Faith Healing

I'm not amazed at how many Christians believe our illnesses are the result of some sin we committed or not having enough faith. There was a time that I believed that the reason that God had not healed me was that I was to evil to be cured. In my less than rational mind, I knew that my illness  not possibly be caused by unconfused sins, because I had asked for forgiveness for past and future sins. It could not be because of lack of faith, because I had so much faith that God had healed me of my illness that I refused to allow the words: “I am sick.” In any way, shape, or form come out of my mouth.  As a result, I got very angry and my hubby each time he felt a need to call an ambulance when he found me lying on the bathroom floor, unable to get up. 

Between my own high expectations and my bodies refusal to be cured, I began to be drowned by deep depression I began to view death as the only way out of my misery. Considering myself to much of a coward to take my own life, I began to pray for death.

But I am not the only one that suffered from misconceptions concerning healing.

Joni Eareckson said, "[Jesus] once suffered, too. And because Jesus could turn His cross into a symbol of hope and freedom, can I do any less? My wheelchair is the prison God has used to set my spirit free!" (Joni's Story (brochure)

Tim Hansel wrote of his need to be healed: "He finally healed me of the need to be healed...I had discovered a peace inside the pain. I finally came to the realization that if the Lord could use this body better the way it is, then that's the way it should be" (You Gotta Keep Dancin', 123+124).

Glaphre Gilliland exclaimed, "I was whole! Inside I was healed. I sat in God-hushed stillness...and, oh...the peace!" (When the Pieces Don't Fit, 108)

Churches that believe lack of faith or for committing some kind of sins is a precursor to physical affliction are apparently not following what the Bible teaches us.

    Job 1:1 tells us that "In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." Jesus, who had to face the pain of death on the cross was also sinless. Jesus was faith-filled and blameless. "In the Psalms we're told that God does not deal with us according to our sins and iniquities. My Chronic illness that has plagued me since I was a child was not punishment by God for something that I did wrong.

    The Bible does, however, have a lot to say on the subject of being for faith-healing. "...The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up..." (James 5:15), and "Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick... and all of them were healed" (Acts 5:16) are just two of the verses that are supposed proof that Jesus will heal anyone who comes in faith. Proponents of faith-healing point out these verses and the "key word" they mention is "all" -- that "all" who came in faith were cured.

    However, there are also many verses that deal with pain and health problems as being normal for believers in God. Moses had a speech impediment, Solomon suffered from depression, Stephen was stoned to death, John the Baptist had his head hacked off, Jesus was hung on a cross. No doubt they all felt pain. Paul spoke of his problem (believed by many to be a physical disability) by saying "...there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). 

Although , I will not deny that miracles do happen. Our relationship with Him is made stronger in our weakness.