“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:14-15)
Divine healing is supernatural healing. We call it a miracle because it is an intervention of God in response to man’s prayer. It does not happen by using natural means but only by the supernatural act of God. Healing covers both the interior and exterior of man. There is a strengthening of character even as the health of man improves. This is because God is interested in everything about man.
A cursory look at the New Testament reveals a number of reasons Jesus healed people. One important reason for this is to establish His credentials as the Messiah and the King of Glory. In fact, whenever Jesus made any claim whatsoever, He backed it up with a physical miracle. He said, “I am the Light of the World,” and He proved this when He gave sight to a man who had been blind from birth. On His authority to forgive sins, He said to the man in Luke 5:20,24, “Friend, your sins are forgiven . . . take your mat and go home”
In His healing ministry, there was abundant evidence of His compassion for the needs of people. The miracles of healing were also given to demonstrate that salvation starts now! He heals in this life, in this moment, in anticipation of something much more complete that will come in eternity.
In His message to the disciples in the Upper Room, Jesus told them that miracles of healing would continue even after He returned to the Father. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these” (John 14:12).
Acts records this continuation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit working in the apostles, and there is nothing in the New Testament that says or even implies that the work of healing would stop at the end of the apostolic age. The reason the work of healing cannot stop is because it is not wrought or done by any man. It is divine! God uses men accomplish some but he enables and empowers them.
Beloved brethren, we need to take note of some important principles, if we are to experience divine healing in our lives and churches.
The first is never to attribute the power to heal to any man or anybody other than Jesus. It does not come from man although our faith like that of the four men in Mark 2 is very vital. Our Lord Jesus challenged people to have faith. He even said, on some occasions, “Your faith has made you whole.” So, healing comes only from the hand of Jesus.The second principle is to give glory to God. The purpose of divine healing is always to bring glory to the Name of Jesus. On many occasions, people pray for healing because they do not want to die or because they want their pains to go away. But beloved, the best way to ask for healing from God is to ask Him to glorify Himself through the situation.
Finally, if we desire healing for ourselves or for anybody close to us, we should not keep quiet. Please speak out! Pray to God and if we are carried away by worries and burdens, the Bible tells us to tell the elders and their prayer offered in faith will make any sick person well; and the Lord will raise such person up. Beloved, as we approach the throne of grace today and this week, let us focus on Christ our Healer and on nothing else.
Have a healthy week as you seek to glorify God in your situation and act
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeaco
Igein Isemede