God's Heart for Physical Healing

HEALING AND THE HEART OF GOD

The journey into faith for healing is really a journey into God's heart.

The world is aching and broken. Spiritual healing is paramount – people need to be saved. And at the same time, physical healing is needed everywhere – people are sick. In both cases – the spiritual and the physical – God wants to show up, and He wants to raise our awareness of His heart to heal.

To go deeper, there is far more overlap between spiritual healing and physical healing than we tend to admit.

For example, much anxiety is caused by not trust in Jesus. And anxiety could cause acid reflux, tension, muscle issues, illness, sleeplessness, and a whole host of other problems. You can ask Jesus to heal the acid reflux, and that is a wonderful prayer. But you can also encourage the person to trust in Jesus, and that will reduce the anxiety, and hence heal the reflux.

Over all of that – the spiritual anxiety and the physical digestion problem – lies the heart of our God. And His heart is to heal. That is the greatest truth to wrap one’s mind around: God wants to heal. Many people don’t believe that. Many Christians don’t want to talk about that. After all, we have good hospitals, and the Christians who believe in healing are weird, right?

But healing is a glorious part of God’s nature as revealed all throughout the Word. And God wants us to grasp BOTH the physical and the spiritual dimensions of His healing heart.

If we only believe in spiritual healing we become high-minded gnostics and grumpy cessationists. If we only believe in physical healing, we become showmen and sensationalists. God wants us – in His providence – to come to embrace the whole of His heart, and not to fall off on either side of the ditch.

Also, the more you dive into physical and spiritual healing, the more you’ll find that the two are inextricably intertwined. For example, God calls on us to have faith (a spiritual reality) for physical healing (a physical reality). And God calls us to read, preach, go, and live compassionate lives (physical realities) so that people’s hearts get healed (a spiritual reality).

To summarize: the journey into faith in God’s healing power is a journey into God’s nature. O that we would all come to grasp the loving heart of our Father! O that we would meet Jehovah as Jehovah Rapha – the Lord who heals.

I have been on this journey, and I want to remain on this journey until I reach heaven’s gate. So I will write out some steps toward the balanced, thrilling practice of seeking healing at the hands of God.

I will call these “heart steps” in order to remind you to be a child, and not to take yourself too seriously. And I’m also calling these “heart steps” so that you come to see this exploration as something so much more than biblical correctness or responsible practice. Instead, it is a thrilling journey into the heart of our King. Let it be wild and glorious!

HEART STEP #1 – 

REALIZE THAT YOUR FAITH REALLY MATTERS

Ideally, both those praying for healing and the one in need of healing will have faith – deep, abiding trust – in God’s power. This is a wonderful goal to strive for.

Acts 14:9–10 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Mark 11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God."

Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Matthew 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

However, it is possible for God to heal through the faith of those praying, even if the one prayed for does not express faith. We see this in Mark 2, for example:

Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

But God wants everyone to rise in faith, and He is often testing faith through illness. Also, He will sometimes not move because of a lack of faith.

Mark 6:5–6 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Ps 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

Matthew 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

HEART STEP #2 – 

BELIEVE IT IS IN GOD'S CHARACTER TO HEAL PHYSICALLY

This step is so crucial, and it is truly a matter of the heart. Many Christians simply believe that "God may heal if it is His will." The fact is, though, that God expressly gives us His revealed will in Scripture. Taking some time to wrestle with the following Scriptures about the character of God regarding healing is very, very helpful.

In Exodus 15, God's title is Jehovah rapha, "the LORD who heals," which means that care for His people's physical well being is at the core of God's identity:

Exodus 15:26 – If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

This essential part of God's character is also on display in the following Scriptures, and in the witness of Christ healing throughout gospels. Jesus is the express image of the Father, and as Jesus walked this earth, He never turned someone away who needed physical healing!  

Matthew 15:30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Acts 10:38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Psalm 103:2–3 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, ho heals all your diseases… 

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

HEART STEP #3 – 

BELIEVE THAT PHYSICAL HEALING IS PROCURED IN THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF JESUS

Not only is healing part of God's revealed will, He also shows us that Christ's blood shed on the cross avails for our healing. It is vital to make this link between the atoning blood of Jesus and our cries for physical healing. Notice the following three Scriptures. Matthew explicitly quotes Isaiah 53 in the context of physical healing in Matthew 8. Moreover, Peter quotes Isaiah 53 in the past tense, highlighting that our physical healing is a done deal; it only remains for us to take up that finished work by faith!

Isaiah 53:4–5 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Matt 8:17 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “ He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”

1 Pet 2:24 ...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

HEART STEP #4 –

FOLLOW THE BASIC HEALING METHODS IN GOD'S WORD LITERALLY

Having believed the scriptural promises mentioned above, we can now step out in faith and actually "do the stuff" (a term coined by John Wimber). Deliberate prayer for physical healing matters, and one of the most powerful things we can do is to simply obey the prescriptive passages in the New Testament. It could even help to read these passages, ask what feels "weird" or "odd," try to move beyond those judgments, and then step out on limb and follow the text as literally as possible!

Because God's Word is so wide and so wise, I have experienced that God has ALWAYS brought wonderful results when we try these passages in child-like faith.

James 5:14–16 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Mark 16:17–18 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

HEART STEP #5 –

BELIEVE THAT SICKNESS IS A RESULT OF THE FALL, AND A WORK OF THE DEVIL

To go even deeper, everyone who has seem God heal consistently has testified that they see a sharp distinction between good and evil, between the works of God and the work of teh devil – and they function in light of that distinction. If we are still "making friends with" sickness, or coddling it, we may not be able to come at it properly in prayer. On the basis of the following Scriptures, it is most biblical to see sickness as a work of Satan, and something that God wants to eradicate:

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned...

Acts 10:38 ...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Luke 13:16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

HEART STEP #6 – 

UNDERSTAND THAT, WHILE SICKNESS IS A WORK OF THE DEVIL, GOD CAN STILL USE IT TO BRING ABOUT GOOD

While sickness is essentially not good, keep in mind that God can use sickness to chasten, teach, grow us, or bring good into our lives. Realizing this tension can help us to be gentle and kind to the one who is sick, not harsh or mean.

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Note in this connection that Lazarus's sickness mentioned in John 11 was said to be "for the glory of God" (John 11:4) Many have used this passage as if to prove that God gets glory through sickness. A more faithful reading would be that God gets glory through healing the sickness. Jesus in fact says, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). Jesus gets glory through healing, not through reveling in the sickness or leaving Lazarus sick.

HEART STEP #7 – 

BELIEVE IN BOTH DIVINE HEALING AND DIVINE HEALTH

You could say that "divine healing" is described in James 5, while "divine health" is described in 3 John 2.

James 5:14–16 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

"Divine healing" refers to how God takes care of specific instances of illness. "Divine health" refers to a whole life lived in wellness, seeking God's help not just to avoid sickness but also to cherish and nourish our bodies. This can include exercise, eating well, and following all of the wisdom God has to offer for longevity and wellness in His Word. Here are a few more relevant Scriptures:

Ephesians 5:29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

HEART STEP #8 – 

UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PERSONAL SIN AND SICKNESS

To go even deeper, it is helpful to understand the connection between sin and sickness.

Here's the balance: sickness can stem from personal sin, but it does not always stem from personal sin! This is why, when James is telling us how to pray for sickness, he says, "And if he has committed sins" (James 5:15), signaling that the person being prayed for may or may not have a related sin issue.

The following Scriptures speak to instances in which personal sin has indeed affected one's physical well being, or where Jesus draws a straight line between personal sin and well being:

Psalm 107:17 Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.

1 Cor 11:29–30 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

John 8:11 And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

In John 9, however, we see a clear case in which sickness is not the result of personal sin:

John 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."        

HEART STEP #9 – 

UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DEMONIC DELIVERANCE

In many cases, Jesus accompanies prayer for physical healing with the casting out of demons. A careful study of Matthew 8, for example, will show that the height of Christ's physical healing ministry also came with many demons being dealt with. Here are some related Scriptures:

Acts 10:38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Matthew 4:23–24 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Here it may be helpful to ask some diagnostic questions, and to listen in prayer for how God would answer these questions:

Are there demons that need to be cast out?

Are there areas in the sick person's life that are not submitted to God?

Is this sickness persistent? Is it accompanied by a feeling of stuck-ness or futility? This can indicate the presence of a "spirit of infirmity."

In order to cast out these demons, study the following Scriptures, get a revelation of the authority (exousia) you have in Jesus' name, and speak to the demons directly, not asking Jesus to cast them out, but doing that yourself, in Jesus' name.

Luke 10:19–20 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Acts 16:18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Also note that, when dealing with demons, we should not say "in Jesus' name" as if it is a magical formula. "In Jesus' name" instead points to a reality in one's life – I am living "in Christ," walking "in the character of Jesus," "honoring the fame of Jesus" with my life. We see a marvelous example of this in Acts 19:11–20, where the evil spirits recognize Paul (Acts 19:15) because he is walking in the authority Jesus has given him, not because he utters some formula.

FOLLOW-UP – TROUBLESHOOTING

1) Remember that God can heal instantaneously OR gradually

Immediate healing: Luke 5:12–13

Gradual healing: John 4:50–53, Luke 17:14

2) Repent of going to sources of help other than God first

Matthew 6:33 

2 Chron 16:12

3) Believe medicine is a gift from God 

1 Timothy 4:8

1 Timothy 5:23

4) Seek help from Christians who have faith for healing 

Matt 9:27–30 

Spiritual gifts –        1 Cor 12:9 “gifts of healing”

                                                Rom 12:6–8 in proportion to grace and faith

Rom 14:22–23

5) Explore the possibility of generational curses

Ex 20:5–6

Deut 7:9

6) Cleanse your living space of any sinful objects

Deuteronomy 7:26 “Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.”

7) Realize that God does not always heal, but that should not lessen our faith

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (Cf. Gal 4:13–15) 

8) Thank God for miraculous healings, for medicine, AND for not healing

2 Corinthians 12:10

Job 1:20–22

Job 13:15

Daniel 3:17–18

9) Rest in the fact that final and total healing occurs in heaven

Revelation 21:4