By Ken Fletcher
“Of course, I’m privileged to pray for anyone’s healing! Sometimes, as I do, I can instantly tell if my prayer for a person is in vain as I pray. I know, it is strange. Why? Somehow, I can sense inside they are not believing in the prayer. I can tell. Of course, God can tell as well. There’s no connection to God! Will my prayer come to pass for them? Is it in line with God’s will for them? When this happens, it feels like a short circuit takes place–a disconnect, sometimes with some people.
But, it is amazing how some people will ask others to pray for them. But, they will not pursue faith for themselves to receive!–Hoping that other’s prayers will work for them. No. I’m sorry. It doesn’t work that way. Prayer is not magic. Hocus-pocus. Or, wishing upon a star. Or, having a good thought about the person. Or, hoping (wishing, desiring) things will change. Or, healing that falls on us like ripe cherries off of a tree. It’s much more than that!
People may think that if they get enough people to pray, maybe God will hear and do something for them. Sadly, no. Real prayer is a connection that works through faith! If the prayer does not have real Bible faith in operation in our heart, it’s just an empty exercise. And, it becomes just a waste of our time and our breath with no results from God.
I wish I could get people to stop what they’re doing and peruse and understand the working of faith and our relationship with God. It is so hard for me to watch, but there are some of my Christian friends who are suffering terribly right now with some diseases or injuries. Why? Well, I believe some of them have probably been taught wrong in their churches concerning faith for many years.
Listen, we receive ALL of the provisions of God by faith, my friend! Including the greatest miracle of receiving Jesus as our Lord. God has already provided healing through the stripes that Jesus endured on the whipping post. It’s a done deal! Healing belongs to us all. For sure! Jesus has provided it for us. God has made it so! But, the problem is we don’t believe the Bible!
We don’t believe that Jesus HAS taken our sickness and disease! We have a faith problem! We have doubt present! And, that doubt will lock us out of God’s healing provision for us! Every time! But, if we learn the truth. And, if we fill ourselves with the truth to the point where it runs out ALL doubt in our heart, we can receive what Jesus paid for us to have!
You don’t have to have a bunch of people praying, my friend. You don’t have to have anybody praying for you! All that is important for you to do is learn how to receive from God for yourself! YOU! Not anyone else. It’s you who needs to receive, not them!
There are times when we can get into agreement with someone else who is strong in faith and believe WITH them. That works! But, to receive healing without your own faith is not guaranteed to you.
You may be in a place where there is a moving of the Holy Spirit in a group of believers and, possibly there, in that atmosphere of praise and corporate faith, you can receive without really having your own faith working. But, even then, after healing came on you there, if you do not develop your own faith within your own heart, you would probably end up loosing what you got from the Lord in that meeting.
So, there is no substitute for faith in our heart. No matter what the circumstances! Of course, faith in one area of life does not mean that we have faith in another area. So, you may be strong in faith of God’s will concerning other areas of your life. But, at the same time, be lacking in faith for your bodily healing!
What should a believer do who is suffering with some sickness or disease? First thing. Number 1. Find out what God’s will is concerning healing for your body. What is His will for you? Do you really know for sure? Or, are you just going by what some preacher or family member has told you?
Well, if you will study, you will find that it IS God’s will for you to be healed! No matter what has attacked you! No matter how bad! No matter how long it has been there! No matter! God is greater than it is! And, if you know that you know in your heart that it IS God’s will for you to be well, that is a huge first step in faith! The first foundational principle of truth concerning our healing. You must KNOW in your heart, for certain, that it IS God’s will for YOU to be healed!
You must know for certain in your heart that Jesus paid for your healing in full! Nothing lacking! How do you KNOW for certain that it is God’s will for your healing? You study the raw truth in the Bible! You find out what the real truth about it is–no matter what you may have been told in the past! Find out directly from God’s Word what the REAL truth is about healing!
Brother F. F. Bosworth, the author of the classic book, Christ The Healer, said, “Faith begins where the will of God is known.” Where do you find the will of God? The Bible gives us the will of God.
Many people have been lied to about it for many years! Including me. We must get all of that unbelieving junk out of out system! Sometimes, that takes a while to run it all out. To purposely eradicate doubt out of out heart! But, it must be done! No matter how long it takes! I must encourage you, some people it does not take long at all. But, others, it takes longer. Either way, it must go!
We do that by focusing on the real truth about our situation! God’s Word! Pure! No filters. No slants! Just direct truth! Rightly divided! Are you willing to dig for the truth about healing by faith? Meditate on these for awhile, Isaiah 53, Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24. All referring to the healing Jesus provided for us. Then, read through the 4 gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, books in the Bible! That’s a good start. Read and observe Jesus demonstrating God’s will for us!” KF KenFletcher.org
Watch for Part 2 of, “Pray For Me?”, continued tomorrow here.
