James offered an exaltation regarding what we can do if we suffer or if we become ill. He advised us to call for the elders of the church to pray and anoint us for healing. James believed that the prayer of faith would save the person who was ill and then the Lord would raise them up out of sickness. (James 5: 13-15)

Jesus prayed many times and laid hands on people that were sick who recovered. “Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.” (Luke 4:40)

There was one occasion when a woman with an issue of blood, didn’t even wait for Jesus to lay his hands on her. She was determined to grab hold of the hem of his garment because she knew that healing power flowed through his body. And as soon as she touched his garment, power flowed out of him and she was healed. “And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8:48)

Let us remain in faith, continue to study what the word says about healing, pray for those who are sick and expect a miracle.

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In Exodus, Moses spoke to the people concerning the laws and promises of God. Moses reminds them that once they served God that he would bless their provision. He would bless their food and water supply which was important to them for sustenance.

Healing is a promise in the word of God and it is never His will or plan for us to be sick. Why do people become sick then and die? I don’t have all the answers but I know that God does not want illness for his people. There are many scriptures in the bible which speaks to health and well-being. Understanding what God’s word says and believing in his promises helps us to stay healthy.

The very idea or concept that God wants to punish us by making us ill is an open door to illness. The mind is a very powerful weapon and what we think in our minds often determines what happens to us. So let us keep constantly in our minds what the word says and meditate on God’s promises concerning our health and wellbeing.

“And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.” (Deuteronomy 7:15)

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In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman approached Jesus to ask him to help her daughter who was “severely oppressed by a demon.” Jesus first ignored the woman and his disciples, possibly annoyed by her constant crying and insistence, asked Jesus to send her away. Jesus said two things about the woman which sounds quite controversial. First he said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when the woman persisted, Jesus then said, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:24; 26).

Jesus made reference to his mission to be a witness first to the Jews. He then made reference to the idea at the time, that healing and deliverance was considered sacred to the Jews who were God’s chosen people. The woman was persistent and did not take offence to what could have been considered insults. “She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:27).

The reward was the acknowledgment of her faith, and her daughter was healed immediately (Matthew 15:28). Although Jesus’s mission was first to the Jews, his commission to the disciples was to reach all nations. As such, we who accept him as Lord are grafted into the family of God and share in this inheritance.

Even then, before the gospel had spread to those who were not Jews, Jesus extended grace and healing to those outside of his mission field. We can’t go too far for God to reach us and healing is not reserved for those who are ‘more deserving’ than others. If you believe that Jesus is able to heal and restore then he will grant your request.

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Jeremiah was a prophet during the time, when Israel came under siege by the King of Babylon. Jeremiah faced prosecution because he often prophesied contrary, to what the King felt that he should prophecy. He prayed to God often for understanding, regarding some of the revelations which he had concerning his people.

God renewed His covenant to Jeremiah concerning his people, which he made to Abraham. God spoke of the blessings and restoration which he would bring to his people. He also promised to cleanse them of their sins and to restore joy, praise and glory so that people would hear of all the good that he had done for them (Jeremiah 32-33).

It is never God’s plan for us to suffer and remain afflicted. In fact his word confirms that his desire for us is prosperity and health (3 John 1:2). God is so invested in our healing and salvation that he took on humanity, came to earth and was crucified for us. “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

God wants us to be healthy and prosperous and any ideas contrary to that is condemnation and false doctrines of religion. God is not out to get us and does not take pleasure in punishing us, or causing us calamity because we have done wrong. He longs for us to come to him and find peace, comfort, healing and restoration.

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There is power when we speak and there is death and life in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Even in the darkest of circumstances when we speak the word it brings life to light our way.

The Psalmist declared that the word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). The word gives direction and even when we cannot see a way out of the darkest places, there is an answer in the word of God.

Trials and challenges will cause our minds to be bombarded with negative thinking. We learn to speak things that do not already exist as if they have already happened and watch our words manifest into reality.

We are what we believe and words spoken over us from as early as childhood often form our identity. Jesus died to give us a new identity and we can speak his words over ourselves and believe what he says about us.

As Believers and saints we have been called out of darkness into the marvellous light of God (1 Peter 2:9). We do not have to continue to feel our way around through the darkness or become overwhelmed by the clouds of depression, fear, anxiety, guilt and worry. Our knowledge of the word of God brings life and when we speak the word over our circumstances it gives way to the light.

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During Jesus’s time with the disciples he taught them about the importance of staying connected to him. Jesus spoke
about being the true vine and his disciples being the branches that would bear good fruit. Jesus urged them to keep his commandments and to abide in his love. Jesus shared these things because he wanted them to be full of Joy. (John 15:1-11)

We all live for the pursuit of joy and happiness. We often imagine that if we acquire enough money and success that we will have joy. There is a certain feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes from achieving our goals. These accomplishments provide temporary periods of happiness. Our pursuit should also include those things that provide deeper meaning and significance. A recognition that we are living for a purpose much greater than ourselves and a God from whom we draw strength.

It is a relationship with God and being in right standing with Him that provides total peace. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Psalm 28:7)

Trusting in God brings lasting peace and joy. Knowing that we can carry all our worries and cares to him because he cares for us and loves us with an everlasting love. Jesus prays that our joy may be full.

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God created us in his image and gave us dominion over the earth. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing” (Genesis 1:28).

God spoke things into existence that did not exist and out of darkness he created life and light. We have the same power in our words to make manifest what we command. This is why Solomon said that death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs 18:21).

We have the power to curse and to cure and to speak life or death into a situation. God led Ezekiel in a vision to a valley of dead dry bones and asked him if they could live. God then commanded Ezekiel to speak over the bones and command them to live. Ezekiel spoke life and breath into the bones and they came alive (Ezekiel 37:1-14). God did this to demonstrate the power of our words to command life to situations that appear dead.

We prophesy concerning our health, relationships, finances and our careers. Much of our life is the sum total of the way you speak and since there is so much power in our words, then let us be intentional. Use your words to decree and declare what shall be and it shall come to pass. Use your words to declare health and wealth and life and peace.

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We need faith right now to believe and maintain hope in the things that we cannot see and to maintain trust that these things will manifest. Right in this very moment we challenge ourselves to pray and ask God for what we need, while we activate our faith. Now we adjust our behaviour to reflect an attitude of hope in what we expect to come. We thank God in advance for we know that He hears and that our answer has been released.

It is by faith that we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he died for our sins on the cross, was raised from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God. Because of our belief in Jesus Christ we have a connection to the supernatural and we live in the realm of the spirit. Through our belief we see the manifestation in our lives of the works of our faith and hope.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) Our faith grows stronger as we read and listen to the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

So in whatever area of our lives we are experiencing defeat, we need to strengthen our faith concerning this. Find out what the bible says about success and financial freedom for example and this will activate our faith concerning God’s promise in this area. The bible has a lot to say about healing so when we are sick we apply the word to that situation. The bible is the handbook of life and God ordained scriptures to apply to every situation we encounter.

And as we study the word of God our faith will increase and we will have victory over every challenge that we face. You need faith now so start praying and applying the word of God to that situation. It is a matter of faith.

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We have to learn to stand on the word of God, hold fast to our faith and declare the word of faith even when we cannot see the evidence.

In 1 Kings 18:1, God told Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab because he was going to send rain. No rain had fallen in Israel for over three years because the people turned away from God. After Elijah’s demonstration of God’s power through fire on Mount Carmel, he told King Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of heavy rain.” (1 Kings 18:41)

Ahab had such confidence in what Elijah said because he had seen the work of God displayed that he went on his way to eat and drink. Elijah then went to the top of Mount Carmel and knelt down with his face between his knees before God. He sent his servant to look up towards the sea to see if he saw any sign of rain. The servant came back and said he had seen nothing. Elijah sent the servant to look seven times and it was the last time that he reported seeing a cloud as small as a fist rising up from the sea. He instructed the servant saying, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” (1 Kings 18:42-44)

At this point in time there was not even a drizzle and the only physical evidence that Elijah could see was a small cloud. Yet he was willing to bet his life on what God had said. Yes his life because the King and Queen wanted him dead. He had prophesied about the drought and he was now prophesying about the rain. So if he said it was going to rain and then it failed to rain, the King and Queen would want Elijah’s head.

I want to have the same confidence to stand on the word from my God and in the face of adversity declare what he says. It is about to rain in your circumstances and where there is dryness and barrenness, God is about to send heavy rain. God will heal, deliver, set free and restore where we have suffered losses. Believe in what God has promised you and continue to confess his word over your life. “I hear the sound of abundance of rain.”

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I sometimes reflect on celebrities that end their own lives and my conclusion is that money and success alone does not guarantee happiness. I think of the concept that people use about people “selling their souls to the devil.” I do not think people are necessarily engaged in a satanic ceremony renouncing their faith and pledging allegiance to Satan. I do think that very often in the pursuit of fame and success, people gradually let go of their values and principles.

The soul is described as the seat of the conscience and emotions. If we have to deny our convictions and values in order to reap success then this must be what selling one’s soul means.

We need to remember the Lord God in all that we do because he teaches us and gives us the power to gain wealth to confirm his covenant to our fathers. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

God wants us to prosper and be in good health and if we trust in him he will teach us how to gain wealth. We have to trust God to do it his way and not conform to the methods that the world uses. We commit our work to the Lord and he will cause our plans to succeed. (Proverbs 16:13)

You can succeed when you trust God to lead and follow in his footsteps. Let him direct you and he will help you to succeed.

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