Sickness didn't come until the fall of
man. Therefore, sickness and disease is a result of the fallen state of
man and separation from God. It also says that if God's people will turn
from their wicked ways, He will take sickness from their midst
(Deuteronomy 7:15). Sickness is a result of a curse (Deuteronomy
28:59-61). Generational curses (Exodus 20:5, Jeremiah 32:18) are evident
when diseases such as cancer run from right down a family tree.
Obviously, sickness had a lot to do with the fallen state of mankind.
But the good news is that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil
(1 John 3:8) and redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13),
so there is no more excuse that we ought to live under the bondage that
sin has brought into our lives! Jesus has shed His blood, that we might
be healed! (Isaiah 53:5)
Since sickness and diseases are known
symptoms of a curse (Deuteronomy 28:59-61), and since Jesus paid the
price on the cross to set us free from all curses (Galatians 3:13), why
would there be any reason for a child of God to still be living under a
curse? It is possible to be made free and still live under the bondage
and effects of sin if we don't know what is rightfully ours and stand on
it and claim it according to the steps laid out in God's Word (John
8:31-36). God's Word says that His people are destroyed by lack of
knowledge! (Hosea 3:6)
Jesus took our sickness. The Bible says
so in Matthew 8:16-17. And Jesus is the same yesterday, today and
forever (Hebrews 13:8). There are no stories of people who came to Jesus
and walked away without their healing. There are many times when the
Bible says that He healed EVERYBODY who came to Him (Acts 10:38, Matthew
8:16, Matthew 12:15, Matthew 4:24, Luke 6:19) and there are NO stories
in the Bible where Jesus turned a person's healing down! One man even
asked Jesus if it were His will to heal him, and Jesus said, "It is my
will, be healed." (Matthew 8:2-3) Was that included in our Bible for no
reason? I don't think so.
Jesus said He came to give us life, not
death, and not just life, but life in abundance! (John 10:10) Jesus said
that the devil came to kill steal and destroy. Therefore, I don't
believe it's God's will and desire for us to die of cancer. Jesus said
that it was the devil who came to kill, but He came to give us life.
Therefore I think it is made clear that death is not God's will.
We pray all the time "thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2), but do we really believe it?
What is God's will in heaven? Sickness? Death? If not, then why are we
praying for thy will to be done here on earth, as in heaven, if we don't
really mean it?
There are a variety of factors that can
block our healing or deliverance. I remember counseling with one
particular person who sought deliverance, and the minister tried to cast
out the demons, but they did not come out. But when I was talking with
her and started to tell her how to break off legal grounds that she's
given the enemy, one of the main demons inside her practically
exploded!! He was furious with me, because I was telling her exactly how
she can break those legal grounds, and prepare for her deliverance! The
same is true with healing. Sometimes people pray for months for a
healing, and don't receive it. Why not? A good example is that there are
many who have bitterness in their heart against somebody, and it's
blocked them off from God forgiving their own sins (Matthew 6:15). How
are we supposed to expect God to heal us, when He looks down and sees
our sins before us? This is not a cut and dry ministry!
A lack of faith is not always the hold
up, but it clearly a Biblical reason that many healings and deliverance
can be held up. In Matthew 9:29, Jesus told them "According to thy
faith, be it unto you." Jesus wouldn't even do miracles in one town,
because the faith of the people there was so low! God's Word tells us in
Matthew 13:58 that, "he did not many mighty works there because of
their unbelief." Jesus' disciples tried to cast out a demon and was
unsuccessful. They ask him why they were unable to get the person set
free. He told them, "Because of your unbelief." (Matthew 17:19-20) Jesus
even said that some demons require so much faith to cast out that
prayer and fasting is required! (Matthew 17:21)
Jesus said to go out and cast out demons,
heal the sick, etc. (Matthew 10:8), so when Peter and John came up to a
man whom was lame, they said "raise and walk in Jesus' name!" (Acts
3:6). Why would they do such a thing unless they KNEW it was God's will
to heal that person? That would be embarrassing to walk upto him, and
try to heal him and nothing happens! Did they say, "Lord, if it is thy
will, heal this man."? No! They spoke out the word, and the man was
healed! Just like Jesus instructed them to do!
Some people believe that the healing
spoken of in Isaiah 53:5 is a spiritual healing. This is a very weak
argument that cannot be proven, because the same Hebrew word for
'healed' there is the same Hebrew word used elsewhere in the OT to
clearly mark a physical healing. Same is true with 1 Peter 2:24 in the
NT Greek. What proves irrefutably that Jesus paid for our physical
healing is Matthew 8:16-17 and Jesus hasn't changed; He's the same
yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Another common
misunderstood passage in the Bible that people use to say that it may be
God's will for us to be sick is Paul's thorn. I have addressed Paul's
thorn in the teaching on Divine Healing.
Why is it so important to know that it's
God's will to heal us? Because when we approach God for something, we
are told to have faith and believe that we will receive what we are
asking, and we will receive it (Mark 11:24). The first step is to know
God's will, because if we know something is God's will when we ask, we
can be sure that we are open to receive it (1 John 5:14). If we know
it's God's will to heal us, then we can approach Him with confidence,
believing that we will receive, and we will have what we ask for (Mark
11:24).
Divine Healing
Exodus 15:26, "I am the LORD that healeth thee."
1 Peter 2:24, "...by whose stripes ye were healed."
Your healing was paid for by the Blood of Jesus!
Just because Jesus paid for our healing,
doesn't mean you will automatically manifest the benefits. You need to
reach out and receive what Jesus did for you by faith! Jesus died for
the sins of the world, but that doesn't mean that the world will be
saved, because they didn't reach out with faith and receive what Jesus
did for them!
The source of sickness and disease
Sickness didn't come until the fall of
man. Therefore, sickness and disease is a result of sin. It also says
that if God's people will turn from their wicked ways, He will take
sickness from their midst (Deuteronomy 7:15). Sickness is a result of a
curse (Deuteronomy 28:59-61). Generational curses (Exodus 20:5) are
evident when diseases such as cancer run from right down a family tree.
I'm not saying that EVERY sickness is
spiritual, but many are. Food poisoning is usually one that isn't, but
it's still covered in the atonement!
Payment for our healing
Isaiah 53:5, "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."
It is said that Jesus went through 39
lashings on His back JUST for your healing. In those days, 40 lashings
was the point where most people died, because the torture was too
unbearable for any person to handle. This wasn't for your sins, this
time He shed His blood it was solely for your healing! Your healing
means an awfully lot to God for Jesus to go through near death torture
JUST for your healing! Your healing has been paid for with the Blood of
Jesus! Don't let the devil tell you otherwise!
Legal right verses manifestation
The Bible is clear that by Jesus'
stripes, we are healed (1 Peter 2:24), but why are there so many
Christians who are still sick? The same reason that the world won't be
saved, even though Jesus died for their sins! We must reach out and take
what Jesus gave us through faith! We, as believers, are entitled to our
healing, but if we don't reach out in faith and accept what was given
to us, it won't be manifested in our lives!
It's entitled to every believer
There are number of reasons why I believe
that healing is for every believer. For one, it was paid for as part of
the new covenant package, which every believer is entitled to, but
there are a few other good reasons to believe that healing is for every
believer and here are some of them:
- Jesus said that all things are possible
to him who believes, when confronted with a deliverance (which is very
similar to a healing) in Mark 9:23.
- Sickness didn't come until the fall of
man. Therefore, sickness and disease is a result of sin. It also says
that if God's people will turn from their wicked ways, He will take
sickness from their midst (Deuteronomy 7:15). Sickness is a result of a
curse (Deuteronomy 28:59-61). Generational curses (Exodus 20:5) are
evident when diseases such as cancer run from right down a family tree.
Obviously, sickness had a lot to do with the fallen state of mankind.
And if Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and
redeem us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), then why would the
sickness remain (the result of a curse), when a person has been washed
by the blood of Jesus? It makes no sense.
- If it's God's will for us to be sick, then aren't we rebelling against His will when we go to the doctor?
- There is not ONE story in the NT, where a Christian was sick or diseased and never received their healing!
- Jesus said to go out and cast out
demons, heal the sick, etc. (Matthew 10:8), so when Peter and John came
upto a man whom was lame, they said "raise and walk in Jesus' name!"
(Acts 3:6). Why would they do such a thing unless they KNEW it was God's
will to heal that person? That would be embarrassing to walk upto him,
and try to heal him and nothing happens! Did they say, "Lord, if it is
thy will, heal this man."? No! They spoke out the word, and the man was
healed! Just like Jesus instructed them to do!
- Since sickness and diseases are known
symptoms of a curse (Deuteronomy 28:59-61), and since Jesus paid the
price on the cross to set us free from all curses (Galatians 3:13), why
would there be any reason for a child of God to still be living under a
curse?
- EVERY single person who came to Jesus for a healing, was healed! Just take a look at some of these verses:
Acts 10:38, "How God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good,
and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."
Matthew 8:16, "When the even was come,
they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:"
Matthew 12:15, "But when Jesus knew it,
he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and
he healed them all;"
Matthew 4:24, "And his fame went
throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that
were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were
possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had
the palsy; and he healed them."
Luke 6:19, "And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all."
Now, can you show me any scriptures that tell us that somebody went to Jesus for a healing, and DIDN'T receive it? :)
Divine healing is for us today!
The scriptures are very clear that those
who believe upon Jesus are automatically entitled to the promises of the
new covenant. The Bible never says that this would end before the
return of Christ, and therefore there is no Biblical reason to believe
that healing is not for today.
Matthew 8:16-17, "When the even was come,
they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."
Jesus hasn't changed either! Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Spirits of infirmity (demonic health problems)
Luke 13:11-16, "And, behold, there was a
woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her,
he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from
thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was
made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue
answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath
day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to
work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one
of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead
him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of
Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from
this bond on the sabbath day?"
Matthew 12:22, "Then was brought unto him
one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him,
insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."
This is more common then most Christians
would care to admit. Roughly half of all the healings Jesus did in the
book of Matthew were actually deliverances from evil spirits. There were
spirits which caused blindness, deafness, and other physical
infirmities. If seeking a healing doesn't seem to work, I would
definitely look into a possible deliverance. What some people can pray
for months over, can be dealt with in a single deliverance counseling
session. I've heard many sicknesses and diseases are almost always
demonic. Cancer and arthritis are some of the popular ones. Cancer is
known to enter through bitterness in a person's spirit. Which turns the
person over to the tormenters (Matthew 18:23-35), and those tormenters
are evil spirits. Depending on the bondage at hand, and if there are any
legal grounds (such as unconfessed sins or unforgiveness), there may
need to be a couple steps taken to remove any legal grounds before
actually rebuking the unclean spirits. This subject is beyond the scope
of this teaching, but there are many teachings on this Web site that
cover various aspects of the deliverance process.
Authority to heal
Jesus said to, "Heal the sick"! Matthew
10:8, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out
devils: freely ye have received, freely give." I think it's interesting
how Jesus didn't tell us to pray and ask God to heal the sick, He told
US to heal the sick! Mark 16:17-18 makes it clear that all believers
have the authority to lay hands on people and heal them!
I have never seen where Jesus prayed,
"Father, please heal this person!" Instead, we see that Jesus healed
people with His spoken Word! In John 5:8, Jesus told the man to,
"...Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."
The early church healed people in this
same manner. In Acts 3:6, "...Peter said, Silver and gold have I none;
but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk."
Notice in Luke 9:1 that He not only gave
His disciples authority over all devils, but also to cure diseases:
"Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and
authority over all devils, and to cure diseases."
Authority is exercised when there is a
RIGHT to exercise it. They weren't praying and asking God to heal
people, they had the authority to heal, and they were exercising it with
a spoken word, just as Jesus did!
I want to clarify that I'm not saying
that prayer can't heal people... because it can (James 5:14-15)... I'm
just saying that we are taught to heal the sick using the authority that
Jesus gave us! I have seen and heard of many healings that took place
through prayer, so I'm not saying not to pray, or that prayer doesn't
work. I'm simply saying that we have authority over sickness, and
therefore we can exercise our authority to bring about healing in
another person's life!
I also think it's interesting how Mark
16:17-18 tells us that healing can come through the laying on of hands:
"And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover." The laying on of hands can
encourage the transferring of power from us into the person and heal
them, just like the woman who felt power flow from Jesus when she
touched the hem of His garment (Mark 5:30)! Jesus said that those who
believe will have the Holy Ghost flowing out of their innermost being
(John 7:38-39), and even Peter's shadow healed people (Acts 5:15)!
Paul's thorn explained
Paul's thorn is often used by Satan to
get God's people to question if it's really God's will to heal them.
Satan wants God's people to feel that God has them sick for a reason.
One of the vital elements in the healing ministry is a solid
understanding of Paul's thorn.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10, "And lest I should
be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I
besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto
me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in
weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
It's not a sickness: Pauls thorn was clearly not a sickness, because it refers to this thorn as a 'messenger of Satan'.
It's not a demonic bondage: God
clearly wants His people delivered from all demonic bondages, so it's
not that Paul needed a deliverance. After all, Jesus came to destroy the
works of the devil, did He not? (1 John 3:8)
What Paul's thorn actually is:
Paul's thorn was the enemy going around causing persecutions for Paul
for Christ's sake (see verse 10). Persecutions were one thing that Jesus
said His people would have to face (John 15:20), and that perfectly
explains why God would not take it away. God's will for our healing and
deliverance is made very evident, but we are not guaranteed to be
delivered from all persecutions.
How to receive your healing
Know what is rightfully yours: You
need to understand that you, as a child of God, are fully entitled to
your healing through the blood that Jesus shed when He was whipped ("By
His stripes!"). If you don't know it's God's will to heal you, then
you're going to lack faith, and faith is how you receive what Christ did
for you. Just like when you were saved, it was by faith you received
Christ into your heart and life. Same is true with healing, it is by
faith that we receive the promises of God.
Repent of unconfessed sins: 1 John
1:9 tells us to confess our sins. Unconfessed sins can be sins
lingering in our lives, and need to be addressed. We need to confess and
forsake our sins, and when we do that, God graciously forgives us, and
those sins can no longer hinder or block your healing. Once you confess
and repent of your sin, your heavenly Father welcomes you with open arms
(Luke 15)!
Release unforgiveness from your heart:
If there's somebody who you are holding grudges or bitterness against,
then you need to release that hurt and bitterness from your heart. If
somebody has wronged you, and you still think about their wrong whenever
you think of them, then it's time to give those feelings the Lord, and
leave them there. Release the hurt from your heart that they have caused
you, for unforgiveness can come between you and God and prevent your
own sins from being forgiven (Matthew 6:15), and can give the enemy a
legal ground to bring trouble upon you (Matthew 18:23-35), such as
spirits of infirmity, sickness, diseases, etc. Make the choice today to
release those hurt feelings, and pray something like this out loud,
"Father, I have been holding bitterness in my heart against _______
because they did _________ to me, and I regret not forgiving them as you
have asked of me. Forgive me for not forgiving them as I should have. I
now release those hurt feelings to you in Jesus' name, Amen." (Repeat
prayer for different people and situations if necessary.) Forgiveness is
a choice, and when you make that choice, God can help you heal and
release those hurt feelings in your heart against that person(s).
Laying on of hands: Something that
can help encourage a healing to come, is when another believer, who is
strong in faith, lays his or her hands on you and heals you (it's not
'them' healing you, it's God working 'through' them!). Mark 16:17-18,
"And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover."
Speak a word in faith: Jesus gave
you authority to heal and be healed, therefore speak to the part of your
body that needs a healing, and command it to BE HEALED IN JESUS' NAME!
Just like Jesus and the early church did: John 5:8, "Jesus saith unto
him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." And in the early church: Acts
3:6, "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have
give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
Common blockages to healing
Lack of Faith: This is one of the
most common of blockages that can prevent a healing. Jesus made it clear
in many healings, that faith is important for you to use in receiving
your healing. Matthew 9:29, "Then touched he their eyes, saying,
According to your faith be it unto you." Also look at Matthew 9:22,
"Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." Jesus
also made it clear that, "...If thou canst believe, all things are
possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23). Mark 11:24, "Therefore I
say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that
ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Lack of faith can block us
from receiving (James 1:6-7).
Unforgiveness in the heart: If
there's somebody who you are holding grudges or bitterness against, then
you need to release that hurt and bitterness from your heart. If
somebody has wronged you, and you still think about their wrong whenever
you think of them, then it's time to give those feelings the Lord, and
leave them there. Release the hurt from your heart that they have caused
you, for unforgiveness can come between you and God and prevent your
own sins from being forgiven (Matthew 6:15), and can give the enemy a
legal ground to bring trouble upon you (Matthew 18:23-35), such as
spirits of infirmity, sickness, diseases, etc.
Unconfessed sin: 1 John 1:9 tells
us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. If we don't confess our
sins, they can remain lingering around in our lives. Different times
Jesus would say to the person "your sins are forgiven" instead of saying
"rise and walk". In other words, Him forgiving their sins, opened them
up to be healed as well. Pray and ask God to reveal to you any sins that
you need to take before Him. Once you confess and repent of your sin,
your heavenly Father welcomes you with open arms (Luke 15)! Sometimes a
believer has walked away from God, and God is saying, "Come to me and
forsake your sins and I'll heal you!" 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people,
which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek
my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Wrong battle plan: Sometimes a
healing is not what the person needs. There are many times when a person
is being prayed over for a healing and yet the person doesn't need a
healing at all; they need a deliverance. A spirit of infirmity has
attached itself to them, and is causing some sort of health problem. In
Matthew, roughly half of all the 'healings' Jesus did were actually
deliverances! Spirits were known to cause physical infirmities,
blindness, deafness, etc.
Not knowing it's God's will to heal us:
Our Christian faith is based upon God's Word, and therefore if we don't
know that it's God's will to heal us, then we will doubt when we ask
for a healing, or beg for a healing, instead of confidently receiving it
in the name of Jesus. How are you supposed to ask in faith, and
receive, if you aren't really sure that God will heal you? What kind of
faith is that? It's not Biblical faith, because Jesus said that faith
cometh by hearing and hearing of God's Word!
These are some of the common things that
can block a healing. This spiritual realm is not a one-shot deal in
every situation. There can be many reasons why a person is where they
are. I know the deliverance ministry has brought healing to many many
people, because so many sickness and diseases are not really physical
problems at all, but spiritual ones manifesting in the physical realm.
Some people hold bitterness in their
heart, and then when they seek a healing, they may not receive it,
because in reality, that sickness or disease is there because of their
bitterness, and if they don't deal with the root of the problem, it's
likely they aren't going to receive a healing at all. Then they rush out
and tell all their friends that God doesn't heal everybody, or that God
wanted them to have their sickness. What a mess! All because they
didn't understand the reason behind their 'blocked healing'. Don't let
this happen to you!
'Teaching printed from www.GreatBibleStudy.com'
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Specialties include: Life Coaching, Christian Life Coaching, Life Coaching for Transformation, Transition, Change, Purpose, Destiny, Professional Athletes, Church Leadership, Young Adult Leadership, Healing Ministry, Prayer for Deliverance, Prophetic Ministry, those who say 'Help Me Change my Life', ‘What is My Purpose, What is My Destiny’, ‘I Need Prayer’
I would love to hear from you and where you’re from. E-mail me some information about your life, walk with God or your prayer request.
Specialties include: Life Coaching, Christian Life Coaching, Life Coaching for Transformation, Transition, Change, Purpose, Destiny, Professional Athletes, Church Leadership, Young Adult Leadership, Healing Ministry, Prayer for Deliverance, Prophetic Ministry, those who say 'Help Me Change my Life', ‘What is My Purpose, What is My Destiny’, ‘I Need Prayer’
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