Years ago I was suffering from some long forgotten problem and friends of mine asked me if they could place their hands on me to bring healing. I said sure and sat for their prayerful manifestation for healing of my body. Unfortunately nothing changed and they advised me that it was my lack of faith that prevented the transformation. That stuck with me for a long time.
Many Christians can’t allow themselves to consider the question because it places them in the uncomfortable position of confronting their faith. After all, if a Christian believes in God shouldn’t healing of disease (physical/mental/emotional) be ingrained into our DNA? But it may not be faith that needs to be examined but how He heals. There are deep dark secrets hidden in all of us, most carrying these burdens throughout our lives. These are areas that are not only hidden from our loved ones but also from ourselves. 2Corinthians 4:16 says outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. This tells me that the process of healing may not only be miraculous in nature (Jesus raising Lazarus) but also unremarkable (at least to the casual observer) in the realm of prayer.
But inwardly renewed; how? Matthew 7:7 says we are to ask Him. Can it be as simple as that? Yes and no. Yes, because we must ask first if we are to receive but no because we must pray and ask The Father to show us where we are hurting and in pain. It seems obvious, but I believe that we do not know why we are in pain and consequently need His healing presence to touch us. Ask The Father to show you the long held and now hidden areas of your heart that need renewal. Ask the Spirit to cascade down into your heart and wash it of those seemingly intractable strongholds. He will come and show you what to pray and how He can bring you back to a full and vibrant life that He has held out to us since the beginning.
More to come in my next blog post.
marc, I agree with you, and believe (really I do!) that you are on the right track here! I also observe that I think we both agree that it was really Jesus who raised Lazarus even though there were plenty of miraculous, supernatural, ways in which the Holy Spirit manifested through Paul!
Thanks Steve for the reply. You need friends to point out a few errors in your life. I miraculously (via the edit tab) changed Lazarus’ miracle from Paul to Jesus.