The Reality of God's Healing Power

Whenever I am attacked with sickness, pains, or tiredness, I am given a choice. Most people who have a headache seek an ibuprofen, or aspirin, or other pain killer. Still when others get a sore throat they turn to their medicine of choice to try to relieve the pain and heal the sickness.

For years I have heard a statement from many people say, "If I ever get cancer, then I will believe God for healing, but this small pain I will care for myself." I beg to differ from this thinking. Those who believe this way are really setting themselves up for a fall. They are training themselves to resist God's nurturing hand to believe Him for their healing. Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.

Most people who have been diagnosed with cancer usually prepare to die because they have not developed faith for God to heal them. They have not built and developed their faith from the smaller things. The Bible tells us that Jesus is growing our faith being its author, perfecter, and finisher of it (Heb 12:2). Therefore, we should treat the small sicknesses that come upon us as an opportunity to prove that the Word of God is true for us. And if it is true for us, then it is true for those we are led to pray with.

What Jesus said is true, that God is not a respecter of persons. That means I don't have to be a high profile minister of God, but as a believer, even a new believer, if I receive Jesus words for what they are, words of life, and I apply them to my situation, my body, I should be able to receive their benefit, my healing. When it works for me, then I can pray for others with greater confidence that healing will work in their lives as well.

I had a planned a one month sabbatical in January of 1998. Just a few days into that time I was attacked by a spirit of infirmity. My throat became inflamed and sore, my sinus began to drain and would not stop, and all the symptoms of the Hong Kong Flu came within my body. I heard in my heart the voice of the enemy say, "You are doomed! You have contracted the most deadly of the flu diseases. You have heard of many being hospitalized and others dying, I will kill you now with this disease!"

I rebuked the words and thoughts from the enemy, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus. I immediately began to pray. Not a prayer of desperation, but one of inquiry. "Lord, what is Your pleasure? What do You want me to do?" I heard in my spirit, "Rusty, believe that My Words that you preach and teach to others will work in your life. You have prayed for many and seen marvelous miracles and healings take place, now activate your faith and believe Me for your healing."

My reply was, "Yes, Lord." For the next seven days every time I felt pain in my body, I turned my struggle into an opportunity to praise God, thanking Jesus for His work on the cross and for providing healing for me. I confessed that the blood of Jesus is alive and it heals me. When I could no longer speak because the pain was so great, I meditated by silently thinking, 'By His stripes I am healed. He sent His word and healed my body. I am healed! In Jesus name!'

My struggle lasted seven days. Jesus healed me completely, and without antibiotics, although I did take one Advil. Praise God, I was healed completely.

Jesus spoke to me again and said, "Rusty, I want you to win another victory." "Yes, Lord, in what area?" Allow Me to help you win your battle over your weak sinus problem." Whenever I get over worked and tired for the last few years I have been prone to have sinus drainage that develops into other sicknesses. My habit or remedy was pray for a few hours, but if no immediate relief came I would take a load of antihistamines. More often than I care to remember, I approached this sickness with the remedy of the antihistamines and just forgot to pray.

Upon the request of Jesus to pray and believe Him for His healing words to accomplish my deliverance, I acknowledged my need for His healing touch. I began to agree with His words of life for my healing by applying the blood of Jesus and His stripes to bring me into His provision for my health. My confession caused me to possess what He did for me over 2000 years ago on His cross. I went through three days of praying, confessing, and believing by standing on His Words over the symptoms even refusing to blow my nose, I let it drain. (Sorry for being vulgar, I wanted to show you my determination to believe and act on the Words of Jesus.) After three days of this, I began experiencing His touch and the power of His healing.

Although I was on sabbatical, I was leading people into the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and setting others free. (It doesn't seem like work to me, it is just fun!) I apologized for the blowing of my nose, but they didn't seem to mind being true seekers of God's love, grace, and power. The devil gave up his attack on my body, Jesus truth won the victory and I was completely healed. For the rest of 1998 until the summer of 1999 I never took another antihistamine! Praise the Lord! I am healed, delivered and walking in victory!

Jesus desires for us to learn His truth. We need to apply His truth for ourselves and for those whom will receive our prayers. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" Roman 10:17. And confession is made unto salvation. I never say, "I am not sick, I am not sick", in a meaningless way. But I acknowledge my sickness, then apply His gospel for my healing.

Throughout our life we will be challenged in different ways. Some will require the hands of a skillful surgeon or doctor, but as our faith grows we will turn more to Jesus first seeking His direction and upon hearing His voice we will apply His truth for our victory!

I would like to encourage you to begin building your faith for physical healing and your own wellness and health. Invite God's healing presence and power into those little things, the small sicknesses. If you have a headache, don't automatically think that you should handle this yourself by taking an aspirin. Instead, bring it to the Lord for healing. Begin to apply Heb 12:2 to your situation; allow Jesus to author and perfect your faith for healing by bringing the small sicknesses to Him. Allow yourself to experience His healing. As He touches and heals you, your faith will have no choice but to grow.