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Growing in Faith for Divine Healing
As a minister in Christian churches for more than 30 years, I have had numerous opportunities to pray for the sick. I am a firm believer in divine healing and have taught often on the subject. For an in-depth look at healing by faith (commonly called “faith healing” or “spiritual healing”) I refer the reader to my bible study entitled “Believe God for Spiritual Healing (Divine Healing)”. In hundreds of church services over the years I have seen thousands of believers come forward to receive healing prayer. An honest assessment of the results? Some have been healed; the majority have not been healed. Many times I have asked, why is this? And I believe that the answer is becoming clearer to me. If one studies the healing ministry of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, a recurring pattern emerges — again and again, Jesus looked to see if the sick person was showing faith to be healed, as in the scripture below:
Healing is “according to your faith.” Jesus had all the faith and healing power necessary, even to heal blindness. There were no questions, no doubts, in His mind about His ability to heal these two blind men. No, the variable was not Christ’s faith, but the faith of the men desiring to be healed. And when Jesus had determined that they did indeed have faith in His healing power, He cured them of their blindness. This same pattern is seen in the ministry of the apostle Paul to a crippled man in the heathen city of Lystra. The lame man was listening to Paul preaching the Gospel. During this sermon, “Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk” (Acts 14:8-10). Did the apostle Paul have the “gifts of healing” (1 Corinthians 12:9)? Apparently so. But the healing did not occur until the lame man himself “had faith to be healed.” Therefore, it is urgent that we grow in faith to be healed. Jesus’ apostles understood the importance of this.
That is my desire in the comments that follow — specifically, to share Scriptures that will enable us to grow in faith to receive divine healing from the Lord. ----------------------------------------
1) Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. Study God’s Word on the subject of healing. Use a good concordance, and look up every Bible verse (in its full context) that speaks of healing. Read classic books on healing, such as T.L. Osborne’s Healing the Sick. Ask your pastor to recommend audio tapes on the subject taught by those whom God has used in healing the sick. In sum, fill your heart with what God’s Word, the Bible, says about His desire to heal our sick bodies. And as you do that, you will find yourself steadily growing in faith to receive healing from the Lord. ----------------------------------------
2) Jesus said to the blind men, “Do you believe that I am able...?" We grow in faith as we focus on JESUS the Healer. Acts 9:34 records the apostle Peter ministering healing to a lame man. He simply said to the paralytic, “Aeneas,... Jesus Christ heals you.” Peter used no fancy words. He didn’t need to “hype” the man’s emotions. He simply directed the man’s focus upon Jesus. Peter was convinced, as we should be, that Jesus heals! ----------------------------------------
3) Think about Jesus’ power flowing out to you. I don’t mean some kind of mental gymnastics, nor any form of mind-over-matter. Jesus’ power to heal is real power, so real that Jesus sensed the flow of that healing power from Him. Consider Jesus, ponder His great power, and by faith see it flowing from Him to you, and you will find yourself growing in faith to receive a very real touch of healing from the Lord. ----------------------------------------
4) “I am willing,” Jesus said. Let His own words establish the fact that it is Christ's will to heal! Don’t come apologetically to Jesus for healing. No! Come to Him knowing that His expressly stated intention concerning healing is: “I am willing!” And don’t pray the leper’s prayer (“Lord, if you are willing...”). Jesus replied by revealing the intent of His heart concerning the healing of the sick — “I am willing.” Confess that promise from Jesus regularly — "I am willing!" — and watch your faith for healing grow! ----------------------------------------
5) Faith for healing grows as we realize that Jesus has provided a package of salvation — both the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our diseases. Too many Christians, sadly, have “forg[otten] ... all his benefits.” One of those great salvation benefits is the forgiveness of our sins. Another — not to be forgotten or ignored — is the healing of our sicknesses. The Word of the Lord tells us, “Don’t forget this!” ----------------------------------------
6) Faith for divine healing grows as we remember that from God’s standpoint, healing is already DONE — “You have been healed.” Consider Matthew 8:16-17 "...[Jesus] healed all the sick. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” Notice the verb tenses that Peter and Matthew use: “...you have been healed.... He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” Just as Jesus has already borne our sins, likewise He has already taken and carried our sicknesses. That means you don't have to carry them any longer! ----------------------------------------
7) Jesus’ will to heal includes YOUR sickness! He healed "every disease and sickness.” And His intent to heal includes your pain, even “severe pain.” If you have cancer, leukemia, or any other debilitating disease, it is included among the “every disease and sickness” that Jesus is pleased to heal. ---------------------------------------- We have looked at seven Scriptural ways to increase your faith for spiritual healing:
And thankfully, “Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday and TODAY and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus healed His people 20 centuries ago, and He is still the same — He will heal you today! Have you found yourself growing in faith for healing from God as you have read these Scripture thoughts today? If so, I encourage you to hit your "Print" button and run yourself a copy of this bible study on healing. Reread it daily for a week (or more), and watch the word of God build in you a growing faith for divine healing. May God bless you abundantly as you reflect upon these truths from His word, the Scriptures.
------------------------------------ See our related sermon outlines on spiritual healing: The Power of Healing Prayers for the Sick and Receive Divine Healing | Spiritual Healing | Faith Healing. ------------------------------------------------ ©2004, James H. Feeney. Copyright statement.
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