God’s (Miraculous) Healing Touch: Learning to Pray with Holy Boldness
I was talking to a dear friend of mine on the phone the other day and she began telling me about this strange rash she had developed over night. She woke up and was alarmed at the hive-looking red patches covering her body. The first question out of my mouth, naturally, was, “Oh my gosh, did you go to the doctor?”
“Well…” she paused. “It turns out I didn’t need to after all.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I laid my hands over my rash and prayed, ‘Lord, You say in your Word that by Jesus’ stripes I am healed… so please heal this rash, in Jesus’ precious name, amen.’”
“And…??” I squirmed with anticipation at what she might say.
“And then I went back to sleep and when I woke up… the rashes had vanished completely. And I mean completely!”
I was rejoicing on the other end of the line, smiling with awe from ear to ear. But there was also some sort of conviction stirring me at the same time. When was the last time I went straight to Jesus asking Him to heal me? Why didn’t I do it more often? Did I believe Jesus could actually heal?
When people are sick, we often say “I’ll keep you in my prayers…” or we are quick to recommend a drug they should take or doctor they should see. These can all be good things, but my friend was challenging my healing paradigm. Rather than praying in a sort of passive way, or popping some pills in hopes the pain will disappear, she was challenging me to go straight to the Source of Life and ask for healing first–before anything or anyone else. To pray with a sort of holy boldness that says, “You said this in your Word God, so let’s see you perform it.” There’s a difference.
God’s Word does flat out say “…and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Not we will be, or could be healed but we are healed. It’s a done deal. When Jesus died on the cross, he took away every sickness and disease. We still live in a fallen world, but His death healed us in God’s sight.
Jesus also tells his disciples they will be given the same power he had to heal the sick and perform miracles like he did, “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.” There you have it: we have the ability to live as Jesus did through the power of His Spirit within us. Why then, don’t we see more miracles?
For one, we are a bunch of wimps! And I’ll be the first to admit it. Whenever the thought crosses my mind to pray for healing, I am quick to either: a) ignore it, or b) make up some excuse as to why I shouldn’t do it, They’ll think I am crazy… I don’t want to make them uncomfortable… What if they think I am a nutcase? etc. Bottom line, it is completely counter-cultural to believe that Jesus can actually heal us in the way he healed people during His time on earth. It is uber counter-cultural to actually act on it. But when you really think about it, what do we have to lose? And what are we so afraid of anyway?
I don’t know about you, but as I think on these things, I feel a stirring from the inside out. If I really believe Jesus can heal, it’s time I really start putting my faith into action. I want to start praying with holy boldness for God to heal, not only my own physical ailments, but those around me, regardless of what people might think. Don’t you?
Here are three things to keep in mind as we begin to trust God for His miraculous healing touch in our lives:
#1 Believe it is Possible. From Exodus to Isaiah to the Psalms and Proverbs, the Bible is rich with verses of God healing the sick:
He said, “…for I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he sent out his word and healed them…” (Psalm 107:19-20)
“You shall worship the Lord your God, and I will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from among you. (Exodus 23:25)
“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.” (Psalm 30:2)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits–who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases…” (Psalm 103:2-3)
We must acknowledge God as a God who heals. This can be a real challenge when our circumstances look hopeless. But keeping in mind that with God, all things are possible, we must train ourselves to live by faith and not by sight. God’s will is that we are healthy and whole in Him and we should believe, expect and pray for nothing less. Are you ready?
#2 Step Out in Faith. When we believe it is God’s will to heal His people, He may want to use us as conduits to deliver that healing. We see in the Book of Acts (among other places in the Bible) how God performed miraculous signs and wonders through the Apostles. Peter had such a strong healing anointing that “Crowds gathered… bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed” (Acts 5:16).
God also did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:12). Pretty awesome eh?
We might think that they were specially anointed individuals born in a completely different time period. While this might be true, God is still looking for people who are willing to be vessels used for His noble purposes, through whom he can share His healing touch. Even if we are unsure of ourselves, we must ask God for the courage to step out in faith, trusting that His power will be working through us as we lay hands on ourselves and those around us, asking to be healed. Are you ready?
#3 Trust God with the Outcome. Our asking won’t always lead to miraculous, instantaneous healing. But it is not our job to determine God’s outcome. Our job is to simply believe that God’s perfect will is for us to be healthy, whole beings, and we should pray accordingly. There will be times when God heals in an instant (as with my friend’s rash) and times when God takes us through a process of healing (which may involve professional doctors and/or therapists), but whatever the case may be, we must surrender our need to understand everything and allow God to work the way He chooses, even if it doesn’t turn out exactly how we want it to. We must refuse to become discouraged by what we see with our human eyes and remember that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:28)–nothing! If God heals instantly, praise Him. If he doesn’t, it may not be easy, but we can still praise Him for what He is doing that we cannot see. We will one day know all things when we are with Him in heaven. Until then, we must submit to His will, and press on in our believing, trusting and expecting Him to heal us in every way. Are you ready?
I sure am. After I had that conversation with my friend, I felt so inspired to start praying more consciously, deliberately and consistently for healing for both myself and others in this hurting world. I am going to study instances in the Bible where God heals His people and commit some of those verses to memory so the next time I encounter someone who is sick, I will be ready, equipped and confident to pray His healing words with holy boldness.
Will you join me?
Challenge Questions:
What is your healing paradigm? Do you believe it is possible for God to heal people today as Jesus healed people when he was on earth? Review the verses above and ask God to reveal to you His perspective on the matter.
Have you ever experienced healing from God? Was it instantaneous or miraculous? Was it physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual? Did you ask God for it or did it just come?
Next time you feel an ache or pain, lay hands over the infected area and pray, asking God to heal you. Also, be sensitive to those around you and next time you hear a complaint of physical pain, pray (either silently or with them if they agree to it) and ask God to heal them in Jesus name. Expect to see some miracles!
Please do share your questions, comments, stories and testimonies of healing in your own life and may this serve as encouragement to us all...
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