Hope for Healing

My wife had been suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome plus painful arthritis in her hands. She couldn’t grip the steering wheel of the car to drive. She couldn’t type on the computer. Worst of all, she couldn’t play the piano, something she loved to do both for personal enjoyment and for worship to the Lord.

Then she received healing. It occurred suddenly, but only after she met certain conditions. She put herself in a position to be touched by God’s grace.

Healing, like all of God’s free gifts, is bestowed by grace. Jesus paid for your healing by His stripes on the cross. Jesus wants you well. Healing is not something you have to earn. You don’t need to be good enough to qualify. Like forgiveness of sins, it comes by grace, through faith, by asking God and trusting His Word. Healing was offered to people by Jesus as part of the good news of His kingdom.

Ultimately, sickness and suffering are due to Satan and the curse of sin on humanity. But your sickness may not have a cause you can identify, so don’t blame yourself for being sick.

Instead, take action to get well. Do everything in your power to obtain healing. It pleases God to undo the effects of sin or sickness and it glorifies God for you to be made well.

Learn about God’s plan for healing you. Permit God to heal you as a sign of His great love for you. Put yourself in a position to receive healing from God by learning to humbly trust Him.

If you need increased hope for your healing, this pamphlet was written especially for you. Read it thoughtfully. Prayerfully consider these ideas.I wanted to be a doctor before God called me to preach. I have been pastor to many dedicated physicians. I know that good medical care and the ministry of Christian healing complement one another. There is a natural alliance between medicine and prayer. Both are of God.

Healing from God can occur immediately through prayer by the Holy Spirit’s power. Or, healing may occur as a gradual process over time. Healing is certainly accelerated when we do those natural things that are in our power to promote wellness.

Some of these are proper rest and exercise, healthy lifestyle choices, and eating right. Good nutrition, neglected for years, causes sickness. A pill can’t undo what years of reckless eating has caused. Fruits and vegetables are better for you than foods loaded with fat and calories. Most people don’t drink enough water. These simple things increase our body’s immunity and well-being.

There are some other things you need to know if you want to improve the likelihood of your recovery through spiritual avenues, that is, by means of prayer or the laying on of hands. Let’s examine some aids to recovery–things, based on my opinion and my experience, that augment good medical care.

Cooperate with Doctors

Receive your medical treatments as instruments of mercy sent by a loving Heavenly Father. Remember Dr. Luke in the Bible? He wrote the gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He traveled with the apostle Paul. Paul called him "the beloved physician."

God likes doctors! Doctors are servants of God. They hate sickness and give their lives fighting it. God may use your doctor or surgery or medicines they prescribe to help cure your disease. Be thankful for their help. Pray over your treatments. Expect to get well.

You can affect the outcome of your treatment. Often medical treatment depends on your cooperation. Use your will to choose positive thoughts and attitudes. Decide for life and against death.

Face your disease as an enemy. Ask God to help you get well. Don’t believe the evil thoughts that say you are not worth God’s love. Don’t believe the lie that you somehow deserve this sickness. Give yourself permission to recover.

You are valuable to God. Yes, you are! Jesus died for you. Your life matters to God. He has a plan for your life. Agree with the Bible about your case, that God wants you to have overflowing life.

Set the Stage for Healing

Check your emotional environment, your associations, and your expectations. Some people live in such a negative world that they seem to create their own bad luck. Don’t permit fear or despair to rule your thoughts. As a human being with dignity, you are a creation of great worth. Determine to influence your surroundings with words of peace, love, and blessing. Fill your time with happy people and good ideas that build you up. Embrace positive emotions and affirming relationships. Focus on good things. Laughter is beneficial. A positive attitude can’t hurt. Begin to expect the best every day. After all, you have the right to exercise hope. Why? Because you have God on your side, you have good medical care, and you have praying friends standing with you. Every day, say to yourself, "Today, I’m going to get better!" Hope says, "Why not me?" If you are actively seeking God for recovery, then such thoughts are not presumptuous but instead they are evidence of faith.

Get to Know Jesus

Jesus is the Son of God. He is our Savior who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He was raised from the dead and has all power. He loved people and cured them. He is still the Great Physician. The Bible is filled with accounts of suffering people whom Jesus healed. It seemed that Christ delighted in taking away pain and infirmity. Believe in Him and receive His Spirit into your heart. Trust Him to save you from your sins and give you eternal life. Simply talk to Him in prayer.

Meditate on Truth

The Bible is God’s Word to mankind. It is reliable and trustworthy. It not only tells us the story of God’s Son, but it also gives us lessons on how to live. It tells us how to overcome our failures and how to resist the attacks of our enemy, the devil, and his forces that hurt us.

Let the Bible’s ideas feed your faith and inspire your hope. Faith based on God’s Word releases power to overcome impossible situations. Faith isn’t magic or new age nonsense. It is heartfelt trust in God’s love and truth.

Let God speak to you through the pages of your Bible. Consider its truth. Take its words seriously. As you read it, pray to Jesus and ask Him to speak to you. You’ll be surprised at how the Scriptures will come alive.

There are many Christians who will pray for you in a spirit of love. You will know these kinds of believers because they seem to exude mercy and humility. Ask them to pray frequently and fervently for you. It is not a bother to them. Many Christians have a charisma of the Holy Spirit, a gift of grace, that gives them great satisfaction in praying for someone who is suffering. These are called "soaking prayers" in that they are unhurried. Surprising results happen as Christians pray in faith, persistently.

A simple way to receive prayer is for someone to take your hand or gently touch you while they ask the Lord to give you the gift of healing. A restful, trusting attitude is helpful. Sometimes you can sense God’s peace or feel God’s power through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Ban Negative Feelings

It is important that any hindrances to healing be completely removed. The greatest barrier to healing is unforgiveness. This is usually manifested in bitterness and anger. Do you know someone whom you need to forgive? There is often an invisible connection between ailments and attitudes. We don’t understand it completely, but it is so common that it is worth studying. Examine your heart. Do you have a wounded spirit, that is, a deep offense toward someone? Or, as you think of someone who hurt you in the past, do you still feel anger? It is important that you get rid of these emotional poisons. Make a decision to be free. Tell God you forgive them. Give the person who wronged you something they don’t deserve, your forgiveness. When you do that, God will give you His undeserved favor as well. He’ll give you the gift of Jesus’ healing love and power.

What if Sickness Lingers?

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we are forced to live with physical limitations. Even if you do not experience complete recovery from your physical problems, you can certainly experience an inner healing that will be permanent and life-changing. You can come to know lasting joy, satisfying peace, and quiet confidence born out of your new relationship with Christ. Bitterness, loneliness, and resentment can be cured 100% of the time! Our physical life is temporary, but eternal life is forever!

I urge you to make the most important decision of your life and choose Jesus Christ as your Savior. When you do, God will begin the healing of your soul–the greatest miracle of all!

Want to Stay Well?

After your recovery, change your lifestyle so that harmful actions are dropped off. It is foolish to revert to negative attitudes or hurtful addictions that destroy your peace. It’s not worth it! Turn away from sin and unbelief and learn to love and follow the Lord.

Once you start understanding God’s Word, you can choose happiness and things that make for wholeness. In fact, you may very well become a channel of God’s healing love to other people. Won’t that be wonderful? The fact is, people who walk in God’s love and give it away to other people are healthier, live longer, have better relationships, and have a richer life than those who choose to live apart from God’s love.

© 1997 by Ron Wood. Ron and his wife, Lana, have been pastors more than 30 years. He has served as a State Coordinator for the U. S. Strategic Prayer Network. Ron is best known for his prophetic writing ministry. Ron & Lana are a ministry team. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington. Ron & Lana were sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic leaders in the developing church. If you wish to copy this article for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this article and this byline is included. The author asserts his moral rights of ownership. For more information or helpful literature, visit our web site at touchedbygrace.org, or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.

Trusting in the Grace of God

The grace of God is foundational to our faith. If we bypass grace, then we have missed the Spirit of God altogether and are doomed to struggle with self-effort. Many Christians are frustrated because they fail to understand God’s grace. So let’s examine the Scriptures and at least gain an introduction to this grace in which we stand.

Titus 2:11-12 says, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us..."

This verse says that grace has appeared. That means you can see it, that it has become manifest. How did it appear? In our Lord Jesus Christ. He embodied grace. By His life and His atoning death, He revealed grace. But today Jesus isn’t walking among us as a visible model of grace. So how can people see God’s grace in action? By the members of his body, the church.

If we fail to be gracious, we hinder Christ’s testimony. One way we fail to show grace is when we refuse to forgive. Failure to forgive means we criticize or judge others. You can’t judge the world and love the world at the same time. Another way we fail to show grace is when we don’t do good works or practice prayer. Empty of grace, our light grows dim and we don’t reflect Jesus.

This verse also says that grace brings something to us, something deposited into our lives which has a transforming, liberating effect. It is payment of sin’s debt and it is power to live for God. That something is called salvation. Salvation includes everything which Jesus purchased for us on the cross. That’s so much broader than simply forgiveness of sins. Salvation has eternal results but also has temporal effects. Saved people act differently–we’re a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Saved people associate with new friends–they re-orient their relationships to live in Christian community. Saved people have a new motivation–to do God’s will. Saved people have a new destiny and a new destination–to become like Christ and to live with Him eternally, escaping hell and gaining heaven. All this happens because the grace of God brings salvation to us.

And grace teaches us. If you are following the Lord Jesus, you can enroll in the school of grace and be taught. That’s why we need to be patient with each other... we haven’t graduated yet! If you’re willing to learn, grace will actually instruct you to adopt a lifestyle pleasing to God. It’ll show you the way and it will empower you to do it.

You see, grace is more that just a cover-up for sin. If that were all, it would be no better than Old Testament mercy. Nor is it just a declaration of undeserved favor. It is much more. Grace is God’s active help continually made available to anyone who seeks Him. Grace is actualized favor, realized blessing, and available power, all obtained by faith, as an undeserved gift through Christ’s loving sacrifice on the cross.

From this one verse in Titus 2:11, you can see why we are touching "surpassing riches" whenever we deal with the topic of grace (Eph. 2:7). By grace we are saved (Eph. 2:8). By grace we are called (Gal. 1:15). By grace we receive gifts (Rom..12:6). All of our access to God is by grace. All of our ministry for God is by grace. This rich doctrine of grace is not just theological theory, but is a necessary truth for all believers.

In the New Testament there is one particular story which illustrates the reality of grace–the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Take time to read this story and you will see grace in action. The faithful father showed grace by giving an inheritance prematurely. The wayward son experienced grace when he came to his senses in the pigpen. The father showed grace again when the son returned in shame and was received without being judged. And the whole household showed grace when they celebrated over the prodigal’s return. That is, all except one person–the older brother. He didn’t have any grace.

The older brother is an example of "Performance Orientation." He had lived in the same household, been loved by the same father, but he didn’t know his father’s heart. Rather than rest in his father’s love, he felt like he had to earn his father’s favor every day. He kept trying harder. He had an inaccurate image of his father that wasn’t true.

This is a common problem when people don’t understand their relationship with God’s authority. People with "PO" attempt to please by keeping all the right rules, by conforming to the standards of conduct for the group, by putting on a fake smile and pretending everything is okay. The symptoms are anxiety, insecurity, and being a man-pleaser.

Do you know where this problem is often found? In churches! Religious pretense can easily replace a real relationship with God. Listen to this: Failure to understand the Father’s heart puts illegal pressure on immature saints, producing performance rather than rest through believing. The father in this story appealed to his oldest son, saying, "All that is mine is yours." But the oldest son had been living beneath his privileges, not really knowing how much his father loved him.

Sometimes us fathers make it hard on our firstborn offspring. After all, we’re practicing at being parents, aren’t we? But God’s kind of love is never deficient, never arbitrary or capricious. It never stops giving, loving, accepting. You may say, "But I don’t deserve it." And you’re right. That’s why it’s called grace. Grace is always given, never earned. If you earned it, then it wasn’t by grace. In fact, working at it harder will only frustrate the grace of God. The flesh has nothing to boast about in God’s kingdom. Grace comes only by trusting.

The opposite of grace is works, or law-keeping. The letter of the law, even if that letter is scripture, can never obtain grace for believers. Only faith in the One who gives grace, the Lord Jesus, can bring deliverance to us since "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor. 3:5). Living by the law misses the mark.

This problem is called legalism, or reverting to law rather that walking in faith. Legalism isn’t new. Paul saw it in the Galatian churches and said they would fall from grace if they reverted to rules in order to be saved (Gal. 2:21). Religious people must fight the temptation of trusting in works, because law-keeping doesn’t bear fruit. Only being joined to Jesus enables us to bear fruit (Romans 7:4). In other words, a relationship with Jesus gives rest. Real faith results in grace to keep God’s laws from the heart, with joy, without striving.

Legalism is a perversion of the gospel. It is a "polite" form of backsliding that disqualifies us from God’s favor. This is a serious problem. The Apostle Paul said, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Gal. 3:1-3 NIV). That’s the problem in a nutshell–trying to become perfected by religious self-effort.

Legalism is trying to be righteous by keeping regulations. These Galatians weren’t committing fornication or some other blatant sin. But they were turning to the law. Paul sternly rebuked them for it. He says they were bewitched. They couldn’t see straight. Legalism replaces regulations for the power of the cross. The cross is the gateway to God’s grace.

People blinded by legalism forget God’s judgment on their old nature, that a rebel lives inside us. We think our flesh can work harder and thereby please God. We don’t realize the cross has to work in our own lives, an experience of death to sin and self, so we can live toward God.

Let me testify to you about grace. As a youth I wrestled with the fear of losing my salvation. Why? Because I wasn’t grounded in faith and grace. I had equated being saved with being perfect and I knew I wasn’t. Then God showed me something about the cross. He showed me that even if the devil lied to me, or tempted me, or covered me up with accusations, one thing would stand unchanged–the cross upon which Jesus died. It became an anchor for my faith.

What Jesus did on the cross can not be undone. It has been forever settled– Jesus hung on the cross and suffered in my place. The price has been paid. My faith can be tested, sin may momentarily overwhelm me, but the work of the cross can never be erased. Christ invaded human history, split the calendar in two, shed His holy blood, declared the saints righteous, and wrote our names down in glory. Hallelujah, it is finished!

When I saw this truth, I quit looking at myself and started looking at Jesus instead. I put my eyes on Him. That’s when I began to walk in victory.

You can know this victory as well. God intends for you to reign in life, defeat the devil, and have lasting peace. How? Put your faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Enjoy a new relationship with God because of Christ’s grace.

By God’s doing, we are liberated from sin’s control. Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."

The cross is still there for you. It is the fountainhead of God’s love revealed in Christ. It is the historical landmark that affirms God’s covenant of grace. It is the key to receiving God’s gifts by faith instead of works.

Keep looking to Jesus. He had you in mind when He hung on the cross. He paid the price to put sin to death and enable you and me to become a new creation in God. You can have rest in your soul through believing! Let nothing obscure His cross from your sight.

© 1997 by Ron Wood. Ron and his wife, Lana, have been pastors more than 30 years. He has served as a State Coordinator for the U. S. Strategic Prayer Network. Ron is best known for his prophetic writing ministry. Ron & Lana are a ministry team. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington. Ron & Lana were sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic leaders in the developing church. If you wish to copy this article for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this article and this byline is included. The author asserts his moral rights of ownership. For more information or helpful literature, visit our web site at touchedbygrace.org, or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.

Prophets and Prophecy

All through the history of God’s dealings with his people, he has used spokesmen called prophets. These anointed individuals were used of God to bring God’s word to his people. The fact that we now have a Bible does not replace our need for this ministry. In fact, the Bible predicts prophetic ministry will increase.

The apostle Peter quoted the prophet Joel on the Day of Pentecost when he said, "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." (Acts 2:17-18 NIV). God promised that the outpouring of his Spirit in the last days would result in people prophesying, especially young people.

What is prophesying? Is it valid today? If so, how does it occur? What are the biblical safeguards surrounding this gift? These are questions that must be answered in order for us to proceed in faith and wisdom.

What is NOT Prophecy

First, let me address what biblical prophecy is not. It is not preaching, and it is not predicting the future. Preaching may have prophetic elements mixed in it, but not all preaching is prophesying. Most preaching is simply exhorting or teaching. Prophecy may foretell the future, but its primary purpose is usually forth-telling. It speaks a "now" word from God by revelation.

Preaching involves studying the Scriptures then declaring them in an expository manner. Sermons are the product of presenting biblical truth in an orderly way. Preaching is a wonderful gift, for it is by this anointed act that God calls men to be saved.

Prophesying, on the other hand, is speaking words that God brings to mind in a spontaneous manner, often with no forethought, preparation, or knowledge of what you are going to say. Prophecy, like speaking in unknown tongues, is inspired utterance given by the Holy Spirit. But prophecy comes forth in a language known to the hearers, with immediate application and relevance.

Prophecy may have within it a word of wisdom or knowledge that unfolds something hidden or future events known to God, but not always. Normally, the pure gift of prophecy is limited to words that edify, comfort, exhort, or stimulate the faith of the person listening to draw nearer to the Lord and fulfill God’s call on their life. Also, don’t confuse prophecy with fortune-telling. That’s a counterfeit gift, sometimes called channeling, which comes from the activity of Satan to deceive the gullible. It is an idolatrous sin and a snare to any who get involved. People should seek counsel from the Bible, from pastors, and through prayer, not greedy new age gurus who have familiar spirits and clever deceptions.

The Office of the Prophet

It is important to distinguish the office of the prophet from the gift of prophecy. In the Old Testament, God’s primary spokesmen were people who stood in the office of the prophet. Their words carried powerful authority. They themselves were a sign to God’s people.

Often, these prophetic people predicted the future. How were they able to do this? They did it by being sensitive to the Spirit of Christ within them. For this ability to see by the Spirit, they were often called "seers." They called God’s people to repentance. They sometimes had words of judgement as well as future blessings to those who would turn from idolatry and obey God. They were agents of the covenant who carried divine authority.

In the New Testament, the office of the prophet is still being filled by Christ as he appoints and prepares people for this ministry. The office of the prophet is mentioned in Ephesians 4:12, in 1 Cor. 12:28, as well as numerous other passages. Prophets are one of the five "Ascension-Gifts" of the resurrected Lord. Prophets play a vital role in encouraging local churches and in strengthening apostolic teams. They are invaluable to the body of Christ for their sensitivity to the Spirit. Often they are the first to get wind of God’s directions or to uncover concealed sin. When joined to apostolic ministry, they are part of the foundation ministries of the Church.

The Gift of Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is distinct from the office of the prophet. Not everyone who prophesies is a prophet. The ordinary gift of prophecy is one of the nine charismatic gifts mentioned in 1 Cor. 12-14. It is the premier gift when it comes to public ministry in the church. Why is this so? Because prophetic utterance, when spoken by a pure vessel with a heart full of faith, serves as a catalyst to stir up and release other gifts. Prophecy has tremendous power to build up the body of Christ. It can’t replace teaching. Nor can it replace good pastoral care, but it can stimulate, electrify, and replenish believers’ faith in God’s power, wisdom, and love. For this reason we are told, "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy." (1 Cor. 14:1 NIV).

Not all Christians will have the gift of prophecy. There are many other serving gifts listed in Romans 12. The Holy Spirit divides gifts according to his own will and purpose. Yet, we are told to covet the best gifts, especially prophecy. Often the desire for a certain gift is a signal that God wants to give it to you.

It is important to understand the way these gifts function. They do not operate at the discretion of the recipient alone, but according to the will and enabling grace of God. Our role is to stay in close communion, yielded to God, available for him to utilize us as a channel of his grace any time he wishes. Then, when the anointing for that gift comes, if we will step out in faith, that gift will be manifested and many will be blessed.

The Spirit of Prophecy

The spirit of prophecy is another manifestation of God’s grace that operates in believers’ lives. "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev. 19:10 NIV). When this anointing, this spirit of prophecy, is upon someone, they will bear witness to Christ in a remarkable way. The character and glory of Jesus will shine through believers who have this anointing. This spirit can even rest upon a whole congregation for a brief period, producing a powerful effect upon sinners... "the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’" (I Cor. 14:24-25 NIV). Everyone at some time may prophesy when the Spirit of God rests upon them to grant this ability. It is often manifest when someone initially receives the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 19:6). We should all be open to the Holy Spirit using us at times in this manner.

Some will be graced with a more powerful or frequent manifestation of prophetic utterance or insight and we can discern over time that they have the gift of prophecy. The fruit of their ministry of this gift, its timeliness, its accuracy, and its uplifting effect will confirm it. Some will be set apart by the Lord and called to become prophets in the church. You can’t call yourself to this office; it is Christ’s choice alone. This is an awesome burden and whoever is invited to wear this mantle will be sorely tested, brought through faith and humility, and purified. Thank God for those the Lord is calling, equipping, and sending into the church with this ministry today.

Governing Prophetic Ministry

God has built-in safeguards that should guide the operation of these gifts in our churches. Every believer should be accountable to the spiritual authority of the elders in his church. Being answerable is a safeguard from pride, independence, or even divisiveness. (A heretic is a factious person, self-willed and opinionated.) Everyone who has the genuine spirit of prophecy will manifest Christ’s gentleness and submission. They will cooperate with the government of the church and not produce discord. They will submit to the written Word of God as supreme. Prophetic ministers should be judged for the fruit of their individual lives, their families, and their ministries, as well as the accuracy of words they bring. No one, not even those who say, "Thus says the Lord," is above spiritual authority in the church. They will love the church, honor its leadership, and work for its unity.

We are in a change of seasons in the body of Christ. Many denominations have stalled right where they were fifty years ago, settling for old traditions. But God is restoring the prophetic gifts and the prophetic office in our day in a remarkable way. If the leaders of the church will understand what God is doing, then they will have no fear of the changes that are occurring. The new wine needs new wineskins. The new wine is the outpouring of God’s Spirit. The wineskins are the authority structures of the church. Flexibility and humility will help us embrace these changes in the church. We are all learners in matters of the Spirit.

People are hungry to taste and see God’s goodness and the powers of the age to come. Reality is breaking in on our complacency. God is causing prophecy to spring forth. Our task is to understand it, relate to it properly, and rejoice at God’s loving provision for his people.

© 1997 by Ron Wood. Ron and his wife, Lana, have been pastors more than 30 years. He has served as a State Coordinator for the U. S. Strategic Prayer Network. Ron is best known for his prophetic writing ministry. Ron & Lana are a ministry team. They are members of Reconciliation Ministries International led by Bishop Joseph Garlington. Ron & Lana were sent to Africa to help equip emerging apostolic leaders in the developing church. If you wish to copy this article for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this article and this byline is included. The author asserts his moral rights of ownership. For more information or helpful literature, visit our web site at touchedbygrace.org, or e-mail us at ron@touchedbygrace.org.