October 16, 2005
I BELIEVE THAT we would see many more people healed of sickness if we would pray more prayers offered in faith as the scriptures encourage us to do. (James 5:15) We would also see more healing if we would take the authority we have been given in Christ over sickness, disease and demonic activity. (Matthew 10:1) But we also have to face the fact that God may not heal everyone miraculously. Many times it is a lack of faith on our part or the presence of sin in our lives that blocks our prayers. Sometimes it is a matter of God’s timing or simply that a gradual process of healing is already underway. We also have to acknowledge that at times God wants to do something much more significant in and through our lives than just a physical healing. God is more concerned with our spiritual condition than our physical condition. Spiritual health takes priority over physical health because it has eternal implications.
Yet it is right to pursue health and physical wholeness. We should pursue it through a healthy life-style, by accessing appropriate medical services and most of all through prayer. We should also pray through any medical treatment that we receive—for God to give wisdom to medical practitioners, for successful outcome of treatments and for grace and patience to endure any pain and suffering. But we should also take responsibility to eat properly, exercise regularly, develop habits of good hygiene and avoid body-destroying sinful behaviour. And we should always be open to receive miracles of healing—even pursue them for ourselves and others.
Miraculous healing is a gift of grace. When we are healed it is not connected to any merit on our part and when we are not healed it is not an indication that we were unworthy of it. In either case we will do well to receive for ourselves the words that the Lord gave to the apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
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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.
James 5:14-16
This page was last updated on Friday, October 14, 2005