If you are disabled it is likely that you have been cornered in a store by a non-disabled person who insisted that you need prayer. Most of the time, this happens to people with visible disabilities because people can see you are disabled, but it can happen to any disabled person. As a disabled Christian, I believe in the power of prayer and think it can do wonderful things, but prayer should be a choice, and I don’t think it’s right to force prayer on a disabled person but often it is. If was going through a tough time, I would let people pray for me but if you were to approach me and demand I need it, I would shut it down because I don’t like people praying for my disability. Disabled people are not more sinful than non-disabled people and don’t need to pray more. Why shouldn’t you force prayer on disabled people? In this post, I am going to talk about why I would never force prayer on a disabled person, even though I am a Christian and believe in the power of prayer.
Some people don’t want to be healed– When a non-disabled person approaches a disabled person and insists we need prayer, it’s probably because they think we need healing. I have no problems with people praying for me if there is some other reason but please don’t pray for the healing of my disability because it reinforces the idea that disability is a negative thing. Some disabled people are happy in their disabled bodies and don’t want to be healed and we shouldn’t be forced to pray for the healing of our disabilities because it makes you more comfortable. Personally I find it a little insulting when people pray for the healing of my disability because it implies that there is something wrong with me that needs to be fixed. I don’t need to be healed of my disability to live well, and the only thing disabled people truly need is a more accessible world and to be treated like normal human beings and we can do that without cures.
It reinforces the idea that disabled people need to be fixed– Praying for healing of my disability is ableist and reinforces that idea that all disabled people need to be fixed but the problem isn’t my disability and it’s that we live in a society where non-disabled people are taught that disability is a bad thing that needs to be fixed. Some disabled people are going to want cures and that is okay but disabled people do not need to be fixed because we are not broken and are just different. We do need to make the world more accessible to make the lives of disabled people easier and end ableism because that is the only thing that truly needs fixing. Disabled people do not need to be fixed and the only thing that needs fixing is how people view disability. It is hard to be disabled but my disability is not the hardest part but it’s that people see my disability before they see me as an individual. My life would be easier with a cure, but we don’t need to be praying for cures and what we really need to be praying for is more inclusion and acceptance. Disabled people wouldn’t be as desperate to get rid of their disabilities if people were more accepting of it.
Some people don’t believe in the power of prayer– As a disabled Christian, I wholeheartedly believe in the power of prayer and go to church on a regular basis, but not all disabled people go to church and pray. I think that prayer should be something that someone does because they want to, not something that you force someone to do because you happened to notice they are disabled. It draws people away from the church because when you are forced to pray enough times, people start to think that all Christians do that and want no part of that religion. I know a lot of disabled people who have a lot of experiences when they were forced to pray and would never go to church, which is sad because not all Christians do that, and only some people do. It is one thing to ask a disabled person if they would like prayer, but to force prayer on disabled people is wrong, and you should never do that. Disabled people are not more sinful than non-disabled people and do not need to pray more often. You should always consider the fact that some people aren’t going to want to pray, and if you wouldn’t force a non-disabled person to pray, you shouldn’t force disabled people.
When people corner me in a store and demand I need prayer, I always turn it down, and if people don’t take no for an answer I will run them over because disabled people should never be forced to pray. It may sound a little harsh to run people over when they force you to pray, but sometimes you have to because people are making you feel unsafe, and you need to get out of that situation. I believe in the power of prayer and if you want to pray for something other than healing of my disability I will let you but the moment you start to pray for my disability, I’m out. Disabled people do not need to pray for their disabilities and forcing prayer on a disabled person is ableist because it implies we need to be fixed when the reality is the only thing that needs fixing is the way society treats disabled people. Please stop forcing prayer on disabled people because we don’t need prayer, and if you want to pray, please pray for anything else. Disabled people need acceptance, accessibility, and inclusion more than we need prayer. Have you ever been approached by a non-disabled person and forced to pray? If so, what did you do? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
Subscribe And Never Miss A Post
My Rockin Disabled Life 