For a little while, I was a moderator for a Christian Facebook group that boasts of over 20,000 members. What a privilege and a responsibility! Sometimes, the work was relatively easy—approving (or not) those who are requesting to join the group. Sometimes, it was heart-rending. People with good intentions wanted to post items that were clearly unbiblical—presumably because they don’t know any better.
As part of moderation, I had to decide whether to allow a post where the author clearly wanted to encourage his readers. He had the best of intentions. Using the book of Esther as his text, he asserted that the difficulties in our lives could be compared to the issues that the Jewish people faced when Haman incited the King against them. He pointed out that Mordecai gained the victory and the Jews were set free from their death sentence. And then, he encouraged the readers to “claim the victory of Mordecai over Haman” in their lives, setting them free from all bondage to sickness, sadness, and any other problem they might have. They were to “decree their healing and it would be established.”
Okay, this sounds great—at first.
After all, he is referring to a Bible passage and it sounds encouraging. If we have any problems, we just tell them to go away in Jesus’ name and they will! After all, didn’t Jesus win the victory on the cross? And, doesn’t Jesus says that if we abide in Him, we can ask for anything in His name and He will do it? I’ve heard or seen people speak against tornadoes, call forth their healing, declare victory over addictions, and much more. It’s called prosperity gospel.
My contention is that prosperity gospel teaching is not kind, not biblical, and not effective.
After all, what happens if the cancer, diabetes, or other illness is not healed? Logic says that even those who subscribe to prosperity gospel will die eventually. What happens if your heart still hurts? God did not create us to be emotionless automatons and we may have something to learn. What happens if your business fails or you get fired? My own husband was “defrocked” for standing for biblical principles and I lost my job for encouraging students to think outside the box. Those blows have had lasting repercussions in our lives. Based on prosperity gospel, there are only two possibilities: either those who suffer in this way don’t have enough faith or there is unconfessed sin in their lives (or the lives of their ancestors) that’s blocking God’s blessing in their lives. Wow! Feeling condemned anyone? Prosperity gospel is not kind.
It’s also not biblical. No doubt, we can take a verse or passage out of context and twist it to mean that we can manipulate God to do our will, which is essentially what these declarations are supposed to do. But, let’s not forget that He is God! He knows what is best for us and for the world much better than we do. He thought it best that John the Baptist lost his head. Evidently, He thought it best for Jeremiah to suffer with depression and Hosea with an unfaithful wife. He thought it best that the Messiah would be essentially homeless and eventually be killed. And…He was right!
Let’s look at some of the more confusing passages. How about the one spoken of above: ask anything and it will be done. Read the context in John 15. Jesus tells us to abide in Him, so that our wills become aligned with His. Then, it follows that what we ask for will be for His will to be done, as in the Lord’s prayer. He never tells us that we will have power over God, that we can demand He does what we want, or that we will never suffer.
This is counter-intuitive to those of us who are parents—we would do anything to protect our children from pain. But, we can’t. Our new grandson cries piteously when he has to burp! Jesus, on the other hand, did win the victory, so He can, easily, heal all our diseases, provide all our needs, and give us a Rolls Royce. Then, why doesn’t He? We can speculate—we learn best by trying things ourselves and failing, we grow closer to God when we suffer, etc. But, actually, we don’t know—because we’re not God. However, what we do know is that Jesus categorically tells, again and again, that we will suffer. And that He will be with us. And that we can trust Him. And that, even though the journey is hard, the arrival is guaranteed.
Are there instances in the Scripture where people are healed? Yes. Are there incidents where God provides? Yes. But, we need to read the Bible as a whole. St. Paul, who arguably had great faith and probably greater knowledge of Scripture than most of us, tells us of a thorn in his flesh that God didn’t heal (2 Cor 12:7-10), he talks about having plenty and going without (Phil 4:11-13), he even rejoiced in his sufferings (Heb 10:13). Paul did not enjoy health and wealth. Prosperity gospel is not biblical.
Finally, does it work? Well, there are times when the Lord does graciously heal in response to prayer—I have seen this happen on many occasions. There are times when He heals a particular memory—I have experienced this personally. And there are times when He miraculously provides. I remember when my husband was training for the ministry, I was pregnant with our second child, and the doctor told us I should not walk more than a ¼ mile. The Lord provided us with a car that functioned until our son was born. Then it was condemned by a mechanic.
In our case, none of the answers to prayer were as a result of “calling forth” or even naming and claiming.
I don’t know if the Lord would have been merciful enough to respond to such a thing. But, what I do know is that I am very uncomfortable about the idea of demanding those things that I think are best for me. Because, in the end, I am God’s child, I am loved by Him, and He knows what is best for me—even if it hurts.
Are you wondering about the Facebook post? I didn’t approve it. Because prosperity gospel is not kind to those who have difficulties in their lives, not biblical, and not effective in helping us to develop into the humble and faithful people God wants us to be. Knowing and applying the Bible is vital.