Healing is one of the most controversial issues in the
church today. But what is true about it is that by the stripes Jesus endured
before going to the cross we are healed. At 2 am this morning while I was
listening to the radio on CRTV, a listener presented a problem he has which he
himself feels is spiritual requesting for help from wise men. (His problem was
that he worked with a man in Lagos Nigeria and this man settled him with 2
millions which he still has some left over as he came back to Cameroon. His
fears are that all those who had worked with this his boss had no success after
settlement and some have died. He believed the boss spiritually ties down his
servants after settlement especially that he has the information that the boss
has been driven from his village in Nigeria because of those practices). A man
called the radio and advised him to get into prayers and meet a man of God to
also pray for him. Another one called and said prayers are not important but he
instead gave his telephone number for this guy to call him. He claimed he will
help him and that God is the reality and that God made everything good and they
are connected: plants to earth to stars and moon and sun. I understood this man
is a magician, a liar!
This discussion on the radio caused me to wake up from my
bed and reflect on this issue of prayers and God’s healing power. One thing is
true:
“But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our
iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes we
are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
Why do people and even Christians think that healing is not
real? Why do some think that healing power was manifested of old and that today
is different? As if God has changed! Matthew 8:16-17 says “ When evening came, they
brought to Him many who were possessed with demons. And He cast out the spirits
with a word and healed all who were sick, so that it might be fulfilled that
was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘He Himself took our infirmities and
bore our sickness.’” Then first Peter 2:24 says “ He Himself bore our sins in His
own body on the tree, so that we, having died to sins, might live to
righteousness; by whose wounds you were healed.” (1Pet 2:24)
With the early Christians, they received healing and
miracles as well. Health and prosperity were also objects of prayers for the
believers as we can see in John’s letter in 3 John 1:2. If we as Christians truly
reflect God’s presence as the temple of the holy Spirit, then where ever we
live on earth we need to manifest God’s work on earth. (1Cor 3:16). Should we
have problems when the Spirit of God manifests? Obviously No! then why should
we be troubled when we see miracles and the manifestation of the spirit of God?
The question we may be asking is whether God heals everyone?
Why are some people not healed? Whose faith is necessary for healing? That of
the sick or the minister’s faith or both? The answers maybe very difficult to
answer because God is not a Robot. He does as He wills. But the word of God
gives us some clues:
a)
The Gifts
and anointing to heal. God at times releases His anointing and gifts of
healing in some places and at that time of saturation, people are healed even
through contacts with shadows or clothes which are used as points of contact.
The Bible tells us how Paul did Miracles and even through handkerchiefs in Acts
19:11-12. Healing is a gift given for the benefit of the church and for God’s
glory (1cor12:9)
b)
God’s
healing power is also release through the laying on of hand. When any true
believer lays hands on a sick and pray for recovery, a spiritual transference
takes place in the invisible realm (Mark 16:18)
c)
The
prayers of elders and anointing oil releases God’s healing power. The
believer willingly calls the pastor to pray for him. Confession and heart
preparation in this case is necessary. Note that the oil here just symbolizes
the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not paracetamol which you can use at any
time as if God is a robot (James 5:14)
d)
Speaking the
word to the sickness releases God’s healing power. Confidently the believer
speaks clearly the word to the sickness until the sickness goes. Mark 11:23
says “For truly I say to you that whoever will say to this mountain, ‘Be
removed and be cast into the sea,’ and will not doubt in his heart, but will
believe that those things that he said will come to pass, he will have whatever
he says.”
e)
Agreement
also release God’s healing power. As a church God has made us understand
the power of agreement. Psalms 133 tells how God’s anointing flows on the
people when they are in agreement. You can now see why you need to ask the
church to pray for you when you are sick. Jesus reminded the disciples of this
again in Matthew 18-19-20.
f)
Your
faith releases God’s healing power. Faith prepares everything and goes on
in spite of the sickness. In Mark 11:24, Christ says pray and believe that you
receive and you will have them. He did not say; have them and believe. No, you
believe that you receive first, then you have them.
g)
Through the
name of Jesus, God’s healing power is released. The name of Jesus is a
powerful force against sickness and devils (John 14:13-14, Acts 3:1-8)
h)
Praying
for others releases God’s healing power. Job received his healing when he
forgot about his self-interest and started praying/interceding for his wayward friends
even though he was in deep sickness. “After
Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him
twice as much as he had before.”(Job 42:10)
i)
The faith
of others release God’s healing power.
Believers should pray for others and by their faith, they will be healed. Jesus
healed a paralytic because of the faith if his friend. The friend’s faith moved
him to bring his paralytic friend to Jesus. He knew Jesus would heal his
friend. (Mark 2:5-11)
j)
Through
medicine. This may surprise you. God has built defense systems in our
bodies to help fight against diseases in our body. Because He has done this He
can use medicine to heal, helping the natural defense processes in the body. Only
those who are sick need a physician (mark 9:12). God uses innumerable ways to
bring healing to his children and many people today can be healed except its
God’s time to take them home.
When it is time, you can do anything you want, meet the best
man of God, and meet the best doctor in the world. Nothing will change. No one
has power over the life of a child of God except when God allows at His time. Shalom!
