Why Did My Loved One Die?

I Thought They Had Faith to Be Healed

by Pastor John Hamel

“And it came to pass on a certain day, as he [Jesus] was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” (Luke 5:17)

“What do I do when I’ve prayed with someone to be healed and they’ve died?” 

“What do I do when my loved one has died and I just know they had faith for Divine Healing?” 

Some people are afraid to even ask these questions, let alone stick around to hear the answers.  Some Ministers are even guilty of ignoring this issue as well.  They choose to talk only about answered prayer.  

Ignoring the matter of unanswered prayer, they pretend everything will eventually be alright. 

Well, everything will not be alright until we answer these questions.  The answers are in God’s Word.

Now, I do not know everything about why some people who believe in Divine Healing do not get healed.  

However, I do know that God is never at fault.  

I do know that God’s Word is true.  

I do know that healing is always God’s perfect will.  

I do know there are certain conditions to meet in order to qualify for healing and I do know that all people do not meet those conditions.  

Some people simply short circuit the flow of healing power.  

Here are some of the ways they do that.

Unbelief Is a Great Hindrance to God's Power

Unbelief short-circuits the power flow.  

In our opening verse of Scripture, God’s power was available to heal even His enemies, the Pharisees.  However, these Pharisees did not receive healing because they did not believe in it.  

The healing power was present but they did not receive its benefits because they did not tap into it by faith.

Even when the Lord Jesus Christ was personally present, some people still could not receive their healing miracle because of their own unbelief.  This was a particular problem for Jesus in His own hometown of Nazareth. 

"And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages teaching." (Mark 6:5-6)

You may say, “Well, my loved one had great faith for Divine Healing.  I know they did.  But still they died.”  Well, outwardly it may have appeared that way to you but you could be wrong.  

You cannot possibly know everything that was going on inside your loved one.  The Bible makes that clear. (Jeremiahs 17:9)  

They may have been battling with doubt or unbelief and keeping it from you.  Keeping it from you because they did not want you to be afraid for them.

Envy & Strife Can Prove Fatal 

Envy and strife also hinder the power flow.  

The Pharisees’ lives were filled with envy and strife.  They could not seem to get along with anybody.  They could not be healed because of it, too.  Even when the power of God was present, they did not receive because they lived lives of constant contention. (Luke 5:17)  

The Apostle James said that envy and strife open the door to every evil work. 

"For where envying and strife is, there's confusion and every evil work." (James 3:16)  

Every evil work would include sickness and disease.  

When seeking healing, it is important to avoid trouble and troublemakers. 

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)

Unforgiveness Is a Healing Miracle Blocker

Unforgiveness will stop the power flow, too.  

Jesus said unforgiveness would put a barrier between man and God, the Source of all power. 

"And when ye stand praying forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11:25)

Now, Jesus taught that there are two kinds of forgiveness we deal with in life, not just one.

The first kind we just read in Mark 11:25. This is when people sin against us unintentionally.  When they do so, we must forgive them immediately.

The second kind of forgiveness Jesus taught is when someone sins against us intentionally. This type of forgiveness is to be handled quite differently.

"Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him." (Luke 17:3)  

So we see there are two kinds of forgiveness Jesus taught, not just one.  Possibly your loved one struggled with one or the other.  

You may insist that your loved one had no problem with unforgiveness, but remember you are not all knowing.  You are not God.  You could be wrong. (Jeremiah 17:9)  

You must accept that you do not know for sure that unforgiveness was not a problem.  Otherwise, your faith will fail when you have a need. 

Self-unforgiveness may also have been a hidden problem.  My own wife had a family member who had this problem.  This was kept secret from the family and ultimately the individual was unable to receive Divine Healing because of it.  

No matter how much we love someone, we simply do not know everything about him or her.

Fear Is a Great Hindrance to Faith 

Fear will stop the power flow.  

“…fear hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)  

Fear is the opposite of faith.  

I have known people who made a point of talking faith when they were around me.  However, when they got off alone or around other non-faith people, fear would begin to dominate them.  They would begin to speak against Divine Healing.  

You simply cannot pray one way and talk another.  You cannot pray in faith and turn around and speak in fear. 

This is what happened to Job.  He even said so.  

He said, “That which I feared the most has come upon me.” (Job 3:25)  

Job kept offering the same sacrifice for his children’s protection, over and over. God had shown Job that one sacrifice was enough to get the job done. 

Tragedy finally struck as a result of his fear and unbelief.  One thing about Job, he was at least man enough to admit that it was his own fault.

Negative Words Block the Power Flow

Negative words rooted in fear and unbelief will stop the power flow as quick as anything.  Jesus made this clear again and again. (Matthew 12:35-37; Mark 11:23)

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Proverbs 18:21)  

You cannot pray for healing, continuing to talk sickness and symptoms all the time and expect God to help you.  Double-mindedness blocks the spout where the power comes out. (James 1:5-8) 

I was once invited to teach for another Pastor.  I taught on the power of words.  

After the service a very bitter woman approached me.  Her baby had recently died tragically and she was very angry with God.  She told me, “I spoke words of protection over my baby and it didn’t work.  That Word stuff is not true.  You are wrong.  Hagin is wrong.”  She went on to emphatically declare that all faith Teachers are in error.

She then actually proceeded to find error with God’s Word.  

Everyone was wrong except her.  She never considered that unbelief, strife, envy, unforgiveness or fear may have been involved in any way.  She thought all she had to do was speak the magic words and “presto” all would be well.  

It does not work that way.  Words alone are powerless when it comes to receiving the promises of God.  Words must be backed up with obedience, faith and love.  

This dear woman became so obsessed with tearing down the Message of Faith that her Pastor was forced to ask her to leave his Church.  She became determined to undermine the faith of others over her own avoidable loss.

Hidden Sin Is a Great Power Blocker

Hidden sin is something else that will stop the flow of God’s healing, delivering power.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)

If you are old enough to be reading this, you are old enough to know what sin is.  Simply put, it needs to go.  (See Galatians 5:16-26.)

You do not know whether or not your loved one had hidden sin in their heart.  That is why it is called hidden sin.  

If indeed it existed, no one knew about it but them and God.

Sometimes It Just May Be Nobody's Business

Other times there are no obvious reasons why someone fails to receive healing.  

Please note the use of the word “obvious.”  There is always a reason why someone fails to receive.  The Bible says that no curse ever comes without a cause.  (Proverbs 26:2)  

Why your loved one failed to receive just might be none of your business.  I say this to you respectfully.  There are some things that God simply will not tell us in this life, particularly concerning others.

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”  (Deuteronomy 29:29)

If God wants you to know something, He will tell you.  If He does not, He will not.  If He does not tell you why your loved one traveled on to Heaven, just leave it with Him.  Do not even touch it with your thought life.  Cast those thoughts down.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2Corinthians 10:5)

You will find out what happened when you get to Heaven.  As a matter of fact, there will probably be a special briefing just to explain things to you.  You will not want to be sitting there red-faced over having blamed God for something He did not do when you were back on the Earth.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) 

You will discover at that briefing that it was not God’s fault at all.  Most likely your loved one will be sitting there with you, smile on their face, completely agreeing that God had nothing at all to do with their early departure from Planet Earth.

Where Do We Go from Here?

“So how do I go on?” would be the next logical question to answer.  

Here are some simple pointers that will help you.

First, decide to stand strong even in the face of death.  

Blame Satan, not God.  If you blame God you will end up backsliding and speaking against God's wonderful message of faith.  You will end up like the lady who lost her child.  You will become a danger to the faith of other Believers.  

Jesus did not change His message when people did not receive.  He just kept on preaching faith so others who would receive would not die. (Mark 6:1-6)

Second, stay in the Word of God.  

That is the only way to keep your faith level up during a loss. (Romans 10:17)  Otherwise, you will lose peace and joy.  That is when Satan will show up to slap your mind around like a rag doll.  

Stay in the Word and stay around other faith-filled people.  Stick close to people who are on fire for the things of God.  That will help to keep your fire burning bright. 

The first log to roll away from the fire is the first log to cool off and die out. Stay in the fire.

Third, do not listen to that voice that tries to tell you, “It’s all your fault.  You could have fasted more.  You should have prayed more.  You… You... You... You...you!”  

Any voice that condemns and torments is not God. (Romans 8:1)  

It is never your fault when someone else cannot or will not receive.  

Tell Satan, “You’re a fallen angel, not a Travel Agent.  So quit trying to sell me on a guilt trip.  I’m not going there!  It wasn’t my fault and it wasn’t God’s fault either.  Now back off in Jesus’ Name.”

For some reason your loved one was not able to receive their healing.  So, God gave them something better.  Heaven.  

They would not come back now and subject themselves to pain, cancer, arthritis, persecution, hatred, lies or death for all the tea in China!  Neither would any of us!

Keep this in mind.  One day it will all make sense and you will be so glad you did not blame God.  

You just never know what God may be telling someone else to do and they are not obeying Him.  

Even if you have been sharing the same bed with someone for sixty years, you do not know everything about him or her.  

You do not know everything about yourself.  So how could you possibly know all there is to know about another complex human being? (Jeremiah 17:9)

So remember.  No matter what happened, it was not your fault.  It was not God’s fault either.  He is perfect.  Your loved one was not.  

It is always God’s will to heal but everyone does not always receive Divine Healing.  

This is because everyone does not always meet the conditions for Divine Healing. 

Whenever there is a problem receiving Divine Healing, it is always with the human receiver, never with the Divine Transmitter. 

When your radio is having problems receiving, do you immediately call the radio station and start accusing them of it not being their will to broadcast to you?  

Of course not.  You check your radio.

The same principle is true with God’s healing power flow.  

When you’re having trouble receiving check up on the human receiver.  Don’t accuse the Divine Transmitter of it not being His will to broadcast His healing power to you. 

The Bible verse we opened with reveals He’s broadcasting His power to you now.  It’s present.  Are you properly positioned for maximum reception?  

You must accept the fact that possibly your loved was was not.

When David and Bathsheba lost their baby, through no fault of God’s, David said something very comforting that still speaks across the ages.

“…wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I SHALL GO TO HIM, but he shall not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12:23)

One day you will go to Heaven to be with your loved one.  

When you do, you will be so proud of yourself for not accusing God where He was not guilty. 

Your loved one will be proud of you, too.

And you will not be sitting in that meeting ashamed for having falsely accused God, your face as red as a beet!

Be Blessed in Jesus' Strong Name …  John and Barbara Hamel

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