Historical Evidence:
In all generations the people of God who knew the Word of God have prayed God’s Word back to the Lord of Glory. When this practice has been done, God has done some marvelous things in their lives. There is a renewed emphasis today in the Church concerning spiritual healing.
The Psalmist David knew the relationship between God’s Word and the healing process that He offers to all believers. In Psalm 1, he wrote, “Blessed is the man . . . [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His Law he meditates day and night (1:1-2). Then in Psalm 119:165, he has this to say, “Great peace have they which love [or delight in] Your law: and nothing shall offend them.” One whose heart is seeking after God will delight in God’s Word and the worship of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the midst of adversity. He or she will be like a tree whose roots search deep to where the Spirit provides strength and nourishment. He/she will draw from the Well of Living Water that shall never runs dry. And that well is Jesus Christ.
The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation and wholeness.
Spiritual healing is God’s work of offering persons balance, harmony, and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships through confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Through such healing, God is at work to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity and the rest of creation. The New Testament records that Jesus Himself healed the estranged and sick and sent out His disciples on ministries of healing. James, a brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jerusalem Church, calls us also to pray for and anoint the sick, that they may be healed.
It must be understood that all healing is of God. The Church’s healing ministry in no way detracts from the gifts God gives through medicine and psychotherapy. It is no substitute for either medicine or the proper care of one’s health. Rather, it adds to our total resources for wholeness.
One of my favorite Old Testament characters is a little known man by the name of Jabez. He is not known to many Christians today simply because they have not read carefully the book of 1 Chronicles with all of the genealogies which are recorded. You will find “The Prayer of Jabez” recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. It is a prayer that God answers; and, He will answer your prayers too!
My interest in praying for the sick is a dominant part of my life and ministry to others. I believe in the supernatural power of God, that He searches the entire universe seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of those who truly seek Him, and whose hearts are humble and upright toward Him.
Scriptures for Healing:
Now, let me share with you some healing Scriptures that you may want to consider praying back to God for your healing. Read them over and over again, meditate upon them, think the thoughts, and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken them to your spirit, and save them in the hard drive of your life, and in the backup floppy disks that you plug in daily.
First, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24,
“May God Himself, the God Who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One Who called you is completely dependable. If He said it. He will do it! (The Message, Eugene H. Peterson).
Second, 3 John 2,
“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”
Third, Jeremiah 30:17a,
“For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says the Lord.”
Fourth, Isaiah 57:18, 19,
“I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, says the Lord; and I will heal him.” (insert her for him in this verse)
Fifth, Psalm 103:1-3,
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases.”
Sixth, Read and Meditate on 1 Chronicles 16
• Give thanks unto the Lord
• Call upon His name
• Make known His deeds among the people
• Seek the Lord and His strength
• Seek His face continually
• Be mindful always of His covenant
• The Word which He commanded to a thousand generations
• Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm
• For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
• Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name
• Bring an offering, and come before Him
• Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
• O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
Seventh, 2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.”
God’s Rhema Word to you (place your name in this word of faith:
God gave to Stephanie, our daughter, a special Word from the Gospel of John, chapter 9, and verses 1-3. And this Word may be the Word God wants you to hold onto, apprehend, and cling to in faith. “As He (Jesus) went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents,’ said Jesus, ‘But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’”
We do not know the cause of this cancer that was discovered in Stephanie’s body, other than Satan himself, but it has happened in order that the work of God might be displayed in Stephanie’s life and in her body. We will fight the good fight of faith; we will keep the faith – faith in Jesus Who received stripes in His back for Stephanie’s healing. The miracle of healing in Stephanie’s body at the Benny Hinn Crusade at the Philips Arena in Atlanta was significant to prepare Stephanie for an even greater miracle of healing. God is in the process of healing Stephanie and raising her up to sing, to testify, to preach and teach on divine healing. As if this date, December 11, 2004, there is no sign of cancer in Stephanie’s body, only residual spots that show where the cancer was in her bones. This was revealed in two PET Scans. She is to have one more PET Scan.
Steps to Healing:
1. Specific prayer for healing
2. Relaxation: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)
3. Cleansing: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within
me” (Psalm 51:10)
4. Visualization: Picture yourself healed.
5. Anticipation: Expect your healing to be manifested.
6. Receive your healing
7. Prayer of Thanksgiving
8. Personal Testimony of God’s healing power
Forgiveness – You forgive and get forgiven
When Jesus speaks we need to listen and heed what He says. He is not like any other authority we have ever heard. His speech and His Words are always on a level of truth and integrity that transcends our culture or society.
Jesus said, “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:26). The way in which we forgive others is the way we will be forgiven. There is no question about it, unforgiveness, and failure to be restored to our brother or sister is a hindrance to our healing. This is an area that we must constantly evaluate in our lives. In order to be healed an accounting needs to be made of our own spiritual state. We need to see if we have withheld our forgiveness for another’s attitude or actions toward us. This breach in relationship should be settled with God’s grace operating in our lives if we expect God to heal us.
The Importance of Singing in the Process of Healing:
The Lord has revealed to me the need and importance of singing in the process of healing. We have all witnessed how music has the capacity to move body and soul, and lift the spirit into the realms of the supernatural world beyond thought and desire. Not only can music “lift you up,” but also, it can heal, soothe, and satisfy unspoken longings. As a musical instrument, the human voice is always with us, ready with speech and song to inspire hope, call forth courage in times of sickness, stress, and pain. Cadence, rhythm, and sound invite us to dance, to move and bless in spiritual worship, and to blend our energies together in physical labor—a natural way to reclaim our sense of connection with the body of Christ. Music and story take us beyond ourselves, into the realm of spirit and the community of the body of Christ.
May I suggest that God will give you a song to sing! It may be a grand old hymn of the church that is filled with Biblical theology and hope. It may be a Gospel song, a Scripture chorus set to music, or a spiritual song the Holy Spirit may birth in your heart. Don’t be afraid to sing in the Spirit, i. e., to sing in tongues as the Spirit gives you utterance. The Apostle Paul enjoyed singing in the Spirit as well as in his own language. The balance is powerful and aids us in our healing.
Laughter in the Process of Healing:
The Scriptures tell us in Proverbs 17:22 that “A merry heart does good, like a medicine.” Though the Bible contains much humor, it rarely comments about it. However, there is a forthright praise of one’s capacity to laugh. Sometimes when one is sick or depressed, it is difficult to laugh. Pray that God will give you the spirit of laughter. It will help to bring healing to your spirit if not to your whole body. It is apparent that God is restoring joy to the Church and that includes laughter. We must be willing to change or God will by-pass us. He wants to put new wine in to new wine skins.
Partaking of Holy Communion, the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper.
Throughout my years of ministry I have taught that divine healing is in the Atonement. We know from Scripture that Jesus received stripes in his back for our healing.
The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion or the Eucharist can be a significant vehicle for the manifest presence of God to be revealed in our worship. When we participate in the act of communion, which is a sacrament or ordinance of the church, we are reminded of the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, as well as our Healer. It is in this act of remembering the death of our Savior until He comes again that we can appropriate healing for our body, mind, and spirit as we receive the bread (body) and fruit of the vine (grape juice or wine) in Holy Communion. This experience is indeed a mystery, but one that produces great results.
Last, but not least, you should call for the elders of the church for the prayer of faith and anointing with oil.
In the Book of James the Apostle James, a half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, writes these words, “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” (James 5:14-15).
I like the rendering that Eugene Peterson gives of these two verses in The Message, “Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you will oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.” Jesus often touched others—blessing children, washing feet, healing injuries or disease, and raising people from the dead. Touching others gently and lovingly with healing prayers is a tangible expression of the healing Christ, working in and through those who minister in His Name—the Name of Jesus!
Obedience to God’s Word is essential to being healed by God. The early church practiced anointing the people for healing. Our denomination has anointed the sick since our early days of existence. The laying on of hands and anointing with oil coupled with the prayer of faith is a means by which God can do a special work of healing in a person’s life. We should seek to be obedient and submit ourselves to the authority of the church.
Remember that God has the final Word!
Nothing is impossible for God!
“Rise and be healed in the Name of Jesus.”
Special Word: Place your name in the blank and claim this word for your healing.
God’s Word is at work in ________ body,
Driving out all manner of sickness and disease,
And creating in her/his body a perfect cure,
For the Glory of God,
The good of __________,
And for a testimony of God’s compassion, love and mercy, His healing power,
and His Saving grace!
“Where the Healing Waters Flow”
Oh, the joy of sins forgiven,
Oh, the bliss the blood-washed know,
Oh, the peace akin to heaven,
Where the healing waters flow.
Where the healing waters flow,
Where the joys celestial glow
Oh, there’s peace and rest and love,
Where the healing waters flow.
Now with Jesus crucified
At His feet I’m resting low,
Let me evermore abide
Where the healing waters flow.
Oh, this precious perfect love!
How it keeps the heart aglow,
Streaming from the fount above,
Where the healing waters flow.
Oh, to lean on Jesus’ breast,
While the tempests come and go!
Here is blessed peace and rest,
Where the healing waters flow.
Cleansed from every sin and stain,
Whiter than the driven snow,
Now I sing my sweet refrain,
Where the healing waters flow.
Where the healing waters flow,
Where the joys celestial glow
Oh, there’s peace and rest and love,
Where the healing waters flow.
In all generations the people of God who knew the Word of God have prayed God’s Word back to the Lord of Glory. When this practice has been done, God has done some marvelous things in their lives. There is a renewed emphasis today in the Church concerning spiritual healing.
The Psalmist David knew the relationship between God’s Word and the healing process that He offers to all believers. In Psalm 1, he wrote, “Blessed is the man . . . [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His Law he meditates day and night (1:1-2). Then in Psalm 119:165, he has this to say, “Great peace have they which love [or delight in] Your law: and nothing shall offend them.” One whose heart is seeking after God will delight in God’s Word and the worship of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the midst of adversity. He or she will be like a tree whose roots search deep to where the Spirit provides strength and nourishment. He/she will draw from the Well of Living Water that shall never runs dry. And that well is Jesus Christ.
The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation and wholeness.
Spiritual healing is God’s work of offering persons balance, harmony, and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships through confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Through such healing, God is at work to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity and the rest of creation. The New Testament records that Jesus Himself healed the estranged and sick and sent out His disciples on ministries of healing. James, a brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jerusalem Church, calls us also to pray for and anoint the sick, that they may be healed.
It must be understood that all healing is of God. The Church’s healing ministry in no way detracts from the gifts God gives through medicine and psychotherapy. It is no substitute for either medicine or the proper care of one’s health. Rather, it adds to our total resources for wholeness.
One of my favorite Old Testament characters is a little known man by the name of Jabez. He is not known to many Christians today simply because they have not read carefully the book of 1 Chronicles with all of the genealogies which are recorded. You will find “The Prayer of Jabez” recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. It is a prayer that God answers; and, He will answer your prayers too!
My interest in praying for the sick is a dominant part of my life and ministry to others. I believe in the supernatural power of God, that He searches the entire universe seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of those who truly seek Him, and whose hearts are humble and upright toward Him.
Scriptures for Healing:
Now, let me share with you some healing Scriptures that you may want to consider praying back to God for your healing. Read them over and over again, meditate upon them, think the thoughts, and allow the Holy Spirit to quicken them to your spirit, and save them in the hard drive of your life, and in the backup floppy disks that you plug in daily.
First, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24,
“May God Himself, the God Who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One Who called you is completely dependable. If He said it. He will do it! (The Message, Eugene H. Peterson).
Second, 3 John 2,
“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”
Third, Jeremiah 30:17a,
“For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says the Lord.”
Fourth, Isaiah 57:18, 19,
“I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, says the Lord; and I will heal him.” (insert her for him in this verse)
Fifth, Psalm 103:1-3,
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases.”
Sixth, Read and Meditate on 1 Chronicles 16
• Give thanks unto the Lord
• Call upon His name
• Make known His deeds among the people
• Seek the Lord and His strength
• Seek His face continually
• Be mindful always of His covenant
• The Word which He commanded to a thousand generations
• Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm
• For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised
• Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name
• Bring an offering, and come before Him
• Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
• O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
Seventh, 2 Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.”
God’s Rhema Word to you (place your name in this word of faith:
God gave to Stephanie, our daughter, a special Word from the Gospel of John, chapter 9, and verses 1-3. And this Word may be the Word God wants you to hold onto, apprehend, and cling to in faith. “As He (Jesus) went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents,’ said Jesus, ‘But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’”
We do not know the cause of this cancer that was discovered in Stephanie’s body, other than Satan himself, but it has happened in order that the work of God might be displayed in Stephanie’s life and in her body. We will fight the good fight of faith; we will keep the faith – faith in Jesus Who received stripes in His back for Stephanie’s healing. The miracle of healing in Stephanie’s body at the Benny Hinn Crusade at the Philips Arena in Atlanta was significant to prepare Stephanie for an even greater miracle of healing. God is in the process of healing Stephanie and raising her up to sing, to testify, to preach and teach on divine healing. As if this date, December 11, 2004, there is no sign of cancer in Stephanie’s body, only residual spots that show where the cancer was in her bones. This was revealed in two PET Scans. She is to have one more PET Scan.
Steps to Healing:
1. Specific prayer for healing
2. Relaxation: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)
3. Cleansing: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within
me” (Psalm 51:10)
4. Visualization: Picture yourself healed.
5. Anticipation: Expect your healing to be manifested.
6. Receive your healing
7. Prayer of Thanksgiving
8. Personal Testimony of God’s healing power
Forgiveness – You forgive and get forgiven
When Jesus speaks we need to listen and heed what He says. He is not like any other authority we have ever heard. His speech and His Words are always on a level of truth and integrity that transcends our culture or society.
Jesus said, “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:26). The way in which we forgive others is the way we will be forgiven. There is no question about it, unforgiveness, and failure to be restored to our brother or sister is a hindrance to our healing. This is an area that we must constantly evaluate in our lives. In order to be healed an accounting needs to be made of our own spiritual state. We need to see if we have withheld our forgiveness for another’s attitude or actions toward us. This breach in relationship should be settled with God’s grace operating in our lives if we expect God to heal us.
The Importance of Singing in the Process of Healing:
The Lord has revealed to me the need and importance of singing in the process of healing. We have all witnessed how music has the capacity to move body and soul, and lift the spirit into the realms of the supernatural world beyond thought and desire. Not only can music “lift you up,” but also, it can heal, soothe, and satisfy unspoken longings. As a musical instrument, the human voice is always with us, ready with speech and song to inspire hope, call forth courage in times of sickness, stress, and pain. Cadence, rhythm, and sound invite us to dance, to move and bless in spiritual worship, and to blend our energies together in physical labor—a natural way to reclaim our sense of connection with the body of Christ. Music and story take us beyond ourselves, into the realm of spirit and the community of the body of Christ.
May I suggest that God will give you a song to sing! It may be a grand old hymn of the church that is filled with Biblical theology and hope. It may be a Gospel song, a Scripture chorus set to music, or a spiritual song the Holy Spirit may birth in your heart. Don’t be afraid to sing in the Spirit, i. e., to sing in tongues as the Spirit gives you utterance. The Apostle Paul enjoyed singing in the Spirit as well as in his own language. The balance is powerful and aids us in our healing.
Laughter in the Process of Healing:
The Scriptures tell us in Proverbs 17:22 that “A merry heart does good, like a medicine.” Though the Bible contains much humor, it rarely comments about it. However, there is a forthright praise of one’s capacity to laugh. Sometimes when one is sick or depressed, it is difficult to laugh. Pray that God will give you the spirit of laughter. It will help to bring healing to your spirit if not to your whole body. It is apparent that God is restoring joy to the Church and that includes laughter. We must be willing to change or God will by-pass us. He wants to put new wine in to new wine skins.
Partaking of Holy Communion, the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper.
Throughout my years of ministry I have taught that divine healing is in the Atonement. We know from Scripture that Jesus received stripes in his back for our healing.
The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion or the Eucharist can be a significant vehicle for the manifest presence of God to be revealed in our worship. When we participate in the act of communion, which is a sacrament or ordinance of the church, we are reminded of the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, as well as our Healer. It is in this act of remembering the death of our Savior until He comes again that we can appropriate healing for our body, mind, and spirit as we receive the bread (body) and fruit of the vine (grape juice or wine) in Holy Communion. This experience is indeed a mystery, but one that produces great results.
Last, but not least, you should call for the elders of the church for the prayer of faith and anointing with oil.
In the Book of James the Apostle James, a half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, writes these words, “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” (James 5:14-15).
I like the rendering that Eugene Peterson gives of these two verses in The Message, “Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you will oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.” Jesus often touched others—blessing children, washing feet, healing injuries or disease, and raising people from the dead. Touching others gently and lovingly with healing prayers is a tangible expression of the healing Christ, working in and through those who minister in His Name—the Name of Jesus!
Obedience to God’s Word is essential to being healed by God. The early church practiced anointing the people for healing. Our denomination has anointed the sick since our early days of existence. The laying on of hands and anointing with oil coupled with the prayer of faith is a means by which God can do a special work of healing in a person’s life. We should seek to be obedient and submit ourselves to the authority of the church.
Remember that God has the final Word!
Nothing is impossible for God!
“Rise and be healed in the Name of Jesus.”
Special Word: Place your name in the blank and claim this word for your healing.
God’s Word is at work in ________ body,
Driving out all manner of sickness and disease,
And creating in her/his body a perfect cure,
For the Glory of God,
The good of __________,
And for a testimony of God’s compassion, love and mercy, His healing power,
and His Saving grace!
“Where the Healing Waters Flow”
Oh, the joy of sins forgiven,
Oh, the bliss the blood-washed know,
Oh, the peace akin to heaven,
Where the healing waters flow.
Where the healing waters flow,
Where the joys celestial glow
Oh, there’s peace and rest and love,
Where the healing waters flow.
Now with Jesus crucified
At His feet I’m resting low,
Let me evermore abide
Where the healing waters flow.
Oh, this precious perfect love!
How it keeps the heart aglow,
Streaming from the fount above,
Where the healing waters flow.
Oh, to lean on Jesus’ breast,
While the tempests come and go!
Here is blessed peace and rest,
Where the healing waters flow.
Cleansed from every sin and stain,
Whiter than the driven snow,
Now I sing my sweet refrain,
Where the healing waters flow.
Where the healing waters flow,
Where the joys celestial glow
Oh, there’s peace and rest and love,
Where the healing waters flow.