Do you Have Faith Not to be Healed?

photo credit: lds.org

A taunting question it was... do you have faith not to be healed?

In a few days, my father will undergo a heart procedure. Not the type of situation any family would wish to go through but such is life.

The specialist that my dad had been seeing sent my father for a heart scan last week. The scan showed some concerning results and a date for the operation had been set.

My whole family set aside this weekend for fasting and prayer, pleading with the Lord that my dad's operation will go well and no complication happen.

As I pleaded on my knees earlier today a surprising thought entered my mind...

Do you have faith not to be healed?

It was surprising because:

first, I wasn't praying for myself and...

second, I've never thought that not being healed requires faith from anyone.

This returned my mind to a few weeks ago when my daughter was sick. She had a little cold and was feeling very uncomfortable. She kept crying after she was put down to bed and my wife had to go in and tried to comfort her.

A while had gone by and there was no improvement. My wife called me in to give my daughter a priesthood blessing so she can be better and would go to bed. 

After I administered the blessing she calmed down and my wife was able to put her into her bed. Just as me and my wife were about to go to bed, my daughter started crying again. We were able to calm her down and she went back to sleep for the rest of the night.

But if I am to be honest, when my daughter started crying again, I started to doubt myself in my heart. I started to think, "Didn't my blessing work?" and "If it didn't work, why? Am I doing something wrong?"

These thoughts came into my mind because even though I have heard counsels that it is not true, I mostly see a non-favorable priesthood blessing as a result of not enough faith.

As I pondered on the question that entered my head, I finally understood what this phrase meant;

Luke 22:42 - "...: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

A greater amount of faith is required in order for a person to say this phrase in his/her prayer. Obviously, healing comes because of faith, but when our prayers are not answered, there is a certain amount of faith a person should have in order to accept it.

As I thought about it, the Savior's prayer was not answered as he plead;

Luke 22:42 - "..., Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:...

and if His prayer was not favorably answered, am I greater than He?

Today I came to an understanding that learning to accept the will of God requires trust, patient, and the "faith not to be healed."

It is time to stop forcing the needle of our compass to point where we want and start to follow where it is actually directing us. 

Not my will, but thine, be done!