Do you believe in healing?

"(22) Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (24) Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray believe that you receive them, and you will have them."                                                                      Mark 11:22-24.  NKJV

I am a great believer in healing. This is how I came to know Jesus back in 1980. I had been ill with a severe bout of Bell's Palsy, and despite three months of daily electrolysis to my face, steroids and physio, it was getting no better. But I heard a voice in my head telling me to, 'Say a prayer and I'll heal you.' I ignored this voice, thinking I was mad but it wouldn't go away, so as I went to bed, I asked whoever it was, to heal me. The next morning, I woke up and my face had begun to go back into shape and by the end of the day, I was back to normal.
My wife was healed of throat cancer back in 1994 and there have been many times over the years when we have seen healing through our prayers and intervention with people.

Yet, I cannot explain why it appears, that some people are healed and others are not. I can't explain that and will not even try to. However, it will never stop me from believing in divine healing either.

I interpret this scripture as, (a) Make up your mind. (b) Visualise your victory and, (c) Speak to the situation. Oral Roberts, used to say, 'Capture this truth: Doubt and do without, with faith believe and receive. Expect a miracle.' Keith Moore says, 'Doubt asks questions, faith makes declarations.'

God doesn't respond to your needs, He responds to your faith. A look at the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-10 shows Peter and John's faith in action. The lame man was begging. Peter replied, 'Silver and gold, I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.' And he did. If there had been an inkling of doubt when they took this action, the man would have remained lame. Notice too, they didn't pray for him, they declared healing over him. Perhaps, that is why there are so many people who are not healed. From a distance, yes, prayer is needed. But face to face, like Peter and John and the many times we read of Jesus healing people, then perhaps faith declarations are the way forward.  

When someone asks us to pray for their healing, should we gather round that person and go through lengthy prayers or would it be better to take authority, speak to the situation and declare healing on that person? This is what Peter and John did. I think at times, people tend to be fearful of this type of action, just in case it doesn't work and they're left with egg on their face. For some, it is much safer to lay hands on a person, say a prayer and then leave it with God. This is what I saw an evangelist do back in 1982. He was visiting a particular church and after his lengthy sermon, he said he would pray for people but he wanted people to know, that, 'No one has ever been healed under my ministry and they may not be tonight, but I'm willing to pray for you.' Guess what? You're right; no one was healed that night.

God told me to ask for healing. I did and I was healed. My wife asked a pastor to pray for her and he spoke to the spirit of cancer and it came out - she was healed.

We should always pray for people's needs, and that's what prayer groups and prayer chains are for. But when we have a sick person right in front of us, doesn't it make sense to follow Jesus' example, together with Peter and John's, and speak to the situation?

Now that's food for thought.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com