If a prayer is answered, how do we know it is God and not just coincidence?

This question came up from my son, after we had prayed to God for a sick family member in hospital to be healed and she was healed. I was rejoicing that God answered the prayer, when my son asked me the very good question "How do we know that God answered our prayer and that it wasn't just coincidence or the doctors doing a good job?"

It's true that we may never absolutely know beyond a shadow of a doubt. Yet I believe that if our prayer is in line with God's wishes (whose wishes we know more and more by getting to know God more), and if the prayer was answered, then it was God doing the action. 

I still noted that my son's question was a very good one, and my answer went like this: "Not everything in life we will know for certain. But we are always most likely to be correct when we credit God for all of the good things and blame Satan for all of the bad things."

In any one particular situation we may not necessarily know for 100% sure beyond a shadow of a doubt, unless we hear God speaking to us or His voice in some other way. But with our sick family member, I think we were vastly more likely to be correct when we credit God for healing her than coincidence. For there are many examples in the Bible that when someone prays in line with something God also wants, that this prayer will be answered. Below is a scripture from the book of Matthew, where Jesus is talking:

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Matthew 7: 7-11

Also, God can work through people. He can work through the doctor's hands. He can provide someone with a new job, for example, or help someone with a difficult conversation. God can do all of this through things that some people might call coincidence - but I still think we're correct more often when we credit God for the good things than if we credit coincidence.

Furthermore, when we pray in faith for healing, i.e. in the full belief that any healing is from God, then God will answer those prayers. There are many examples of Jesus healing the sick where he tells them that their faith has made them well. So if we are truly praying in faith, it's impossible for the healing to just be coincidence.

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