If truth be told a significant proportion of Christian teaching skirts around the issue of divine healing because the acceptance of sickness and the devastation it brings has been weaved into every fabric of  human life and thought.  It is time that preachers and teachers stuck to the facts…Jesus Christ never refused a human being that called out to him for healing and /or deliverance.  Pressure, life style, genetic disorders and specific satanic attacks all contribute to illness but in scripture God never left anyone in that condition as and when they called out to Him with faith filled, humble and sincere hearts.  The tragedy across the church is that the pulpit often has not taught the people of God how to walk in the healing power of their God.  Many could not quote a healing scripture and certainly would not have the confidence to act on one with authority.  The sheep have been let down by their earthly shepherds and are simply not being led to the place where, “they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed [nor] be lacking” Jeremiah 23:5.  We have got to learn that faith really does come from hearing, reading, mediating on and prayerfully repeating the precious word of truth concerning healing and any other issue for that matter.

It is nobodies place to judge a battered soul suffering from illness but neither is it to accept what God the Father clearly does not.  It is impossible to win a battle that you don’t even realise is yours to fight.  It is time to take up the gauntlet every day, every time and at every opportunity.  Sickness is no match for God…if you are debating this point here in lies the problem.  When you know you can win the fierceness of the battle actually becomes part of the victory. The apostle John reveals that our confidence in receiving the answers to our prayers comes from knowing that what we are praying is actually God’s will (1 John 4: 14 – 15). If you do not know that it is God’s will to heal you then you cannot pray a prayer of faith for a healing miracle.  Sickness is no match for God…but if you are debating whether it is His will to heal or not herein lies the problem.  1 John 4: 14 – 15 clearly teaches us that the only way to have confidence in God answering prayer is to have made the unequivocal decision that it is His will to answer.  You can have total confidence in God’s ability but wavering on whether it is or is not God’s will to heal, for example, is literally where you will stand or fall.  Pray to, study about and seek God earnestly to determine His will then pray and believe.  To those who are struggling to have the energy to get through the day never mind search the scriptures and seek God with all their might listen to CD’s, watch DVD’s, get friends that you know are full of faith to help you read and study the scriptures.  Sickness is no match for God…but if you are debating whether this is all worth the effort here in lies the problem.

As indicated the tragedy in the Christian church is that many believers have never been taught that God wants to heal them never mind how to walk in faith and receive the miracle they need.  So if, dear reader you fall into this category take what you now know and fight back.  Don’t deny your condition but declare daily and as many times as it takes that God wants to heal you. Thoughtfully, sincerely and repeatedly read and quote God’s word (Romans 10:17).  When you feel terrible take comfort that Christ has never been more able, for in your very weakness His strength will be made PERFECT (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Satan cannot win and God cannot loose, even when your body is the battle ground. 

You cannot have a good enough day to earn a miracle so stop trying. Depending on Christ’s grace, love and mercy just ASK, BELIEVE AND RECIEVE. Sorry if this sounds like a naive approach but one must presume the Lord Jesus knew what He was talking about in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say unto you [speaking of the real mountains of verse 23], What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (please read verses 22 – 26).  The revelations of Mark 11:24 are echoed in 3 John v2.  To all dear people facing a mountain of pain and sickness that they cannot cope with, stop listening to the opinions of men or the fears of your own heart and, “…believe that [God] is [the Healer and Deliverer He said He is], and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).  Your relentless sickness cannot hope to stand against your persistent faith in an unswervingly faithful all powerful God (Hebrews 13:5-6). 

The only thing that ever stopped Jesus Christ from healing and delivering those who were sick and in need was when He was rejected as their Healer as accounted in Mark 6:1-6. Satan employs the same sinister method in all walks and issues of life namely discredit the Messenger and you automatically discredit the message. It is imperative to note that whatever the reason for rejecting Him Christ identified the core issue as one of FAITH for, “…they were offended at Him [angry, bitter, jealous, envious, proud]…He marvelled because of their unbelief” v3 and v6.  No matter what the rationale lack of faith was the stumbling block. The fact that many would be offended at this very notion is the very reason why sickness overcomes so many.  Faith healing gets a bad report not because it isn’t the truth but because it often has to contend with decades of incorrect teaching and / or no teaching at all.  Unconvinced, then ask the next 10 Christians you meet to quote 3 scriptures on healing, ask them to explain those scriptures and show that they have faith in their God to back them. This exercise would only prove that sickness is everywhere but the truth of a healing God is not.  IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO MAKE STAND.   

For many satan has managed to turn a straight forward head on confrontation between sickness and faith into a cynical, mystical, mystery tour of theological points, bad experiences and personal opinions.  Just because it is hard to fight back does not make it wrong to fight back or inform those affected of the need to fight back.  The sooner the Church gets through the painful process of admitting their doubt and start believing in God’s healing power again the sooner all sickness will be on the back foot. That is, believing and receiving before God moves not after. 

Fill your soul (your mind, will and emotions) with the truth of God’s healing power and that same healing power will start to fill your body.  As John writes:

Beloved, I wish (pray) ABOVE ALL THINGS that thou mayest prosper and BE IN HEALTH even as YOUR SOUL prospereth” 3 John v2.

Satan is a killer, a thief and a destroyer (John 10:10).  He will get on with the business of killing you while you debate whether your lottery number has come up and God for some inexplicable reason has decided to heal you / or not as the case may be.  To get the right result you have got to get very serious about your faith in God to heal and get very serious about taking care of the temple on lone to you (2 Corinthians 6:16).  It does not matter how great your faith is if you wilfully neglect your body and even abuse it through a bad diet or poor life style for sooner or later you will pay the price.  The author of this short study believes in God’s unflinching desire to heal and His power to do so but actually lives one of the healthiest life styles of anyone he knows.  As with every area in life you must do what you know to do whilst believing God.

Much more needs to be said…seek out those bold enough to preach it and stand with you believing it.  Please find below some concluding thoughts for your consideration.

How will I recover?

• Instantly –                                            Acts 3:1-11.
• As part of a process -                          Luke 17:11-19 “…as they went”.
• As part of faith, good advice

            and a better life style –                        I Timothy 5:23 (wine – non alcoholic -

                                                                        as an alternative to dirty water).

N.B. When Paul wrote to Timothy he makes no reference of praying for him.  Paul new that on this occasion there was no great miracle needed just a better life style adopted. 

Read: Psalm 103:1-3; Psalm 107: 19-21; Proverbs 3:1-2; Proverbs 4:20 – 22.