The Healing Power of Faith
Jesus was the Great Physician. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Holman Rainbow Study Bible Matthew 14: 14 NIV). It might seem somewhat strange as to why Jesus utilized healing in His ministry. There are likely many reasons as to why. Maybe He did it solely out of compassion for the suffering associated with their diseases (as stated above). Maybe He did it as a way to draw people to Him and to His teachings. Maybe He did it to show how connected He was to the Father. These are all likely part of the reason for His healing ministry but I believe there is more. I believe there was something even deeper that Jesus knew about the healing of our bodies. Jesus was teaching us the true catalyst for healing…FAITH (in Him and in God)! If people showed they had faith in Him, they would be healed. Consequently, now science has shown that the mechanisms behind the feelings associated with what true faith is starts the healing process. So how can we connect faith to healing? Let’s discuss.
Jesus, our Creator, the Word made flesh, knew a special aspect about how our faith influences our bodies that I believe He was trying to demonstrate in His ministry. We actually get a glimpse into this more clearly based on what Jesus says in most of His documented healings. Throughout Jesus’ ministries he healed many diseases. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom AND healing every disease and sickness” (Matthew 9: 35 NIV). It is documented that He healed blindness, lameness, paralysis, deafness, leprosy, and epilepsy to name a few. In several of these documented accounts, Jesus declares different versions of the phrase “your FAITH has made you well” (Luke 17: 19 NIV) in regards to why they get healed (Walt Straughan Ministries, “The 23 Individual Healings Done by Jesus Described the Four Gospels”). However, in order to further understand the relationship between faith and healing, we first have to define what faith is.
We know in the Bible “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see… And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that he REWARDS those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11: 1, 6 NIV). According to the Bible, faith is not just knowing God exists but believing in God so strongly that He “rewards” you. You not only have to know who He is and believe what He has done but you must have complete confidence in what He WILL DO FOR YOU… because HE LOVES YOU!
So the key to faith is TRUSTING in God’s love. “If I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13: 2 NIV). Faith is knowing that His love will result in the best outcome for us no matter how bad or scary things may seem. Faith is continuing also to love God no matter the struggle in our reality. Furthermore, with faith, we live in such a state of His love that it literally flows from us enabling sharing it with others. Therefore, feeling and living in this emotional state of love through faith is the key in bringing forth His “rewards.”
The “rewards” we are granted is the ability to live in freedom. Freedom from the pains of this world, including the pains in our bodies. In fact, you actually feel so protected and secure by your faith in God’s love and promise, that all you are left with is to live with joy and peace in your heart. As we continue to live in these states, we tend to feel more fondness towards our present situation and, consequently, more hope and joy towards thoughts of the future. We not only feel gratitude for these joyful feelings but confidently KNOW the promises of this future. These feelings toward our future are so intense that it feels as if we are already experiencing those situations in the present. Furthermore, any negative emotions within us associated with our current or future lives are overcome, and now we are no longer prisoners to them but free from them. We are living in God’s freedom.
Additionally, God has already told us He is the administrator and organizer of our entire life! “For I know the plans I have for you, …plans to prosper you and NOT TO HARM YOU, plans to give you HOPE AND A FUTURE” (Jeremiah 29: 11 NIV). So, if we have faith that He already knows the plans for our lives, and these plans include prospering us and giving us hope, we can LIVE in that belief and undoubtedly know! Again, this allows us to feel, in the present, the joy associated with thoughts of our future, leaving us to feel confident that a positive future experience will happen! How fabulous that He already knows the plans for our lives and, therefore, we can actually live with joy in that knowing that they will occur!
All of this applies to our health and healing. When we have faith in God and we trust in His promises, we don’t have to worry or fear any disease process or physical pain we are going through. When we continue to seek and love Him and live in His love, giving Him all of our fears and worries concerning our bodily pains, ailments, and struggles, we leave our hearts open to further joy, peace, and happiness. Feeling and living in this love (which is God because God is love) gives us so much freedom and gratitude that we begin to focus on seeing and FEELING the promise that God is going to heal our disease. We know it will happen so we don’t have to wait to thank God for it! We can do it now!
What we have been taught in Scripture (as described above) has been shown scientifically. It has been researched and proven that the emotions we experience cause different chemical reactions in our bodies. The longer we hold onto these emotions, the longer these changes impact our health. It has been found that negative emotions held onto too long will cause poor health (Dispenza, You Are the Placebo 98-101, 115 and Dispenza, Becoming Supernatural 47, 165-167). Positive emotions, on the contrary, will cause healing and improved health (Dispenza, You are the Placebo 101-102, 115-118 and Dispenza, Becoming Supernatural 44, 164, 167). Also, science has shown when you can imagine what you are wanting (e.g., healing of your body) with a prolonged feeling of positive emotions (e.g., love, joy, and gratitude), as if it has already happened, then it does (Dispenza, You are the Placebo 105-119, 134-136, 188 and Dispenza, Becoming Supernatural 36-44, 171-173). And this ties right into what the Scripture has already told us. For in the Bible, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED IT, and it will be yours” (Mark 11: 24 NIV). This not only describes WHAT FAITH IS but describes ITS HEALING POWER!
Overall, God has taught us that with faith we can heal. This is because faith is when we undoubtedly know and feel God’s love which leads to the “rewards” that He spoke about above. When Jesus declared that because of their faith, people were healed, He was giving us the instruction for how to reap the “reward” of healing our bodies from diseases through faith. When our faith is strong, we are most in tune to feeling God’s love for us and, therefore, we maintain a posture of joy and happiness instead of fear and worry over our diseases. These positive emotions then lead to changes within the body to improve health and heal disease. Moreover, when we live in true faith in God concerning the healing of our illnesses, those strong feelings associated with that future thought/desire makes us feel as though it has already occurred. This changes the mechanisms within the body that Jesus, and now science, has shown heals!
How amazing is our God that when we keep our hearts in love (again God is love) and at peace because of our faith in Him, our body chemistry actually changes towards healing! And when we can think and feel as though it would feel when our illnesses are cured, we also can propel our body toward healing. It is truly amazing and miraculous! And readily available for us to use and implement to start healing our bodies RIGHT NOW!
I pray that this week you will strengthen your faith in God. Read the Scriptures that focus on faith (even from just this post alone) and let it strengthen yours. As your faith grows, know God is going to fulfill all His promises for your life for “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1: 6 NIV). Feel God’s love for you and, then, hand him all of your worries and all of your fears about every disease or physical ailment you are dealing with. See Him taking them from you and feel the peace and hope that follows! In your faith, know you are healed and feel that feeling that you will have when you are, for “if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21: 22 NIV). See yourself healed in His name and praise Him for it!! Thank God for healing your disease right now because, in your faith, you know it is as good as done! For we can do nothing without Him (John 15: 5 NIV), but “all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8: 28 NIV)! And you are!
Thank you for reading my post! Please come back every week to reread previous information or learn new information as we further expand upon many topics reviewed today and also learn new ways to be Medicated by Faith! There is so much information that I have learned through God’s guidance that He wants me to share with you! We can live in faith through God’s word and in the process renew our souls and heal our bodies, leading us to complete health and eternal happiness!
Please make comments or ask any further questions that you may have below or via email at jill@medicatedbyfaith.com. I promise to respond personally or elaborate on your questions in further posts! God is blessing you!
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