How should we pray for supplications and healing?

How should we pray for supplications and healing?

Mark 6:53-56. The crowds begged Jesus for healing

We have used the image of a loving father and a just king to represent God, trusting that though we try to comprehend Him as much as our finite minds and hearts could, He is on a different realm of understanding.

How, then, should we pray our petitions and supplications that seek healing?

Too many times, we have fallen to the trap of only praying when we need something, like someone who is only present when in need, but disappears when the other is the one in need. We colloquially refer to this as “user-friendly”.

Perhaps a better prayer is to pray for opportunities, because asking for opportunities (instead for the gift itself) seems more reasonable and humble. Praying for opportunities does not place the burden on God to manifest miracles to save us, but instead, it is more collaborative. Let God provide the opportunities while we practice our gift of personal agency to manifest our good desires.

Praying for opportunities could also become a means for meditation and a heightened form of awareness, attention, and sensing of experiences and opportunities.

We Filipinos are familiar with this: the need for “diskarte”. “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa. God provides mercy (and opportunities), but it’s on us to seize them.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 38: FEBRUARY 7, 2022]