Luke 4:18 Jesus read the words of Isaiah 61 and proclaimed Himself the Healer: "The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor: He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed: To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
Last week I wrote about Spiritual and Emotional Healing, if you are interested in those aspects of God's healing. Today, I am going to focus on physical healing.
First, I will tell you a true-life story of physical healing I received.
I had a weeping eye. No, this was not like facing a terminal illness, but it was very annoying. Imagine everywhere you go people think you're crying. Tears continually dripped from my right eye, and then with the constant wiping, infections set in. I went from one specialist to another, with some horrific procedures that did not work including a tube placed into the corner of my eye and down into my nose-so very painful. (The picture above shows the tube halfway pulled out by mistake and oh the pain to get it put back in, all to no avail.) I finally opting for surgery where they would drill a hole in my nose, so that the tear duct could drain. They warned me it would be a very painful surgery where most of my face would bruise to black and blue. I was not excited, but the constant weeping was not an option either. They put my name on the wait list. (In Canada, surgery is free, but you wait.)
One evening at my Bible study prayer group, one faith filled woman noticed the continual tears and wiping and said. "Hey Blossom, I know you're slotted in for surgery, but we've never prayed for your eye. Do you mind if we gather around and pray for healing? (Now that should have been my first go to—right? But no, I had not done that.) With about as much faith as a gnat I agreed. The group gathered around and prayed.
The next morning by 10:00 I clued into the fact that I had not wiped at my eye. By noon, I was paying attention. By the next day I was optimistic, by a month later I was ecstatic.
One simple prayer and WOW no more tears.
About four months later the surgeon's office phoned to book my surgery.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I forgot to call and cancel. I won't be needed that surgery after all.
"Excuse me," the receptionist said. "But I don't understand."
I said. "You're probably not going to believe me, but I'll tell you anyway. My prayer group got together and asked God to heal my eye, that was four months ago, and it has not watered since."
She stammered out an "Oh … okay," and hung up the phone.
Five minutes later the phone rang again …
"Mrs. Turner the Doctor would like you to come to the appointment if possible. Your medical issue is not something that just corrects itself, and he would like to see for himself."
I readily agreed. It was a three-hour round trip I was only too happy to make for this doctor had a divine appointment.
When I arrived, I was not kept waiting. He looked in the eye with his instruments and hummed and hawed "Well," he said, "This is not possible. I still see the blockage, but your eye is not tearing This makes no sense."
I smiled and said. "God's miracles rarely do."
"Yes, I heard your story from the receptionist, but there has to be a logical explanation."
"And that is?" I asked.
"The only explanation I have is that you'll be calling me soon for that surgery." He patted me on the shoulder and smiled. "Keep my number, you're going to need it."
"And if I don't, can I call you up in five years and get you to admit to witnessing a miracle."
He laughed. "Yes, you do that."
I should give him a call. It's at least five years.
Matthew 4:23 "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people."
Jesus' miracles of healing were a way for Him to show love and were proof of His identity and mission. He was the Son of God sent to heal hearts, bodies, minds and souls. Though he cared deeply for the physically afflicted, He cared far more for the soul and their Spiritual condition. After each physical healing He pointed the sinner toward God, toward salvation, toward the eternal. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me."John 14:6 Meaning just that. He had no problem talking of heaven and hell, of the saved and the lost, and contrasting the difference, for He was not focused on being politically correct. He was focused on truth and on saving the spiritually lost.
And yes, Jesus stills heals physically today. Why He does not heal the physical body each time we ask in prayer, I do not know. These mysteries of God are far beyond me, but that does not mean that I do not ask for healing each and every time someone needs it, including me. Prayer is now my first line of defense. And I will not understand until I get to the other side why Jehovah Rophe chose to heal my eye, but when that same group of people prayed for one of the men to be healed of cancer, the answer was not what we wanted. Yet God gave supernatural power to that man to walk through much pain and die with incredible strength and dignity. I cannot help but see that as an amazing miracle and I look forward to dancing in heaven with Randy someday.
If you are suffering from a physical problem of any sort, I encourage you pray the following prayer. The Lord our Healer, Yahweh-Rophe is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We cannot demand anything for He is sovereign, but He delights in our faith when we ask for healing. He will either heal us, or give strength to walk through, even unto death. "For yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For You, oh God are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. Ps. 23:4.
Dear Yahweh-Rophe, The Lord our Healer;
I ask for your mercy of physical healing. I come to you in faith. I believe you are the all-powerful One, who can heal me this instant and so I ask that You heal my________
But Lord if you choose that I walk with a limp, or carry this disease, or walk through the valley of death, give me the miracle of supernatural strength to remain faithful until we meet Jesus.
Amen.
If you need encouragement to accept the will of God listen to this amazing song by Hillary Scott and Family "Thy Will Be Done"
All Scripture taken from the NKJV
Other Names of God that may encourage can be found on the following dates.
1) Elohim-God - October 1, 2018 2) Abba Father - October 15, 2018 3) El Shaddai - October 22, 2018 4) The Truth - October 28, 2018 5) The Alpha & Omega - Nov. 5, 2018 6) Yahweh-Shalom - Nov. 12, 2018 7) God of All Comfort - Nov. 19,2018 8) The Rock - Nov. 26, 2018 9) Our Maker - Dec. 3, 2018 10) Our Defender - Dec.10, 2018 11) Immanuel - Dec. 17, 2018 12) The Bread of Life - Jan. 7, 2019 13) Yahweh-Nissi - Jan. 14, 2019 14) Yahweh-Rohi - Jan. 21, 2019 15) The LORD - Jan. 28, 2019 16) Deliverer - Feb. 4, 2019 17) Spirit of the Living God - Feb. 11, 2019 18) Yahweh-Rophe Part 1 - Feb. 18, 2019 19) Yahweh-Rophe Part 2 - Feb. 25, 2019