"Extra"...one of those many words in the English language which has several meanings. In football, it means an opportunity to make more points. In the print media as in the old fashioned process of selling newspapers on the street, an "extra" was a special edition of the newspaper containing a big, big story. Anybody remember those days? In the movies, an "extra" was an uncredited person or people usually in the background. My parents were extra's in a Paul Newman movie. How about you, were you ever an "extra" in a movie or maybe church or school drama? Even in Christian ministry, there's an "extra". Often times we are asked to pray for the sick and usually we do that asking God for a complete healing and sometimes He does that. Often times, we forget the "extra" in the process. Why doesn't God heal everyone we pray for? I don't have the answer for you and neither does anyone else. What we do know is His ways are not our ways, (Is. 55:8-9) and it could be the reason is the "extra". Everyone who is sick has family, friends, co-workers and others who are affected. If the illness is life threatening, you can bet some of those people have given at least a passing thought to God. Some others are usually just a slight step away from thinking about Him during this time. Bottom line: Experiencing illness is very fertile ground for people getting closer to and learn about God and Jesus Christ of Nazareth. It is up to us to not only pray for a complete healing for the ill person but also privately those affected by that person's illness and specifically ask Him to cause or create ways for those to seek Him out. Am I saying you should directly confront these people with the "Roman's Road" or another soul winning "formula"? No! You tell them its OK for them to stay present while you pray out loud for the sick. You can pray for them as well and a good direction to go is to ask for comfort for them rather than asking God to "convert" them. Why not a direct approach? Often times non-believers have absolute animosity toward God. No matter how flowery your words are, you won't get thru that, trust me. Typically, what I would do is if there are others listening to me praying for the sick out loud, as I start to leave I tell them if they have any questions or need any help to feel free to call at any time. I trust you will take this to heart and never forget those affected by another's illness. Pray for the sick person while they are present and after you leave, pray for the others and especially for God to open the door for them. It is a great opportunity to witness to them not by spouting off King James language but by showing Christian love and understanding, just as Jesus would.
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