Divine Healing

Be Aware Of (And Avoid) Demonically-Empowered Healing

Since we are discussing healing, we really must cover this area as well -- demonically empowered healing. That means people operating in healing by the empowerment of evil spirits. Christians must NEVER participate in this type of healing. We must only allow ourselves to be empowered by (and healed by) the Spirit of God.

Somebody will object, "Is healing by the power of evil spirits really possible?" Yes, it is. The kingdom of darkness imitates things from the kingdom of light, but their imitation is twisted, hurtful and evil. That is why I do not insist on "faith healing", but on "divine healing" by the Lord Jesus.

Here are three things you need to know about demonically empowered healing. First, demons will remove symptoms of some sicknesses, only to allow some other sickness of a more serious kind to take over. Second, the power to perform "demonic" or "spirit" healing is lost when a person becomes a Christian and submits themselves to Christ. Third, seek the Lord Jesus Christ as your healer, not man or spirit. Otherwise, it will not be permanent and you will head for trouble!! The minister and the healing should draw attention to Jesus and not himself (Revelation 19:10), so beware of those who seek to draw the attention and glory for healing to themselves. Simon the Sorcerer in Samaria (Acts 8) drew attention to himself as a spirit healer, but even he was amazed by the divine miracles wrought by the Holy Ghost through Phillip, who gave all the attention and glory to God.

God Expects Us to Take Care of Our Bodies

God wants us to be healthy. Our physical condition can affect our spiritual condition and sense of well being. Deficiency of certain foods and vitamins can be shown by the Spirit. Even after Jesus raised Jairus' daughter from the dead, He told them to give her food (Mark 5:43). On the other hand, Paul warns against overeating or gluttony (Philippians 3:19).

Inactivity or lack of exercise may bring depression, and the believer may be shown the need for aerobics (1 Timothy 4:8)!

God has frequently shown me a lack of rest and recreation in the lives some of His servants (Exodus 20:9-10)! Paul had to pray for Epaphroditus (Philippians 2) along this line. Even spiritual people need to be warned about careless exposure to weather or disease, and wrong mental or emotional habits (Philippians 4:6-9).

Positive praying and thinking are vital to enjoyment of well-being in body, mind and spirit (Proverbs 23:4-23).

Even God's most dedicated servants must allow for old age, even if they are so full of Holy Spirit power that their very corpses can raise others (2 Kings 13:14-21)!

Prophets, ministers and God's servants also need to be sensible about geographical conditions (cf. bad water). First Timothy 5:23 says, "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities."

We have found in world travel that adequate planning of rest periods is essential to avoid some problems - though my wife and I have had a ten year miracle of deliverance from jet lag (cf. Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20)! This does not show the apostle had lost power in God to heal, but that overwork and strain demands a holiday as the only answer, even among men of God! Actually Paul continued to do great miracles and even had half the island of Malta healed (Acts 28:7-9).

If You Want To Move In Healing Ministry, You Must Be Spirit-Led

To exercise a healing ministry, we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and led by God. That is why the Lord told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem before beginning their ministry of healing (Acts 1:8).

While Christ was still with His disciples, He was their "director" in this healing ministry. When He went away, He promised another "director" - the Holy Ghost. He said in John 16:13, "When, however, the Spirit comes, He will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own authority, but He will speak of what He hears and will tell you of things to come."

There are times when the Lord has shown me NOT to heal, or to delay healing (as in the case of Lazarus in John chapter 11) because He had other plans. (Obviously the death of Lazarus and his miracle rising after four days, was timed to give the disciples faith for the raising of Christ when He died and was buried the following week!)

The empowerment of the Holy Ghost gives us the authority of Christ to know the cause of each sickness and the time to get rid of it. Jesus applied this to Himself at Nazareth but His power was limited by their unbelief (Luke 4:18-21). He only acted at Cana, when He knew the time was ripe (John 2:4). Similarly Paul did not immediately bring deliverance to the demonic at Philippi (Acts 16:16-18).

The early church found that seasons of prayer were needed to maintain this power and prophetic intercession must accompany insights that God gives us to show us His will in a given situation.

Acts 4:23: "And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, 'Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is...'"

Acts 4:30: "By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus."

Acts 5:12-16: "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed every one."

We are dealing with spirit powers. That is why we need spiritual equipment and ongoing prayer!

Teamwork

Finally, social conditions within the body of Christ are vital as healing ministers should move as part of a team.

The importance of recognizing the body of Christ has already been seen in dealing with the Eucharist, but in addition to this, there is the ministry of the gifts of healing which can best be done by a team. In Ireland I would give prophetic teaching. My friend Ernie would have oil appear on his hand through a gift of healing. My other friend Bill Turner would then show by word of knowledge why a person was **not** healed on any occasion. The Lord Jesus got the pre-eminence and folk got miracles - including two dying people raised in a hospital situation by the prayers of the team! That caused one doctor to comment "You have a mighty God!"

Summary

A physical condition in your body may be the cause of sickness. This can be deficiency of some foods and eating habits. Jesus gave the risen daughter of Jairus some food (Mark 5:43). Also, over-eating or gluttony (Philippians 3:19) and inactivity or lack of exercise (1 Timothy 4:8), or lack of rest. Also, careless exposure to weather or disease needs to be watched on missionary trips. Aerobic exercise can help wrong mental attitudes. As a prophetic people, we must be careful of our attitudes (and be particularly careful not to fall into a "persecuted prophets" mentality (Philippians 4:6-9). And we need to learn a gracious acceptance of old age. Overwork may be due to lack of zeal by others, but it can still effect our health. Be careful not to fall into the trap of working yourself into "sickness" under the guise of serving God. An example is Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:26-27). Finally, when traveling, take account of geographical conditions for such things as bad water (1 Tim 5:23).

God's servants must be spirit-led and help each other and work as a team in the healing ministry.

But what place does individual faith play in prophetic healing? Can a person who does not believe be healed? We shall address this vital question in our next lesson.