The Problem of Unanswered Prayer
Conversations with God 7.0
Psalm 30
by Eric Stillman
October 29th, 2006

This past Friday we had a health scare with our son Ryan – he had been bit by a deer tick a couple of weeks ago and yesterday we saw a bump and rash on his body that we thought might resemble the rash that shows up when you have Lyme disease.  You can be sure that right away we were on the phone with our doctor, on the Internet researching what the rash might look like, and of course, praying for him.  As many of you know, there is nothing like an illness that is beyond your control to lead you to God in prayer.  In fact, every week I send out a newsletter, and part of it is a section for prayer, and certainly prayer for healing is what dominates that section.

Prayer for healing from sickness often dominates prayer requests in the church, and some rightly find fault with that, because we are sometimes too focused on physical ailments without paying attention to spiritual sickness.  Nevertheless, the truth remains that when someone we love gets cancer or breaks an arm or faces surgery, we will pray often and fervently for their healing.

This is the last week I’ll be spending on prayer, and I want to talk about prayer for healing, answered & unanswered by looking at Psalm 30.  How many of you would say that praying for someone’s healing is something on your mind right now?  Psalm 30 is a celebration of God healing David from a life-threatening illness, and has some of the most amazing, inspiring verses in all of the Psalms, in my opinion. Verses such as “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning,” and “you turned my wailing into dancing”. Last week we talked about how some psalms just don’t lend themselves to modern-day worship songs, because they deal with themes of vengeance and enemies.  This one, on the other hand, has inspired numerous songs of worship to the Lord.

It’s probably not a stretch to say that every person sitting out here is dealing with the topic of pain and suffering right now.  Either you are dealing with physical, emotional, psychological suffering or someone you know is, and you have probably prayed often, even to the point of tears, for God’s healing and deliverance.  I want to listen to what David has to say about God’s ability to turn suffering into joy and pain into healing.

Raise your hand if you feel like God has delivered from you from serious illness or possible death in your life.  I’d like to have you read it with me.  

Psalm 30:1  ¹ A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.  ² O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.  ³ O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.  ⁴ Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.  ⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.  ⁶ When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."  ⁷ O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.  ⁸ To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:  ⁹ "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?  ¹⁰ Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."  ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,  ¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.