Yes, He does … and it has to begin with me!
During last Sunday worship service, the preacher Pastor John
Koe, after a series of praying for those who were sick, closed with this
remark: “Healing is simple. And it is free. There is no pain and you get a new
(he mentioned a body part of someone who he prayed for and got healed, so he
claimed).” Making such remark can sound victorious and full of faith. What
about those who are not healed after praying. I wondered how they were feeling at
that moment. I know of a cell mate who is not healthy and need surgery soon.
Was she praying for healing?
In a previous Sunday, Pastor John Koe also mentioned that
what if you prayed for someone and he is not healed. He simply answered:
“Next!” Then he elaborated, “keep on praying until someone gets healed, if this
person does not get healed, move on to the next.” Is this the right way to do in a healing
ministry, I mused? Is that what the Bible teaches about praying for the sick?
Christians are divided on the issue of whether God still
bestows spiritual gifts, one of which is the gift of healing (1 Cor 12:9). What
is this spiritual gift of healing?
Simply put; if you have prayed for someone and that person (Christians
or non-Christian) got healed by God through your prayer, then you may have the
gift of healing, even though some or most of your prayers may not result in
divine healing. The way it is healed can also varies – progressive healing
which is faster than normal medical healing or immediate healing. Some may
argue against this view and claim that those with the gift of healing will have
100% success with immediate healing like Jesus did. Since we don’t see that
happen, then the gift of healing has ceased. For me, that is too extreme, as we
are not divine and it is God’s prerogative to heal. He is the healer; we are
His agent by praying, not the healer. So, whatever ways God choose to heal or
to delay healing, I rejoice. Hence, healing prayer is also part of my walk with
God.
And so my journey with Him begins … with me!
Recently, God has been very gracious to me. Many of my
prayers are answered affirmatively. So I decided to pray for healing for
myself. Now, what should I pray?
Last year, during the June BPCEC church camp, I injured my
index toe of my left foot and suffered a black toe. It has never been healed
till today. Then, during the December Standard Chartered Marathon, I injured
another 2 toes on my right foot, and ended up with 3 black toes. And so, I
always wear socks to cover up my toes whenever I go for cell meetings. Can God
changed something visible like black toes back to normal? Well, the best way to
find out is to pray. And so, in February, I prayed that God will heal my injured toes. And then, I just forget about it. Even when I
go for cell meetings, I no longer wear socks to cover my feet.
Then, a few days ago, as I was showering and washing my
hair, I saw that the toes on my right foot have fully recovered. The index toe
on the left foot which was black the longest for more than 9 month is still
black. My first thought was: “The first shall be last and the last shall be
first” – how amazing it is! Praise the Lord! I would expect that the toe that
was injured 6 month earlier would be healed 6 month in advance than the other
two toes.
OK. Some may doubt that this is God’s healing. But to me,
something black can become normal in last than 3 weeks and visible to the eyes
is amazing. But, why did God choose to heal only 2 toes and not all 3, and to reverse
the order of healing – the last to heal first? I got no answer, and so now I am
praying for that injured toe, … and wait for His healing.
Agape
