The Ins and Outs of Divine Healing

Why is it that Jesus healed everyone he touched, yet His followers have trouble healing a cold?

Did Jesus really mean it when He said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)?

I believe that He did mean it and that we are meant to do as much as Jesus did, even greater things.

So what are some of the things that get in the way of receiving healing for the born-again christian?

1. Lack of faith. Do we really believe that it is God's will to heal me right now? For many of us, this comes down to whether we really believe, deep down in our heart, that God is both good and powerful. We also have to know in our hearts that He loves us for who we are, something that it seems to me many christians really struggle with. We've got to get past that place of suspecting that we are unworthy to be loved by God.

2. Bad teaching. Many evangelicals have argued about whether "healing is in the atonement." In other words, when Jesus died on the cross did His death do more than purchase eternal salvation? I believe that "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:23). In fact this is the verse that I quote out loud when I'm receiving healing.

In the gospels the word used for heal also means save. On two occasions exactly the same words of Jesus are used to translate the phrases "Your faith has saved you" and "Your faith has made you well."

I believe that it is God's will to heal us and, yes, healing is in the atonement.

3. Bad practice. Take a close look at the gospels and Acts. When did Jesus or His disciples pray for healing? Never. We are not to pray for healing but command it. There are two aspects to this:

a) Deliverance. Smith Wigglesworth the great healing evangelist of the 19th Century said that in 80% of cases just rebuking the devil or a demon of affliction was enough, in itself, to heal a person. In other words, just telling satan to get lost from a person will 80% of the time result in healing.

b) Command of healing. Sometimes we need to command the person, or the part of their body, to be healed. This is shown in the case of Peter and John healing the lame man when they said "In the name of Jesus Christ get up and walk." This is a good model for healing ministry!

4. Lack of persistence. Today I woke up with a bad cold. I went to the cupboard and took echinacea and paracetamol. After that I prayed and claimed healing. The paracetamol wore off after a few hours, so I took some more. I didn't expect the paracetamol to work instantly nor to last for ever. In healing ministry we need to be more persistent and not give up just because we see no result after a minute of prayer. Keep on at it.

Earlier this year, I woke up one morning with my right knee locked up. I hadn't injured it in my sleep and I hadn't had any warning signs that there was a problem. At first I thought it would heal itself after a few days, but weeks went by and it didn't get better. Eventually I went to the doctor who diagnosed it as arthritis. He prescribed a course of anti-inflammatory drugs, but they only had a small effect. Just when it looked like I would have to go for X-rays and possible surgery, I suddenly realised that I hadn't sought God's healing. I claimed the bible verses out loud and commanded my knee to get better. Within a few days it was almost as good as new. While it's not yet perfect, I am much better. How much suffering did I needlessly endure because I didn't take this ailment to the Lord?

I can't really say that much more about healing except to encourage you to go out and do what I have just written about. Start with yourself and when you get more confident, try it on others. We all need to bring God's grace into our daily lives more and more.

One last word. We live in a sinful and dying world, and consequently much of our experience of God is as Paul wrote like seeing through dark glass. I have had some great healings in the past, and I have heard of people being raised from the dead, although I've yet to experience that directly. I believe in healing, yet I still take pills for high blood pressure. I'm believing that God will heal me of this also, but it hasn't yet happened. As they say in America, "Go figure"

Be blessed.