And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
At the risk of sounding slightly less than gracious, why are there so many, “If it’s Your will, God, heal my sickness” prayers going on out there? In all honesty, I have yet to find a place in the Bible where Jesus didn’t heal someone and or everyone who was sick with whom He came in contact. There are instances where the healing power of Christ was limited in who it touched. These limitations, however, are not due to Christ’s lack of desire or will to heal, but instead they are the result of restrictions set forth on the part of the petitioner.
And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. (Matthew 14:35-36)
This passage, incidentally from the same chapter, illustrates the point. The question has to be asked: what if they hadn’t set the restriction that the sick had to touch His garment? Imagine if they had come and begged Christ that whoever was on the planet be healed. I think He would have responded appropriately. In fact, I think He was intending to respond that way all along. But, being a God who answers the prayers of His people, He did what they asked.
We know that all the while Christ knew He was going to the Roman scourging post to make available the healing for all. We furthermore know that Jesus knew He would be crucified for the forgiveness of sin. The question today is this: are we acknowledging what Christ has done?
Back to the beginning point, prayers that seem to be “on the fence”. You know these prayers, the ones that go something like this, “Dear God, I’m sick and suffering. If it’s Your will I’ll be healed. But, if it’s Your will for me to be sick and suffering, I’ll accept that. Either way, my faith is based on my unsure understanding of what you want for my life. In Jesus’ name...Amen.”
Where is the confidence? Where is the hope? Where is the groundedness in the goodness of God and the finished work of Christ in a prayer that is “on the fence”? It’s nonexistent! We need to be praying prayers of victory, prayers with the confident expectation of eternal salvation. Not prayers of maybe.
Pray in the knowledge that the work is finished. Pray from a place of victory; don’t simply pray for victory. Christ defeated the Devil at the cross. Christ bore your sickness, forgave your sin, and has made you righteous in Him. Pray with the confidence that Jesus, when He went out, saw a great multitude, had compassion, and healed their sick!
Friends, when Christ left His place in heaven to come to earth and be our substitution, to be our Savior, He saw a great multitude. He saw generations of sick and hurting people. He had so much compassion that He chose to take all of our hurt, our suffering, our uncleanness, and our punishment in His body. He did that so that He could impart to us all of His righteousness, His perfection, and His health for our bodies.
Let’s not limit the effect of Christ’s finished work in our lives with prayers that lack confidence. Let’s pray boldly, from our victory in Christ, “Dear Father in heaven, I thank you that Jesus bore my (insert sickness or problem) in His body. I thank you that I am already made whole because of His finished work at the cross. I thank you for the victory and the health in my body that is growing stronger day by day! In Jesus’ name...Amen!”
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