Dear Conrad -- I am 26 years old and at age 5 was diagnosed with diabetes. At the time my parents were told by God that I would be healed. Many years later I have grown worse, medically speaking. I have read the scriptures on healing and believe that God does not make vain promises. Here is my question, “How do I go about exercising my faith in the matter of my being healed?” I risk loss of limbs and, or coma by not taking my medication and I think that makes the faith thing that much harder. God bless. --"Mortimer" Jon Bryson

Dear Mortimer,

God does not promise to heal every single disease. If He does then no one will ever get sick and die from illness. Paul had to live with his "thorn in the flesh" and Timothy had something wrong with his stomach. Medicine is wonderful and the advancement in medical technology is likewise a good thing. James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift is from God. Seeking medical treatment for our illnesses glorifies God. When we do so, it does not mean that we stop calling the elders of our church and asking them to pray over us and anoint us with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:14). And it does not mean that we do not pray for our doctors and the effectiveness of prescribed medication. Seeking the best medical treatment we can find just acknowledges God's sovereignty in dealing with our sicknesses, making us well and raising us up (James 5:15). We must not forget, though, that being well does not always mean being physically fit. It may well mean that we are at peace with God though we suffer.

There are, however, illnesses that are directly connected with sin. Gluttony leads to all sorts of illnesses - same with a lifetime of smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse or sloth. In such cases health recovery is dependent on repentance. So the prayer of faith spoken of in James 5, in this case, is of a different nature.

Your question brings up another good topic – God can use illnesses and disabilities to glorify himself.

John 9:1-3 - As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

If God made you to be in a wheelchair for your entire life so that you would have a special ministry to people in your situation – then God made you perfect and beautiful. You were made exactly in the way that God intended.

Sin brought suffering in this world. Our sin continues and multiplies that suffering. But since God is also a God of love, he can turn those sufferings into good. Our sufferings are not in vain. We should even get to the point where we rejoice in those sufferings, not because we suffer, but because of what God is doing to us inside by use of our sufferings.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.