Don’t Pray That!

3 John 1-11

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”  3 John 2

     As believers, we all need to maintain vibrant spiritual health, which is possible only as we keep our hearts in tune with the Saviour and stay close to Him.  Drawing near to God must be our moment by moment priority (James 4:8).  Nothing is more important than our relationship with Him.  If we allow our hearts to be distracted and devoted to lesser things, then we become spiritually sick.

     The famous Christian illustrator, Jack Hamm, once drew a sketch of a well-dressed, well-fed and distinguished gentleman looking into a mirror.  This mirror, however, was very unusual and unique.  Instead of reflecting the man’s outward physical appearance, as mirrors normally do, it revealed the true condition of the man’s soul.  As the man looked into the mirror, he was horrified to see an emaciated and sickly-looking man.  Oh may God help us to see the real state of our inner man!

     Gaius, whom John loved, was a healthy believer whose soul was prospering.  Apparently he was having some physical problems, and John’s prayer for him was that he would prosper and be in health even as his soul prospered.

     Suppose a believer were to say to me, “Dear friend, I’m going to pray for you that your body’s health would be just as your soul’s health, that you would be as physically healthy as you are spiritually healthy.”  Would I then panic and say, “Stop, don’t pray that prayer!  That prayer would be a curse for me and not a blessing.  I know that my spiritual life is lacking, and if my physical health matched my spiritual condition, I would be one very sick person!  Don’t pray that!”         

— Lord, how is my soul doing?

~ George Zeller:  www.middletownbiblechurch.org