Series: Healing

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

As we have discussed in previous messages, there will most likely be a process to receiving the manifestation of your healing.

Process (Dictionary) – a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end.

• This process could be more appropriately named “the good fight of faith.”

1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Because it is a process there will be an opportunity for you to quit and give up.

We need to understand this process so that we can work the process.

Although he specifically mentions eternal life, the same is applicable to whatever you are believing for.

“Lay hold” – (GREEK) – to seize, catch, or take hold of.

• The good fight of faith is a fight where you hold on to something and a fight where you say something.

The enemy is going to try and get you to let go of it and not to say it.

Abraham is our model of the good fight of faith.

Romans 4:11-12 NKJV And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, (12) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

We must follow the steps of faith that God took Abraham through to receive the results.

Romans 4:16-21 NKJV Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (17) (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; (18) who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” (19) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. (20) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Abraham’s Steps of Faith Are:

1. God calls those things which do not exist as though they do. (v 17)

This is how God releases His power.

The power is released, and nothing happens that we can see. We have this idea that when God releases His power, something spectacular happens in the seen realm.

God did it in the life of Abraham; it was a process.

• • • • God works just as much in the gradual things as He does in the big bangs.

All Abraham had to go on was what God has said.

2. Abraham did not allow himself to be deterred because he was in a hopeless situation. (v 18)

Romans 4:18 NLT Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping–believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Hope = Expectation

3. Abraham did not dwell on how God was going to do this. That is being weak in faith. (v 19-20)

That is trying to do God’s job. Worrying will never bring you to a point of solution. Those things belong to the Lord and are above your paygrade.

Instead, Abraham gave glory to God. When you give glory to God, you are making progress. You are taking steps forward.

4. Abraham was fully convinced in his heart and mind. (v 21)

Abraham convinced himself by the words that he spoke and what he focused on.

Nobody can persuade you like you can. You have the God-given power to persuade yourself.

Mark 11:22-23 NKJV So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Did you notice that Jesus said in verse 23, if a person confesses something “and shall not doubt in his heart” – in other words, if he believes the words he is speaking with his mouth – he will have exactly what he says.

The word “doubt” is from the Greek word diakrinomai, which means to hesitate, to waver, to doubt, or to differ.

In context, Jesus is saying that when a person’s heart doesn’t differ from what his mouth is saying, the combination of his heart and mouth in agreement will always make things happen!

I call this concept “the heart-mouth connection.”

• For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your salvation, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally receive that salvation and make it an eternal fact.
• For instance, if you believe in your heart that Jesus purchased your healing, and you put your heartfelt faith together with the confession of your mouth, you can literally bring that healing into manifestation in your physical body.

• God’s creative power is released when the heart and mouth get into agreement on God’s Word!

That is why you must be careful about what you believe in your heart and say with your mouth, because when your heart and mouth get “in sync” with each other, it literally makes things come to pass!

• Notice that Jesus’ words went to work at the root of the situation and the effect was not immediately visible to the natural eye. The change started at the root (invisible) and then worked its way outward (visible).

Hebrews 6:11-12 TPT But we long to see you passionately advance until the end and you find your hope fulfilled. (12) So don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance.

• Patience in this verse means to endure until you receive the results.

 

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Seven things to know about the ministry of laying hands on people:

1. Laying hands on people is a doctrine of the church.

Hebrews 6:1-2 NKJV Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (2) of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

2. Laying hands on people is in the Old Testament.

• • Leviticus 16:21-22 (laying hands on the sacrifices and the scapegoat)
  • Genesis 48:13-20 (Jacob blessed his sons)
  • Exodus 34:9 (Moses laid hands on Joshua)

3. Laying hands on people is a primary way Jesus ministered healing to people.

The primary method that Jesus was most known by in His healing ministry was the laying on of hands. He used other methods occasionally but most of the time he laid His hands on people, and they were healed.

Luke 4:40 NKJV When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

4. Laying hands on people was a symbol of covenant authority.

Luke 13:10-17 NKJV Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. (11) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. (12) But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” (13) And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. (14) But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” (15) The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? (16) So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound–think of it–for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (17) And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Jesus said that this woman was part of the covenant. Healing was a benefit of the covenant package that belonged to her. We have the same benefits as part of our covenant package.

She had been touched by the devil and this is why she was bound.

Jesus laid His hands on her and in doing so He was reclaiming property that belonged to God.

Laying on of hands became the recognized point of contact for the healing process.

Mark 5:22-23 NKJV And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet (23) and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

Jairus points out that he wanted Jesus to come and lay His hands on his daughter. The people understood that the healing was primarily taking place as He laid hands on them.

Mark 1:40-42 NKJV Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” (41) Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (42) As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

5. When there is laying on of hands, great power is released.

Acts 8:14-17 NKJV Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, (15) who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. (16) For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (17) Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Two times in the scriptures we see the Holy Spirit coming on people to fill them straight from Himself as in the Day of Pentecost and then the believers being filled in Cornelius’ household. Every time after this, we see the people receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles laying hands on them.

Acts 19:6 NKJV (6) And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

6. God has authorized us to lay hands on people for healing.

God has chosen to work through us. He has committed everything to us and it is our responsibility to carry that power to the people for healing.

Mark 16:15-18 NKJV And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

What we must realize is that if people are going to receive from God, it is going to happen most likely because we carry it to them.

If God is going to touch the people, He must have your hands to do it.

If God is going to speak to the people to see them come into the Kingdom, He must have your mouth to do it.

When we lay hands on people, we are not alone and by ourselves. Our hands become the hands of God. Our hands become the hands of Jesus. We don’t have to come under any pressure because we are not the ones with the responsibility to heal. Only God can do that.

Acts 28:7-9 NKJV In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. (8) And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. (9) So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.

7. There is some misconception that if someone lays hands on me and if the power of God is present, then I am going to feel something.

We are not saying that it might not happen, but we ARE saying that it does NOT have to happen for someone to get healed.

We have these ideas because we have taught ourselves that these are the proper responses: to fall, to run, to shout, etc.

Laying on of hands is like the lighting of a fuse on a firecracker. The fuse begins the process of the release of the power.

The point of contact lights the fuse and you know that the process has begun. The scripture teaches that it is the act of faith that releases the power of God and lights the fuse.

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

(Some of the material for this sermon comes from the book titled, The Untapped Power of Praise, by Pastor Kenneth Hagin, Jr.)

Throughout history there has been a search by man for a cure for the ills, pains, and distresses that people face. Most often these are sought for physical ailments.

For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt would travel to Warm Springs, GA and had built a home there called the Little White House. He liked to go there because he could soak in the warm mineral springs and find temporary relief from the condition that polio had caused in his body.

Even today, there are those that seek some kind of “cure” or relief for physical conditions and will try many things.

• The greatest cure known to mankind can be found in praising God.

The greatest deliverance known to man is within the reach of every believer on this earth—and it is found in praising God from a sincere heart of love and gratitude!

The praise cure—God’s cure—is a cure that never fails in any circumstance or situation. And it is both pleasant and effective.

• What’s also unusual about this cure is that as you learn how to implement it, this cure will always work for you—and there’s no charge for it!

The reason this cure is so effective and is guaranteed to bring results is that it is based on God’s Word! The praise cure was purchased and put into effect by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary when He paid for our redemption on the Cross.

But even in the Old Testament, God began teaching His children about the praise cure and its benefits. We need to look at some of the mighty exploits the children of Israel experienced as a result of praising God. The Bible says that what the Israelites experienced were examples written for our admonition and benefit (1 Cor. 10:11).

2 Chronicles 20:14-25 NKJV (14) Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. (15) And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. (16) Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. (17) You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” (18) And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. (19) Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high. (20) So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (21) And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” (22) Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. (23) For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. (24) So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. (25) When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

• The Israelites’ offensive weapon against the enemy was praise!

God could have told the Israelites to hold a prayer meeting. Or he could have given them any number of strategies. But instead, He said, “Don’t worry about the enemy. I will deliver you. Just praise Me and watch Me work”! Evidently the Lord knew something about conquering the enemy the children of Israel didn’t know.

• Praise is an effective weapon against the enemy!

The Lord knows the enemy can’t tolerate the praises of God’s people!

Psalms 22:3 KJV But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Psalms 22:3 ERV God, you are the Holy One. You sit as King upon the praises of Israel.

• Since God inhabits the praises of His people, the enemy flees at the sound of praise, because at the sound of heartfelt praise, God comes on the scene!

In her book, “Healing From Heaven,” Dr. Lilian B. Yeomans tells the story about a woman named Rosa Smith who went to China as a missionary many years ago when China was open to receiving the gospel. She then

contracted smallpox. She faced dire natural circumstances: No vaccine. No cure. No hope of survival. She didn’t beg God. She didn’t pray and hope He would do something. She didn’t start a prayer chain.

In faith, she asked Him what she should do.

This is what He told her… Praise Me. Praise Me for My faithfulness to My Word. Then, He showed her a vision of an empty basket labeled “Praise.” He told her when she had filled it to the top, she would receive her healing.

So—even as ill as she was—she began singing, shouting and praising the Lord. The doctors thought she was delirious and told her to be quiet, but she kept on praising. When they told her if she recovered, she would be disfigured for life, she praised louder than ever. 

She shouted and sang and praised until the Lord showed her the praise basket was full and overflowing. Then, she fell asleep. When she woke up, all her symptoms had vanished, leaving no trace, not even a single scar.

The world didn’t have an answer to her trouble. But God did.

Praise was the cure. Are you facing an impossible situation today? Praise is the cure. You can fill your praise basket to overflowing, forcing the troubles in your life to vanish and leave no trace of ever being there if you’ll do one thing: use the praise cure.

Here’s how you start:

1. Praise God for His faithfulness to His Word 

This is exactly what the Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah did.

2 Chronicles 20:6-7 NKJV (6) and said: “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? (7) Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

Praise God for His faithfulness to His Word. His Word never fails. It never returns void. And He ALWAYS keeps His promises. Praise Him for it!

2. Keep praising God until you break through.

Some people want to throw up one or two “Hallelujahs” and call it a day, but that’s not how praise will cure your trouble. The missionary who was healed praised until her breakthrough came.

Something happens when you move over into a spirit of praise that keeps going until you break through. There’s power in praise—that’s why Psalm 22:3 says He inhabits the praises of His people.

Some people want to praise quietly to themselves. That won’t work! 

You cannot sit there with your mouth shut and expect the praise cure to work for you. There is no silent praise. You’ve got to open your mouth!

Be loud. Be bold. Give confident thanks to God. You can’t afford to be silent.

Acts 16:25-26 AMPC But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, (26) Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s shackles were unfastened.

Remember…Paul and Silas were praising out loud. Their backs were bleeding; they were in pain; their hands and feet were bound. It looked like the devil had won a victory. But he made one mistake…and you can imagine Paul saying to the devil, “You’ve got my hands and feet bound, but you should’ve taped my mouth shut—because as long as I can move my mouth, I can move a mountain. As long as I can move my mouth, I have authority.”

And their praises went through that prison and up to heaven. Then the power of God came down on that sound and set them—and everyone around them—FREE.

• If you dare to lift your voice in praise, not only will it set you free; it can set those around you free, too.

Keep praising. Keep praising. Keep praising. Fill up that basket!

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Luke 17:11 NKJV Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

Samaria was an area that Orthodox Jews did not go into because the Samaritans were half-breed Jews because they had at one time married Gentiles. Despite all of this, Jesus walked right through (the midst) this region. Why? Because religious tradition did not dictate to Jesus where He went or did not go and who He should talk to or not.

• Jesus went anywhere there were hurting and/or hungry people.

He did not care about what people would say about where He went.

No matter where someone’s life might be, off course, and away from God, Jesus will pass right through the midst of their life to reach them like He did these people. He loves people that much. He was letting this society of outcasts know that He was available to them.

Jesus will never force Himself on someone, but He is available to everyone who will receive Him.

Luke 17:12 NKJV Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

These men must have been deemed outcasts by the priest because of their physical condition of leprosy. They left their lives, their families, and their society. Therefore, it was not uncommon for lepers to live together in groups, because all they had was each other. They had to stay a certain distance from other people.

Also, if someone caught leprosy, it was believed that they had come under the judgment of God for some reason. They were looked down upon because of this mindset. They did not receive compassion from others in society because it was believed that God had done this to these people. God does not put sickness and disease on anyone!

These lepers came as close as they could to Jesus and the other people without violating the guidelines of the law. Then they lifted their voices to Jesus.

Luke 17:13 NKJV And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

They would not have called out to Jesus for help unless they had heard something about Jesus. They were in a hopeless situation but somehow, they received hope that Jesus could and would help them.

Many people needing healing would cry out for mercy. Sometimes, they would not say, “heal us” but “have mercy on me.” They would cry out for God’s mercy.

• This tells us that healing is a flow of God’s mercy.

Psalms 145:8-9 NKJV The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. (9) The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

2 Corinthians 1:3 NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

God has more than one mercy. Forgiveness of sin is one and healing is another.

Matthew 9:27 NKJV When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Matthew 15:22 NKJV And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

Matthew 17:15 NKJV “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

Matthew 20:30 NKJV And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

Mark 10:47 NKJV And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

• Anything that their life needed, God’s mercy could fulfill!

Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

God wants us to live in His mercies every day otherwise, He would not give us new mercies every single morning.

Anything His mercy can do is available to us every day.

Receive His mercies! Healing is an outflow of God’s mercy! Provision is an outflow of God’s mercy!

• The mercy of God contains all the help of God!

Luke 17:14 NKJV So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:14 MSG Taking a good look at them…

Jesus saw them… When no one else was looking at them, Jesus saw them. And when He saw them, He said something to them. Jesus gave them the best thing He could have possibly given them and that was His words.

His words are the greatest gift He could have given them or us! He gave them Himself in His words.

The word was given to them, “Go show yourself to the priests” before there was any physical change in their bodies. The ONLY reason to go show themselves to the priests would have been if they were cleansed (healed). The men turned and went believing the words of Jesus and “as they went”, they were cleansed. The removal of leprosy is referred to as a “cleansing” and not as a “healing”. The process of leprosy was stopped at that moment. No more damage to the skin was taking place.

• When we need a miracle, He will give us a word to obey.

To go and show themselves to the priests meant they were to go somewhere they weren’t supposed to be and among people. This required faith to obey this instruction.

Luke 17:15-16 NKJV And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, (16) and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

He must have not seen anything when he first went, but as he obeyed what Jesus said to him, he was healed.

“…loud voice…” (GREEK) megas phōnē

This man got loud in his giving of thanks. He was a Samaritan. He did not know the formal way to worship God. He had not been taught.

Before now, he was visibly a leper, but now he was very loudly healed!

Luke 17:17-18 NKJV So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? (18) Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

Jesus was expecting all of them to return to give thanks! Returning to give God glory for what He has done for us is important to us and it is important to Him.

Only one returned to express proper gratitude for what they had received. Are we showing proper gratitude to the Lord for what He has done in our lives?

Gratitude keeps the door shut from allowing the devil from being able to steal what we have received.

Luke 17:19 NKJV And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (KJV – “whole”)

When the man returned and worshipped Jesus, Jesus called that “faith”.

Jesus once said to Norvel Hayes – “…My children basically love Me, but they live in poverty, sickness, and defeat. They don’t live in Heaven’s blessings, because they don’t worship Me enough.”

• Worship is one of the highest flows of faith.

The other lepers were healed of leprosy, but this man was made whole. The process of leprosy was stopped in all ten of the men, but this man had received what was taken by the disease restored and made whole. This man’s worship gave him something the others did not receive from Jesus.

Jesus was disappointed that the others did not return because He wanted to make them whole too.

• Worship connects us to the mercy and the healing power of God.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 NKJV (13) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, (14) so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Let’s make sure we have established that the price for our healing has already been paid through what Jesus did for us at the Cross:

Isaiah 53:3-5 NKJV He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. (5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

• Griefs (HEBREW) Choli – disease, sickness, some kind of illness
• Sorrows (HEBREW) Makob – pain, suffering, sorrow
• Healed (HEBREW) Rapha – The process of healing, being restored to health, made healthy, restored to fertility.

Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”), (14) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Deuteronomy 28:61 NKJV Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring (ALLOW) upon you until you are destroyed.

Matthew 8:17 AMPC And thus He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases. [Isa 53:4]

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.

How Do I Receive My Healing?

1. Look to Jesus and what He has already done.

Numbers 21:4-9 NKJV Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. (5) And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” (6) So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. (7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. (8) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” (9) So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

The serpents were in the desert the whole time. But because of the hard hearts, murmuring, and complaining, God permitted the serpents to come in and bite the people.

Serpents are a type of sin and brass is a type of obstinance or persistency in sin. The serpent is then put up on a pole and lifted up and whoever looks at it will live.

Looks (HEBREW) nabat – Looking somewhat intensely in a focused way at something.

This was not just a casual glance at the serpent. They had to look at it with focus and determination.

John 3:14-17 NKJV And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Jesus makes an allusion to the fact that He would be crucified by mentioning that He was going to be “lifted up.”

Jesus said that people would have to believe on Him and in Numbers people just had to look on the serpent. We have this comparison but looking and believing are very closely connected.

If you are not looking, you are going to have a hard time believing. Whatever you look at it, will have a great impact on what you believe.

• • • You steer towards whatever you stare at.

You cannot have strong and effective faith if you are not looking at the right things.

2. Follow what you are looking at with your words.

Believing what you say versus saying what you believe:

• • Believing what you say (building your faith by your words)

Romans 10:17 NKJV (17) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The highest interpretation of this Scripture is that faith comes when you hear yourself speak the Word of God. This is because you believe what you say.

Your faith is given to you through the Word. Your faith is not some kind of noble quality that you have because you are a good person or even a Christian. It comes to you because you hear (or give attention to) the Word of God. It is imparted to you directly because of the attention given to the Word of God.

You can make your faith go to a high level based on the level of attention that you give the Word of God.

• • Saying what you believe (speaking from your faith):

Mark 11:23 NKJV (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Romans 4:17 NKJV (17) (as it is written, “I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS”) in the presence of Him whom he believed–God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Notice this verse does not say, “…He calls those things which are as though they are not…”

• • • Faith is not denial!

Pretending or denying that sickness is attacking your body is not faith.

Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV (14) Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. (15) For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (16) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

• • • Confession (GREEK) – Homo-logeo – means “saying the same thing.”

Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. (21) Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, (22) for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

If we are told to take a prescription by our Doctor, there is no arguing with this. We will stay with it until the condition that required the medicine is changed or gone altogether.

We are willing to do this even if we do not see immediate results. We need to give the Word the same diligence.

• • • When you speak the Word of God, you are releasing the seed of God’s power that is in that Word to cause itself to come to pass.

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

• Very often, God will do miracles to show people Who He is and that he loves them very much.

Matthew 15:29-31 NLT Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. (30) A vast crowd brought to Him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all. (31) The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

Acts 8:5-8 NKJV Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. (6) And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. (7) For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. (8) And there was great joy in that city.

For new followers of Christ, God will help them with miracles out of His great love and mercy for them.

As we grow and mature in our walk, those miracles seem to become fewer and fewer. Why? Because there is a greater way for us to live as believers.

The danger is this: if you look at Jesus’ ministry and what happened in the Book of Acts and think that unless healing happens that way, then it is not healing, you are wrong.

• It is just as much healing whether it takes time or not.

2 Kings 20:5-7 NLT (5) “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of My people. Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the LORD. (6) I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My own honor and for the sake of My servant David.’” (7) Then Isaiah said, “Make an ointment from figs.” So Hezekiah’s servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered!

This shows us that there was a gradual healing in the word “recovered.”

John 4:46-52 NLT As He traveled through Galilee, He came to Cana, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. (47) When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. (48) Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in Me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” (49) The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” (50) Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. (51) While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. (52) He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!”

Mark 16:15-18 NKJV And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

• When we are always looking for the instantaneous miracle, we miss God’s wonderful way of healing called “recovery.”

Why is the process of recovery better than a miracle?

• Receiving from God by the process of faith is better because you learn how to obtain and maintain from God what He has said in His Word.

1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

We must learn how to receive from God through fighting the good fight of faith.

Paul is telling us that anything that we receive from God, is more than just receiving it by faith.

Once the Children of Israel got into the Promised Land and began to occupy and live there and it begins to produce for them, someone was always trying to take it from them. These people were coming and trying to take from them the “stuff” God had given to them.

Canaan is a picture of our Christian life. There will be a fight to lay hold of what God has given to you.

You receive what God has for you by faith but there is a fight to lay hold of it and to keep it.

“Lay hold” means to grab it and hold on tight; to get a hold of in order to obtain and possess

• In the fight of faith, we need to learn to “hold on” to what is ours.

We often see ourselves as people who don’t have something, and we are trying to get it. The good fight of faith is just the opposite.

• Healing is already yours and the enemy would like to keep you from receiving it or take from you what is already yours.

It is like having the title to something. The title is not the thing but if you hold the title, you have the thing. If you hold on to the title, sooner or later the thing will show up.

The devil comes to my mind and tells me I am not going to get it. He should be saying, “You have it and I want to take it…”

The way that he postures himself is to try and convince you that you do not have it.

How do we begin fighting the good fight of faith?

1. You must know what the will of God is in your situation.

Someone said, “Faith (in God) begins where the will of God is known.”

How do we know what God’s will is? From His Word.

God’s Word is the clearest way to find out God’s will for your life. God will never “say” something and “will” something else.

We have to learn the Word in the area that we are standing in faith for because it enhances our positioning for the fight.

1 John 5:14-15 NKJV Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

John 11:39-41 NKJV Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (40) Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (41) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

Jesus did not thank the Father for raising Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus thanked the Father that He had already heard Him. That is the key.

2. The confidence that you have the answer is not found in the answer itself but in the fact that God heard you.

The answer is in knowing that God has heard you because that is when the answer is received.

Your position is that you have prayed, you believe God heard you, you believe He answered you, and you believe that you HAVE the answer before you ever see it in the natural.

John 11:42-44 NKJV And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” (43) Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” (44) And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Jesus’ rejoicing and His gratitude was not in the actual raising of Lazarus, but rather at the moment He had prayed because He knew His Father had heard Him.

3. We receive by faith when we connect with God not when the answer shows up.
4. Speak the Word of God and give praise to God as though you already possess the answer.

Romans 4:20-21 NKJV He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

We want to look at how to receive your healing by faith either through prayer or simple faith in God’s Word.

Let’s look at the woman who was healed of the issue of blood as an example.

Mark 5:25-34 NKJV (25) Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, (26) and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. (27) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. (28) For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” (29) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. (30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (31) But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” (32) And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. (33) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. (34) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Let’s break down how this healing transpired because we can apply these same principles to our need and receive from the Lord.

1. She heard about Jesus.

We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) If you are going to have faith, then you must receive God’s Word on the subject.

What does the Bible say about your healing? We have already covered many Scriptures in this series, but there are others.

Remember, we said faith begins where the will of God is known. That is why you must have God’s Word on the matter because that is where we are going to find God’s will.

1 John 5:14-15 NKJV Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

What did she hear about Jesus? Well, we know if faith was present to receive healing, then she must have heard that He is a healer. Perhaps she heard someone’s testimony of having received healing from His ministry or she witnessed someone being healed.

2. Then she said what she was going to receive.

Mark 5:28 NKJV For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Notice she spoke her faith and what was going to happen in her body when she came into contact with Jesus.

Faith is released or put into action first with your words.

Mark 11:23 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

3. She then acted on what she believed.

Mark 5:27 NKJV When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.

She put actions to what she had believed in her heart and said with her mouth.

James 2:18 Weymouth So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it–so long as it stands alone. (18) Nay, someone will say, “You have faith, I have actions: prove to me your faith apart from corresponding actions and I will prove mine to you by my actions.

It is not enough to believe and confess the Word of God in your situation; there must be corresponding actions to accompany your faith.

Simply put, corresponding actions are just acting as though the Word of God is true and that God will do what He say He will do.

Do something that you could not do before.

4. She then received what she had believed in her heart, said with her mouth, and acted on.

Mark 5:29 NKJV Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

An important thing to remember is that the feeling and the healing followed the believing, saying, and doing.

Most people want the feeling and the healing first and then they will do the believing, saying, and doing.

That would not be faith at all. Why would you need to believe that you receive something that you already have?

5. Then she told it.

She shared the testimony of what the Lord had done in her life. That is how we got Mark’s record of what happened to her. The Disciples heard her tell the story.

Tell someone what God has done in your life.

This is exactly how David defeated Goliath in the Old Testament.

1. David knew about his covenant with God through Abraham. So, he had heard the Word and faith was present.
2. David said exactly what was going to happen:

1 Samuel 17:34-36 NKJV But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, (35) I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. (36) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

1 Samuel 17:45-46 NKJV Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (46) This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

3. David acted on what he believed.

1 Samuel 17:40 NKJV Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:48-49 NKJV So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. (49) Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

4. David received his victory.

1 Samuel 17:50-51 NKJV So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. (51) Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

5. David told the testimony of what God had done that day.

1 Samuel 17:54 NKJV And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

This is exactly how someone is Born Again according to Romans 10:9-10:

1. We hear the Word of God (Gospel) and believe it in our heart.
2. We confess with our mouth that we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead.
3. We act on what we believe by making Jesus Lord of our life.
4. We receive our salvation.
5. We then tell someone about what God did for us.