Not Healed to Due Lack of Faith?

Dear Conrad - I have a close friend who believes that no matter what, if you ask, God will heal you, and if you are not healed, you don't have enough faith. She uses the scripture "by his stripes we are healed" and other similar ones to defend this position, I believe that you can't put God in a box and he will heal whom he wants. Obviously she thinks shes right and I think I am, and I don't want to start an argument. But if the subject comes up, do you have any recommendations for what to say to her? Do you even agree with my position?

I agree with you. God is not a magical genie that will obey our whims. I have faith that God will make me into a monkey. I have faith that God will give me the continent of Australia. I have faith that God will give me super powers. What if I truly believe these things will come true? Faith is not another word for belief. Not even just another word for trust. Its much more than that.

True faith is knowing, believing and doing Gods Word. How can we have faith in something we dont know? Thats why God has given us his word? How can we have faith in something we dont believe? And how can we have faith unless we act on what we know and believe?

JAS 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? [15] Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Faith is knowing, believing and doing Gods will. One can only have true faith in something God wants or else it is a false faith. That is why I cant have faith (true faith) that God will make me a monkey. No matter how much I believe it (a false faith) it wont come to pass.

Having faith is knowing, believing and doing Gods will not ours. If it is not Gods will for someone to be healed we can still have faith in that this suffering will lead to something good (James 1:2-4).

Remember faith is conforming to Gods will.