“Lord Jesus, teach us to exercise healing in the leading of Your Holy Spirit. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
As we read this instruction by Peter to the lame man, ‘rise up and walk’, we can sense authority and conviction. This statement of Peter was full of faith in Jesus. This was evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
After creating the world, including man, the Lord God saw that it was very good. Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
From this perfect state, we have fallen because of sin. Since man is marred, (dead!), creation is also in agony. All of which is restored in Christ.
Here was this man who was lame from birth. This was an effect of sin that has permeated our world. When Peter is instructing the lame man to rise up and walk, Peter is bringing the lame man to where he should be, in the fullness of Christ. Colossians 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; (10) and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Christ is the one in whom all things were created. Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
This truth of Jesus and its application to this healing that is happening here is the work of His Holy Spirit. Just as Peter and John were being led by His Holy Spirit to exercise faith based on truth, we too as His church, are called to exercise faith in Jesus, in our everyday life situations.
Matthew 10:1 And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
The Lord sent out seventy disciples. They were given the power to heal. Luke 10:9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
As disciples of Jesus, we are sent out by the Lord with His power to give healing. Let us keep in mind that we are bringing people back into His kingdom. Creation is within God’s kingdom. In the kingdom of Jesus, all things are complete. This is the assurance with which the church must exercise the gift of healing.
We as His church are called to pray in faith over the sick. James 5:14-15 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. (15) 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.
We are also aware that healing does not always take place every time we pray. Sometimes healing does not take place immediately. How are we to accept this reality against all that we have considered thus far?
God’s ways are far higher than ours. The truth of God’s healing does not change but the way it applies in different situations is in God’s hands.
Apostle Paul prayed for a thorn in his flesh to be taken away. II Corinthians 12:7-8 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. (8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
Paul had a physical infirmity. Galatians 4:13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. This was, most probably, a condition of his eyes, with which Paul suffered. Galatians 4:14-15 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. (15) What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.
We can be quite certain that not only Paul but many others would have prayed for Paul’s healing. What was God’s response?
II Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul needed to learn the lesson of God’s grace. So do we. We must go forward to give healing, always keeping in mind that God’s ways are higher than ours.