Good Morning, Meetpastordan Readers… Well, I have to be honest with you at the outset; it is not without a bit of trepidation that I have decided to tackle this subject today. It has certainly crossed my mind in the past, but I’ve let it go because this is one of those controversial subjects that has divided churches. In fact, at the last church where I was part of the pastoral staff, this very subject led to a schism in our midst. But for the past couple days I have felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to follow this direction, partly, I’m sure, because of my personal encounters both as a recipient of spiritual healing and as one who has served as an intercessor for others in prayer.
Let me begin by saying that spiritual healing is absolutely in line with the truth of God’s Word. Now let me substantiate that with these Scriptures: “Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped and we are healed.” Psalm 103:3, “He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.” Mark 5:34, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. You have been healed.” Jesus told his disciples in John 14:12, “The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask anything in my name and I will do it.” (to clarify, “anything” that is in line with His will.) Ephesians 1:3: “How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.” And to be sure, one of those spiritual blessings is spiritual healing. So the substantiation for spiritual healing is unquestionable, but there are variables that come into play that need to be addressed.
Does everyone who asks for spiritual healing receive that healing? The answer is “yes” and “no”. If we are in Christ, Ephesians 3 tells us we are heir to spiritual healing. In other words, we have been healed. Revelation 21:4 tells us: “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes and death will be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the old world and its evils are gone forever.” Obviously that’s from God’s eternal perspective; that is when we will be in his presence. But from our perspective, we look at birth as a beginning and death as an end, so when we are praying for spiritual healing, we are asking for it here… and especially now. Can that happen? Absolutely. But does it always happen…well, keep reading.
T.D. Jakes, the renowned Gospel preacher, is well known for this statement. “God wants to bless ya; He loves to bless ya; but he ain’t going to give you those blessings until you’re ready to receive them.” And that, my Friends, is the truth! “Ready” most likely means in line with God’s will or having achieved a level of maturity to handle the blessing.
Two things that can stand in our way of receiving blessings are unbelief and unforgiveness. Notice in Mark 5:34, three paragraphs above, the woman who Jesus was addressing was healed because of her faith. Notice in the next example, John 14:12, “believing” (faith) is a prerequisite for “doing the same works Jesus did”. Therefore, “faith”, as we know from Hebrews 11:1 is “the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen…” Now let me point out one other pertinent Scripture. A father brought his son to Jesus to cast out an evil spirit. He asked Jesus, “Have mercy on us, and help us if you can.’ Jesus replied, ‘What do you mean ‘If I can? Anything is possible if a person believes.’ The father instantly replied, ‘I do believe, but help me with my unbelief.” James also cautions against unbelief. “When you ask God for something, be sure you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave on the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-7) Needless to say, our faith must trump our unbelief. So how do we get to that point? We have to become intimately acquainted with our object of faith, Jesus Christ. There is no substitute for the confident assurance that HE IS, HE CAN, and HE WANTS TO.
Another pertinent Scripture that is relevant to this subject is Matthew 5:23-24: “So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person, then come back and offer your sacrifice to God.” God’s “royal law of love” (James 2:28) directs us to love one another. If we are harboring unforgiveness, anger, hatred, lying, cheating, stealing, etc, we are outside of God’s will. As such, we are called to “be reconciled” and then repeat our request. This is also in line with T. D. Jakes’ statement, “being ready (in line with God’s will) to receive those blessings.”
Let’s be very clear about the source of pain, suffering, and disease. Satan is the source of all discomfort and distress, and this fallen world is his playground. His sole purpose is to keep us separated from God, and his favorite tools are pain, suffering, disease and relationship issues. As long as he can keep us focused on our circumstances and away from God’s love, he is winning. But, because we are in Christ, we are already victorious. We just have to know that and stand on it. Two scriptures that substantiate this are Luke 10:19: Jesus told his disciples, “I have given you authority over all the evil schemes of the enemy. You can walk among snakes, scorpions and crush them. No harm will come to you.” (Metaphorically speaking, we still deal with snakes and scorpions. It’s called “life”) And 1John 4:4: “The Spirit that lives in me (Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit in this world.” (satan) It’s important we exercise our authority and rebuke satan. I can’t emphasize that enough!
So far I have talked about the necessity of our faith being greater than our unbelief. We have to know that He can and that He wants too. I have also talked about extenuating circumstances than can prevent us from receiving the blessings, such as an impure heart or the need for reconciliation. One last thing I want to talk about is God’s timing. When Jesus’ disciples asked him. “Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Was it the result of his own sins or those of his parents?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not because of his sins or his parent’s sins. He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” (John 9:2-3) Then Jesus restored the blind man’s sight. He did this so that the man’s testimony would bring honor and glory to God the Father, which it certainly did when he told his story to the Pharisees. “I was blind, but now I see.” (John 9:25)
Everything God does is for a purpose, and the timing of his blessings is certainly for a purpose. When we seek healing, no doubt we want it now. The truth is…It can be now, perhaps later, or perhaps not in this lifetime. But when it comes, it will come at a time that brings honor and glory to God.
When I pray for healing in people, I always point out that I am praying with the expectation that this prayer will be answered. (Ref. James 1:6 above) If the healing is not manifested immediately, I caution them against doubt, and encourage them to continuously thank God for the healing that is rightfully theirs. I also ask them to search their hearts for any unforgiveness or any other negative emotions that can short-circuit their receptivity. If evident, I encourage them to ask the Holy Spirit to empower them with his wisdom, courage, patience, insight or whatever it is they need, to overcome that obstacle. But above all, keep thanking God for the healing that is rightfully yours. This healing is as real today as it ever was. I am living proof, both as a recipient and as an intercessor.
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May God Bless Ya…
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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