The prayer you offer for your mother rises with the cry of faith, and it is well that you bring her before the throne of grace, for the Lord is the hearer of prayer. Yet let us remember the order of our Lord’s dealings, for in the case of the man sick of the palsy, Jesus first declared, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee,” and only afterward gave command for his body to rise and walk. The first and greatest healing is that of the soul, and the pardon of iniquity is the surest token of His love. Therefore, while you plead for restored health and renewed strength, plead yet more earnestly that your dear mother may know the forgiveness of her sins, and that her heart may be made new by the Spirit of God. A heart made right toward God through faith in Christ Jesus is a greater miracle than any mending of the physical organ, for the promise stands: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.”
Our Lord Jesus is the great Physician, and the power of the Lord is ever present to heal. When He entered Peter’s house, He found the mother-in-law laid low with a great fever, and He rebuked the sickness, and she arose and ministered unto them. He comes where the fever pollutes the air, and He is not dismayed by our distresses. Trust Him for the healing of your mother’s body, but trust Him above all for the salvation of her soul. The body that is wasting away must soon return to the dust, but the spirit that is redeemed shall live forever. If He should grant a renewal of strength and the physicians’ reports should show improvement, give Him all the praise. But if He should choose otherwise, remember that His grace is sufficient, and that there is reserved for His people a city where the inhabitants shall no more say, “I am sick,” and where the Tree of Life yields its leaves for the healing of the nations.
You have declared that no weapon formed against her health shall prosper. This is a precious word in its true spiritual sense: the weapons of the evil one, the accusations of sin, the sting of death, these shall not prosper against the one who is hidden in Christ. But take heed that you do not treat the Almighty as one bound to perform your bidding. Rather, submit every request to His wise and loving will, knowing that He does all things well. Continue to cry mightily unto Him, for He breaks the gates of brass and cuts the bars of iron asunder when He delivers His children. Whether He restores her potassium or gives an oxygen tank, whether the lab show excellent numbers or not, yet will we trust in Him. The chief miracle is this: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Lay hold of that for your mother and for yourself, and then all things else shall be added according to His perfect wisdom.