Dennis Lennon, writing in “Fuelling the Fire: Fresh Thinking on Prayer”, on answers to prayer.
“The most helpful approach to ‘prayer for healing’ I’ve encountered recently was at the Community of the Holy Name in Derby. Sister Lilias is herself confined to a wheelchair yet conducts a remarkable prayer-ministry for the sick who come in to her regular meetings. At each gathering she explains that God could answer prayer in any of four ways.
- He can, and he will, heal you tonight.
- or he may say ‘I will heal you but later. There are things going on in your life that must be dealt with first.’;
- or his answer to you may be, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’;
- or he may tell you, ‘I’m preparing you for death.’ (Sister Lilias commented on the remarkable interest people show in this fourth possibility, as if it is a liberation to be allowed ‘officially’ to embrace the possibility of death.)