Prayer and Miracles

[Homer]

So if a person is diagnosed with cancer, they are prayed for, and the cancer disappears, we can not be sure it is a miracle:

[Some cancers may go away]

No problem to me - all healing is from God!

[brody196]

I think this touches on the subject of cessation of the Spirit gifts.

[Paidion]

What cessation of spiritual gifts? When did they cease? And how would anyone know that they have ceased?

[Homer]

I had no interest in a debate re cessationist vs continuationist(?) positions. But I do think this article touches on the hiddenness of God and should perhaps have been posted on that thread.

One thing that irks me is Christian blather about miracles. You would think they are routine, expected happenings, but if that was so I suppose they wouldn't be miracles. Calling what are apparently normal events miraculous only disparages genuine miracles IMO.

We had a man at our church who was diagnosed with colon cancer. We prayed for him before surgery, and when they were preparing to operate they took one more look and found nothing but a tiny scar. We thought it was a miracle healing, but perhaps, as the article suggests, it could have just gone away. To my mind, this makes no difference. All healing is from God, whether it went away, a surgeon operated on it, or a miracle happened. My faith does not rest upon whether some miracle occurs, or not. God is in control regardless.

[TK]

sounds like a miracle to me, Homer. i dont think we should afraid to call something a miracle when it appears to be one. i mean, if they were ready to cut on the guy, it means the cancer was there, right?

TK

[SteveF]

Homer, I think you also need to take into account the timing of the cancer disappearing. Given the slim chance that the cancer would disappear (based on the article), the odds of it coincidently disappearing shortly after you prayed are even less.

[Jess]

I guess I have to agree with you on this one, Homer. Several things need to be taken into account. First of all the diagnosis of cancer was most likely made by colonoscopy with biopsy of any suspicious appearing lesions. The extent of the disease along the bowel wall and the depth of invasion into the bowel wall are important factors to consider. It is certainly possible that the lesion, although malignant, was a small one and was completely removed at the time of biopsy. Even if a small amount of cancerous tissue was left behind, the reparative process of the bowel wall may have eliminated any remaining cancer cells. I have seen this happen on patients I have cared for many times.

Reminds me of the story about the guy who drowned in the flood despite having asked God to save Him. When the water had reached the second story of his house a boat came by but he said, "No, that's alright, God's going to save me." The water kept rising and soon he was stuck on the roof of his house. A helicopter came by which he also turned down saying, " I have prayed to the Lord and I trust Him to save me." When he got to Heaven and asked God why He didn't save him, God answered and said, "You turned down the boat and the helicopter I sent. What was up with that?!"

Thanks to God for His miracles AND for our bodies, which sometimes heal themselves, even of cancer.