TEACHING
Can
I Be Healed?
By
CBN.com
CBN.com
-- If you are suffering from a disease, an injury, or a chronic
medical condition, you may wonder if you can ever be healed. The Bible
has good news for you!
While doctors and medicine are a gift of God – and He certainly
uses them to bring healing – His power is infinitely greater than
any human wisdom or prescription. In fact, He “is able to do immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work
within us” (Ephesians 3:20b).
Throughout the Bible, God encourages us to call upon Him for healing.
He says in Exodus 15:26b, “I am the LORD who heals you,”
and we call Him “Jehovah Rapha” because He is the God of
healing. Psalm 103:2-3 says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and
forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals
all your diseases.”
Some think that miracles no longer occur, citing 1 Corinthians 13:8.
However, this passage refers to the return of Jesus Christ. When He
comes again, we will no longer need prophecies, tongues and miracles
because we will be in His presence.
Until then, the anointing, power and gifts of the Holy Spirit are readily
available to help us in every situation!
Here at CBN, we have received thousands of reports from people in America
and around the world who have been healed in answer to prayer.
As you read this booklet, ask God to make the Scriptures come alive
in your heart, to build your faith, and to grant you a miracle!
Focus on Jesus
God’s Word reveals how deeply He loves His children and wants
us to have health and wholeness. 1 John 4:8b-9 says: “God is love.
This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son
into the world that we might live through Him.” Jesus said, “I
came that they might have life, and have it abundantly” (John
10:10b, NASB). Throughout His life, Jesus demonstrated what abundant
life means for His followers – including us today!
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give numerous accounts
of how Jesus healed people of serious infirmities and illnesses, including
blindness, deafness, leprosy, seizures, and paralysis. He even raised
dead people to life! Notice the word “all” in Matthew 8:16b:
“He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.”
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He then carefully prepared the disciples to perform these very same
miracles. Luke 9:1b-2 says, “He gave them power and authority
to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to
preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” He indicated
that miracles were a sign that the kingdom of God was at hand, saying,
“As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven
is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have
leprosy, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:7-8a).
At the Last Supper – knowing He would die within hours –
Jesus wanted to impart some final words and encouragement to His friends.
He said: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will
do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these,
because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in
My name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father” (John
14:12-13). Jesus then repeated this bold pledge for emphasis: “You
may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it” (vs. 14).
One disciple who personally heard Jesus say this was John, who later
wrote: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that
if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know
that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have
what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
By His suffering and crucifixion, Jesus once and for all won our salvation,
forgiveness, healing and eternal life.
1 Peter 2:24 says, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the
tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His
wounds you have been healed.” (The King James Version says, “By
whose stripes ye were healed.”) In this, Jesus fulfilled the prophetic
words of Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely He took up our infirmities and
carried our sorrows ... . But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace
was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God.”
Through His resurrection, we have new life. Romans 8:11 says, “And
if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,
He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.”
Just before ascending into heaven, Jesus promised His disciples that
the Holy Spirit would come upon them, empowering them to continue His
ministry in the world (see Acts 1:8). This was first fulfilled on the
Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1-4), and the same Holy Spirit is available
for us today! Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever.” What He did before, He continues to do
today. God is pouring out His Holy Spirit in our day and age –
all we need to do is ask. Very importantly, healing is among the supernatural
gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:9.
Have Faith in God
James 5:14-16 gives very specific instructions about healing: “Is
any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray
over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer
offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise
him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your
sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Jesus said, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against
anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your
sins” (Mark 11:25).
These scriptures are good reminders that we should forgive others or
seek forgiveness before we pray for our healing. Unconfessed sin, bitterness
and grudges can block a miracle. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished
sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
Similarly, Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 that taking communion
in an unworthy manner can result in sickness. Dabbling in the occult
is also a barrier to God’s flow in our lives, so if you have had
any involvement in astrology or witchcraft, renounce it immediately
and completely in the name of Jesus.
Sometimes outward physical healing may not occur if the Lord has something
else to teach us or accomplish within us.
However, we must be careful not to jump to conclusions about why someone
is suffering. Job’s friends offered cold comfort with their judgmental
observations during his time of testing. And the disciples once asked,
“‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’
said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be
displayed in his life’” (John 9:2b-3).
Our task is simply to ask God in faith for healing, to believe that
He is at work, and to trust Him for the outcome. If fear wells up, remember
1 John 4:18b: “Perfect love drives out fear” – and
God loves us perfectly.
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
In the original Greek, these verbs mean, “Ask and keep on asking;
seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking.”
Jesus continued, “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks
finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (vs. 8).
He illustrated this principle in Luke 11:5-8 with the parable of a man
who kept knocking on his neighbor’s door during the night until
he received the bread he urgently needed.
One of the biggest keys to receiving a miracle is found in Mark 11:22-24.
The disciples were amazed to see that a fig tree Jesus cursed had completely
withered overnight. Jesus simply said, “Have faith in God.”
God is the source of everything – our life, our hope, our provision,
our healing, and our future! Jesus explained, “I tell you the
truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into
the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what
he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and
it will be yours.”
James 1:6-7 cautions: “But when he asks, he must believe and
not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and
tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything
from the Lord.”
In describing the armor of God, Paul wrote: “Take up the shield
of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the
evil one” (Ephesians 6:16b).
If people aren’t quickly healed, they may think their faith is
insufficient. But even our faith is a gift of God! Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds
us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works,
so that no one can boast.” Corrie Ten Boom – who survived
the horrors of Hitler’s concentration camps to preach the Good
News around the world – often said that she only had a little
bit of faith, but it was in a great big God.
So no matter how weak, frail or insignificant you may feel at times,
remember that Almighty God is infinitely powerful, forever compassionate,
and always with us!
Believe for a Miracle
The first step in receiving a healing is to give your heart to Jesus
Christ. Take time now to confess your sins, receive forgiveness through
His death on the cross, and ask Him to be Lord of your life.
Giving our lives to Christ includes our physical bodies. Romans 12:1b
says, “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing
to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” The next
verse continues: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His
good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rather than praying “If
it be Thy will,” first ask God what His will is, just as Jesus
did (see John 5:17, 19-20). Spend time in God’s Word, asking Him
to show you His promises for your life. Then base your prayers upon
His Word to you.
Many people ask God for a miracle but omit a key requirement –
the spoken word. God has given us authority over disease, demons, sickness,
storms, and finances.
Matthew 10:1 records that Jesus “called His twelve disciples
to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal
every disease and sickness.” We are to declare that authority
in Jesus’ all-powerful name. Remember that in Mark 11:23, Jesus
told the disciples to speak to the mountain, and it would obey!
If possible, ask other believers to agree with you for your miracle.
In an act of faith, lay your hands on the part of your body that needs
healing. We are told in 2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the
LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are
fully committed to Him.” God desires to strengthen and support
you!
As you pray, come against the enemy and command him to leave you. Because
of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we can enter God’s presence
and boldly make our requests. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then
approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Pray straight from your heart, saying something like this:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I ask You, the Creator of the Universe and
the Great Physician, to hear my prayer for personal healing. I believe
that You want me to regain my health and strength, and I pray that You
would touch me now with Your grace and power. Please forgive me of any
sin and remove all obstacles from my life which could prevent my healing.
If I am angry or bitter against anyone, bring their names to my mind
now so I can forgive them completely. In Your mighty name, I take authority
over this sickness and rebuke it. I speak to this illness and command
it to leave forever in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, I also recommit
my life to Your service, and I will glorify You as part of my testimony.
Thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen.”
As you speak forth God’s promise to you with an anointing of
faith, believe in your heart that it has already happened. Then try
exercising your faith by doing something you have not been able to do
before!
We simply approach God with our petitions and trust Him for the answers
in accordance with His perfect will for our lives. Remember that God’s
healing may include medicine and professional medical help.
Romans 8:28b promises, “In all things God works for the good
of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
No matter what we face, God is with us! “Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or
famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (vs. 35, 37).
Don’t limit God – trust Him for your miracle today!
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