Jehovah Rapha – the GOD who heals

Dear friends

Have you ever believed GOD for healing?
Or do you happen to know anyone who has been miraculously healed by THE LORD?

If you are anything like me, you have answered “yes” to both questions.

But the most interesting question is:
Has THE LORD ever healed you yourself?

Me, I can also answer this one with a “yes”.

And my views on healing (physically and mentally) are very “fundamentalistic” – many people might consider them extreme!

When I say fundamentalistic, I mean that I firmly believe that GOD is still the same as HE was when HE was walking on the earth.
And what HE did when HE was here, living amongst us in the flesh, was, wherever HE went, HE was healing people from physical ailments, HE preached and HE cast out demons.
Right?

And many times, in the Old and in the New Testament, HE promised, that we will be blessed and of good health, that we will receive power and that if we lay hands on the sick, they will recover, and that we will cast out demons in HIS name, right?

And the bible also says that GOD is the same yesterday, today and forever.

So far, so good.

For me, that means that HE is still doing the very same miracles HE has been doing in the times when HIS life here on earth was recorded in the bible – even as in the times of the Old Testament.

And I have experienced it and seen it and heard it.

However, I have also experienced and seen that some people didn’t get healed – including myself, as my healing requests and prayers have not always been answered by GOD…

I am wondering why that could be so?

Is it because GOD is unable to heal us?

I absolutely do NOT believe that.

I believe it must have something to do with US – with ME in my specific case!

You see, what I also find with other prayer requests – with the ones not related to healing – is that they must be aligned with the will of GOD for my life, for instance.
That’s one requirement for my prayer to be answered by GOD.
But when it comes to healing, I don’t believe that this could possibly be a reason for GOD not to answer healing requests, because I believe that HE wants us to be healthy – not only do I believe it, but HE also says so in HIS WORD:

3 John 1:2
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper
and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

HE even goes a step further and promises healing to us:

Exodus 15:26
“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God,
and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments,
and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee,
which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”

So what’s going on?

Why are we healed sometimes and sometimes we aren’t?

As with everything, when we have a question, we need to seek GOD about it and that’s what I have been doing.

From what I have learnt so far, I can identify 4 possible reasons:

#1 Some covenants/curses/strongholds having to do with the enemy are preventing our healing

This is a huge topic in itself and includes all types of sin that we may have committed and not repented of or that we might still be living in, or that our ancestors might have committed and GOD still holds us accountable for them, we might have cursed objects in our house, idol objects, might have done something which has provoked the wrath of GOD, like any superstitious stuff like charms, amulets, spells, potions, consulting a psychic/fortune teller, reading our horoscope, practicing any false religion or any rituals that are ungodly, exposed ourselves to any satanic material (music, movies, books, porn) etc… Unforgiveness is also a big one – anything giving the enemy a foothold or letting him build a stronghold in our lives.
I am not saying this is an easy topic and it needs to be examined thoroughly, but I don’t want to focus on it too much in this post (there is a post I’ve written a long time ago, but I still recommend you read it if you are being plagued by symptoms you believe could indicate that you are being haunted by demons – you can find it here)
What I want to emphasize this time is

# 2 I believe it is closely related to faith

Disclaimer: I am not talking about YOUR faith – I cannot do that. Only GOD can judge your faith. I believe that HE is telling me that in my case, faith might be an issue. I have added this after my brother commented below about his situation and in regards to faith, I think that everyone can only speak for themselves. And yes, there are cases where we have no explanation, no understanding of why GOD does not heal, and the answer and the reasons belong to HIM alone.

I know that faith is in general a very controversial topic and some of you will (want to) shout at me in the comments – go ahead, my friend, and shout, I won’t be angry, for this is what we are supposed to do, isn’t it, edify one another, as the bible says “iron sharpens iron”, so I am actually looking forward to your comments and even more than learning about your views, I am looking forward to finding out where you have taken them from in the bible…?

But just as I am looking forward to your comments, please hear me out first:

I will give an example – or if you so will, a “backwards”-example.
A very recent and very powerful one – at least for me.

COVID-19.
In the beginning, I didn’t even believe it is real.
I thought it is a huge hoax and I tended strongly towards the conspiracy theorists and I even believed (and to a degree still believe) that the vaccine is not to protect us from the virus, but to inject something bad into our system.
In spite of these beliefs, I decided to take the vaccine, after seeking THE LORD about it. Even though I still had doubts, but I decided to go by what HE said as HE knows best.
They had decided on requirements for people working in healthcare having to be vaccinated and it was announced that we would all have to be vaccinated by March 2022 or we would lose our job. Not that I don’t believe GOD could have granted me another job, but I believe this one is where GOD wants me (for now) and I also thought it would be easier to travel and see my elderly parents in Europe, but first and foremost, I sought GOD’s face and I felt at peace with taking it, although I personally have been very skeptical, but hey ho….
I felt bad after taking the shots and I can say that my health hasn’t been the same ever since, but now it’s too late, and whatever is in there is already in my system… and again, I believe in GOD and I believe I was obedient to what HE said I should do, so I also believe that whatever has been injected into my body, if it is bad, HE is also able to protect me from it!
But I have still not been sure if this is all real.
I am going somewhere, so please bear with me.

3 weeks ago – pretty much everybody in my team at work had already had it, I was the last one (except the big boss, who still hasn’t had it) – I was talking to my colleagues and they were asking me why I hadn’t had it and I said that I wouldn’t mind a break at home.
I even stretched my arms out and jokingly said “COVID, where are you, I am here!”

Guess what?

2 days later, I tested positive – believe it or not.
And I tested positive for 9 days.
It was a not too severe one, still very unpleasant with all the body aches and cough and headache, but the most significant thing was that I caught it the moment I believed in it and literally asked for it!!!!

THIS IS NO COINCIDENCE, friends!

I believe that I literally gave the enemy permission to afflict me with this thing!

For me, this was extremely powerful and an example of what faith can do, because before, I had not caught it for 2 years, and the moment I asked for it, it hit me!

What do you make of this?

Well, what I make of this that it must also work the other way ’round.

And I am currently studying this… healing scriptures, healing stories in the bible…. and faith.

Another aspect that stands out for me is that obviously, not everyone during bible times got healed either – when JESUS was there, there must have been people who couldn’t come close enough for HIM to touch them.
Hence the account where they lifted the roof to bring their friend closer to HIM.
Or when the woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd only to touch HIS garment.

#3 Closeness to GOD

So another aspect must be to get close to HIM.
And I am doing my best to do that.
By spending time with HIM, listening to HIM, waiting on HIM.
Asking HIM for answers, for advice, for guidance.
By praising HIM.
Just talking to HIM.
Appreciating HIM.

And I am working on my faith to become stronger.
By remembering what HE has done for me and what I have seen HIM do – not some bogus stuff on the internet, some REAL healings when I was there.
Can you believe that by GOD’s power, I even raised someone from the dead once in my life – but that is another story for another time… it doesn’t get more powerful than that, now, does it.

There’s absolutely no doubt in me that GOD can heal anyone from anything.

I will keep asking, keep pressing, keep praying, keep knocking, keep believing…

#4 Eschatological healing

One of the best explanations I have found so far for why some are not healed is the book of my professor at the bible school I am attending:
Dr. Femi Olowo “Why some are not healed” – you can order it at Waterstones via this link if you are interested, I recommend it, it’s a great read!
(The entire book is about this question, but I will only post his conclusion in a nutshell here:)

He concludes in the last chapter of his book (you can still read it!!) that we are all waiting for the second coming of CHRIST and with this, the new dispensation, which also includes “all humanity’s greatest deliverance from physical affliction and its potential hold” on us, as we will get “rid of our human bodies”.
This will either take place at a person’s departure from this present life either via rapture or via death; and he further claims that supernatural healings, as performed by JESUS during HIS time on earth, are foreshadowings of and foretellings of the “complete and universal healing in the next dispensation referred to as the kingdom of OUR GOD and the authority of HIS CHRIST in Revelation 12:10”.
This is what he believes why not all are healed as in his opinion, universal healing will be an eschatological, endtime event.
For me, this makes a lot of sense!
However, I also agree with him that this doesn’t mean we do not have the duty to do everything possible on our side in order to “make ourselves candidates for the selective healing done by GOD in this lifetime”, as to standing on healing scriptures, having faith and believing HIM for our healing, pray effectively and fervently, avoid sin etc.

This is how far I have come in my quest to find out the reasons why HE has not answered my prayers about so far… I will come back when HE reveals more and of course, I will update you with a testimony in due time – hopefully soon 🙂

How about you, my friend?
What’s your experience with GOD and healing?
Do you have a testimony when GOD healed you?
And if so, would you share it?
What are your thoughts and revelations and findings on the topic?

I hope and pray that this will encourage, inspire, bless and heal you.
And that THE LORD will bless you abundantly in all areas of your life; that HE will keep you and shine HIS face upon you and bring you PEACE. In JESUS’ name I pray. AMEN.