Jesus Our Healer – Part Two

How do we receive healing from God?

We must first have a foundation of believing that God is good and He loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us to provide salvation which includes not only forgiveness of sins but healing. The provision for healing is found in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross; His sacrifice, blood, death and resurrection. Healing is part of God’s redemptive plan (Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:16, 17; 1 Peter 2:24; Galatians 3:13).

(See https://alexiscarucci.com/2019/06/24/jesus-our-healer-part-one/)

Then we must decide that we want to be healed.  Jesus is asking, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (See the story of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52). Not everyone wants to get well. They have reasons why they want to stay sick i.e. benefits of receiving disability checks and not working, getting special attention from friends and family, they see their identity in being sick, etc. We shouldn’t assume that everyone wants to get healed.

A. We receive our healing by grace through faith in God (Ephesians 2:8, 9); just as we receive everything He wants to give us. God’s grace is what He wants to do and will do for us. It is His unmerited, unearned favor or blessing and His empowerment or ability to carry it out in and through us. Grace is the supernatural power of God enabling us to do things we couldn’t otherwise do ourselves. We don’t deserve it but we receive it based on what God has said in His Word and what Jesus has done to provide healing for us (1 Peter 2:24). God’s grace has provided everything so we don’t need to beg God for our healing. We come expecting to receive by faith which will appropriate what He has provided by His grace (Romans 4:16).

Our faith is in Jesus and not how much faith we have or don’t have nor is it based on what we do or don’t do. It is not having faith in our faith but in who He said He is and what He has provided. We don’t look to ourselves to see if we have enough faith but look to Jesus who is the author and finisher/completer of our faith. Look to the One who never doubts and whose faith is strong and never wavers! Our faith is God’s own personal faith that He has given us when we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Hebrews 12:2; Mark 11:22)! The mountain of sickness can be moved with faith as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20).

We need to look at the problem through His eyes and see that it was already defeated at the cross. We can’t allow the problem to become bigger than the answer that is Jesus and what He has provided for us through the power of His blood in His death and resurrection. Healing is about what He has done and paid for. Faith doesn’t come from striving because it isn’t a product of our will. Faith is a spiritual force that is already dwelling on the inside of us, if Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and is the nature and life of God operating in us when we surrender to Him and believe His Word.

Fear, doubt and anxiety will distract us from faith so don’t partner with it! We have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Jesus tells us not to fear but to believe in Him (Mark 5:36); to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7); not to be anxious about anything but to give everything to Him by prayer (Philippians 4:6, 7); and to mediate on praiseworthy things (Philippians 4:8). Don’t believe the report of the devil, the doctors or others (Psalm 112:6-8) but believe what God has said (Isaiah 53:1; 55:8-11).

Jesus healed all who came to Him and declared that nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 4:23-24; 8:16,-17; Mark 10:27; Acts 10:38). The Father’s heart is to heal and Jesus responded as His Father. He healed all who came to Him and responded to every level of faith never withholding the miracle. I see five levels of faith recorded in the Bible. Let’s look at them from the lowest level to the highest:

1. If You can – Mark 9:23-24; 14-29; Matthew 17:20
2. If You are willing – Mark 1:40-42
3. Lay Your hands on me/her/him – Mark 8:22-23; Matthew 9:18-19
4. Let me touch You – Matthew 9:20-22
5. Just say the Word – Matthew 8:8-10

Faith and trusting in God’s nature i.e. goodness, love, mercy, grace, compassion, etc. are major keys to seeing supernatural breakthrough in your life. You can build up your faith and trust in Jesus by looking up scriptures on healing that cover your situation and by seeing Him heal and deliver in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). Read, study, and meditate on the Word, listen to teachings on grace and faith until God’s Word about healing is more real to you than the symptoms in your body.  The truth of God’s Word will overcome facts or what we see and feel (our five senses) and what appears to be reality in the natural. God’s truth is above or superior to the temporal or natural realm because it is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

God calls things which do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17-21). We are to walk by faith not by sight or by our natural senses (2 Corinthians 5:7). Get the Word, His promises into your heart. Fill your eyes, ears and heart with God’s Word and your faith in Him will grow (Romans 10:17). Faith will come as you spend time with Him, the faithful One! Remember that the Word is like a seed and when sown into good ground, those that hear it and accept it will bear fruit producing some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred (Mark 4:20). Keep believing and receiving until you reap a hundredfold! !

Faith also speaks (Romans 10: 9-10) so we must align our words with God’s Words. Remember salvation in this passage means deliverance, preservation, safety and healing not just forgiveness of sins. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Faith filled words dominate the law of sin and death! What we speak reveals what we believe!

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak. 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NKJV)

You cannot believe and receive your healing by grace through faith until you know that it is His will to heal you (Matthew 8:1-3; 5-7; 9:35; 15:26; Hebrews 13:8) and it was provided for you through Jesus’ death and resurrection (Matthew 8:16-17; Romans 8:11). Exercise faith in God’s ability and willingness to heal you (Matthew 9:27-30; Matthew 15:28; Luke 17:19; Mark 2:5; Luke 8:48); in what Jesus has provided for you on the cross; the power of His blood and faith in His Name (Galatians 2:20; Mark 9:23; Acts 3:16).

B. We can see from Scripture there are different options on how we can receive our healing:

• Believing you receive through your own faith in the Word of God (Mark 11:23, 24)
• Point of contact – A point of contact is used to help release our faith to God. He can use any method to heal anyone who reaches out to Him in faith. Faith moves the hand of God! But we must keep our eyes on Him as the Healer and not on the delivery system or point of contact that carry’s God’s healing power to you. God is the source of all healing!
  • Laying on of hands
  • Anointing oil (Mark 6:13; Isaiah 10:27)
  • Prayer cloths (Luke 8:43-48, Acts 19:11)
• Prayer and anointing with oil by church elders (James 5:14-15); or those specifically anointed to minister to the sick
• The supernatural manifestation of the healing power of God (1 Corinthians 12:9, 10)
• The healing anointing (Acts 10:38; Luke 5:17)
• Taking Holy Communion (1 Corinthians 11: 23-30); When we partake of the bread, we are declaring that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed and that Jesus’s health and divine life flows in our mortal bodies. When we partake of the cup, we are declaring that we are forgiven, healed and have been made righteous through Jesus’ blood which has given us right standing before God because Jesus became a curse for us. The blood protects us (Exodus 12:22-23). We can take Holy Communion daily or as often as we want to remember and appropriate what He has done for us. Taking Holy Communion daily will help us to abide in Him (John 6:53-56).
• Faith in the Name of Jesus (Acts 3:16)
• Using our spiritual authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19)
• Prayer of agreement (Matthew 18:19, 20)
• Praying down the power (James 5:16)

Faith and God’s power or the anointing is needed for healing in most of these options. God’s power is always present but it isn’t always in manifestation. However, you can always receive healing by simply believing and receiving His Word. Even when His power is in manifestation, faith has to be exercised because that is how we receive everything from God (Hebrews 11:1, 6) whether it is by our faith or the faith of the person who is ministering to us. Ask the Holy Spirit what would be the best way for you to receive your healing based on your present level of faith. He knows you better than you know yourself. Trust Him and follow His leading!

C. Ask the Holy Spirit what you should do. When the Holy Spirit tells you to do something, whether it is to get up, move that body part, stop taking that medicine; go to the doctor or stand on the Word etc. then obey Him as an act of faith. Every born again believer has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in them when they received Christ as Savior. We have resurrection life flowing through us (Romans 8:11)! Jesus Himself talks about us hearing Him through the voice of the Spirit. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

If your faith is not strongly developed in the area of healing by believing the Word right now, then stay in the Word until it grows to where you can receive your healing by believing the Word without wavering, regardless of the circumstances or symptoms that come against you. Then you will be able to receive your healing by faith in God’s Word alone. This kind of faith takes a deep revelation of God’s healing power.

So until then, here are some encouraging words to put your heart at rest and peace. Don’t let the devil or anyone else put you under condemnation by telling you that it is contrary to the principles of faith to use doctors and medicine when you need healing. Remember, Jesus loves you, and He is willing to meet you on any level of faith at which you can receive. The important thing is to get into the Word of God, and exercise the faith that you have in whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do.

It may be accepting the help of a doctor and the medicine that is prescribed while trusting the Lord to give the doctor wisdom to provide you with the right treatment; sanctify the medicine to prevent ill side effects; and for the Lord to strengthen you and to give you a supernaturally quick recovery. Start at whatever level you can believe for and continue in the Word, confessing it and exercising your faith in Jesus as the Holy Spirit leads you. Your faith will grow! If you aren’t sure whether your faith is strong enough to stand on God’s Word alone or whether you need a doctor’s help, let peace be the deciding factor according to Colossians 3:15 which says to let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Ask Him. He will show you what to do.

D. Don’t forget to give thanks and praise to the Lord for who He is and what He has already done through the cross. Celebrate your healing as an act of faith even before you see any results. Thanking Him after you are healed is gratitude. In the Hebrew language, complain means to spend the night. Don’t camp out in sickness by complaining. Praise will get you out of the situation. Faith is victorious, an overcomer (1 John 5:4) and therefore joyous (Nehemiah 8:10; 1 Chronicles 16:34; Proverbs 17:22; Colossians 3:16, 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:4)!

Are there hindrances to our receiving healing?

There can be some hindrances to receiving healing which I would like to discuss a few that I see in the Word and from experience. It is important that we believe correctly so that the truth of God’s Word can be applied correctly to our lives (John 8:31, 32; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17). Remember, we don’t merit or deserve healing based on our own worthiness or righteousness but by the grace of God through Jesus and His finished work on the cross.

Healing is the children’s bread (Matthew 15:26) and we have a legal right to it through the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6, 12:24, 13:20). We put our faith in His blood and what He has done. A greater revelation of this will allow us to receive all He has provided for us! We receive His grace for healing through faith. We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ (1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

1) Doubt can be a hindrance to receiving healing.

• Healing is all about what Jesus has done and paid for. When we don’t see healing manifested in us right away we may think that it is because we haven’t done enough or done the right things to get our breakthrough. It is not about our performance but His performance.  Healing isn’t about our merit or works. Jesus wants us to come as we are. He has already done the work and He loves us and wants to heal us.
• Doubt concerning if it is God’s will to heal you will be a hindrance. Faith begins where the will of God is known and received. Get into His Word and see that He wants to heal you (Matthew 8:2-3)
• Doubt about not having enough faith will be a hindrance. Jesus worked with whatever faith all that came to Him had and He healed them. The only place where He couldn’t do any miracles was in His hometown because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58).
• Doubt about God’s purpose or timing will be a hindrance to receiving your healing. When you believe that it may be God’s Divine purpose for you to be sick or it may not be His timing, these fall under wrong believing i.e. God sends sickness upon people to teach them something or chasten (discipline) them; suffering glorifies God or it may not be His timing and are contrary to the truths in God’s Word;.

Sickness is from the devil (Acts 10:38). To chasten means to child train, educate or teach. God chastens in love (Hebrews 12:6; Luke 7:7-11) not with sickness or tragedy. Healing is a good gift from our good Father because He is good (James 1:17)! Jesus came to do the works of God (i.e. healing, deliverance; etc.) so that God could be glorified (John 9:1-4; 11:24-26). God doesn’t make someone sick in order to be glorified by healing them.

The works of God weren’t manifested until Christ did what He was sent to do then God was glorified. This hasn’t changed! The suffering the Bible speaks of refers to persecution or suffering because of Christ or for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10-12) not with sickness, disease, tragedy or death. We don’t suffer the things of the curse that He suffered for us on the cross (See 1 Peter 3:14; 4:12-19).

Jesus always healed people at the time when they came to Him. Our faith in Him has the ability to bring the realities of Heaven to earth today into our present. Don’t allow your experience or the experience of others to change your Theology (belief in the truth of the Word of God or what you believe about Him). The Kingdom is not coming but is already here (Luke 17:21).

We may not understand the process or why we haven’t seen our healing manifested but we can stay in faith by believing in Jesus and what He has done until it comes to pass. He wants to make you whole. Remember the parable of the sower (See Mark 4:1-20)? The Word that was sown into good soil yielded fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred. Keep believing and thanking the Lord for the healing He has provided and the good that you see happening rather than focusing on what you don’t see happening!

2) Taking offense, having unforgiveness and disappointment (not believing in God’s love and goodness) can be a hindrance.

• Faith works by love according to Galatians 5:6 so when we allow unforgiveness or offense toward others or even God by blaming Him, our faith won’t work and our prayers will be hindered (Mark 11:22-25; Matthew 5:23, 24).
• Disappointment can lead to offense and unforgiveness. It is important to take it to the Lord to have His help in dealing with these feelings.
• Unforgiveness can lead to resentment and a root of bitterness which will poison all your relationships and hinder healing to flow.
• Many illnesses have psychosomatic issues as the root cause
• Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any offense or unforgiveness then choose to forgive. He will help you and give you grace and strength to forgive. As you pray, forgive that person specifically as well as asking the Lord to forgive you for holding on to unforgiveness.
• Forgiveness doesn’t mean minimizing the offense and pain it caused; God isn’t asking you to forget; and it doesn’t mean resuming a relationship without change in the other person’s life. We offer forgiveness because it sets us free. It is built on grace and is unconditional. It can’t be earned, deserved or bargained for. It isn’t based on a promise never to do that again. It is offered whether they ask for forgiveness or not. We forgive because God has forgiven us and therefore says we need to forgive others (Ephesians 4:32).
• When you don’t forgive, it allows you to be wounded over and over again.
• After praying to forgive those who have hurt you, ask the Lord to heal the emotional wound/s associated with the hurt; allow His peace to replace that emotion i.e. hate, anger, hurt, sadness, etc.
• Going to counselors can help you sort things out but only God can heal your heart which was wounded. Jesus is our Healer!
• Decide not to take offense and to forgive everyone ahead of time!

3) Having a Wounded Soul

• A broken heart, being rejected or self-rejection can be the cause of many sicknesses and diseases and these wounds may need to be dealt with to receive full and lasting healing

4) A Faulty Belief System

• Any belief system that doesn’t agree with God (i.e. His Word, His Nature or His Character) are ungodly beliefs and can hinder our healing
• They are formed from our experiences i.e. hurts, traumas, and words people say to us
• Strongholds in our mind can be set up when our ungodly beliefs combine with the demonic
• These ungodly belief strongholds must be broken by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ

5) Spiritual Oppression (demonic influences)

We see in the gospels that there were some sicknesses that were caused by demonic oppression or influence (Matthew 12:22; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 13:10-13). We see that sickness is seen as oppression from the devil (Acts 10:38) so there could be a spiritual component to sickness and disease. Now a born again Christian can’t be demon-possessed because the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence in their spirit man or heart when Jesus becomes their Lord and Savior. However, even as Christians, we can be oppressed or influenced by the enemy in our soul or body and under spiritual attack.

• Spiritual oppression is a possibility if there is continued (willful, habitual) sin or iniquity present in your life i.e. addiction to drug and/or alcohol, etc.; or continued illness without an apparent reason (sick a lot or constantly injuring yourself). These can be a sign that a door has been opened to spiritual activity or evil in your life and the enemy has brought infirmity or an afflicting spirit with him (See Luke 13:10-17 about the woman that Jesus said had a spirit of infirmity).
• Genetic causes of illness could be related to generational curses passed down through the bloodline
• If there is an open door for the enemy to influence your life, it will require repentance and deliverance in order to shut the door so that you can be healed. Breaking generational curses may be necessary.
• Usually, it is better to allow deliverance to be a process as there may be a legal right for demons to be there. It may be better to first eliminate the things they are attached to in order to weaken their grip i.e. emotional hurts, wounds, unforgiveness, bitterness, generational curses, sin, fear, emotional or sexual abuse, inner vows, etc.
• A ministry counseling session for discovery may be helpful first before a deliverance session.
• It is often beneficial and recommended to be prayed for deliverance in a community of believers with spiritual leadership present (Mark 16:17) or by a Pastor or Deliverance Ministry Team.
• If you desire, as a believer in covenant with God, you can repent and pray for yourself because you have authority over demonic influences and can command them to leave you alone (Luke 10:19; James 4:7). It is important to close the entry points to the demonic realm in your life through inner healing, repentance and forgiveness.
• It is always best to ask the Holy Spirit what would be best for you. Depending on the severity of the demonic influences, you may need a Pastor or Deliverance Minister in your situation to obtain assistance with deliverance.

When I began my journey to Living the Abundant Life Jesus came to give me, I had many illnesses and was getting worse. So I got into the Word of God and found Jesus as my Healer and Deliverer. I received prayer for healing and the Holy Spirit revealed to the minister praying for me that a spirit of infirmity was operating in my life and commanded it to go in Jesus Name.

Afterwards, I asked the Holy Spirit how I had gotten to this place. He showed me that I had opened a door to a spirit of infirmity through my pride i.e. self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, and doing things in my own wisdom and strength. He showed me that without Jesus, I can do nothing (John 15:5). He led me through deliverance from pride including repentance and renunciation and has been teaching me how to daily walk in my freedom so I never come under that bondage again (Galatians 5:1). The door has been closed! Deliverance from the spirit of infirmity then made a way for physical healing to occur and manifest in my body.

I would like to provide you with some self-deliverance declarations that can be used if you would like to pray for yourself. They are from an e-book titled “Unbound; Self- Deliverance Decrees; by Ryan LeStrange/John Eckhardt/Rodrigo Zablah; from ABP books. These are just a few decrees that I have listed here. The e-book has many more. However, before you can order a demon to leave, you must be born again, or you have no authority. It is Jesus who has all authority and has given us His Name to use against demonic forces. Repentance is also a necessary step and covering yourself with the blood of Jesus.

After praying and decreeing (an official order issued by a legal authority) any of these that applies to you, then ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you with His presence in every place the enemy has left. Tell Him He is the only Spirit that you want operating in your life! (You don’t want the enemy to come back and be worse off than before (See Matthew 12:43-45). Without Jesus in your life, you won’t have the authority to keep the spirit out when it tries to come back. You have authority over all foul spirits in Jesus Name when you belong to Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:19).

This is really just an overview and we will deal with more in an upcoming blog on Jesus Our Deliverer.

Self Deliverance Decrees:

Addiction – “I come against every spirit of addiction working in my life, in Jesus’ Name! I break ungodly desires and dependencies. I confess that I am an over comer, in Jesus’ Name. I am not bound because the blood of Jesus has made me free. My desires must line up with the Word of God. I break cycles of bondage, in Jesus’ Name. I break addictive cravings, in Jesus’ Name. I command my thought patterns to be normal and free from addiction. I command the chemistry of my body to be healed and whole, in Jesus’ Name. You foul spirit of addiction; I cast you out and command you to go from me now, in Jesus’ Name! I am no longer bound! I received the miracle working freedom of God Almighty in my mind, my body, in my life right now.”

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains in pieces. Psalm 107:14 (NKJV)

Brokenhearted – “I thank You, Lord, that You came to heal the brokenhearted! I lift up every wound in my heart to You. You are My Healer and Deliverer. Your blood has made me free. I call upon Your healing power right now. I invite You into my heart to heal and deliver me from every pain in my emotions. I believe that Your healing power is working in my life right now. I bind and break all brokenness.”

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (NKJV)

Doubt – “I walk by faith and not by sight. I believe the Word of God. I am firm, fixed, and steadfast in the promises of God. I say that every promise over my life is Yes and Amen! I bind every hindering spirit of doubt and unbelief. I command doubt to leave me now, in Jesus’ Name! I cast you out and I choose to believe God. I worship You, Jesus, because You are my Provider, You are my Deliverer, You are my Healer. I rest in You, Lord.”

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

Infirmity – “I break the spirit of infirmity off of my life. I confess that Jesus is my healer. I thank you, Lord, that I am loose from the spirit of infirmity. I call forth the life of God in my body right now, in Jesus’ Name. I receive God’s healing power and strength in every member of my body. Thank you, Jesus that You are my miracle worker and Your mighty power is setting me free right now. I command every spirit of infirmity to go from me now, in Jesus’ Name!”

And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity 18 years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. Luke 13:11 – 13 (NKJV)        

Sickness and injuries aren’t always the result of demonic influence because there are also natural consequences in the fallen world in which we live which are part of the curse i.e. accidental injuries, viruses, types of food we eat that are cancer producing agents like nitrates/nitrites, pesticides on our food, genetically altered food and food additives; harmful environmental and living conditions i.e. unsafe drinking water; exposure to chemicals and radiation; etc. as well as not stewarding our bodies well i.e. stress, lack of sleep and getting enough rest; poor nutrition and health from lack of exercising, smoking, taking medications inappropriately etc.) These can weaken our immune system and cause illness.

We don’t look to ourselves to see what may be hindering us from receiving our healing. We are to keep our eyes and faith on Jesus our Healer. It is always good to walk in grace, faith, love and forgiveness at all times. We are to walk in the Spirit not following our own desires (Galatians 5:16, 22-25).

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything that would hinder you from receiving your healing and walking in the freedom and Divine Health that Jesus purchased for you. Daily repentance is helpful to receive the cleansing and forgiveness that He has already provided. In order for long-term healing to take place, the root cause of illness must be dealt with.

Jesus wants to make us whole by healing us of all physical, mental, emotional, and relational wounds.

Healing prayer– “I confess that God’s healing power is working in my body now! Lord, You sent Your Word and healed every disease that would try to attack me. I am the healed of the Lord. Thank You, Lord, that every system, every cell, every muscle, every fiber, every tissue, and every organ in my body is healed. I command disease and sickness to go from me now, in Jesus’ Name! I walk in divine health.”

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:19 – 20 (NKJV)

Next week we will look at how to steward our healing so we don’t lose it by letting the enemy steal it from us!