Objection: We Should Pray for Others in Faith, Expecting That God Will Heal Them, Then Leave the Matter in God’s Hands

This isn’t a bad statement at all if what you really mean is, “Having done my part, I expect God to do His!”  Unfortunately, that isn’t what the objector meant.  He meant that we should pray “in faith” but then allow God to make exceptions in His sovereignty.  But that is a blatant contradiction!  If you believe that God COULD make an exception in His sovereignty, you cannot by definition pray the prayer of faith in the first place!  Faith is being SURE of what you don’t see – not being ALMOST SURE (subject to exceptions) of what you don’t see.  If there is ANY doubt in your heart that God WILL keep His Word, you aren’t in what the Bible calls faith.  You have to know God’s will for SURE before you pray.  You can’t just be “pretty sure” that He will back His Word.

God honors His Word!  He isn’t a liar like some people.  He does NOT make “sovereign exceptions” to words that have already proceeded out of His mouth (Psalm 89:34).  The objector assumes that He does, so the matter is in “His hands” at that point.  You need to get to know God better if you think that He is fickle like that!

That reflects the mistaken mindset that you are in a courtroom and God needs to weigh in on your particular case and make a decision.  FAITH, on the other hand, realizes that God ALREADY made a decision when He sent Christ to bear our sicknesses, and He would have no reason to deny any prayer to receive the healing that He already offers.

Thus, this objection contradicts itself!  It is no better than saying, “We should commit our money to a certain online retailer, being SURE that he will deliver the promised goods, while realizing that he might NOT deliver the promised goods!”  I hope that we’d know better than that on the internet.  It’s a shame that we don’t know better when it comes to the things of the Spirit.