Healing and rightly diving the Word

MikeTaft apologies again brother. I simply missed what your point was and took my bias and ran with it.

I decided to move the content to open up a dialogue on the subject. Maybe I didn't title properly tho?

First you are under no obligation to reply to any of this. We are a bunch that get along pretty well here and with being so familiar with most, I often forget we just met and don't know each other for more than a week, two three...

Just to give you a little perspective on my history, I was told for years exactly what D4L spelled out, to the letter. Where I attended they believed in all gifts yet when someone didn't get healed their was sin in their life or their faith was inadequate. So I am overly sensitive to preachers who are of that persuasion and basically have a hard time hearing anything they say. I think D4L has a very similar background. It's most likely that I am justing them unfairly as I am a sinner also.

So if you or others have insight or want to discuss this further I want to learn and participate

Priorities, how boring 😂

Enjoy your evening...in fact I hope you don't see this reply until tomorrow

MikeTaft...no rush! I just wanted a place where we could glean from one another on this topic. I mean you, me and anyone else interested in this subject matter. I have heard both extremes on this and lived through it too. I want to learn other perspectives on it.

I will also post up more of my personal experience.

Here’s my thoughts and understanding when it comes to the power of healing. Many say that these gifts are not available, but I say that the Spirit is the same, with the same power from the beginning of Genesis when He rested over the waters of the earth, to Jesus’ ministry, to present day today. So why does it happen that miracles of healing are rarely seen in the body of Christ today?

Personally, I have experienced healing and seen healing through the power of the Spirit. One testimony, my father-in-law had terrible kidney stones, and when he and the church laid hands on him and prayed over him, and at that moment he said that he felt that kidney stones disappear, as in the pain went away immediately. He hasn’t had kidney stones since. Even though I have yet to walk up to a blind man or someone in a wheel chair and ask them to see or walk (has to do where I am in my walk with Christ) does not mean that the Spirit cannot heal. So again, why do we not see the same miracles performed as when the Apostles and disciples of the early church walked the earth?


Let’s look at some scripture first.


A situation like this occurred when Jesus walked the earth the first time even before the Spirit was given. Let’s read Matthew 17:14-20.


14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.


The disciples were sent out healing & casting out demons in the name of Jesus while preaching the kingdom of God is near (Luke 10:1-9). Then they failed to heal a man’s son because of a demon that indwelt inside of him. They were perplexed as to why even though they had so much success beforehand. Jesus clearly stated why, unbelief.

Another situation occurred during Paul’s ministry when some Jewish exorcist attempted to cast out a demon using the name of Jesus illegitimately (Acts 19:13-16). Needless to say, the fact that they didn’t truly believe in Jesus and lacked the Holy Spirit, the demon ripped them to pieces so to speak.


A last example I’d like to use, even though this does not pertain to a “healing” miracle, none the less is still a miracle. In Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus was seen walking on the water in the storm. Jesus told them not to fear, and Peter replied that if it was truly Him, to ask Him to come out to Him on the water. Jesus said “come” and Peter was walking on water to Jesus! It wasn’t until fear crept in and in Peter’s doubt he sank like a rock. He called for Jesus to save him and Jesus did, but he rebuked Him saying, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst though doubt?” (Matt. 14:31).

From what I understand the disciples were so close to the source of our Lord’s power through miracles, because they saw Him perform them over and over again, that they believed when Jesus told them to do the same, it happened and it reinforced their belief. However, they still struggled with unbelief and failed as we see in the previous verses. In the book of Acts, these same miracles were performed by the Apostles and the disciples without failure. Jesus said to Thomas who doubted His resurrection in John 20:29:


29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.


The first disciples where able to see Jesus and believe, but we today who have not seen Him have an even greater faith and are blessed because of it. So back to my main question, why aren’t we healing miraculously as they did back then? It’s because of unbelief, or more specifically doubt. How often do we pray over someone and have doubt wondering, “I hope the Lord answers my prayer and heals that person.” Even sometimes we go as far to say, “I’m not sure if it will work, but I’ll give it a try.” Is there any confidence in these statements? I’m not talking about confidence in ourselves, but confidence in the Spirit and His ability to do the impossible. In my personal understanding and opinion (with that and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee), it comes down to us having a lack of faith in the Spirit to carry out such a powerful act.


Another thing that may restrict us is the will of our Father. He knows our heart better than we know ourselves. He knows the past present and future of our lives. So sometimes we act in our own attempt to do what we think is right as a Christian without even consulting the Spirit. We have to consult the Spirit whether to move or not when it comes to declaring healing over someone. It is not a matter that should be taken lightly. Nor should we forsake the opportunity when we know full well with confidence that the Spirit is telling us to go over to the person and pray for them and heal them. We today have the same power to heal people today, but we need to have the right heart, with full faith and confidence in the Spirit and acting in accordance with the Father’s will.


Now as D4L mentioned, going to the extremes of personal doctrine can be bad. Zeal for the Lord and pride are two different things. If you try to heal someone and it doesn’t happen, it’s not a matter of “that person is not worthy to be healed,” but rather are you acting in accordance with the Spirit and the will of God? People like to point fingers at others and blame them for the fault, but there’s always more fingers (3 to be exact) pointing right back at you.


I personally will never move to heal someone unless I know and hear specifically from the Spirit to act. Hopefully we can glean something from this matter in SK’s thread “Hearing God”. I hope this explains my position better. Feel free to comment and hopefully by the end of this thread we’ll have a full understanding through the grace of the Holy Spirit who gives us truth.

MikeTaft - it took me almost an hour to write the above response (Interruptions, work-ugh ) so none of that was contemplated regarding your reply. 

I do want to just touch on the unbelief piece as I'm not certain I fully agree. I am somewhat persuaded by cessasion dispensation.
Peter healed many with his shadow:
Acts 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

Paul with articles of clothing:
Acts 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

yet later on Paul couldn't pray for timothy and heal his ailments?
1 Tim 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

Nor could the same Paul help Epaphroditus?
Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Was Paul, Timothy or Epap in unbelief? Why weren't these or others healed?

I can't tell if this thread is about healing or hearing. And therein lies the answer.

Before there is healing, there is hearing. Without the hearing there is no healing. We say Amen to what God is already saying and the result is healing, casting out of demons, enlightenment, etc.

Denominations that teach Word of Faith concepts, or name it and claim it concepts do not understand the hearing part. They think it is about speaking. They think they can speak things into exists, speak Truth to Power, so to speak. (heh, see what I did there?) They believe that by naming it in the Name of Jesus, it will happen. Their words are meant to bring it about. They fail to recognize that the exact opposite is required. They need to hear. There is only one Word that can bring it about.

Occasionally, they speak something that God is saying and the result is healing, etc. It had nothing to do with their speaking, but what God was speaking.

Not all who are called to these ministries are like this. There are some who hear and say Amen to the Word of the Lord. It is too bad that these are typically not the ones we see on TV.

Yes, we often see people professing words of wisdom, or proclamations, or prophecies of all sorts of things over people. We often have people claiming healing over people. So many words, so few people hearing. Then fellow believers see this - they see the lack of results and make determinations about cessation, dispensation, balance, faith, gifts, etc. Once formed these determinations begin to solidify our belief system and over time, become our doctrines. This is why we must be extreme in our walk of faith. There is no room for balance, no chart to follow, no pattern that plots the course of our journey. The walk of faith is unpredictable and when we start feeling like we have a handle on it, God moves us in a new way to keep it unpredictable. 

He fills each of us with the purpose for which he desires us to fulfill. Some for sickness, others for health. It has nothing to do with the amount of faith we have. As a matter of fact, I think a case could be made that sometimes he provides healing for those who don't have the strength of faith to endure sickness. He gives grace when needed. He has mercy upon whom He wishes. His perspective is so much grander than ours.

The root comes back to hearing. And with hearing, we must have discernment (as MT said). We must hear, we must agree, and then we must act upon the voice of God. That's the Ready, Aim, Fire approach. To often we see the Fire, Aim, Ready approach. Or we skip the Ready and Aim altogether.