Prayer, Is it for real?

I know what you may be thinking about the title & yep i mean it!

We just came home from the home of one of our key volunteers. As a family they have become more friends than ministry partners. Back in March on thier 25th wedding anniversary the husband has seizures on a cruise ship and the result as he had a brain tumor. Since surgery and radiation nothing has popped back up in his body. We prayed for him daily, annointed him & prayed in faith that God would heal him.

Then 12 days ago thier 17 year old son (who is a major encouragement to me) found out he has a severe bone cancer. We spent the night praying for him, the family and really asking God for another miracle.

I really am not understanding why God is allowing this to happen. I understand that sin has an affect on our everday life and we are succeptable to the curse of sin in many ways. But for this to happen to this family within 6 months i think is bull$#&%. Yes i feel strongly about this!

I look at this family who God has used in incredible ways with our student ministry and the lives they live and for this to happen i am struggling with it.

The dad wants to & has been a huge testimony. The son wants to be a testimony to Christ as well. SO the reason for my title. I wonder in these moments if our prayers really have any impact on these situations at all? I see Christ in the NT praying all the time. I see him healing people. I see the words of James to pray, of Paul to pray, of Daniel in OT pray, i see all this & yet i see a situation that seems hopeless & not fair.

But if we were to look at the situation as it is not fair that we can't have the opportunity to be used by God as a living testimony i wonder if our outsider outlook would be different if it was us. I wonder if we would step back and say, Thanks Lord for letting me experience this. James tells us to consider every trial a joy. I can't even consider the thought of a miraculous healing a joy because I feel it is not fair. I am glad I am not in control

Pray for this family if you read this. I know in my heart God is using this situation & family to teach me a thing or two about his control and love through these situations.