Intercessory prayers and HIV/Aids

Dear Muza

I would like to comment on an article you wrote in your column on March 28 2013 with the headline as above. In the first place, I wish to congratulate you for coming up with such an article.

I must admit here that there are some religions whose followers forego medicine in favour of prayer only. There is no problem in praying over the tribulations, the sufferings and the problems we encounter in this world.

But the question is, should we just pray without doing something tangible on our part? God, through the Holy Spirit, gave us different gifts and talents to help one another, to be useful to our being in the world.

Thus, some are teachers while others are prophets to tell us about God; some are journalists to inform us about the happenings of the world while others are doctors to heal our physical wounds and diseases. They conduct research to come up with the right medicine to heal particular diseases.

All these happen for a purpose. God is working through them. Hence, if we refuse medicine in favour of prayer only, are we not testing the powerfulness of God? The goodness of God?

I would request the people who refuse medication—because prophets or whichever ‘men of God’ will pray for them—to reflect on the love of God for them.

Prayer should help us to initiate the working of medication in us, we should pray that the medicine we receive from doctors must work in us. You cannot just be in your room praying without going to a garden and expect to harvest at the end of the day. No! Do something and pray over it, where you have failed, let God do His part after you have done what is expected of you. Thank you!

Joseph Billiat