In his book, Authority to Heal, Ken Blue makes the argument that, in the course of Church history, there developed a doctrine that sickness is (typically) sent by God to test people, and we should just accept it and tough it out. But this is not Biblical. Jesus healed everyone who came to Him for healing. I find this paragraph (p. 27) very helpful with respect to us praying for healing:
It is manifestly true that some people are sanctified through sickness, as people may be through any and all of life's painful experiences, "because we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom. 8:28). Nothing I have said thus far has in any way been meant to deny this. However, we are not to receive sickness passively as if it were good in and of itself. We are instead to fight it with all we have, and the church has Christ's ministry of healing with which to fight it.
Heavenly Father, I praise you for your goodness. Lord Jesus, thank you for your ministry of healing. Holy Spirit, please use me to heal people and demonstrate the love and power of God, that we may bring others into the family of God and advance the Kingdom of Christ. I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment