Who heales all your diseases

Dear friends of Jesus,

Last few weeks ago I wrote about whether you've ever wondered why some people receive healing right away, while others seem to have to wait forever while both parties have faith for healing. Does God's Word really give the promise of healing for all? Or are there exceptions?

The subject of healing continued to haunt me after writing my blogpost 'Arise and Walk part 1'. That caused me to research the Bible in the recent weeks. This blogpost has become longer than usual due to all my discoveries.

What I am discovering is that there is no standard formula for how God can heal someone. It has to do, among other things, with our personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

The LORD goes His way with one person through His creation and we become better again by taking His herbs as medication. For others, repetitive, persistent prayer is the path to healing.

In yet another, God heals because of the collective prayer of faith from our faithful friends around us.

And the next one we notice that there is emotional pain and that the LORD first wants to heal our soul before the physical healing can continue.

We all know the saying that there are "Many roads that lead to Rome." I have now discovered that this also applies to the healing of our body, soul and mind.

God is a god of balance. If someone with a sick soul were physically healed, that person would remain emotionally sick. God chooses to take a different path, because He wants our soul (our emotions) to be healed first. We see that for some people the road to healing is quick, while for others it takes longer.

Meanwhile I could write a little book on the subject of healing by now, but I'll stick to a few brief points in my blogpost. I cannot explain in detail the depth of the Lord's different ways of His will to heal us. But it provides a glimpse of the possibilities we can bring into our own lives. And through the knowledge of how God can work, the Holy Spirit can guide us in the situations that we ourselves face in life.

If a certain way of praying you used to pray does not work, the Holy Spirit can reveal to you through acquired knowledge about healing and lead you to another way in which He wants to make His greatness as Jehôvâh Râphâh known to you, your family or friends. I hope and pray that it may and will bless you.

So this time I take you into God's Word to demystify how God desires for us is to live in health and well-being. We will look at how we can learn to practise Gods divine healing so that we can experience wholeness in every area of our lives. I want to rely on God's promise that He wants to heal all our diseases as described by David in Psalm 103:

• Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Psalm 103:2-3

1. Healing as our legacy

• 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.

Isaiah 53:5

Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was not just about paving the way back to God in heaven. Jesus is a God who does not do half work. By His stripes we have been healed, writes Isaiah. Jesus wants the complete restoration of our body, soul and spirit.

When the Israelites left Egypt they came to a place called Marah, a place of bitter water. After Moses, at God's direction, threw a piece of wood into the water, the water became sweet. (Exodus 15:22-27) This piece of wood represents the Cross of Jesus and the sweet waters of healing that flow from it. It is a physical representation of a spiritual reality. God indicated that healing is essential to His covenant with His people.

• Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Exodus 17:6

Jesus was the Rock from which the Israelites drank. We read this again in the New Testament where Paul records this in his letter to the Corinth church, in which Paul clearly describes that Jesus represented this rock:

• And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4

In Ephesians we read that we have become an inheritance in Jesus. We are even called to it according to His purpose, writes Apostle Paul. How beautiful is that!

• In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Ephesians 1:11

It is accessible to every believer in Jesus. It's not something you deserve. It is something you receive by believing. What He has done for one, He also wants to do for another. We became family of Jesus the moment we believed in Jesus. Only after the death of someone do you receive an inheritance. Through the death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus we have received His inheritance. What a wealth!

Even before the cross of Jesus, Isaiah, among others, clearly describes that it is our hereditary property that no weapon can do anything against us. We read:

• No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 54:17

This is how we know that our God is unchangeable. In the Old Testament, God is the same God as in the New Testament: He is Unchangeable.

• Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Hebrews 13:8

We also discover that God's inheritance is not tied to ethnicity when we read Ephesians:

• That the Gentiles* should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel

Ephesians 3:6

*Gentiles are other nations that do not worship the one true God. Jesus also came for the salvation of the Gentiles – the other nations. So when the Gentiles believe in Jesus they will belong to the same body.

Look at the example in 2 Kings 5 at Naam the Syrian. He was not an Israelite, yet God healed him of his leprosy. This indicates that healing is not limited by ethnicity or religious belief. The grace of healing is available to all who believe.

2. It is God's nature to heal :Jehôvâh Râphâh

• And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD (Jehôvâh) that healeth (Râphâh) thee.

Exodus 15:26

God's name Jehôvâh Râphâh literally means the LORD Who heals. When God led the Israelites through the wilderness and they were without water, He did not just provide them with water. He also declared Himself as Jehôvâh Râphâh. He made it clear that healing is not just something He does, it is Who HE IS.

Even in the Old Testament (before the cross), God was actively involved in the healing ministry. God made this known to the Israelites by introducing Himself as Jehôvâh Râphâh in Exodus as we just red.

Jehôvâh Râphâh is not just a name, but a promise of His nature and His character. Have you ever wondered why Jesus healed on the Sabbath, a day declared sacred and set aside for rest? By healing on this day, He was saying that God has no barriers to being good. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. So whether it is a Sabbath or any other day, God is always healing. However, understanding God's nature as Healer also involves recognizing His sovereignty. While God's desire is to heal, the ways and timing may be different, but God's nature remains the same. He is the LORD, your Healer.

In the Old Testament, for example, in 1 Kings 17 we read the story of Elijah and the widow in Zarephath where we read that her son became seriously ill and died. Elijah prayed and the boy came back to life. It was God's nature that we see in this situation. He is a Restorer of life. Here too we see that it is God's nature to heal.

In the New Testament, the LORD Jesus shows that HE IS the Great Healer who heals the sick. In Galilee Jesus went from city to city:

• … and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matthew 4:23

In Judea

• And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

Matthew 19:2

In fact,

• And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

Mark 6:56

Jesus not only healed people physically, He also healed them spiritually by forgiving their sins

And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

• And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Luke 5:20

Every day, in every way, Jesus proves that He IS Jehôvâh Râphâh in the flesh.

3. Prayer as a gateway to healing

• Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:14-16

Prayer is a gateway to God. It opens the door to contact between God and man. Think about the story of Hezekiah, king of Judah, who faced illness even to the point of death. He turned his face toward the wall and prayed to the LORD. God not only healed him, but added 15 years to his life (2 Kings 20). This clearly shows the power of prayer, not only asking for but also receiving God's healing.

When Peter and John met a man at the temple gate who was lame from birth, they offered no gold or silver. But what they offered him was worth much more. The prayer of faith resulted in an 'instant' healing. This was not a gradual process. The man immediately started walking. Sometimes the only thing standing between us and our healing is a prayer of faith.

We are also dealing with the common prayer of faith. James advises us not only to pray, but also to confess our trespasses to one another and to pray for one another that we may be made whole. We see in his writing the collective faith that leads to healing. Sometimes faithful friends can carry us when our own faith falls short. For example, look at the paralyzed man's friends who lowered him through the roof to get to Jesus. It was not only his faith, but also thanks to the common faith of his friends, it ensured his healing.

Persevering prayer is also important. In most cases we will discover in practice that a single prayer does not bring about healing. Persistent prayer is needed. This means that we repeat in our daily prayers what we desire in faith and want to make our own.

• Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

Ephesians 6:18

I know testimonies of believers who prayerfully rehearse God's word for minutes and see their prayers answered. Jesus Himself set the example in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus went to the garden in Gethsemane three times to pray three times an hour with the same words. We can read this in Matthew 26:36-44, as well as in Mark 14:32-42.

Do not use many words, but simple verses from God's word. God knows what you need before you ask Him. We can read this in the Gospel of Matthew. This states:

• But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 6:7-8

Above all, let us not forget that prayer is not a formula. Prayer is our relationship with God, with the Holy Spirit. When the disciples were unable to heal the leper, Jesus revealed to them that some disease only disappears through prayer and fasting. In other words, the effect of our prayers is deeply tied to our personal relationship with God. If we don't get our prayers answered, we can ask why it doesn't work, just like the disciples asked Jesus. They gave us the example. Through a close relationship with God we learn to hear His Voice and this can unlock healing that would otherwise be unattainable.

4. Divine healing and human accountability

• When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

John 9:6-7

When Jesus healed a man born blind, he used saliva and mud. He taught us here that healing sometimes requires action. He not only said “be healed,” he involved the blind man in his own healing process by telling him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” Here we see that we also have a role to play in our healing.

Another responsibility that Jesus stated was in Matthew:

• Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Matthew 9:29

While God is the ultimate Source of healing, there is also a role we play in initiating healing. That is faith. Without faith, even the most powerful prayers will not bear fruit.

Look at the woman with the blood disorder. She had spent all her money on doctors, but she had not gotten better. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the doctors had been unable to make her better, her faith in being able to heal was not affected. The moment she touched Jesus' clothes she was immediately healed (Mark 5). Her persistent belief in the possibility of healing meant that Jesus didn't say, “My power has made you well.” He said, “Your faith has made you whole.” This woman's faith drew the healing out from Jesus.

It is also important to discover and know that our actions can sometimes be obstacles to our healing. Consider, for example, sin, unbelief or unforgiveness, which can act as barriers to healing. We see this, for example, in what Jesus says to the man at the water of Bethesda: “Sin no more, lest something worse happen to you.” (John 5). Our lifestyle choices may be the very thing standing in the way of our healing.

Moreover, it is important to realize that doctors can sometimes work alongside faith. Luke, one of the disciples, was a docter. God's healing can sometimes come through the skillful hands of doctors and other means. With resources we can think of, among other things, the herb garden of God's creation in which all kinds of flowers, plants, trees and shrubs packed with vitamins, minerals and all kinds of other medicinal ingredients are offered to us by our Creator for the healing of our body. Faith then is not the giving up of the claim to healing, but its fulfillment thereof. Faith and human accountability are not separate things. They work together, like the two sides of the same coin.

5. Healing as a testimony

What we do not quickly realize is that God's healings also serve as a testimony of the goodness of God. A testimony of His eternal love and infinite power.

The healing of the man born blind in John 9 was not only healed in his natural physical eyes. It also opened the eyes of those who witnessed this miracle. His healing became a topic of discussion among neighbors, others, and Pharisees. We read:

• 8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged

• 9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

• 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

John 9:8-15

When God heals us, He also sets the stage for Himself to be revealed to others through you. Look at the healing of the ten lepers. Only one of them goes back to thank God and glorify Him. Jesus said to him, “Your faith has made you whole.” While all ten were physically healed, only the one who went back to thank Jesus also received spiritual healing. This one man's testimony was to reveal to others who God is and lead them to God as well.

The man by the water of Bethesda had been sick for 38 years. Imagine the stories that have circulated about him and his condition. Sick for 38 years! Then there must have been a good reason why he still hadn't been able to reach the water to heal. Just imagine the moment when he was healed! He became a walking testimony of the deed God had done for him.

Healing has rippling effects, so to speak, that extend beyond one person. It can affect communities and sometimes even nations. Consider Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria, who had a leper: his healing changed God's view of the Syrian nation. (2 Kings 5:1-19)

Our own healing can therefore serve as a fuel of faith for someone else who also expects a miracle from God. When the woman with the issue of blood was healed, this happened in a crowd of people. Imagine the wave of faith that swept through them as those around them witnessed her healing.

So healing is not something selfish. It works as an evangelistic tool in the hands of our God. Healing has two sides: it heals a person and it glorifies God to those who witness it. The testimony of our healing is a weapon in spiritual warfare. A buoy of hope for those who are hopeless and a testament to God's compassion and power.

6. The importance of staying in God's word for your healing

• Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:31-32

The Truth is not just a set of facts, it is a change that takes place in our entire being. A revelation of God's word leads us to freedom, including freedom from disease. Let's look at Job's life again. He lost everything. His family, his property, his health. Yet, he did not lose his faith in God when Job's friends came to him with explanations as to why he had to suffer. Job remains steadfast in understanding God's word. His words “I know that my Redeemer lives” is vivid proof of this. Ultimately the LORD restored him and God doubled all that Job had lost. His life stands as a testimony to the importance of remaining firmly rooted in God's word.

Even if the circumstances look different. It is not enough to just know the Bible about healing. You must absorb the word and let it dwell richly within you. It must be woven into your entire walk of life and you must ponder it day and night. Joshua says:

• This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8

Here we see the promise that when we meditate on God's Word it will lead us to victory. Healing often comes when we connect with the truth of God's word.

• For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews does not just describe a piece of history. It describes our living God, who is able to dive into the joints and marrow and other parts of our bodies. This is not symbolic. The Word of God can penetrate the cells of our bodies and attune them to divine health. God's Word is not just some letters on paper, but they are Spirit and life, as it is written in John:

• It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

John 6:63

When you speak God's Word over yourself, you release spiritual power into the natural. The centurion understood this very well. He said to Jesus “speak just one word my servant will be healed”. He realized that Jesus' words carry authority and power, and his servant was also healed at the same moment that Jesus spoke His words.

It is not about just carrying God's word within us like a library. It's about carrying His Word in our hearts. It must have become personal. Merged with our entire being. Our antenna must be well attuned to God's Spirit. The word of God should be our daily bread, our living water. It is not just information, but a change that is brought about within ourselves. The more the Word lives within us, the more it will push out every form of disease, aligning our bodies with God's perfect will for health.

7. Healing for the soul (emotions)

• Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

When we look for physical healing, Jesus also gives us another message, and that is that our soul also needs recovery and healing. We can sometimes unknowingly neglect the well-being of our soul. But Jesus offers us a complete healing: a healing of our body, mind (mind) and soul (emotions).

For example, I think of the testimony of Mary and Martha. Mary chose the good part, which was to sit at the feet of Jesus. Sometimes our body is healed, but our soul (emotions) languishes in turmoil. The healing that Jesus brings us is all-encompassing. It goes beyond physical ailments that touch the core of our being.

King Saul was plagued by an evil spirit and the only temporary relief he found was when David played his harp. Saul's problem was not physical. It was in his soul (emotions). No physical healing could have helped him. Sometimes we overlook the need for our soul to be in a state of peace and tranquility. This is essential for our total well-being. If our soul is not healed, it can affect our body. In Proverbs we read:

• A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Emotional stress, unforgiveness and bitterness are all diseases of the soul that can manifest in physical complaints. Sometimes our healing doesn't begin until we get right with our soul.

Before Jesus addressed the physical recovery of the paralyzed man who was helped down through the open roof by his friends to get to Jesus, Jesus first said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Jesus knew that the soul needed attention first for real and lasting healing to occur.

Jesus offers a peace that no vacation, no spa, and no amount of sleep can provide. It is a peace that begins in our soul and flows through to influence every cell in our body. It is a divine healing that only He can provide.

How can we deal with certain things in practice?

One of the most important changes we can make is the way we talk about illness. Never claim a disease as yours by saying, "I have this..." or "I have that..." or "My this..." or "My that..." You are not claiming a disease, you claims healing. The disease is not yours, nor your friends or loved ones. So we have to learn to stop saying that "they have this..." or that "they have that...". Instead, phrase it as “an attack.”

You might say that you or someone you know is being attacked by the flu or whatever the disease may be. Or, for example, you can also say that you are experiencing problems with a certain health problem. Also make it clear to those around you that you reject the idea that you have the disease. Do not allow anyone to cast negative health concerns over your life or the lives of your loved ones by making statements like “you will get this….” or “you will get that…”.

Reject these types of statements and avoid agreeing with them. Be steadfast in your faith and in the power of positive proclamations. Also, don't give in to the idea of generational or hereditary diseases. If someone tells you that your mother had this condition or that your grandfather had it so that you are likely to get it too, dismiss it immediately. Don't accept this as your destiny. You are not bound by your family's health problems or past circumstances. Reject every form of generational curse, including disease.

Stand in faith and declare that you are a new creation in Jesus and that the old generational curses have no hold on you. God's promise of healing and health is for you too. Regardless of your family history.

If symptoms persist after you have prayed in faith, do not lose heart. Continue to pray and confirm your healing. Say blessings over your body. For example, you could say, “My kidneys are blessed in the name of Jesus.” Make positive statements like this about any part of your body that is under attack. For example, you could say, “I am healed in the name of Jesus.” Wise every suggestion from the enemy that tries to convince you otherwise.

If your healing has not yet fully manifested, it is okay to tell people that you are in the process of recovery. Be transparent, but maintain your position that complete healing is on its way.

In addition, it is important to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading regarding your healing. Keep your faith strong, your statements positive, and your ear tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Not only can God give you healing, He is willing to do so. God is faithful and His desire is for you to receive complete healing and well-being.

And just as you would regularly take your prescribed medicine to treat a physical ailment, you can take Bible verses about healing as your spiritual medicine. Make the Word of God your own.

• My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Proverbs 4:20-22

So don't hesitate to read a Bible verse or set of healing texts out loud 3 times a day, or as often as you feel the symptoms manifesting in your body. Whenever you feel weak or overwhelmed, take a moment to take your Bible medicine. Allow the power of God's word to penetrate deeply into your spirit, strengthening your faith and strengthening your resolve to resist the attack on your body.

This is not just a nice idea. It is a practical, powerful application of our faith in action. We don't just read the words out loud. We apply the life-giving, healing power of God's word to our situation. Hold on to your faith and let the Bible be the medicine that makes you whole again. Let's remember Psalm 103, where David reminds us not to forget that our God is a healing God.

He heals all our diseases, renews our strength, and even redeems our lives from destruction.

Healing is our birthright as a child of God. But it is up to us to claim it. Have faith. God wants you to be healed. Be healed in the name of Jesus. Thank the Lord for your healing, because gratitude itself is a form of faith in action.

Exploring His Word has encouraged me enormously and given me a new, fresh perspective and strengthened my faith. I hope and pray that this may be true for you too. We can know that God always has good intentions for us. God's blessing to you!

Awaiting His Return,

Maranatha!

Natasja