HOW TO GET HEALED AND STAY HEALED
BECOME CONVERTED AND BORN AGAIN
The gospel teaches that forgiveness of sins and healing of the body go hand in hand. If ministers would teach all the gospel, people would have faith in both healing and forgiveness and sinners could get both at the time of conversion. The following Scriptures prove that both benefits were provided in the sacrifice of Calvary: "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matt. 8:16-17); "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). The following passages prove that both forgiveness of sins and healing of the body should be received at one time: "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (Ps. 103:3); "For whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?" (Matt. 9:5); "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matt. 13:15); "Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14-16). Thus it is very clear that healing is just as easy to receive from God as forgiveness of sins. Both can be received by the same simple faith in God and asking in the name of Jesus. Healing is part of your salvation; do not be cheated out of it any more than you permit yourself to be cheated out of forgiveness of sins.
Once I was called at 6:00 A. M. to pray for a woman that had been having convulsions since three o'clock the previous afternoon. Her tongue was sticking out of her mouth like a beef steak. A large spoon had to be put between her teeth to keep her from chewing her tongue. She was having one convulsion after another, and the doctor had just left saying there was no hope and that he could do no more to help her. After I had spoken to the husband and others in the room about prayer and had told them that God was able to do what man had failed to do, and after the husband promised to serve God if his wife was healed, we all kneeled and had prayer. She was no better; so I said to the young man who had come along with me, "Let us go into the woodshed and pray until we know that God has answered prayer." There were some unbelievers in the home who were scoffing at healing through prayer, so we thought it best to get by ourselves and pray without any distraction. We prayed until about 10:30 A. M. and then went into the house and had one more prayer, having the assurance that God had already answered prayer. The woman turned over on her side and went to sleep and slept all afternoon The next day when we went to see her, she was perfectly well. I met this woman in California just last year, and she testified to the fact that she had been healed in answer to prayer. God will do anything when conditions are met. If you have need of healing, it is only right that you surrender your life to God if you expect Him to heal you. You will not only get healed, but you will be saved at the same time if you are not already saved from a life of sin.
HAVE FAITH IN GOD FOR HEALING
If one will ask God for healing and believe that it is done as he is taught to ask for forgiveness of sins, it will be done. One should never doubt for one moment that God will heal him, just as he is taught to believe in forgiveness of sins. One should resist all doubt that he is healed, just as he must if he is tempted to doubt that God has forgiven him. Men are taught to accept salvation by faith and count it done whether they feel it or not. They are taught that God has forgiven them regardless of feelings; and if they will but believe this, they are saved. So it is with healing of the body. After prayer has been completed and healing has been asked for, one should likewise count it done and believe it regardless of feelings, symptoms, or outward evidences to the contrary.
If one will maintain that he is healed just as much as he does that he is forgiven, God will confirm the healing just as He does forgiveness of sins. This fact cannot be overemphasized, as healing depends much on this firm stand that prayer has been heard and answered. If you want the benefits of the gospel, do what is required to get these benefits, and you will not fail to get them.
We cannot guarantee the benefits according to the gospel until you meet these conditions. Are the benefits worth the efforts in meeting the conditions? If they are, then do as you are instructed. If they are not worth the effort to believe God without a waver, then do not fret because you do not get what you want. You cannot expect God to be a respecter of persons and give you these benefits when you fail to do as He requires. He is not that kind of God, and He will not break His laws for anyone. He knows that every individual can, if he will, choose to meet the conditions of unwavering faith. Do 'not baby yourself any longer or complain that it is hard to believe. This very attitude is sinful, and you should ask God to forgive you for believing lies and Satan in preference to truth and God. As long as you co-operate with Satan and allow unbelief, you cannot co-operate with God and exercise true faith. One cannot serve two masters or have faith and unbelief in his life at the same time (Matt. 6:24; James 1:4-8).
In Detroit, Michigan, about four years ago a deacon of a certain church took me to see and to pray with a man that was paralyzed on one side and who bad not walked for about eight months. I spoke to him about his faith; and his very first words, as I recall, were, "I believe in healing all right, but I cannot seem to have faith for my healing." I got up and walked over to his bed and said, "Don't you say that again. That is a lie. You can have faith and you must have faith if you expect to get healed." I then quoted Mark 11:22-24 and emphasized the truth of verse 24 this way, "Believe you have got it and you shall have it." I said that over several times and got him to promise to believe that God would heal him and then prayed. While I was praying, the paralyzed man said, "If I have got it, what am I lying here for?" With that he jumped out of bed and shouted all over the place. I said, "Now you stay up until bedtime and then go to bed and get up in the morning perfectly well. Forget that you ever had paralysis."
QUIT PRAYING "IF IT BE THY WILL"
As we have seen in Chapter Thirteen, It is God's will to heal, because He has definitely promised to heal all who come to Him in faith. Let this be settled once and forever and never again question God or make Him a liar by saying, "if it be thy will." Since He has promised healing, it is sinful and contrary to His Word and will to pray this way. One should go to God in absolute unwavering faith for those things that He has promised. He should never question the will of God at all concerning what He has promised. To do so is to make Him a liar by letting Him know that we know that He has promised, but we do not believe it, or we doubt what He has said and we do not believe that He means what He says. It is His will to give what He has promised or He would not have made His will known by the promises.
A lady wrote sometime ago and gave the following testimony: 'My husband had been in the insane hospital for a long time and -vas not improving. But when we began to pray like you said and not say, 'if it be thy will,' the work was done. Thank God my husband is healed and back home with a good mind. This is a real testimony for he was in an awful shape." God will answer anyone who will quit doubting His Word and will and who will pray in faith according to the promises.
WHOLLY TRUST GOD IN SICKNESS AND ADVERSITY
The Bible says, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. . . he shall be like the heath in the desert. . . Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is . . . he shall be as a tree planted by the waters . . . and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green [shall have health] . . . neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jer. 17:5-10. See also Prov. 3:5-8; 2 Chron. 16:12-14; 2 Kings 1:1-17; Mark 5:25-34).
OBEY GOD AND HIS WORD
"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee" (Prov. 3:1-8); "Attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings . . . for they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (Prov. 2:1-5; Prov 3:13-24; Prov 4:20-23) "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7; 1 John 3:21-22;1 John 5:14-15. See also Ex. 15:26; Deut. 4:40; Deut 7:12-15; Deut 28:1-62; Deut 30:1-20; Ps. 105:37;Ps 107:20).
MAKE PEACE WITH FELLOW MEN
"When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses" (Mark 11:22-26); "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:14-16).
CALL CHURCH ELDERS AND BELIEVE IN THEIR PRAYERS
"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick" (James 5:14-16); "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mark 16:17-20).
Thousands of ministers today can testify of miraculous hearings in their ministry in the lives of people who have obeyed James and called for prayer. Multiplied thousands of people are being healed every day by obeying this divine prescription. In almost every church there are many witnesses to the power of God to heal the body by faith in the name of Jesus Christ.
About four years ago in Washington, Pennsylvania, I was called to the hospital to pray for a lay preacher by the name of John Miller who had fallen forty-seven feet off the roof of a building he was working on. He was carried to the hospital, and the X-ray showed that his back was broken in two places and three vertebrae were fractured. I reached the hospital about 5:00 P. M. He was in such pain that large drops of perspiration were standing out on his forehead. Doctors told him that he would have to be in a cast for many months. I said to him, "Brother Miller, let us agree that God will hear and answer prayer and that He will heal you now. It matters not what doctors may say, what Christians will say, or what anyone will say to you. You will have men encourage your unbelief and tell you how long you will have to be in the hospital. Very few Christians will stand with you in faith that you will be instantly healed, but if you and I will agree in faith you will be healed." I never will forget how he held my hand and in agony said, "I will agree with you."
We prayed and anointed him with oil, as James said, and the prayer of faith was prayed. God instantly removed all the pain, and he believed that he was healed. He told the doctors that he was healed. Another X-ray was taken, and it showed that there was no broken back and no vertebra was fractured. The doctors could not understand it. They had both X-rays. One showed a broken back and the other did not. A little soreness remained in his back a few days because of the great fall. Johnny Miller was up daily walking around and reading his Bible, testifying to everybody what God had done. He wanted to go home, but the doctors kept him in the hospital over two weeks under observation. They could not understand his case.
Two weeks and three days went by, and on this day Johnny was standing up in his room reading his Bible when the doctor came into the room. He asked if he could go home as he was feeling as fine as ever. The doctor said that if he would submit to a cast he could go home, as they would not be responsible for anything that would happen by letting him go home before it was safe. They could not yet figure out what had happened since they had the two X-rays showing two opposite things. He submitted to being put in a cast if they would release him. That night at home the Lord spoke to him and said, "Take your cast off, for I have healed you." He called up a friend in the city and told him to bring his tin snips and other tools over and help him get the cast off. The two of them worked for several hours, and when it was finally removed, Johnny jumped out of bed and went upstairs to the bathroom. Brother Miller was a living witness to the whole hospital staff and to many in the city that knew of his case.
CONTROL THE TONGUE
"The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life. . . There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword; but the tongue of the wise is health. . . He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. . . A wholesome tongue is a tree of life . . . pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. . . Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 10:12; Prov 12:18; Prov 13:3; Prov 15:4; Prov 16:24; Prov 18:21).
"What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile" (Ps. 34:13-14; 1 Peter 3:10-11; James 3). It is interesting to note that nine times out of eleven plagues upon Israel, as recorded in Numbers alone, were caused by the misuse of the tongue (Num. 11:1-3,33-35; Num 12:1-16; Num 13:26-33; Num 14:1-37; Num 16:1-50; Num 21:5).
LIVE IN GOD AND UNDER HIS PROTECTION
"He that dwelleth [remains, settles down, or takes up a homestead] in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow [defense, protection] of the Almighty. . . I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers . . . his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.. . There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet... He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation" (Ps. 91).
To illustrate the power of the 91st Psalm I relate the following story. It is a true story as it happened in my early ministry. About twenty-two years ago I was principal of a Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas. One afternoon it was reported that two of the men students were sick in the men's dormitory. I went up and gathered several students with me around the bed and prayed and anointed with oil as taught in James 5:14-16. One of the students was immediately healed and the other was not. It puzzled me for the moment that the same prayer and faith worked in one case and not in another.
This boy broke out with smallpox, and along with this a panic broke out in the school among the students. Most of them wanted to go home at once, as it was nearing the end of the school year and they did not want to be quarantined away from home for an indefinite period. The next morning in chapel we read the 91st Psalm and asked the students how many would agree together in faith that God would rebuke the plague and not permit anyone else to take smallpox. I told them that since they were training for the ministry as pastors, evangelists, and missionaries, this test was good for them to prove the power of God in time of need.
Not one student raised his hand to say that he would agree with us. I was so surprised at this attitude that I wanted to know why they acted thus. Then they began to confess their faults to each other and ask for forgiveness for the little troubles that they had caused each other during the months of living in such close association with each other. After this was all over, I then asked how many would agree, and every hand went up. I then asked them to stand to their feet and praise God together for healing the boy who had the smallpox, and ask Him to stay the plague where it was.
Believe it or not, God did that very thing, and the other boy was healed instantly and the plague was stayed. Not one student who remained at school took the smallpox. Just one boy rebelled and refused to stay in school. He went home and took the smallpox.
Those who remained in school where the protection of the blood of Christ and the Power of God was claimed in faith were kept free from the plague. We never did let the health officer of Dallas know about the Plague. We fumigated the best we knew how and finished the school year in victory. This experience taught me that all things are possible to them that believe. Since then on many an occasion I have tested and proved the power of the promises of God and have always found them to be yea and amen to them that believe (2 Cor. 1:20).
PRAISE GOD IN FAITH FOR HEALING
David said, "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul: and all that is within me . . . forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (Ps. 103:1-5). It is written of Abraham, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness" (Rom.4:17-22; Heb. 11:11-12). Paul said, "Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:5-6; Heb. 13:15-16).
SERVE GOD IN HOLINESS AS EARNESTLY AS YOU SOUGHT HIM
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Col. 2:6-7); "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. - . Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 5:14;Jn 8:11); "if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1 John 3:21-22;1 John 5:14-15). If one wants to keep his healing, let him keep his faith, live free from sin, and resist the devil who will try to bring back the sickness (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9).
APPROPRIATE THE BENEFITS OF CALVARY
Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning [comprehending the benefits by faith of] the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep" (1 Cor. 11:27-30); "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24).
RESIST THE DEVIL-REFUSE TO BE DENIED
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw night to God and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4:7-8); "The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about. seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith" (1 Peter 5:5-10. See also Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:4-7). How to resist will be fully explained in Chapter Sixteen, Points 11-14.
The following testimony illustrates what resistance to the devil can do for one. Mrs. R. M. G. of Georgia writes, "I was so weak I couldn't do my work and I had been that way for ten years. I was a total wreck. A Christian? Yes, but what I didn't know was that the devil was doing all that. I thought it was the Lord whipping me for something that I had done. But that day I turned it all over to God. I told Him that I meant to resist the devil from that day on and strength came into my body and I got up and went to work. I fully believe that God wants His children to be well in body."
OBSERVE THE LAWS OF GOD AND OF NATURE
The body is God's house as well as our own. It belongs to God and not to us; "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19-20). As it is God's house, we are forbidden to mar it, to defile it, or to abuse it (1 Cor. 3:16-17;1 Cor 6:19-20).
Common sense tells us that God can get more glory out of a body that is well and strong because a person with such a body has complete use of all his faculties. A rugged constitution, a keen, alert mind, and unimpaired moral and spiritual faculties are necessary if one is to fully glorify God in the body and spirit. We can glorify God best by bearing much fruit (John 15:8). To bear much and good fruit the tree or vine must be healthy and normally free from disease and things that cause fruit to become faulty (Matt. 3:10;Mt 7:16-20). So it is with a Christian.
If God can get some glory out of lives that are hindered by physical handicaps, how much more glory could He get out of the same people if they did not have such handicaps? Naturally, anyone with some physical handicap can do something, but he could do more if he did not have such physical defects.
Every person who wants health should see to it that he gets the proper food and eats it in the right way and in proper amounts from day to day. He should wear warm clothes and not expose his body to cold for the sake of some style. He should take plenty of exercise and live in the open as much as possible. He should sleep in well ventilated rooms with plenty of fresh air. He should see to it that the home gets plenty of fresh air through the day and each room gets as much of sunshine as possible. He should have clean habits, bathe often, and keep his teeth in good shape. He should not overwork or abuse any part of his body. He should take plenty of rest and keep free from all worry and anxiety. He should do everything possible to care for his body, soul, and spirit, according to the best knowledge he has, and he can have long life and happiness.
To be healthy one must control the mind and thoughts. Unclean thinking, reading of novels and love stories filled with immoral suggestions, admiring obscene pictures, dancing, kissing, caressing. teasing, fondling, spooning, secret sins, dissipation, drinking, smoking, hatred, anger, worry, wrong eating, little sleep, overwork, lack of exercise, laziness, and other bad habits weaken the will and undermine the physical, mental, and moral health. Just good old fashioned wholesome living will create life and energy, vitalize the blood, give elasticity and strength to the muscles, and build up physical health, bodily strength, and personal magnetism, beauty, and charm.
Special thanks to a great man of God and a wonderful friend, Pastor Terry Sisney.
My name is William Poovey, and I pastor at Bethel Church in Olar, SC. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a lot of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
William Poovey
