Personal Testimony
At the end of the Wednesday night service the pastor and the deacons lined up in front of the Sanctuary to pray for people. I went forward for prayer for pain in my back. The person in front of me (a friend) went up also. They were praying for healing of the same symptoms I had, so I came in agreement with them as they prayed. The pastor then asked what I needed prayer for. I told them I agreed and received all the prayers for healing they had prayed for Debbie. The pastor said, no we will pray for you personally. As they began to pray, I was instantly slain in the Spirit.
I will attempt to describe where I was. The only way I can explain it is that I was now inside what seemed to be water, I was engulfed in it. The picture above of the water is a good description of what it looked like, but it had some teal in it. I remember saying to the Lord, how am I going to explain this to Debbie, (the one holding me by the seat of my pants).
Well, after I was back in the earthly realm, Debbie shared with me what had happened. She grabbed my belt and kept me from hitting the steps when the men stepped aside. She didn't want me to get hurt, now that's a faithful friend. It was an awesome experience.
I have often wondered why Debbie became part of the conversation while I was soaking in the presence of the Lord. Maybe the Lord wanted me to know that she had done a humble thing, being concerned for another persons welfare. The fact that I knew what was being said tells me that we can be speaking through our thoughts while we are slain in the power of the Holy Spirit. GOD is good and takes care of His children.
After church, I came home and when I went to bed, I had the sensation I was floating in the air while I prayed. That was awesome, and exciting. Oh, so much we don't know about the supernatural of the Heavenly Realm where our Savior lives. The Word does say because of the Blood of Christ and through the Holy Spirit we can experience Heaven on Earth, but I am still looking forward to my heavenly home in anticipation. ~Debi Webster Perry
Soaking in the Scriptures of Jesus' Healing Power
F.F. Bosworth in his book, "Christ the Healer", says: The healing of Jesus was done as a revelation of God's will for man.
Mr. Bosworth further states: "The message everywhere taught in the Gospels is one of COMPLETE HEALING for soul and body, for All who will come to Him. (2 Peter 3:9)
Healing was for all in those days, and Christ the healer has never changed. (Hebrews 13:8)
Jesus said, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38)
Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all. (Matthew 12:15)
As many as touched him were made perfectly whole. (Matthew 14:36)
“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:2-3)
“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lied at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus said unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” (Matthew 8:5-10,13)
”And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 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.” (Matthew 8:14-17)
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” (Matthew 9:35)
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:1,7-8)
“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she cried after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:22-28)
“And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:13)
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18)
“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he [Jesus] laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.” (Luke 4:40)
“And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:” (Acts 28:8-9)
“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)
“And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel” (Matthew 15:29-31)
“Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:18-20)
“And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” (Luke 6:6-10)
“And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly cried out; and it tore him that he foamed again, and bruising him hardly departed from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.”(Luke 9:38-42)
Prayer and Healing for the Sick
(James 5:13-18) By Dan E. Jackson
The morning message is concluded and the elders come forward during the final hymn. They gather on the chancel steps to pray with those who come forward from the congregation to share specific needs. The elder lays hands on the people and prays for the release of the Lord's healing power in them. Some people come expressing a need to know Christ, others need assurance of forgiveness, some have concerns for loved ones who are ill or troubled. Many have physical illnesses while others need the Lord's guidance and strength for the challenges they face. The results of these prayers have been astounding.
This is not a report from some kooky church on the fringe of reality, but from the very respectable First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Many Christians are confused over the issue of prayer and healing. Many churches will not offer the opportunity that this Presbyterian church does. But the questions remain: Is God there when sickness enters our lives? Do miracles of healing still happen -- or do we just read about them in the Bible?
Some insist that miracles and healings should always be the order of the day. They sometimes compound the suffering of those struggling with illness by claiming, "It's never God's will for Christians to suffer." The victim is blamed for his infirmity and accused of sin or a lack of faith.
Prayer is the theme uniting verses 13-18 in James 5. This section teaches that vital relationships with God grow out of intimacy with Him in prayer. We are invited to share all life's experiences with Him. Whether glad or grieving, troubled or triumphant, we are to pray. I received a note while writing this from a pastor whose wife died after a lingering bout with cancer. Now, while grieving for her, his own cancer -- in remission for years -- has returned. James speaks to situations like this in verse 14. One source of Christian trouble is sickness. If prayer is appropriate for any context of life, it is certainly relevant in times of physical affliction.
We often pray the "why" question: "Why is this happening to me?" "What" is the more appropriate prayer: "Lord, what are you saying to me through these difficulties?" Or, "Father, what do you want me to learn, or what do you wish for me to do?"
I. What Causes Sickness?
Violations of God's Natural Laws. Many are sick because they disregard basic health principles. Sanitation, hygiene, diet, exercise, and rest are neglected, with illness the natural result.
A well-balanced diet is essential to good health. God was Israel's healer, but He was also their dietitian. We are not bound by all the restrictions of Old Testament law, but God established laws of hygiene and diet then that are still helpful in maintaining health today. God established a day of rest and a sabbatical year. Proper rest remains an important factor in good health. We violate these laws to our physical detriment.
Violations of God's Moral Laws. The Bible leaves no doubt that God sometimes uses physical infirmity to punish sin and chasten His children. We are reminded of this at the Communion Table when we consider 1 Corinthians 11:29-32. Paul said, "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." Some were sick and others died because of sinful attitudes at the table of the Lord. Such sickness was not to be accepted passively; they were expected to stop sinning and be healed. The sickness was a strong encouragement to change their sinful behavior.
Brought by Satan and Allowed by God. Satan sometimes brings sickness (though it is permitted by God). Job and the apostle Paul are examples. Paul repeatedly asked God to deliver him from his "thorn in the flesh" which he described as "a messenger of Satan." To display His power in Paul's affliction, God allowed the affliction.
One writer says, "Let's mark the conclusion in red letters. The disasters of the world do not have their origin in the will of God. The evil one is the author of adversity."2
For God's Glory and Our Good. Sickness is sometimes allowed for our growth and for God's glory. The Psalmist knew this when he wrote, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Ps. 119:71). Joni Eareckson Tada testifies from her wheelchair that God uses her infirmity to minister His love to many. She says, "Satan schemed that a 17-year-old girl named Joni would break her neck, hoping to ruin her life; God sent the broken neck in answer to her prayer for a closer walk with Him and uses her wheelchair as a platform to display His sustaining grace."3
Not all sickness can be blamed on personal sin. Jesus made that very clear in His encounter with the blind man of John 9. In an ultimate sense, all sickness is related to sin, because there was no sickness before the fall.
II. What Cures Sickness?
Healing with Medicine. Some suggest that the use of doctors and medicines indicates a "lack of faith." This claim disregards the testimony of the Bible as well as that of personal experience. Medicine is a gift from God. When King Hezekiah was ill, Isaiah offered a medical prescription and said, "apply it to the boil, and he will recover" (Isa. 38:21). Because of Timothy's stomach ailment and an impure water supply, Paul prescribed the medicinal use of wine in 1 Timothy 5:23. God is surely not limited in His miraculous power, but He usually chooses to use human agencies. We should praise Him for trained, dedicated medical personnel.
Healing through Rest and Change. We may often experience healing through a change of pace and thorough rest. Even our Lord needed times of withdrawal from people and times of refreshing with the Father. Referring to restful recuperation, evangelist Vance Hafner used to say, "If you don't come apart a while, you'll soon come apart."
Healing through Divine Intervention. Christians populate hospital wards, asylums, and cancer hospices just as non-Christians do. They roll in wheelchairs, face silent worlds with unhearing ears, and experience enfeeblement in about the same measure as the rest of the population. They are haunted by the question, "Why doesn't God intervene miraculously and heal my sickness?" Many have prayed for healing or attended healing services where they felt a sudden rush of hope, but they are still unhealed. They desperately need the support of their church, but too often are taunted that they must not measure up spiritually any more than they do physically.
Yet the New Testament is full of instances when Jesus and His followers healed men, women, and children. James counsels that healing is still to be expected today.
III. What Brings Healing?
The Sick Should Call. "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" (James 5:14). Clearly, the initial step is to be taken by the sick person. Confined to bed, this person or a representative should summon the church leaders. When seriously ill, with a body racked by pain, it is not easy to pray effectively for ourselves; then it is important to remember that we belong to a body and are not alone. We can call for the prayer support of stronger members. The elders are called because they should be persons of faith who believe that God can heal. The Lord may not heal in every case, but these elders are convinced that He is a healing God and that He can make sick persons whole.
The leaders are invited to the sick person's home when he is not well enough to come to the assembly. Actually, effective prayer can be offered any time the church gathers, but while miserable and lonely, the sick one feels especially loved as Christian friends gather in his or her home to pray. Even so, they come in response to his call. Someone has well said, "It is not the business of the elders of the church to go scouting for the sick."
Elders Should Pray. As the leaders of the local church the elders are called because they should be spiritually mature and experienced in intercessory prayer. Another title describing their function is "overseers." They are responsible for pastoral oversight and spiritual direction. They are "to pray over him." Prayer is their main ministry on behalf of the sick person. "Pray" is the main verb, while "anoint" is a participle. The anointing with oil was completely subsidiary to the praying.
The anointing is to be done in the name of the Lord, calling on divine authority for the results. But what is the purpose of this anointing with oil? Oil was a very common medicine in biblical times. James seems to be prescribing prayer along with medicine, suggesting that we should avail ourselves of both spiritual and natural resources. Someone has said, "I have found the best combination for healing is a healthy blend of penicillin and prayer." Charismatic leader Jack Hayford says, "We should always be people who know the receiving of medical help is not a rejection of divine healing."4
My wife and I discovered this when our oldest daughter was only eight months old. One day her neck was limp and she was unable to hold up her head. She was admitted to Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was placed in traction and hospitalized for two weeks. Excellent orthopedic surgeons examined Tammy's x-rays and concluded that nothing could be done for her. We took Tammy home with the knowledge that she might remain in a neck-brace the rest of her life. It was then that our impassioned prayers touched the throne of God and our daughter was immediately healed by the power of the Lord.
Some teach that healing power was confined to the apostolic age. God has imposed no such limits upon Himself. James recommends that regular church officers, not apostles, should carry out the practice. This implies that the ministry to the sick is not limited to apostles, or even to those with gifts of healing as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:30. James' counsel has permanent validity in the church. However, this is the only mention of anointing a sick person in the New Testament letters. Since many were healed without anointing, it is apparent that anointing is not required for healing prayer to be effective.
The Lord Will Heal. It is God's power that heals. The prayer, anointing, and the calling on Jesus' name is not a magical rite. It is an opening for God's power to intervene. Alec Motyer speaks of the advance of medical knowledge, and writes, "the discovery of medicines and the perfecting of surgical techniques are without doubt examples of the providential goodness of God. We must be careful lest we over-value the marvelous and the miraculous at the expense of the mundane and the providential."5
Acknowledging God's sovereign hand in bad times and good, our eyes should be on the Lord even when we go to the doctor. If an aspirin works, it is God who makes it work. When a broken bone is set and mended, it is the Lord who causes the healing. Every good gift is from above!
Genuine prayer is always a commitment to the will of God, and it is best expressed in patience as we wait to see what He will do. The unqualified statement that the prayer of faith will save the sick stands alongside many similar affirmations regarding prayer. The Bible makes its prayer promises without qualifications. Jesus said, "I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). He also promised His disciples, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father" (John 14:13).
These promises are given to increase our confidence in the place of prayer. They tell of an omnipotent God who can do all things, who is so generous that He will not withhold good from us, and who hears every plea. The promises do not allow us to come with a stubborn insistence that we've got it right and our will must be done. We are not to try to whip up a believing spirit or pretend to have it when we do not.
Prayers for healing are qualified by the recognition that God's will is supreme. In the New Testament, for one reason or another, God did not always heal even great people of faith. Paul's thorn in the flesh and the sickness of some of his friends are examples. Our faith must always be in the God whose will is supreme and best. To pray "in Jesus' name" is not an incantation but a submission to His will and authority.
We should pray for the sick with confidence that God will answer that prayer and bring healing. Such faith cannot be manufactured no matter how gifted, insistent, or righteous we are. Our responsibility is to pray and to leave the results with God.
Jesus Christ has placed in the hands of the church the keys of the kingdom (Matt. 16:19). One of these keys will set men and women free from the power and authority of Satan. We need to use this key wisely but resolutely. It will not fit every lock. But the locks it does fit will spring open at the name of Jesus Christ. The authority Jesus had to deliver people from satanic powers has been bequeathed to the church. It may be used wherever and whenever it is appropriate. 6
Some have abused and sensationalized healing ministries. Others have abandoned them altogether. Our responsibility is to be faithful to the teaching of God's Word.
1. Lloyd John Ogilvie, Praying with Power (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1983), p. 98.
2. Robert L. Wise, When There is No Miracle (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1977), p. 128.
3. Joni Eareckson Tada and Steve Estes, A Step Further (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978), p. 140.
4. Jack Hay ford, "Healing for Today," Charisma (September, 1984), p. 43.
5. Alec Motyer, The Message of James (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), p. 192.
6. Michael Harper, The Healings of Jesus (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), p. 51.
THE LORDS PRAYER IN ORIGINAL ARAMAIC
O cosmic Birther of all radiance and vibration. Soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your Presence can abide. Fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission. Let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire. Endow us with the wisdom to produce and share what each being needs to grow and flourish. Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us, as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes. Do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose, but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment. For you are the ground and the fruitful vision, the birth, power and fulfillment, as all is gathered and made whole once again. Amen
