Healing

1. Healing was part of Jesus' ministry:

Mat.4:23,24 - Jesus went...healing all manner of sickness & disease
Mat.9:35 - Healing every sickness & disease among the people
Mat.12:15b - Great multitudes followed Him & He healed them all
(See also Mat.15:30; 21:14; Acts 10:38.)

2. Healing promises are still valid "today"

Heb.13:8 - Jesus Christ the same, yesterday & today & forever
Mal.3:6 - I am the Lord, I change not
Mk.16:17a-18b - These signs shall follow them that believe: Lay hands on the sick & they shall recover
Jn.14:12-14 - He that believeth on Me, the works I do shall he do
1Cor.12:7,9b - To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit
Jam.5:14,15 - Is any sick among you? Call elders...let them pray

3. It is God's will to heal:

A. Scriptural authority for asking for healing:

Exo.15:26b - I am the Lord that healeth thee
Deut.7:15 - The Lord will take away from thee all sickness
Psa.84:11b - No good thing will He withhold from them
Psa.103:3 - (He) forgiveth all iniquities, healeth all thy diseases
Psa.107:20 - He sent His Word, & healed them
Jer.30:17a - For I "will" restore health unto thee, & "will" heal
Mal.4:2a - Sun of righteousness arise with "healing" in His wings
Mat.10:1 - He gave them power...to heal all manner of sickness &... disease
Mk.1:40,41 - Lord, if Thou wilt...Jesus saith, I "will"; be thou clean
Acts 9:34a - Jesus Christ maketh thee whole
Jam.5:15 - Prayer of faith save sick...& the Lord shall raise him up
(See also Ezk.34:16a; 3Jn.2.)

B. God prefers not to afflict you; He'd rather heal:

Lam.3:33 - He doth not afflict "willingly"...the children of men
Psa.22:24 - He hath not despised...affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from him
Heb.12:13b - Let it rather be healed

C. Jesus' physical suffering paid for our healing:

Isa.53:5 - He was wounded...with His stripes we are healed
Mat.8:16,17 - Himself took our infirmities & bare our sicknesses
1Cor.11:23,24 - This is My body, which is broken for you
1Cor.11:29,30 - Not discerning Lord's body...many are weak & sickly
1Pet.2:24 - By Whose stripes ye were healed

4. Nothing is too serious for God to heal:

Jer.32:27 - I am the Lord...is there anything too hard for Me?
Jer.32:17 - Ah Lord God! There is "nothing" too hard for Thee
Psa.34:19 - The Lord delivereth him out of them "all" (afflictions)
Psa.103:3 - Who healeth "all" thy diseases
Mat.10:1 - Power to...heal "all" manner of sickness, & "all" disease
Mat.19:26 - With God all things are possible
Mk.9:23 - All things are possible to him that believeth
Lk.1:37 - With God, nothing shall be impossible
Lk.5:17b - The power of the Lord was present to heal them

5. Conditions for healing:

2Ki.20:5b - I have...seen thy tears, behold, I will heal thee
2Chr.7:14 - If My people humble themselves, & pray & turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear & heal
Isa.19:22 - They shall return to the Lord...& He shall heal them
Isa.58:6-8a - [Help others:] Then thine health...spring forth speedily
Hos.6:1 - Come, let us "return"...& He will heal us
Jam.5:16a - "Confess" your faults...& pray one for another, that ye may be healed

6. Practical steps in obtaining healing:

A. Begin with a clean heart; unconfessed sin in your life will hinder faith:

Psa.66:18,19 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, Lord will not hear
Pro.28:13 - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper
Jam.5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, & pray one for another
1Jn.3:21 - "If" our heart condemn us "not", then have we (faith)
(See also 2Chr.7:14; Psa.51:10; 139:23; 1Jn.1:8,9.)

B. Prepare by memorising promises; find authority in God's Word & faith will come of itself:

Rom.10:17 - Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God
Josh.23:14b - Not one thing hath failed of all that...God spake
1Ki.8:56b - Hath not failed one word of all His good promise
Pro.7:2-3 - Write (My commandments) upon table of thine heart
Mat.24:35 - Heaven & earth shall pass away, but (not) My Words
2Cor.1:20 - All the promises of God in Him are yea &...Amen
2Pet.1:4 - Great & precious promises: by these ye might partake

C. Be definite:

Isa.45:11 - Concerning the work of My hands, command ye Me
Jam.1:6-8 - Ask in faith, nothing wavering

D. "Expect" from God; know you are entitled to His promises:

Mk.11:23 - Whoever...shall believe...shall have whatsoever he saith
Mk.11:24 - "When" ye pray, "believe" that ye receive & ye shall have
Heb.4:16 - Come boldly...& find grace to help in time of need
Heb.11:6 - He that cometh to God must believe...He is a rewarder

E. Accept from God; there comes a time to cease praying:

Josh.7:10 - Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
Lk.1:38 - Mary said, "Be it unto me according to thy Word"

F. Stand your ground in faith & trust:

Num.23:19 - God is not a man, that He should lie. Hath he said, & shall He not do it?
Psa.112:7 - Not be afraid of evil tidings...trusting in the Lord
Acts 27:25 - I believe God, that it shall be even as was told me
Rom.3:4 - Let God be true, but every man a liar
Rom.4:19-21 - Being "fully" persuaded that what He had promised
Gal.6:9 - In due season we shall reap, if we faint not
Eph.4:27 - Neither give place to the devil [his doubts & lies]
Eph.6:13 - Withstand...& having done all, "stand"
Eph.6:16 - Taking the shield of faith...to quench fiery darts
Heb.10:23 - Hold fast...(your) faith without wavering; He is faithful that promised
Heb.10:35,36 - Ye have need of "patience", that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise
1Pet.1:7 - The trial of your faith...more precious than gold (See also Pro.24:10; Jon.2:8.)

G. Real faith puts into action what it believes:

2Ki.5:1,9-14 - [Naaman obeyed Elisha, dipped in the Jordan, & was healed]
2Chr.20:21,22 - [When they went forth singing & praising God for the victory, He performed the miracle]
Mat.14:28,29 - [Peter believed Jesus & stepped out on the water]
Mk.2:11,12 - Take up thy bed, & go...& immediately he arose
Mk.3:1,5b - [A man stretches out his withered hand & is healed]
Lk.17:14 - As they "went", they were cleansed (healed)
Jn.4:47-53 - Believed the word Jesus had spoken...& went his way
2Cor.5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight
Jam.2:17-26 - As body without spirit...faith without works is dead

H. Thank Him for hearing & answering your prayer:

Rom.4:20 - He was strong in faith, giving "glory" to God

7. Praying for the sick:

A. Pray for healing in "Jesus'" name:

(See Jn.14:13,14; Acts 3:6; 4:10; 9:34a.)

B. Importance of laying hands on & touching the sick:

Mk.16:18b - They shall lay hands on the sick & they shall recover
Lk.4:40 - He laid His hands on every one of them, & healed them
(See also Mat.9:29; Mk.3:10; 5:28; 6:56; 7:33-35; Lk.5:13; 6:19; 22:51b.)

C. Anointing with oil for healing:

(See Mk.6:13; Jam.5:14.)

D. The power of united, group prayer:

Mat.18:19,20 - If two of you shall agree [in prayer]...it shall be done
Deut.32:30 - One (shall) chase a thousand, & two put ten thousand to flight

E. Who should pray for the sick:

Lk.8:50,51 - [Have the unbelieving leave the room before you pray]
Jam.5:14-16 - Call for the elders...& let them pray over him. The fervent...prayer of a righteous man availeth much

8. Fight in the Spirit for your healing:

Mat.17:19-21 - [Unusual, stubborn sicknesses require extra faith & prayer & fasting]
1Tim.6:12 - Fight good fight of faith, "lay hold" on eternal life

A. Sing & praise the Lord:

(See Psa.34:1; 51:15; 66:17; 77:2,10,11; 109:30.)

B. Quote Scripture like Jesus did:

Mat.4:3-10 - He answered and said, "It is "written"..."
Eph.6:17 - Take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God

9. Reasons that God allows afflictions & illnesses:

A. To keep us righteous & close to Him:

Psa.34:19 - Many are the afflictions of the "righteous"
Psa.119:71 - It is good for me that I have been afflicted
2Cor.12:7 - Lest I should be exalted...given a thorn in the flesh
Heb.12:6,11 - Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, & scourgeth
Rev.3:19 - As many as I love, I rebuke & chasten

B. To glorify God when He heals you:

Mat.15:31 - The multitude wondered...& they glorified God
Jn.9:1-3 - [The blind man's healing was to glorify God]
Acts 9:36-42 - It was known throughout all Joppa; & many believed

C. Sickness is often caused by sin:

Psa.38:2-5 - My wounds stink & are corrupt...because of my sin...because of my foolishness
Psa.107:17 - Fools, because of their...iniquities, are afflicted
Psa.119:67 - Before I was afflicted, I went astray: but now
Pro.26:2 - The curse causeless shall not come
(See also Num.12:1-15; 1Sam.5:1-12; 25:2-11,37,38; 2Chr.21:9-19; 26:16-21; Acts 12:21-23.)

D. Some sickness is an attack of the devil:

Mat.9:32,33a - When the devil was cast out, the dumb spake
Mk.9:17-20,25 - [Jesus rebuked an unclean spirit, healing a child]
Lk.13:11,13,16 - This woman...whom Satan hath bound 18 years
Acts 10:38 - Healing all that were oppressed of the devil

E. To teach & to test us:

Job 2:3-7 - [The devil was allowed to afflict Job to "test" him]
Job 5:17,18 - Behold, happy is man whom God correcteth
Psa.94:12 - Blessed is the man whom Thou chasteneth & teachest
2Cor.4:17 - [Our temporary afflictions teach us eternal lessons]

F. Emotional or physiological causes:

Psa.147:3 - He healeth the broken in heart, bindeth their wounds
Pro.11:17b - He that is cruel troubleth his own flesh
Pro.14:30 - Envy (is) the rottenness of the bones
Pro.15:13 - By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken
Pro.17:22b - A broken spirit drieth the bones
Pro.18:14 - A wounded spirit who can bear?

G. God will show you the reason if you ask Him:

1Sam.6:3b - Then ye shall be healed, & it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed from you
Job 36:9-11 - Then He sheweth them their...transgressions
Phi.3:15b - God shall reveal even this unto you

H. How to keep from getting sick:

Exo.15:26 - If thou wilt diligently "hearken"...I will put none of these diseases upon thee
Psa.91:9,10 - Because thou hast made the Lord thy...habitation
Pro.4:20,22 - Attend to My Words...they are health to [your] flesh

I. Physical reasons for sickness:

Exo.8:24b - The land was "corrupted" by the swarm of flies
Lev.11:4-12 - [Eating unclean meats, seafood, etc.]
Pro.23:29-35 - [Too much wine or alcohol]
Pro.25:16,27a - [Overindulgence in sweets:] Not good to eat much honey
Pro.23:3 - Be not desirous of dainties: they are deceitful meat
Mk.7:3,4 - [Lack of cleanliness: Jews washed often, lived long]
Rom.1:24-27 - [Unclean or perverted sex]
Phi.2:27,30 - [Overdoing physically:] Sick...not regarding his life

10. Points to remember after prayer:

A. Reasons why we're sometimes not "immediately" healed:

Isa.59:1,2 - The Lord's hand is not shortened, but your sins have separated you
Hos.5:15 - I will return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence
2Cor.12:7-9 - [Paul prayed 3 times to be healed, but the Lord left him with a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble]
Heb.10:36 - After ye have done the will of God ye (shall) receive the promise
Jam.1:3 - The trying of your faith worketh patience
1Pet.1:7 - Trial of your faith (is) much more precious than gold

B. Testify publicly about your healing:

Job 36:24 - Remember that thou magnify His work, which men behold
Psa.107:2 - Let the redeemed of the Lord say so
Mk.5:19b - Go home to thy friends & "tell" them how great things the Lord hath done for thee
Acts 4:10 - Be it known unto you all, that by the name of Jesus
(See also Psa.22:22,25; 35:18; 107:31,32.)

C. Obey God once healed, or your sickness may return:

Jn.5:14 - Thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing
Psa.85:8 - But let them not turn again to folly

11. Miraculous or natural healing?

A. God's healing vs. doctors & medicines:

2Chr.16:12,13 - Asa was diseased in his feet...he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa died
Psa.118:8 - Better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man
Jer.46:11 - In vain shalt thou use many medicines...not be cured
Mk.5:25-26 - Suffered many things of many physicians...grew worse
(See also Hos.5:13)

B. Sometimes doctors & medicines can help:

Pro.17:22a - A merry heart doeth "good" like a "medicine"
Lk.10:34 - He bound up his wounds...pouring in oil & wine

C. God-ordained natural remedies:

2Ki.20:1-7 - Take a lump of figs...lay it on the boil (Also Isa.38:21)
Jer.51:8b - Take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed
Ezk.47:12b - And the leaf thereof (shall be) for medicine
1Tim.5:23 - Use a little wine for stomach's sake & oft infirmities

D. Eat wholesome, nourishing food:

Psa.103:5 - (The Lord) satisfieth thy mouth with "good" things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's

12. No sickness in Heaven:

(See Isa.33:24; Rev.21:4.)

A. Our immortal resurrected bodies will never be sick:

1Cor. 15:42, 43 - So is the resurrection...It is sown in corruption, raised in incorruption: sown in weakness...raised in power