Faith And Healing

A lady in our small group was recently diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma.  What a scary diagnosis!  I researched it and saw that prognosis was usually not good.  It made me very sad.  Every time I hear about some one getting cancer, I think about the decisions I would make if I were in their shoes.  Would I fight for life or would I by-pass all treatment, just to enjoy the time I had? 

I thought about her and her small children and prayed for them.  I looked at her facebook page.  What amazing prayer warriors she has!  And what a positive attitude!  Despite the bleak outlook, she fully believes that God can and WILL heal her, as do the people praying for her.

And I guess this is where I struggle.  For others and myself.  I DO believe God has the ability to heal dreadful diseases.  I'm not sure I'm convinced that he always WILL.  So, how to pray?  Pray with a firm conviction that He will bring healing?  I can't.  Maybe my faith is too small.  I do believe He takes care of His beloved.  I don't think that it is always in the way we would "take care" of things.  It is simple to say, "I pray for healing, but Your will be done".  Too often we use "Your will be done" assuming that God's will IS healing as opposed to praying, "I know You are in control of all things.  My desire is for healing, but Your wisdom is greater than mine and I don't know what is best.  Please do the best thing in this situation even if that means You choose not to bring healing." because what we are really after IS the healing and if it's not received we are confused and lost as to why someone would have to die when God had the ability to heal.

I don't know if this makes sense to anybody else, or if anybody else struggles with this.  If my faith were greater, would my prayers have more impact on myself and those around me?  How do I know if I am praying for the correct things?  How can I pray with full conviction that God will answer my prayers according to the thing I desire, when I see in scripture people who also prayed fervantly and were told "No."

2 Samuel 12:14-18 sticks out to me.  God has made the decision that David and Bathsheba will lose their first son.  David prays and fasts for 7 days on behalf of the child.  The child dies anyways.  David could not change God's mind.  I don't know why the child had to die for David's sin.  I know God could have saved him and could have changed His mind if He wanted to.  But He didn't. 

And again, I know prayer is meant to change US and not God's mind.  Perhaps I make it more difficult than it really is.  Thoughts?