I suspect over the years I’ve prayed for thousands of sick people. I’m happy to say most of them recovered … but not everyone. Some of the most agonizing prayers I’ve uttered seemed to have no effect on the outcome.
Such unspectacular and sometimes disappointing outcomes shaped my faith. I knew God could heal, I just didn’t expect him to. Over the years l’ve learned to ask God to heal someone in a way consistent with medical science and his purpose for their life. Of course, I would never say that in a prayer–imagine a friend praying those words. But that thinking shaped my faith. My prayers always gave God a back door in case the person wasn’t healed. Not only was I looking out for God, but also for the sick person. Because I didn’t want to raise false hopes I never led them to believe God would actually heal them.
But things are changing as I get to know Jesus better. I just finished my fourth monthly reading of the Gospels and Jesus is having an effect on me. While reading his story, whenever Jesus says or does something that shows the love and power of God, I’ve been saying, “Since he could do this, by his power, so can I.” That statement may sound grandiose. And it would be except it’s based on the words of Jesus. On the night before his death Jesus said, “He who believes in me the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12).
I’ve been putting this into practice by seeking to stay alert to moments when God wants to work through me. Two weeks ago, after a church service I was talking with a young woman who had severe throat pain because of acid reflux. The reflux was treated but the pain in her throat persisted. I asked if I could pray for her. With her permission I placed my hands gently on her throat and prayed for her healing. When I finished praying I asked how her throat felt. She swallowed once and blinked her eyes, confused. She swallowed a second time, tilted her head and said, “It doesn’t hurt! It doesn’t hurt! I mean it. It really doesn’t hurt anymore.” She looked like a child who had just opened a present she desperately wanted but didn’t expect to receive.
And I too was surprised. Never had my eyes seen a person healed after I prayed for them. Both of us marveled at the goodness of God to visit us in such an inspiring way.
If you’re like me, and unfamiliar with such things, you may be wondering how I know she was healed. That’s the kind of thing I would ask if you had told me the same story. I’m skeptical because I had never personally seen someone healed. You may ask if I urged her to seek a medical evaluation to prove the healing was legitimate. I didn’t. In fact, the thought never entered my mind. Instead, I based my conclusion on her statement. And so in her case, I don’t know if her throat is still healed. But I’ve heard from two of the people healed the next night, and they say, two weeks later, that they’re still healed.
All of this makes me wonder what God could do through us? As I ponder this question, I recall the words of Jesus, “He who believes in me the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). Think about this for a minute–if you want to know what God could do through you, look at what he did through Jesus.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. I hope you’ll take the survey below and respond here or on Facebook. Thanks.
I have experienced supernatural healing and witnessed it personally. I have the gift of speaking in tongues however I rarely use it. I was at a healing seminar and saw a messianic rabbi get healed from injury to his shoulder. He instantly could raise his arm above his shoulder without pain and mbility to move his hand over his head and almost touch his other shoulder…. The same or next day I was praying for someone who was up in front and since I didn’t know what they were praying for him for, I just decided to pray in tongues silently in my head with little or no audible whisper. I had been suffering from some back pain for a while and a lady came over and laid her hand on my shoulder and then moved it down my back…..as she did she was saying strange things like, “you can’t have him, he belongs to G-d” and “you can’t stay here, you need to leave” and so as she is saying this the pain is going away and a warmth followed her hand wherever it moved…..I just continue to pray in tongues and thank G-d cause I don’t really know what else to do. After prayer I thanked her and said that I felt better. The next day at the seminar I had to ask her about what she was saying while praying over me. I told her some of the words I had heard her say and she looked at me quizzically and says, “you don’t understand, I was praying in tongues over you…” At that I was taken aback and realized not only that I had experienced miraculous healing, but a manifestation of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh in interpretation. May this recount of His faithfulness and blessing on His people enhance your enumah and draw you closer to understanding our messiah Yeshua HaMashiach.
Side note: I have been involved in hebrew roots and messianic groups for years now and the depth of understanding who our messiah is and deeper understanding of the way He taught His disciples to live and follow Torah is enriching to say the least. May your journey lead you deeper into understanding His ethnicity, Jewishness, and truly be like Him in spirit and in truth. Too many replacement theologies have stolen such richness from our messiah’s teachings and example. From Constantine to Catholicism to Christianity…..so much beauty has been replaced, lost and ignored. From the sabbath, which is in the 10 commandment, to the appointed times (Feasts of Adonai) which Yeshua practiced with His disciples and taught them to go and teach them to do likewise, to the misunderstanding of so many NT texts because they are read as if the NT was canonized at the time of them being written when truly they are speaking of the Tanakh, Torah and when Yeshua said if you love me you will follow my commandments — take Gen 1 and John 1 : In the beginning was the Word / The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Word=Torah — what is Me and My commandments but the Law of Moses or Torah. Now take knowing Jesus or Yeshua to the next level and understand that your messiah to bring the fulness of the Law and now nullify it, but give an example of how to live it as it was meant to be lived in its fullness. In all love I encourage you to explore what I have experienced as growing up Baptist and learning my faith’s Hebrew Roots…..it has been like a black and white film transformed into high definition 1080p with surround sound.
Shalom my brother,
James
Not not Now…nulify….says He did not come to nulify