A friend underwent serious brain surgery. The fear was that a tumor had attached itself to his skull and entered into his brain. It might destroy not just motor functions, but affect his thinking and personality as well.

We were terribly concerned and he became a part of our prayers.

So far, so good.

The surgery went well. The tumor was removed entirely. It was benign, and our friend was recovering even faster than the doctors had hoped.

So far, very good.

Then an article appeared in the local paper to report on a prayer vigil that took place for our friend. The vigil had been going on for several weeks.

Again, all well and good.

But I became disconcerted by the implication on the part of some of the vigil participants that the prayers were the deciding factor on the outcome of the surgery. Indeed, according to the paper, the fact that there was always someone in the church praying for our friend was lifted up as the reason for his recovery.

I believe prayer has a power for healing but I find the idea that if we pray long or hard enough we can convince God into doing something good and nice totally reprehensible and abhorrent.

To think that God’s grace is dependent on us, in any way, is terribly troubling and theologically appalling.

Does God wait to see who is worthy, who has enough pious friends, who has strong enough faith, before God seeks healing?

Such an understanding of God is the antithesis of Jesus, who reached out to those who had no faith, who had no friends, who were the unworthiest of the lot.

Of course, prayer is important. Indeed, there are studies to show that people do, in fact, heal faster and are even cured when people pray for them but to think that we must convince God in a kind of quid pro quo is, I believe, fallacious and certainly not Christian...if Christian has anything to do with Christ.