Why does some sickness remain stubborn to prayer even after fasting?

Did you know that sometimes even after long time prayers have been made over some sickness or disease, healing may still not come? Does it then mean that God is not willing to heal us from such sickness? Sometimes such instances break your faith and doubts come to mind as to whether God exists in His trinity at all. You tend to ask yourself questions as to whether Jesus is willing to heal you or not.

Some people who had faith in Jesus to heal their sicknesses, their relatives’ sicknesses and their loved ones got a shock of their lives when those people prayed for never recovered but kept suffering and some ended up dead. I know a brother who even gave up Christianity because he prayed so much for his mother to recover from some sickness but she did not and to die at the end of it all.

Many Christians, which is perfectly allowed, combine prayer with medical options. Some use herbs to support their health and this is perfectly right.

I just want to assure you that I know what I’m talking about when I talk of sickness that cannot go away even after paying. I know this from personal experience. I have been sick with digestive track discomforts since 2007 when I did my first year at university. It’s close to 20 years today and I can assure you that prayers in fasting for me to recover have been made countless number of times, I have seen so many doctors to the point of losing count and recognition of some. The medication I have taken and the experience is just unbelievable. One doctor says something and the other suggests a contradictory approach. It’s been a ride on its own.

An angle of toleration

I want us to take a different approach to such sickness that does not get healing even when prayers are made in the name given to mankind by which we can be saved. I’ll take three important facts and unpack them to make it clear why sometimes we have to endure some sickness without getting relief from Jesus’ healing. Allow me to be as practical as much as I can possibly be and please take this as a therapy if you happen to suffer any sickness that you have prayed for its healing in a long time.

1. You are not alone

God who shows no partiality will not permit suffering to be skewed to some people and not others. As much as we all want to live and enjoy a healthy life, but it shall happen that some of us do not enjoy that blessing. Is it because God does not like us like He does the others that are perfectly healthy? No, it is not so.

I recently read a story of a person who suffered from some chronic illness because he was working too hard to achieve a certain academic qualification. In the process, he had to sacrifice some of his sources of income but later discovered to have created an environment for a chronic heart disease. In his story, he does not state whether he is Christian or not but one thing for sure is that he now does not enjoy the blessing of perfect health. The point is that if God were to reveal to you the number of people that suffer exactly like you do and some that are in a much worse condition than you, you would be surprised and begin to realize that you are not alone.

To the one who is enjoying perfect health, I hope s/he realizes that it is such a blessing to enjoy perfect health. All good gifts come from God and such people should attribute the health blessing to God and not the doctors, healthy lifestyle or whatever that is supposedly making them enjoy perfect health.

2. Who in the world is not dying?

Sickness in its nature is an indication that the bodies we live in are temporary and one day we shall die.  There are people that died without having shown signs of sickness or anything like it. Some were at the peak of their lives such that the general person would assume a promising future for such individuals. People have died just after completing their higher level education, including doctors, lawyers, etc. Some died after having constructed beautiful houses which they never got even a day to enjoy living in. Many died on their way to their honeymoon and some never got even the first payment after getting the highest position at their work place. Many died while enjoying life in one way or the other.

Just because a person is enjoying perfect health does not mean that that person will live longer. All people’s days are numbered just as Job of old said in Job 14:5. David then goes on to ask God to keep reminding him of how brief his life is on earth. This is found in Psalm 39:4.

3. The life we live sometimes makes it difficult to impossible for use to recover

Some diseases are as a result of our lifestyle. This could possibly mean that even when you do receive your healing, you cannot completely recover because your situation or environment is the one that makes you sick. This means that sometimes one has to take the tough decisions such as giving up doing business, relocating to other places within the country or beyond, changing employers, etc. in order to completely recover. Sadly, too few people are bold enough to take such decisions.

The point is that sometimes one needs to do an introspection of how to create an environment of recovery or healing. God has provided resources for people to move around and get to positions of comfort. It may cost you something treasonous to you but at the end of the day you might get full recovery to perfect health.

Do I therefore mean that you should stop praying for your recovery or for someone you love? No, I’m far from suggesting that. I’m not even discrediting Jesus Christ but am being practical as already stated. The message is that even if you do not get healing as you would want to; understand that your life is still in God’s hands (Job 12:10) and all life principles that apply to everybody else still apply to you. You are called to exercise faith even when it does not seem to work for you.

I pray that God gives you the right understanding from reading this article. Be blessed