Chapter 3

Reviving the Gospel of Healing

There must be no uncertainty of God’s ability to heal as there is no uncertainty of God’s ability to save. When we lose our way in either, we return to the pattern–we retrace the steps of the pattern that initiated the fiery anointing on those who have gone before us.

Video: Returning to the Pattern 

 

The Pattern – Four Steps to Revival 

1. Know God’s Promises of Healing
2. Be a Prepared Vessel
3. Believe That You Received
4. Be Patient and Let the Process Work

Know God’s Promises of Healing

Those seeking healing must know God’s promise to heal. As we teach God’s plan of salvation there must be an equally strong teaching of his promise to heal. In order to reap a harvest, seeds must be planted. Likewise in order to reap healing, the Word of God must be seeded to cultivate faith in God’s promises. Romans 10:17 says ‘faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.’ Psalms 107:20 says ‘he sent his word and healed them…’ Faith is trusting the known will of God. There’s saving faith and healing faith. As we teach to inform those that would be saved so we teach to inform those that would be healed.

God’s Promises of Healing

We inherit the promises because we are Abraham’s seed – Galatians 3: 7, 16, 29

Jesus shed his blood for our healing – Isaiah 53:4-5

God promised long life – Psalm 91:15-16

Heals all your diseases – Psalms 103:2-3; Matt 9:35; 10:1; 14:14, 34-36; Luke 6:17-19; Acts 5:15-16; 10:38

Heals the obedient – Proverbs 4:20-22

The prayer of faith will heal the sick – James 5:14-16

Commissioned to do greater works – John 14:12-14

Jesus bore our sins and sicknesses on the cross. Salvation and healing have passed from the cross to us.

Be a Prepared Vessel

We are living in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Since Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, we now have access to the Holy Spirit. Is He a knock off of Jesus? Is He less powerful? Jesus healed all, but did we get a watered-down version of God’s spirit now that the Holy Spirit is living in us?

The power of God through the Holy Spirit has not diminished. However, the Holy Spirit does not intrinsically operate in a believer under any conditions. Let’s look at what moves the Holy Spirit to operate through us.

1. Obedience

John 14:15 Amplified Bible

If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

Simply put, if you love God, you will do what he asks of you in his Word. That means not only the heart is changed so does the lifestyle.

2. Holiness (Righteousness)

1 Peter 1:15-16 Amplified Bible

¹⁵ But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 

¹⁶ because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.”

Being holy is a state of mind and heart that is infused in our daily lives.

3. Commitment

Luke 9:62

But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Romans 12:1-2 

12 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. 

² And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame and conquered him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death.

4. Constant in prayer

If Jesus, who was God in flesh prayed…

At his baptism

Luke 3:21

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened,

When choosing the disciples

Luke 6:12-13

Now at this time Jesus went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God…following of which he chose twelve.

To stay in the will of God

Luke 5:16

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

Luke 9:18

Now it happened that as Jesus was praying privately…

John 5:19

¹⁹ So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way.

In the Garden of Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane (olive-press), and He told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

Encouraging constant prayer

Luke 18:1

Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,

…shouldn’t we find ourselves in constant prayer also?

5. Faith

James 1:6-7 

⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

In Mark 9:17-29 the disciples were troubled as to why they couldn’t cast out the deaf and dumb spirit. After all Jesus had sent them on a mission trip to do just that. And they did it successfully. But they could not cast out the spirit in this man. They were stumped. Jesus called them “faithless’ and told them that this kind comes out by “prayer”. Some translations read “prayer and fasting”.

As with any organization there are hierarchies of power. This applies to the satanic kingdom as well. Evil spirits know the power level at which a believer operates in the Holy Spirit. If a believer is not fully engaged with the Holy Spirit, their power connection is short circuited.

When you are dealing with disease and demons you are working within the spiritual realm.  Spirit must deal with spirit. You cannot deal with the spirit in the flesh or if you are spiritually unprepared.

Operating in the Flesh

The Sons of Sceva

Why didn’t Holy Spirit move at the command of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-15?

The sons of Sceva were priests that went about ministering to the Jews. They took note of Paul’s ministry of exorcizing evil spirits in the name of Jesus. These priests tried to do the same. They used the name of Jesus but were not plugged into the power associated with the name. They said the name but didn’t believe in the name. So, their results were let’s say a little different.

Acts 19:15-16 

¹⁵ But when they tried it on a man possessed by a demon, the demon replied, “I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?” 

¹⁶ And he leaped on two of them and beat them up, so that they fled out of his house naked and badly injured.

Being a prepared vessel requires a life that is lived in the spirit. Paul lived that life that’s why the demon knew him. How many leaders say the name, adorn their edifices with empty crosses, communion bowls, liturgical dancers and singers but are not truly connected to the power source behind that name?

Believe That You Received

Healing is not always instant; it can be a process. It is not associated with symptom-free feelings although it can be. Instant healings are miracles. Our faith is that he heard our prayer and our belief in his promise is our assurance, not the absence of symptoms. Don’t pray hoping for healing, you are then praying for what might be possible. Pray expecting what you know is possible.

Mark 11:24 

²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Praying “If It Be Thy Will”

Many of our prayers are laced with these words, “if it be thy will”. When are these words appropriate and when are they not? They are not appropriate if God’s will is readily made known in his Word. His will concerning healing is in the Word of God.

Jesus corrects the leper’s “if”

Mark 9:20-23 

²⁰ So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. 

²² “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Jesus was standing in front of the leper and made the will of God known by stating “Everything is possible for one who believes”. Today Jesus isn’t physically standing in front of us but we are not ignorant of the will of God in his written word.

Be Patient, Let the Process Work

Hebrews 10:35-36 

³⁵ So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 

³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

We show faith and patience in planting a crop. When a farmer plants seeds does he go out and dig them up after two weeks to see if they’re sprouting roots? No, he believes in the law of sowing and reaping. All he does is water it and wait for it to grow!

Be child-like confident. When a child is in trouble they look up into the eyes of their father and they know, absolutely know Daddy knows what to do. Let your faith in God be that simple. Look to your Father knowing, absolutely knowing He heard you and will respond in kind. He will absolutely, absolutely answer your prayer.

Healing Cometh!

Instant healing fosters a faith explosion while gradual healing fosters enduring faith and patience. But yet still, there is one last type of healing for the believer. That is through the regenerated body they will receive on the other side of the grave. You may say “Wait a minute! I thought you said if you believe all are healed!’ All believers are healed. Many are healed on earth but all are in eternity. Why aren’t all healed on earth?

Chapter 4, the last chapter of this series covers reasons some aren’t healed. I dare not speculate beyond that but only God knows the whys and wherefores of his plan for humankind. However, that should not dissuade any believer from building the faith that heals in this present age.

To reiterate, the four crucial steps in reviving the Gospel of Healing are,

1. Know God’s Promises of Healing
2. Be a Prepared Vessel
3. Believe that You Received
4. Be Patient and Let the Process Work

Chapter 4, the final chapter of Healing: The Lost Gospel covers questions about healing and elements that prevent healing.

References

Compilation of messages from Derek Prince, Smith Wigglesworth, Joshua Selman

Credit: Sin-Salvation-Disease-Healing Cross and the Sons of Sceva drawings drawn by Isaiah E. Lawrence  (grandson)