How to Receive Physical Healing

Does God still heal people today? Some say that He does, and some say that He doesn't. Still others believe that you can never tell. But what does the Bible say? What does God's Word really say about divine healing? Let's go through a real incident in the Gospels and try to see a few things that you might have overlooked before.

The crowds thronged the seashore to welcome this charismatic, miracle-working rabbi about whom they had heard all sorts of stories. Some stood there to get a glimpse of this controversial personality and some lingered there to confirm their belief that He was a rebellious law breaker. But in that crowd was a woman with a very desperate need. She had waited for this moment for twelve long years. She was yearning for relief from the affliction that ate up her strength and left her emotionally, socially and financially bankrupt. At last her moment of deliverance had arrived.

Jesus got down from the boat and started walking towards where she had strategically positioned herself. The crowds were a blessing in disguise as she had planned to steal her miracle and escape unnoticed. It was unlawful for her to come out into the streets with the type of affliction that she suffered from. If anyone recognized her, she would be stoned to death. This was literally a life and death situation. But she was willing to risk it all because she somehow knew that this was her moment. Or so it seemed. Suddenly there was a commotion in the crowd, and to her utter dismay, the man whom she wanted to hide from the most, stopped Jesus and started requesting Him a favor. Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue was pleading for his daughter’s healing. This man, being a spiritual leader had the authority to order a mob to stone her for coming out of her house in her present physical condition. To make matters worse, Jesus after listening to Him, turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, away from where she was hiding. Her miracle was literally slipping away right before her eyes.

Anyone else would have reasoned that it was not God’s will for her to be healed. But not this woman. When she saw Jesus, she saw God’s abounding love face to face. She knew that this love would not tolerate human suffering. She knew that this love would heal any sickness, no matter how big. She never cared about the lack of precedents to this type of healing. She did not sit and analyze whether this was within the bounds of the doctrine of healing. She knew how to appropriate what was legitimately hers. She probably heard Jesus say, “According to your faith be it done unto you”. She understood that it was her faith that mattered, and not God’s ability or His will. When she saw Jesus, she knew He was both able and willing. Now what mattered was her faith.

She came out of her place of hiding and waded her way through the bustling crowd. She crouched and went down on all fours to avoid being recognized. She could not see anyone’s face. All she saw was a maze of feet with ankle-length robes. Then she spotted the garment that she was looking for. She riveted her eyes on it and crawled towards the person wearing it. Her weak body could hardly force its way through the stampeding crowd. But her determination finally brought her within arms reach of her deliverance. Now was her chance. She reached out and touched the hem of that garment. She reached out in faith. And then it happened. Instantaneously, her affliction ceased.

A one-of-a-kind miracle had just happened. This is probably the only recorded example in the Gospels where a person received healing without the active cooperation of the Lord. Of course it was His power that brought about the healing, but rather than Him granting the power, she literally drew it from Him. Jesus did not actively release the power; He passively felt it being drawn from Him. Now that sets this miracle apart from all the others in terms of the nature of this woman’s extraordinary faith. She could single-handedly wield the awesome power of faith and utterly destroy the adversity that was ruining her life.

There might have been many others with a similar type of sickness, who could have received their healing the same way this woman had received hers. But only she happened to act on her faith and was richly rewarded for that step of faith. The Lord was present and He was both able and willing. All that mattered now was the person’s faith. When all three came together at one place and time, God’s awesome power was unleashed to annihilate that sickness from her body. And that caught the Lord’s attention. What a blessed moment that turned out to be. Not only did she receive her healing, she also got an audience with the Lord Himself, who commended her for her faith.

Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". The Lord who healed that woman that day is still willing to heal anyone who has the same faith and determination to get healed. The Lord hasn't changed. Neither have His power or His will. It is our wrong doctrines and our lack of faith that have kept us from receiving our healing.

1 Pet 2:24 says that “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed". The same verse which talks about our forgiveness of sins also talks about our physical healing. If Jesus took our sins upon Himself when He hung on the Cross, He also took our sickness upon His own body. If His death on the Cross 2000 years ago can wipe away our current sins, His stripes can also heal our present sicknesses. The same sacrifice cures us from our sicknesses as much as it cures us from our sins. Just as we appropriate our forgiveness of sins, we can appropriate our healing, for both were paid for by the self-same sacrifice on the Cross.

There is abundant proof that God heals people today who reach out in faith. Unfortunately, many people don't want to believe this as it contradicts their religious beliefs, their church's doctrine or their passive lifestyle.

But if you are open-minded and not biased in your opinion, just watch these videos.