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Many years ago likely about 50 my wife knew a woman with cancer which her grandmother helped care for. Earlier the woman after a diagnoses wrote a letter to a certain Oklahoma {healing} preacher as he called himself and was told she was healed. The woman took him at his word and when it became worse it was too late. Charlatans forget the part where The Lord instructed those he healed to go show themselves to the physicians {priest}. Yea I know it also had another meaning but it proved the healing had happened.

No person unless told to by GOD himself should tell another person that their lack of faith prevents their healing. The reason is no man can read another persons heart. Christ said "Oh you of little faith" because He had the power and authority to discern it. Those words used loosely by Christians to ones struggling and barely holding on can do extreme damage that is hard to undo.

When someone becomes seriously ill or paralyzed they often become very vulnerable to seeking out cures. Many may seek out the ones who prey on ones such as them because they have heard they can heal. Yes some money takers go as far as staging healings and when the truly in needs turn is up to see them the service is ended. Most never make it to where the public can even see them in such services.

I do believe in Divine Healing though. I believe in the laying on of hands by believers for healing or even when someone is down and out. I also believe the answer given may not be the one sought but rather an answer given to strengthen the persons faith for what they are to face.

The child you mention being healed is believable. It was a one on one situation with her and The Lord and the missionary was truthful. But if I saw preacher Jones lining up persons and all of them jumping up healed? My smell test radar would go off. In short while our prayers are heard and answered yes, no, or wait, I do not believe any one man holds the abilities { healing gifts given to the Disciples/Apostles from Christ by Divine instruction} is held by anyone today. Rather the answers to the healing comes from Christ through prayer. If Pastor Smith says hey your mortgage payment is paid I would be skeptical unless Pastor Jones or the church paid it. Then again some think The Lord is gonna give them a winning Lottery Ticket. I see one guy on late night stations running a service where debts are paid off. Nah, I don't think so. That is not to say acts of charity don't happen or persons are that some persons aren't prompted by the Lord to help even a stranger they don't know. By a weekly show of it Nope.

I had an uncle who had a large family and most of the time despite his high craft skills he was making minimal wages with a sick wife. He often did not have the months rent. He said "The Lord will provide". He borrowed the money from his B.I.L. which was his B.I.L.'s next mortgage payment. Some how the money came to my uncle to repay it before the other persons mortgage payment was due. He had faith. So did the lender. Still does and eventually a job opened up where his future was secure. The B.I.L. who loaned the money soon was in a position of not rich but rather did not have to worry about fiances and was able to help others out more without it hurting him if it could not be repaid. Sometimes the obvious stuff gets ignored. Not a prosperity teaching as such rather family caring for family as GOD expects. If GOD so wills something be done it will be so despite our deeds.

I'd have to say when I was attending Bible college is when the Lord taught me the most about faith and trusting Him to provide all my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. I worked my way through, on minimum wage ($1.50 per hr. - I know, I'm old) and there were numerous times when I didn't have enough money to eat for several days and before I got a car, I often lacked bus fare to get to my job. A few times, I had to walk four miles to get back to the dorm. But...I'm still alive and kicking - probably could use a few fasting days as well.☺

One of my best and fondest memories of learning to really trust God - and which carried me through the rest of my time there (though there WERE many, many more miraculous ways God helped me), was one week in my freshman year before I got a car, I had $2.00 left in my pocket and two more days until I got paid. It was a Tuesday, and that was always the day we had a collection for the college during chapel. I felt this sense of peace come over me and I remember praying, "I know I can't out give you, Lord. I'm just going to trust you will provide.". Then I dropped one of those dollar bills in the offering plate. That left me with $1.00. I spent 80 cents on lunch which left 20 cents for bus fare TO work, but none for the return trip. After lunch, I went to my room to change for work. As I was walking out the front door to catch the bus, I noticed the mail had come early that day. I had a few minutes to spare so I went and checked to see if I had anything. There was a card addressed to me from my Mom. It wasn't any holiday or my birthday, just a nice card telling me how much she loved me and inside she had tucked a twenty!

That was GOD! Mom had sent that card a week before I was even in that situation, but the Lord already had it in the works so that I could learn to trust Him with the little things as well as the big things, like my salvation. There have been many other times where money was involved and plenty where money was not the point, but in every situation my faith grew because it was tested by trial and was refined. I don't believe God wastes our pain - no matter how serious or minor. He is refining and growing our faith through it all so that we may understand that even when something doesn't work out the way we think or want it to, we STILL trust Him to work all things for our good - no matter what. He is SO good!