It’s difficult to watch your friends die. Ken Gray, for example, Skip Gray’s oldest son, lived to participate in his dad’s memorial on March 21 but not much longer. He just passed on May 5. I have another friend who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He is receiving treatment and also praying for healing. I am praying for the cancer to be sent straight to hell.

But it might not. Even those who believe in and pray for supernatural healing say that in their experience…

...the percentage of people who get completely well, or at least experience some improvement, is somewhere between 5 percent and 25 percent, the latter figure being rare. – Moreland, J. P.. A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles (p. 111). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

None of us knows the answer, but there might be a clue in the crucifixion story:

And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26.51 – 53, ESV)

Twelve legions is a lot of angels! Strong’s Concordance states that in Jesus’ day one legion was nearly 7,000 men. Jesus could have been delivered, but he wasn’t. There was a larger plan.

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed.
They led him through the street in shame.
They spat upon the Saviour so pure and free from sin.
They said crucify him he’s to blame.
He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels but he died alone for you and me. – You can hear the song here.

Jesus suffered, and he suffers with the suffering.

…he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13.5, 6, ESV)

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5.13 – 18, ESV)

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26.39, ESV)