My dad was a kind man, and I think I was his favourite. What this meant was he paid particular attention to the things I said and was always quick to provide my needs and grant my wants, within reason.
I recall a day he was irritated when I requested a guitar. With the benefit of hindsight, he was either broke or had a bad day at work. But the guitar still came because of his love for me. I never had to beg for gifts or work for them. I simply asked and took it in good faith when he didn’t provide. I knew he would withhold nothing essential from me.
My dad also kept his word. I recall he promised us kids that he would buy a box of pizza when a particular fast food restaurant announced it. And he did. Little wonder that when I was introduced to Christianity, the picture in my head that I had about God was my dad.
Therefore, I have often struggled with how difficult prayers of petition have been presented in the Christian faith, especially requests for healing. It almost appears to be a preparation for war, with the focus being on the diabolical forces behind the issue, not the Father who will grant the request.
We beg, work hard at our confessions, quote Scriptures, strive, do a lot of work, spend many hours in prayers, and maybe, just maybe, our requests are granted. I haven’t done a poll, but I hazard a guess that those who receive miraculous healing in a typical large gathering are the exception not the rule.
Here is my confusion - Could mustard seed faith be this difficult to generate? You would recall Jesus said anyone with faith as little as a mustard seed would move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Are we saying that someone with cancer doesn’t have at least a granule of faith?
Another thing that puzzles me is this. When Jesus, the embodiment of God, walked the earth healing people, His healings were accompanied by simple acts of faith. These actions were also accomplished in relatively shorter periods of time than our modern healing miracles. A blind man cried out, a woman touched the tassel of His garment, another came pleading for her child, someone was asked to wash in a pool and yet another was told, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Even non-healing miracles appeared simple - a request was made to fill jars with water to produce wine, a coin was found in the mouth of a fish, five loaves and two fish fed thousands. The main requirement seemed to be getting to where Jesus was. And once you got to him, you did what he commanded not what the existing script said.
I have a theory. On the earth, Jesus operated as a man. So he needed the enablement of the Holy Spirit and the Gift of Healing (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). That may be why His healings appeared “easy”. He was operating a gift whose power source was not human. In the Epistles, the Apostles did the same and a shadow on the street could presumably heal. Notice every one who came was healed. All. (Acts 5:15-16)
Therefore, could it be that as Christians, we have lost sight of the intimacy and experiential knowledge of the Holy Ghost? Do we know Him for real? Have we actually met Him like people in the Gospels met Jesus? Only then were they transformed or received personal instructions leading to healing. Could this lack of emphasis on the Holy Spirit and the spiritual Gift of Healing be why healing doesn’t appear to be abundant anymore and why there’s so much work around it? Is that why few people can speak the Word and someone gets healed instantly?
So many things in Christianity seem difficult. But Jesus promised that His yoke would be easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:28-30).
Simple faith does not obscure the path that leads to consecration and Christian maturity. Trials will come. As a Christian, you will need to give up your comforting idols and the things you trust in. There will be seasons where you will face your fears and learn to trust God by yourself; to believe in His Word when there’s no other choice.
This extends beyond healing. Abraham waited about twenty-five years before the promised son was born. David spent about ten years as a fugitive before he became king, even though God had promised it. So the timeline of trials and trust is not what I am referring to in this article. I am speaking about the ordinary course of the Gift of Healing.
Trials appear to be individualized and customized. Your case will be called someday if you desire to become a mature son of God. But healing remains freely available through Christ.
As I bring this article to a conclusion, here are my final ruminations. Have you ever thought:
“How did Blind Bartimaeus know Jesus was the Son of David? (Mark 10:46-52)
How did the Syro-Phoenician woman understand the legal basis that allowed dogs (foreigners) to receive crumbs from the children’s table (Israel)? (Mark 7:24-30)
How did the woman with the issue of blood know that touching Jesus’ tassel would bring healing? How did she learn the revelation about healing being in His wings (tassel)? (Mark 5:25-34; Malachi 4:2)
These accounts of healing and deliverance were some of the most sophisticated cases where people came with knowledge and faith.
In fact, Scripture says Jesus often taught and healed. There were times he couldn’t do much in a city because of unbelief (Mark 6:5-6). Paul did the same. As he taught, he discerned those who had faith to be healed (Acts 14:8-10). This means healing can even take place during the normal course of a teaching service.
Therefore, perhaps in addition to a shortage of the knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit and the Gift of Healing, the body of Christ may be experiencing a deficit of revelatory teaching. Not surface knowledge. But the type that is a gift - the Gift of Teaching or Office of a Teacher. It is ignited by the Holy Spirit and often comes with inescapable revelation that produces powerful results. You know it when you see it.
Thus, through teaching, could we get the body to the point where we deeply believe in the healing power of Jesus even before we need it?
As I close, I pray, “Father, give us wisdom to know the right thing to do in our time of need. We bring nothing to the court of appeal but Jesus. We plead only His blood.
Help us in our troubles. Let the world know we serve a God that still heals. May people testify of miracles with the evidence of valid medical reports that attest to them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
---
PS: Attend the Teaching Residency, to learn from Teachers who operate prophetically and Prophets who can teach.
Our final session with Olufisayo Okunsanya - Rebuilding Kingdom Consciousness: Understanding Your Identity and Resource Governance Role - ends this Saturday. Register for the hybrid session here.
To support the work we do at Sonderplace, please go here.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.