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Heart asking God to do whatever it takes for their spiritual
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good. Yes, asking him to do whatever
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it takes to make them like his son, even if that means allowing
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the trial to continue or deepen for that ultimate purpose.
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You can be blunt in your private prayers.
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But when you're actually with the person who is suffering.
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Then the prayer needs to be more delicate, more tender.
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The purpose isn't just making requests for them, but also
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directly comforting them and gently modeling how they might
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pray, especially if pain is clouding their thinking.
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So the Word spoken to God and they're hearing need to match
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the care you're showing them. Absolutely.
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The prayer needs to be backed up by the love and tenderness that
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we have for them. The content might aim for the
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same ultimate goals, but the delivery, the tone must reflect
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compassion and sensitivity. That makes a lot of sense.
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It's about being truly present. So beyond the prayer itself,
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what does this look like practically?
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What does wise practical comfort involve?
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It starts with the basics, especially in medical settings.
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Hands on care means being mindful of things like hygiene,
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washing hands, using sanitizer, maybe wearing a mask if needed.
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Simple things, but they show care.
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Respecting their limitations too.
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Definitely talk to the nurses, find out about the person's
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condition, when they get medication, how long a visit is
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appropriate. You don't want to wear them out.
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And even physical consideration. Yes, like if they have neck or
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back problems. Adjust your position so they can
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see you comfortably. Don't make them strain.
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It's about thinking of their needs first.
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What about tangible signs of care?
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Those matter hugely. Bringing a card, making a phone
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call later, leaving a note. The sources put it starkly.
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If practical care is missing, your prayers might feel empty.
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They might be found on deaf ears and provide no comfort.
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They share an anecdote about that, don't they?
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They do about pastors supposedly comforting someone by discussing
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theology for 45 minutes while the poor person was stuck on a
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commode. It's an extreme example, but it
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makes the point you have to pay attention to the person's
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immediate physical reality and needs.
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Wow. OK, so practical care is
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foundational, but suffering often isn't short term.
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What about offering comfort over the long haul?
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That's critical. The sources highlight that the
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hardest time for many chronic sufferers comes months later.
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The initial flood of support dries up and they can feel
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incredibly lonely. So we need to stick with it.
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Yes, yeah. Persevere.
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Be persistent. Follow up two months later and
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then four months later and then a year later.
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Show them they haven't been forgotten.
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Keeping track of their needs helps too.
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Absolutely keep a list of their specific prayer requests.
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It helps you pray meaningfully and lets them know you're still
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carrying their burdens before the Lord consistently.
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Now this raises another important point.
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When someone is really hurting, expressing deep anguish, maybe
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even questioning God, how do we respond?
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Do we jump in with theological correction?
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That's a delicate balance. The first command, biblically,
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is clear. Mourn with those who mourn.
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Weep with those who weep. Enter into their suffering
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first. Yes, a pastor or any comforting
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friend should be quick to weep and not quick to speak.
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Avoid having a theological agenda you're just waiting to.
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Unload So when someone cries out why is God doing this or I feel
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like God has forgotten me. Often that's primarily an
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expression of anguish, maybe even an implicit acknowledgement
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of God's sovereignty. He could stop this rather than a
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formal theological challenge needing immediate rebuttal.
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Don't chop their head off with theology, as the source material
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puts it. Exactly.
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The first response should be empathy, tears, presence.
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Now, are there times to gently correct?
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Yes, especially if someone is genuinely shaking their fist at
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God in defiant unbelief. But the default should be quick
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to mourn and slower to correct theology.
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Discernment is key. So discernment, sensitivity,
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this all points towards what the source is called wise comfort.
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Yes, a playing wisdom to what you say and how you act.
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A big part of that is learning to read the room.
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Meaning assess the situation, the person's state.
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Right. Is this a time for a longer,
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more reflective prayer, maybe like Nehemiah's deep prayer in
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chapter 1? Or is the person exhausted,
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maybe in the ICU? Or a short focused shoot up
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prayer like Nehemiah's quick prayer in chapter 2 is more
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appropriate. Adjusting to the setting and
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their capacity. Exactly.
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In an ICU, maybe a brief prayer of 45 seconds is all that's
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possible or helpful, right? Then you can always offer a
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longer prayer later, 2 weeks later, after the crowds have
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gone or when they're home and more settled.
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And alongside wisdom, there's a strong emphasis on truthful
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comfort. Absolutely central.
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Only communicate truth from God's Word.
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This means not offering false hopes.
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Like saying don't worry, everything's going to be OK.
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Meaning physically. Or telling them they'll
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definitely be healed if they just have enough faith.
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Those kinds of statements, when not backed by God's actual
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promises for this age, are called catastrophic.
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They set people up for potential spiritual disaster when the
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promised outcome doesn't happen. So instead, we stick to what God
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has promised. Yes, emphasize the certainties.
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Eternal life, the hope of Christ's return, God's presence
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with them in the suffering. These are the things that
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provide lasting hope and peace because they're grounded in
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God's unchanging character and word, not in uncertain temporal
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outcomes. Which leads naturally to the
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idea of spiritual comfort, pointing them beyond the
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immediate pain. Ultimately, yes, the goal is to
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help them lift their eyes up to Jesus and to see in him their
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hope and their peace and their joy.
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Reminding them of what Christ provides.
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Exactly what they truly need. A new heart, a new body free
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from sin and decay. These are things that we can't
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give them, only Jesus can give them.
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So our comfort, our prayers, should gently guide them to look
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up to Jesus, finding their strength and stability in him
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alone, like Jesus himself did in John 17, focusing on the Father.
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OK, so we've talked about the principles, wisdom, truth,
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practicality, empathy. But what should we actually pray
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for when someone is suffering? Our sources give a helpful
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framework. Got a checklist of seven
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specific requests. Right.
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It's a structure you can adapt. Whether praying alone or with
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the person. The idea is often to start with
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the more immediate concerns that are probably weighing on their
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mind, and then gently shift the focus towards the deeper
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spiritual realities. Moving from the scene to the
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unseen in a way. That's a good way to put it.
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So the first request is simply a prayer for healing and
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restoration. Asking for physical recovery.
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Yes, specifically asking for providential healing for the
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restoration of the body towards full recovery.
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Acknowledging God works through means.
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So praying for God to work through the doctors and
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medicine. Exactly which leads to the
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second request prayer for doctors, nurses and medical
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interventions We ask God specifically for wisdom for
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doctors and nurses for. Skill insight.
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Right diagnosis. Yes, and we pray that the
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treatments, the medicine or surgery would have their
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intended beneficial effect. It acknowledges God's
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sovereignty over the whole process.
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OK, so addressing the physical situation and the means God
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might use, then where does the prayer shift?
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The third request is considered most significantly important by
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the sources. It's the prayer for
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sanctification. This is where the focus turns
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explicitly spiritual. Praying for their inner state.
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Yes, praying for peace, faith, and trusting God's will.
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The goal is asking God to help them embrace God's sovereignty
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over the trial. To be able to say like Joe,
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blessed be the name of the Lord, or like Jesus, your will be
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done. That's the heart of it, praying
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that God would use this trial for their spiritual growth to
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make them more like Christ. What's?
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Next on the list. 4th is a prayer for joy, which might
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sound surprising in the context of suffering.
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Joy when someone's in pain. Yes, but it's a specific kind of
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joy praying that even through the trial they might find
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reasons to rejoice in God Himself, in his tender mercies.
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Finding joy in his character, his presence, his comfort, even
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if the circumstances are hard. Exactly.
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It helps them focus on God's goodness even amidst the pain.
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OK, what about helping them look outward?
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That's the fifth request. Prayer for usefulness or witness
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suffering can turn us inward, so we pray for the believer to take
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their eyes off themselves. Asking God to use their
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situation. Yes, praying that God would use
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their trial to make them a witness, maybe to the hospital
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staff or visiting relatives. An opportunity to show God's
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grace under pressure. Turning suffering into a
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platform for testimony makes sense, number six.
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Number six is a prayer for the church body to minister, asking
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God to help the church body minister to the person.
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How does praying that help the person suffering?
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It's incredibly comforting for them to hear that it reminds
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them they're part of a community, that their brothers
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and sisters are being prompted by God and by this prayer to
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care for them. It fights that feeling of
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isolation. That's a great point and the
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final request. The 7th is a prayer for
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assurance of salvation. This is especially relevant for
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those facing long term or chronic.
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Suffering because they might start doubting God's love, or
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they're standing with Him. Exactly.
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They might wonder if the suffering is punishment or a
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sign of God's displeasure. So you pray specifically for
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certainty, for an assurance of salvation.
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Reminding them through prayer of their identity in Christ.
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Yes, helping them remember who God is and that they are His
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child. Securing His love regardless of
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their circumstances. And for an unbeliever, how might
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that point apply? Well, praying implicitly about
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salvation, about eternal realities and they're hearing
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can be very powerful. It can gently highlight the
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consequences of sin and the greater suffering that awaits in
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hell if they do not repent. Not as a threat, but as a loving
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warning. Right, pointing them towards the
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urgency and beauty of finding refuge in Christ, the only one
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who saves from wrath and offers true, lasting life.
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This leads us to a really strong final point.
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The sources make a crucial caution, really, for anyone
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praying with someone who is sick.
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It's about who the prayer is actually for.
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Yes, they issue a very direct warning against, well, using
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prayer as a kind of disguised sermon or a way to preach at the
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person's suffering. So don't use the prayer time to
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lecture them on theology or tell them what they should be doing.
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Exactly. The reminder is blunt.
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When you are praying for a person who is sick, don't preach
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at the person. Remember, you are speaking with
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God. God is the primary audience.
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He is. While the person listening will
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hopefully be comforted and encouraged by hearing your
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petitions on their behalf, the primary audience is the Holy 1,
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the Sovereign King of the Universe.
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And that should affect how we pray.
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It should lead to reverence, humility.
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As we discussed, the manner of prayer should be more delicate
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and more tender in their presence, always backed by
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genuine love. Every word should be
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intentional, carefully chosen, avoiding empty phrases or vain
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repetition. Because we're addressing God
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himself with the suffering person essentially listening in.
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Precisely. It's a holy conversation we're
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inviting them into. This really clarifies the whole
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purpose of prayer in these situations.
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God is the one we're petitioning, the One who acts.
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Our role is to come alongside as humble intercessors and
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compassionate friends. Well said.
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The ultimate focus, then, is begging God to glorify Himself.
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How does he do that? Through this prayer.
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By asking him to glorify himself as he sanctifies the believer
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through the trial, making them more like Jesus, or for the
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unbeliever asking God to glorify himself by convicting them of
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their need for Christ. So for believers, focusing on
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God's glory and their transformation in Christ is the
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deepest comfort. Yes, because ultimately if they
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are truly regenerate, their deepest desire is to be like
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Jesus and see God glorified. Aligning the prayer with that is
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truly comforting. And for unbelievers hearing
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that, focus on God's glory and holiness.
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It can be deeply convicting. It might highlight their own
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lack of love for God or concern for His glory.
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And as mentioned before, it's an opportunity within the prayer to
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God to frame their current pain as a form of common grace, a
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merciful warning compared to the greater suffering that awaits in
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hell, pointing them urgently to Christ as the only escape and
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the only source of true hope. Wow, that reframes the whole act
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of praying with someone significantly.
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Hashtag hashtag tag Tag outro. So after digging into all of
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this, what does it really mean for you listening today as you
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think about caring for people in pain?
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Well, I think this deep dive really shows that ministering
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well and suffering isn't simple. It's this blend of clear
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theological understanding and real, genuine compassion.
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It's about understanding God's sovereign hand, even in
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hardship, but offering hope that's actually grounded in His
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truth, not wishful thinking, and praying in a way that
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consistently points people not just to relief, but ultimately
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to Christ Himself. And if we pull back to the
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bigger picture, what does this all tell us?
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It underscores that even when life feels chaotic and painful,
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God hasn't lost control. He's still on His throne,
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working all things, even the hard things, together for his
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ultimate glory and the ultimate good of those who love Him.
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Our job then, is to try and align our hearts, our comfort,
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our prayers with His larger purposes, trusting Him even when
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we don't fully understand. Exactly, trusting his wisdom and
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goodness. So maybe here's a question for
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you to reflect on. How might your own prayers for
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others change knowing that God can use even suffering for his
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glory and to make us more like Christ?
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Yeah. How might you lean into offering
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comfort more effectively, practically, continually with
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empathy, wisdom, truth, and always pointing towards
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spiritual hope in Jesus? So.
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Challenging but vital things to consider.
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Indeed, thank thank you for joining us for this deep dive
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into Reformed thinking. We hope you feel better equipped
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to offer comfort that truly reflects God's heart and His
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Word. We look forward to our next deep
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dive with you.