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Does God Heal Today?

(I believe that it is God’s Will, everywhere, all the time, that everyone be healed!!!)

My husband and I went to a ‘Healing Service’ at a local church last night. The guest speaker was Steve Long, Senior Pastor, Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. My husband was among the many who experienced some healing. He had been suffering with sciatica. As he was prayed for, all pain left his body. Yet…this morning the pain was back. Does that mean that he was not really healed? Well, God is Good all the time. He cannot BE otherwise. He is Sovereign Healer, and does all things well HIS Way and in HIS timing. Our pastor Jeff, who was also at the Healing Service, inquired this afternoon about Tony, and the healing he had received last night. I told him that the pain was back this morning. Jeff asked if Tony rebuked the enemy, who is trying to steal his healing. He did not think of doing that at the time. We’re still learning!

Anyway, there are many encouraging passages in the Bible on how Jesus healed. In Matthew 8:1 the man with leprosy said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean!’ Jesus said, ‘I am willing, Be healed!’ and instantly the leprosy disappeared.

In the Book of James 5:13-15, the apostle Paul says: ‘Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.’

In Luke 4:18 where Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, said ‘the Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, for He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.’ I believe that God wants us to move in obedience when Holy Spirit prompts us to pray for someone. He cannot do what He wants to do if we don’t do our part. Imagine a world where all the Christians began listening for God’s promptings and acting in obedience. What a different world it would be.

Steve, the speaker, shared with us, that many times when he is out in public places, he will approach people and ask them if they have pain in their body. Many times they do…then he asks them if they want to be healed, and when they answer ,Yes’ he asks them to repeat this prayer after him:

This is actually the first step where the person themselves, repeats the following prayer.
‘My healing belongs to me because of what Jesus has done. (Repeat)
I receive my healing now in Jesus’ Name! (Repeat)

(Then he would wait three seconds and ask the person, “How are you feeling?”) Sometimes this is all that is required and the person is healed. Isn’t that amazing?
Steve has prayed for more than 1,000 people in this way, and of these, only one of them, has not been healed. What an opening to share with them the Good News about Jesus!

When Jesus walked this earth, he walked as a human man. Even though He is the Divine Son of God, He chose to set aside His Divinity…divested Himself of His God qualities. The same Spirit that was in Jesus, is in you and me. During the three years that Jesus ministered on the earth He performed many miracles of healing. I believe it is God’s Will that everybody, everywhere, all-the-time be healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we are constantly reminded that Jesus did not do anything on His Own, but rather inquired of and listened to HIS Heavenly Father, for guidance. Because we are in Christ, we are also one with the Father. Jesus came to show us how to live, and just as God healed everyone through Jesus, He wants to heal people through us. We serve a great God!

It is interesting to note that Jesus did not pray ‘for’ people. He ‘commanded’ healing. This tells me that Jesus had an amazing relationship with His Heavenly Father, and was given power and authority from the Father to do HIS Will. God was pleased with Him! I believe that the more we allow God to change us into the image of Jesus, the more pleased He will be with us, and the more powerfully HIS anointing can flow through us. He is relational, and wants to spend time with us so He can strengthen us and give us the confidence to carry out the things He has for us to do.

I often forget this aspect about Jesus, that He was fully human. When He lived on the earth, before going back to the Father, He said that we can do even greater things than He did, because He was going to the Father, and would send the Holy Spirit. This same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, is in us! WOW!!!

God has given us His power and authority to heal. Even though we may consider it our ministry, it is really HIS ministry. We simply allow HIS power to work in and through us. Jesus did not do anything that He did not see the Father doing. His compassion and love for everyone never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Even though we suffer at times, we can have faith that He always has our best interest at heart. HIS ways are best!

So if the person was not healed after repeating the prayer above, we move to the next step.

Step Two – Ask where healing is needed. Place your hand on that area, if appropriate, or on the person’s shoulder or head. Say these words:

‘Come Holy Spirit. Go to all those places in my friend’s body that need a healing touch from You today, and restore him\her.

(Wait 3 seconds!)

Ask, ‘How are you feeling?’ If God healed them when you prayed this simple prayer, you will most likely have an opportunity to share Jesus with them.

We can see from God’s Word that Jesus did not pray for people…He commanded healing with very short simple prayers like. ‘Be healed!’ or when speaking to the demonic spirit in a person, ‘Be quiet’, ‘Come out of him’. The same Power & Authority Jesus had to do this, He gave to us…in HIS Name.

Step Three - If the person was not healed after inviting the Holy Spirit to restore them it could be a spirit of infirmity afflicting them, from an ancestral inheritance, or a curse by someone else or themselves.
(James 5:12; But most of all brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ that you will not sin and be condemned.)

Curses are real! The person may have unknowingly cursed themselves; (ie: a young mother, unable to conceive a child, saying as a 13-year-old girl, ‘I’ll never have kids!’)
These words have power, and the curse needs to be broken, to release restoration.

In this step we simply pray: ‘LORD, I command that anything in my friend that is not of you, to come out, in Jesus’ Name.’

(Check in with them again, to see if healing has occurred.)

Step Four - If further prayer is needed, the next thing to talk about is whether there might be any unforgiveness on their part, which can block healing. Last night the speaker tricked us by asking us to think of someone in our life…the first person that comes to mind.
(At the same time, he was quietly praying to himself that God would bring to mind someone we needed to forgive.) That’s the part he didn’t tell us.

He then asked us to take 30 seconds and ask the person praying for them:
1) who came to mind?
2) what was it about that person they need to forgive?
If they are willing, you can lead them in a prayer of forgiveness.
(When we forgive others, our Heavenly Father forgives us and healing can begin.)

After praying, some of the people in last night’s service experienced healing, some only a little improvement in their condition, and anywhere in between. Any amount of healing is still significant, even if it is only 5%.

Any feedback is appreciated as we are all learning.

Loving & Serving my LORD,
MaryAnn

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Brother Jack your posts go to the heart of the subjects posted. Although they are a little long for my muddled mind to comprehend I do know that Jesus raises some from the dead. I did die once and was brought back by the prayers of a christian sister. Some day I will write about it. Don't back down from expressing the truth. During my period of searching for an answer as to why I was rejeted from bible college I had to disengage from the teachings of those who claim that healing is not for this time. I am very cautious of the signs and wonders ministries happening today as Jesus warned us of false prophets. The group that I am being lead to worship with (I still struggle with worship) is reporting healing throughout California. There are testamonies of healings happening and I pray that God will give me discernment in what I see and hear. 500 billion blessings. rix
Good post Jack.

Caution is in order also becuase there are many abuses and misuses regarding healing out there. too many teach that if healing does not come it is the fault of the sick person for not having enough faith to be healed and therefore not claiming that healing and walking in it. There is no list, as Jack mentioned, but there are dynamics and criteria that must be met in order for healing to come. I list four of those dynamics in a post below.

Lastly, as a sovereign God, He has the freedom to heal at anytime, regardless of the faith of the believer or the requests being made (Luke 7:11-17).
Maryanne, I know that healing does happen today firsthand. 3 1/2 years ago I was on my deathbed with cancer. I had lost around 100 lbs after not being able to eat for 3-6 months. CT and Ultrasound scans showed lesions on my liver and lung. After the wakeup routine of dry heaving for 1/2 hours or more one day I cried out to God to let me go or use me. Soon after a christian man showed up at my house and offered to take me to church. The pastor of that church refered me to a ministering couple who had a small hippy type store front church next to a bar. During the second or third meeting she shared a revelation that God had assigned her to be my prayer covering. Lo and behold I began to eat. During this time I finally got my medical insurance from my retirement and went to a doctor. When I went in for the CT scan the tech asked me what the problem was. After I told her she looked me in the eyes and told me that she had seen miracles. She took two scans and came out and asked me what the problem was again. I told her again and handed her the medical records. She saw them and said "sure enough". She then took them back to the doctor who agreed that there were indeed leisions. At that point she informed me that they were going to run another scan without the nuclear meds (enhancments). As we waited for the enhancement to run out we talked medical stuff as I used to work in the alternative health industry. She knew that I could read x rays. After the last CT scan was done she invited me into her tech room saying she saw nothing and invited me to see for myself (this is strictly prohibited). I saw nothing and was floored. The man who drove me to my appointment was praising God as he saw a miracle. The doctor who performed the tests called me himself to cuss me out, accusing me of trying to scam him. Lo and behold I began to eat regularly and I felt that God had me go on a trip to give my testamony to those I met along the way.

Well despite all the healing I recieved the leisions were showing up with the cancer tumor markers (AFP's) again up. I wrote it off and belived in my healing. for some reason after trying to get into a ministry I went it alone, the last outing on halloween night when I came against satan in a big way. Then the symptoms of Hepatitis C reared their ugly head. My healing was gone. It has been almost two years since that happened and I gave up once again. The dry heaves and not eating have returned. I give up on the new doctor that I have been seeing due to insurance regs.

So what happened? Did the beer drinking pot smoking christians that I met along the way decieve me once again? I don't know but I have been at that place where I don't want to live and fight satan (I have always been a pacifist hippy type). I just don't want to be on this earth as the struggle is too much for me, but something is happening. I found this site in a bout of suicidial depression. I have even started to go back to church with a new pastor. I am willing to do whatever God wants me to do and my problem is that I lost the Holy Spirit after the halloween incident. I went into isolation. I KNOW that if God wants to he will heal me again.

Why only a partial healing? I don't know. It was amazing and there are a lot of people who met the crazy man who claims that Jesus healed him and offered medical records as proof. For me it seems to be doubt. As a person who has a medical background there is no other explanation and I know returning to alcohol, pot, and prescription drugs along with bitterness from being denied entrance to bible college is the most likely cause for pain and sickness returning. I am crazy and have had several visions of ministries that I am lead to do. I am afraid to make any move without hearing from God at this point but am going to keep going to church and let the pastor pray for me as I do not want to go to hell (it is hot enough in California right now). I look forward to having a new testamony and I am crazy
Brother I want to encourage you. First I would like to speak to you regarding assurance of salvation. You speak of fear of hell when perfect love will drive out fear. The perfect love comes from the Father and works in us. It is His love that sent His Sone to die in our place on the cross. Jesus' death provides the forgiveness, cleansing and opportuntiy of new life in Christ. This new life, once embraced, is not retractable. It is given by grace and is maintianed by grace. You did not earn it nor can you work your way out of it. This new life does not depend on you, but on the work of Jesus at the cross and is fulfilled in you by the Holy Spirit. You cannot lose the Holy Spirit once you have been saved. You can grieve Him and He may go silent for a period, but He is still there. God is always ready to clear the air and open the lines communications againa and again with His children. If you have accepted Christ you need not fear hell, for heaven is your destination assured by His promise in his Holy Word.

Why do some receive partial healing or temporal healing? There are many factors, most beyond our comprehension. I do know that even though we are saved and become a new creation, it is our spirit that has been forever transformed. Our flesh is still the sinful "sarx" (Greek for flesh) and it will one day cease through death or rapture. The flesh still exists in the world that has been tainted and contaminated by sin. God can bring the healing again and again. We are to request our healing in faith and pray with perseverance. The length of earthly life is unsure for any of us, but eternal life in Christ is guaranteed to all who accept Him.

Lord, our brother is hurting emotionally, spiritually and physically. I know dear God that Your Holy Spirit can bring him comfort and clarity. We trust you to meet him in his hour of need. Lift him up, give him assurance. Bless his spirit. Lord, we ask that you would bring healing through the blood of the atonement for the glory of Your name. I ask you to touch his body in Jesus precious name. Amen.
Here is an article I wrote a few weeks ago for the newspaper with the title almost the same as your question.

(Quote)
Does God Still Heal Today?

This is such a tough subject, not because of God, but because of what we see take place all around us. I am sure that we all know people who loved Jesus, prayed for healing, and still passed on. Did Jesus fail them? What is to be taken from such an experience? What do you say to the loved ones of the deceased when a miracle saves your loved one?

First, we must agree that miracles are for today. Second, we must understand that God is not at our beck and call, despite what many teach. There are restrictions, or qualifications when seeking miracles. Four points to ponder are: Faith, Obedience, Timing, and God's Will. Too many put too much emphasis on one of the four, such as faith, and do not see them as working together. Others get the group upside down and simply claim that if healing did not come it was simply God's will. This may be true, but one must ask the tough questions first, before resigning to the belief that it was God’s will.

We must examine our faith, understanding that faith alone does not assure God will grant our request. On the other hand, a lack of faith assures that He will not grant the request as we asked. We must also look to our obedience to Him. It is true that we are saved by grace and that salvation is maintained by grace, but life in Christ requires obedience (with faith) in order to be blessed of God. How many parents bless disobedient children? If we are sure we have faith to be healed, and our lives are in alignment with God's word, then perhaps the healing does not come due to God's timing or His will. He sees the full picture. God establishes in His word that there is a right time for everything. A miracle may be coming, but the time is not right. When a miracle does not come, and we are left asking why, we must hold on and continue to pray, seeking His face and trusting in His grace.

What if we find our faith lacking? We must pray that the Lord will increase our faith as we seek His face. What if we are out of alignment with His word? We must ask for forgiveness and strength to live for Him, and take steps to follow His word. What if the miracle is long in coming? We must ask for strength to face each new day and to be able to rest in Him. What if the time for the miracle has passed? We must remember, whether it is 20 years or 80 years, our life in the flesh will cease, and we believers will be translated into His presence, which is the greatest miracle of all. This is a time when we must rest in His will and wisdom. Our response in such times must be, "Lord, though I do not understand, I accept your will."

In summary, if we feel let down by God, we must express this to Him. We must open our hearts and ask the questions – ask, not accuse, and He may or may not give use the answer. When we seek His face, we can be assured He will comfort our souls.
(End Quote)

Hope this is of help.
LT
I appreciate you so much Jack and LT and absolutely agree with you both in saying that there is no formula to follow in praying for the sick. And yes, we do need to be cautious and ask God for HIS Wisdom and Discernment. I guess I am just excited because of the miracles I have witnessed in my 5-year walk with the Lord.

Other factors may also interfere with God’s will being accomplished, like our ‘free will’, and our walk with HIM and faithfulness and obedience, not to forget HIS Supremacy and timing, as you both mentioned. I believe these things can certainly affect how God responds to our prayer requests. HE uses circumstances in our lives to sanctify us. The person being prayed for, as well as the person or persons doing the praying are all factors that could influence healing. Allow me to clarify what I was trying to say...Because God is good all the time…taking us out of the equation…I do believe that it is HIS will everywhere, all the time, that everyone be healed!

We have a covenant with Jesus. HE has redeemed us from destruction, and refines us in the furnace of affliction. He can use us when we stand before HIM quietly and await the word from within. It will never fail. It will come forth with power, just as the healing power comes forth when we move in faith and lay hands on the sick.

When I got saved five years ago, I was at a Sunday morning service, and felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to greet a man entering the church, who appeared to be in pain. I said, ‘How are you today?’ He said, ‘Oh terrible’. I asked if I could pray for him. He said, ‘It can’t hurt!’ I instinctively put my hand on his shoulder at the prompting from the Holy Spirit, and the moment I touched him he felt electricity flow from his head down to his toes, and back up again out the top of his head. It was like a healing wave. (There definitely was no formula, and I do not remember the words that I prayed.) I believe God wanted to heal him that morning, and because I acted in faith and obedience, He was able to do that. I did not realize what was happening as I was a just-born baby Christian at the time. The man said to me, ‘What did you just do?’ I said, ‘I didn’t do anything! What happened?’ He proceeded to tell me what happened, and said it was amazing. It certainly was, and we gave God all the glory. (Now five years later, he is still somewhat better, but still suffers at times with pain.) I believe that he received a degree of healing, as he was able to reduce the amount of morphine he was taking.

My favourite miracle of healing was when my daughter, Carla, called me with anxiety. (You can read her story on her page. I’m sure she will not mind me mentioning it here.) I asked, ‘Can I pray for you?’ She said, ‘That won’t help!’ I felt a strong prompting to lift her up to the Lord, and He was so faithful to heal her from anxiety, (still totally healed). I believe she was in the birthing room, so to speak, and if I had not obeyed the prompting from the Holy Spirit, the blessing of her salvation would have been missed, at least in the moment. While I was praying for her, the Holy Spirit dropped in a ‘Word’ to me ‘Shame’ and so I commanded the ‘Spirit of Shame to leave in Jesus Name. God lifted it off of her in an instant. It has not returned, and Satan no longer has any rights with her. This is the most amazing miracle of all, that I was able to tell her that Jesus just healed her and would she like to invite HIM into her heart. The rest is history. We serve an Amazing God!!!

Another time we were in a store where a clerk was experiencing pain in her arms. She said it was arthritis. I asked her if she believed in prayer. She said ‘yes’. I said ‘Would you like me to pray for you. She said ‘Yes, that would be nice. I prayed, and not much seemed to be happening. I did not use any formula, simply asked God to heal her. She had my phone number and called me the next day to tell me that she believed she had received a healing and her arm was much better.

While on our mission trip in Peru, we prayed individually and as a team many times for healing as team members were getting sick, also people we visited with fevers, back pain and other problems. The most amazing was after a church service, where deliverances were experienced. God showed Himself faithful many times. We were glorifying HIM and praising HIM so much. Our faith was boosted greatly. So I do know that God does heal today. I have witnessed quite a few miracles in my short walk with the Lord, and am looking forward to many more.

I am sure you all have similar stories and you are right Jack, we must wait for the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and not simply lay hands on everything moving. Perhaps the speaker at the Wednesday night healing service has many promptings to pray for people, I don't know. Perhaps it is his ministry to pray for people in public places. He certainly has experienced a great success rate.

I believe God uses HIS miracles to reach the ‘lost’ with HIS Amazing Love and Grace, so they can be saved. We may miss an opportunity if we are not obedient to these promptings. If God chooses to heal someone, He will do it, with or without us. It is a blessing and a privilege for us, that He has chosen to work through us. He doesn’t need to do it that way. How awesome is that?. His Will, will be accomplished!

Help all of us Lord, to operate in our spiritual senses. The power and authority is given us already. Let us exercise it and allow the Holy Spirit to educate us along these lines.

Happy to be alive in HIM
MaryAnn

PS Dear Heavenly Father, I lift up brother rix to You, and ask that the Holy Spirit touch all those place in rix today, that need a healing touch from you. ! I praise You, Father, that You do indeed heal today, and we look forward to many more miracles of healing in our everyday lives, like the ones happening in Lakeland Florida right now. I pray in Jesus Name. Amen!
There are those who have been given the gift of healing. Praise God for them and remember to give Him the glory, for man is only ever the tool in the Almighty's hand. For the rest of us there are times God will use us as that tool for that ocassion of healing. Each of us have gifts. the key is being open to God and using what He gives us to glorify Him.

Lord Bless,
LT
Amen Lt. To God be the Glory always! I cannot even draw my next breath without HIM. I am totally dependant on HIM. I agree the Holy Spirit gives gifts as HE chooses. I would never presume to do any healing of any kind. I absolutely know it is God who heals. This is HIS Ministry, working through each one of us. I only pray I will hear HIS voice and be obedient!

May God bless you today.

Always for my King!
MaryAnn
Thank you all for your prayers. I do expect a new healing to occur at some point. I have experienced to many moves of God to doubt. It may take the prayers of others like last time. All things in HIS time. God bless you all.
Oh, this is so GOOD! Some of this the Lord has been showing me, plus some very practical steps that had not occured to me! It's so nice to have confirmation, it gives me more courage.
When I was in So. Africa, some friends & I were walking through a maket place. We saw a woman with a severly deformed child in a wheelchair. Shy as I am, the Lord prompted me to ask the woman if we could pray for her child. The woman said, "No!" and hurried away. For a moment I was sticken with grief & dissapointment. Then the Spirit said to me, "Good job! This is only the begining. Not everyone will turn you down. Just obey!"
Deborah Sue, It's so great that we have a wonderful Saviour and Teacher in the Holy Spirit. I love how HE talks to us, always short and sweet. ie:
"Good job! This is only the begining. Not everyone will turn you down. Just obey!"
I love your story and thanks for sharing your experience. It is always much less painful in the long run if we obey right away, rather than wait. God knows best.

Blessings & Thanks!
MaryAnn
MaryAnn I was so surprise that I had not read through this forum before today. All know is that in my own life I have to deal with my physical problems every day. I believe in the healing power of Jesus, I have laid hands on sick people and have seen them healed, I have wept when they were not healed.

God has taught me something about our responsibility to always pray and hope for others to be healed. So I will continue to pray for a situation until healing comes or they are with the Lord. I do this because God's love causes us to always hope.

I always hope for my own healing, I will allow others to pray for and anoint me in oil. I will not sit back and except my affliction, but each day I find grace to do what I know God wants me to do.

I deal with life on a day to day basis, and God always gives me the strength and stamina to do his will.

As the three Hebrew children I declare I know my God can heal me, but even if He chooses not to heal me I will not bow to unbelief, but will trust him even in the fire to be with me

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