Dear Minister: Can Jesus heal my beloved cat? And, if she doesn’t make it, do we see our pets again in heaven?
– Grieving in Somers Point
Answer: First of all, I want to say that my heart goes out to you because I know how much we all love our precious pet friends.
As far as praying for your cat, I would definitely encourage you to do that. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
This certainly includes caring about our beloved animals.
Of course we also know that our human lifespan far exceeds that of our pets, which leads to the second part of your question.
A friend and I were discussing this very thing the other day and he pointed out that there are definitely animals in heaven. For example, in Revelation chapter 19 we are told that Jesus is riding on a white horse, and verse 14 says, “And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.”
As to whether we will see our own pets specifically, we can take comfort from two truths. The first one is that James 1:17 tells us that, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.” If God wants us to have every good thing, wouldn’t that include our beloved animal friends?
And the second reassuring truth is found in Revelation 21:4, which says that God, “will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying.” This certainly reminds us that we won’t be grieving anymore in heaven over any loss that we have suffered on earth.
I hope this encourages you and I will join you in praying for your cat to recover.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Rahter
Pastor
Praise Tabernacle
