Prayer, faith and healing

The discussion on this thread here, yielded an interesting situation regarding healing. I'd like to hear anybody's thoughts regarding healing and if faith is required.
According to most christian denominations, a person has to believe that the healing will take place (claim it). But I contend that it should not be relevant, for if I go to the doctor, I need not believe in him as a medical practitioner for him to heal me. The healing should be based on his ability as a doctor, not my belief that he is a qualified doctor.
Any believers that can explain this would be appreciated.

Pogo,I think it has to do with the question of whether or not god will heal you.You're right that you don't need to believe in the efficacy of the doctor's ministrations in order for those ministrations to work. However, you have to actually receive the ministrations in order to have them do anything. We can prescribe you the antibiotic you need to clear up the infection, but it won't do any good unless you take it and if I refuse to give it to you, then you won't be taking it.The argument of mike the wiz is that if you don't have faith, god won't heal you.------------------
Rrhain
WWJD? JWRTFM!

So, then the healing is contingent on whether or not the person recieves the healing? I guess that makes sense, in accordance with the doctor/prescription analogy. Then the question remains, why doesn't god heal ALL the believers, since faith "should" be present in all believers.
Thanks for your input, Rrhain.

Pogo responds to me:

quote:

---

Then the question remains, why doesn't god heal ALL the believers, since faith "should" be present in all believers.

---

That was the big question asked of mike the wiz.He never bothered to answer it.------------------
Rrhain
WWJD? JWRTFM!

And I suspect none will..... They ignore qustions like this........ I can't understand them. how can you ignore important things like this?

How do you come to the conclusion they aren't healed?

Are you suggesting that there no bible believing christians, )that exercise faith) are not sick or injured?

That was a funny joke! (I hope it was atleast) are you telling me if you get sick you are 100% sure you will be healed? I guess if you aren't healed you where a bad christen right?[This message has been edited by DC85, 09-25-2003]

It does give us a good way to determine who is 'really' a christian and who is not. The sick and injured aren't 'really' Christian.------------------
No webpage found at provided URL: www.hells-handmaiden.com

Have you thought that maybe- just for a second realize God has healed them spiritually? When I pray for God to help heal or help this person, I know my prayer will be answered in some way or another. My grandfather died and I asked God before he died to let him live, he did later die. Is this a sign that God isn't there or prayer doesn't work? No. My grandfather was saved and a saved person is not afraid of death for he or she knows they are saved by the blood of Christ.[This message has been edited by messenjaH, 09-27-2003]

We are referring to physical (or mental) healing. Obviously, as John pointed out, it would be very easy to seperate the "true" christians from the not true christians if a unhealthy/sick/injured person claimed salvation. Not to mention it would also be a great witnessing tool; if I were convinced that once I believed, I would never catch a cold, have to wear contacts again, suffer from a broken bone, then I would convert this second!
On a side note, absolute physical healing as proposed by some christians (total physical healing as well as total spiritual healing) is not a possibility, since old age itself is an incurable disease that, at the very least, all of us will eventually die from.

My post might be rather off topic, but this is not good example: It was well proven that for many people it is very important if not crucial if they believe or not in doctor's ability to heal them or at least to possibility that they can be healed. What about placebo effect? Or the woodoo magic - it was also proven that belief works also in quite the opposite way - if highly superstitious person believes that certain shaman has a power to cause his death by curse and that he was cursed he will die or at least feels really miserable...------------------
Life has no meaning but itself.[This message has been edited by Raha, 09-27-2003]

quote:

---

Not to mention it would also be a great witnessing tool; if I were convinced that once I believed, I would never catch a cold, have to wear contacts again, suffer from a broken bone, then I would convert this second!

---

Luke 16:31
31) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Raha, I agree with you, but what I meant was, my 'faith' in a doctor to, say, set a broken bone, has no bearing on his talent/skill/ability. While the benefits of the placebo effect has been effectively demonstrated, I'm not really refering to a pill or a hex/curse or positive thinking. If a person goes in for Lasik, he/she only has to do what the doctor instructs them to do (hold yer head still and don't blink!) and the doctor can then perform his job, whether or not the patient even 'believes' in the procedure (as long as the procedure was performed correctly then person will enjoy better uncorrected eyesight); but a bible believing christian that subscribes to supernatural healing has to only believe (claim it) in order to receive it. I find it hard to imagine christians whom believe that god has rescued them from sin, hell, death and what have you, cannot believe that this same all powerful god cannot heal them of a disease unless they believe he can. They believed in salvation, the healing of a sin-sick soul; why is it more difficult to believe in the healing of the body?

messenjaH, how can you say what I would/would not believe if the evidence were compelling enough?