
THE IMPORTANCE
OF
PREVAILING PRAYERS
by: Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
Jesus
said: "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen
do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking." (Matthew 6:7)
"I
have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction
that I had nowhere else to go" - Abraham Lincoln
THE
IMPORTANCE OF PREVAILING PRAYERS
"Watch
and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is indeed
willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41);
"Ask
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth;
and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened." (Matthew 7:7-8) "Pray
without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17))
People
have many questions regarding prayer, and many find it hard to pray,
not knowing what to say, and feeling unsure if their prayers are being
heard, or even matter! You may be someone with questions about
prayer. In the following article I will try to answer these
questions by turning to the Bible scriptures for answers.
DOES
PRAYER REALLY WORK - OR IS IT ONLY AN ESCAPE FROM STRESS OR FEAR ?
Could
prayer just be the consoling of a wounded spirit or a guilty conscience?
You
may ask, "Does prayer really work, or is it only an escape from
stress, fear or inner turmoil"? Or perhaps you may feel that prayer
is only a safety valve from anxiety and danger?
WHAT
EXACTLY IS PRAYER?
You
may ask, What exactly is prayer? Is prayer just a formality, a
tradition, a memorized group of words that we automatically repeat when
praying?
Is
prayer actually the communication between the supplicant and Almighty
God?
Or is prayer only an inner quieting of the human spirit, a tonic
of the soul?
DO
YOU HAVE TO SPEND TIME IN PRAYER TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
Is
prayer a prerequisite to healthy Christian living or is it just a ploy of
entrapment by Ministers of the Gospel or Roman priests, in order to gain
and keep church members in line?
IS
PRAYER A WASTE OF TIME ?
You
may say that you have prayed and prayed and God didn't answer your
prayers, so you gave up praying.
Is
prayer just a waste of time, like some think or say, or is prayer a
valuable tool in the Christian’s arsenal against sin, fear, sickness
and the devil?
IS
PRAYER ONLY A RITUAL THAT WE DO BY TRADITION OR HABIT ?
Many
people pray as a ritual or habit, but are they just saying the words they
are taught and memorized, or are they actually praying and communing with
the LORD. When you pray, are you meeting with God, our Heavenly
Father through Jesus Christ our Lord?
In
this treatise, I will endeavor to shatter all the humanistic assumptions
of modernist theologians as well as atheists and cultists! I will share a
number of concrete evidences from personal experience, as well as from
the Holy Scriptures, to prove that "God is a Spirit and those who
worship Him must do so in Spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-4)
I
will also prove to you, through the Holy Scriptures of the Bible that God
is a loving Heavenly Father, Who desires to fellowship with us and wants
to have communion with His children.
IF
YOU OPEN YOUR HEART TO THE WORD OF GOD - YOU'LL DISCOVER GOD
HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYERS
My
friend, if you will open your heart to accept the Word of God as the
absolute and final truth, you will experience the reality of His presence
and power at work in your life! And you will know of a truth that God
hears and answers prayer.
MARTIN
LUTHER WAS A MAN OF PRAYER
At
his trial at the Diet in Worms, Germany, on April 18, 1521, Martin Luther
- the Great Reformer - was asked: "Will you recant of your
writings?"
He
answered so eloquently: "Since Your Majesty and your lordships
desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth.
Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, I do not accept the
authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other -
my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will
not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor
safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me.
Amen."
As
Martin Luther presented his
case before the Emperor and the highest authorities of papist
Rome
, I
hereby present my case for the reality of God, the need for prayer and
the overwhelming evidence that the Almighty does hear and answer our
petitions and supplications, when we call upon Him in sincerity and
faith.
The
Church of Scotland's Westminster Confession
states: "Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for
things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of
our sins and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies."
GOD'S
WORD SAYS "...before they call, I Will answer..."
God's
Word says, "And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will
answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah
65:24).
The
Psalmist prayed: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.
Thou hast heard the desire of the humble.”
(Psalms
19:14
:10:17
)
JESUS
SAID, "WHEN YOU PRAY, USE NOT VAIN REPETITIONS, AS THE HEATHEN
DO"
Jesus
said: "When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do;
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
(Matthew 6:7)
PRAYER
IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP
Martin
Luther's Small Catechism
states: "Prayer is an act of worship wherein we bring our petitions
before God with our hearts and lips
and offer up praise and thanksgiving to Him."
PRAYER
IS A LIFTING UP OF THE SOUL TO ALMIGHTY
GOD
King
David referred to true prayer as the "lifting up" of the soul
to Almighty God: "Unto
Thee Lord, do I lift up my soul."
(Psalms 25:1) That speaks of an intense desire to fellowship with our
Heavenly Father, similar to the flower turning its face toward the sun to
receive warmth and sustenance.
PRAYER
IS MORE THAN JUST ASKING GOD FOR BLESSINGS
Prayer
is much more than just asking the Almighty LORD for His blessings or for
intervention during trying, dangerous or impossible situations.
Prayer
is a holy conversation with God, a divine meeting and a time of intimacy
with the One who is Lord over life and death, time and eternity! It is a
loving relationship and communion with our Heavenly Father, wherein we
can bathe in His presence and extol and worship our precious Lord and
Saviour.
PRAYER
INVOLVES TIME OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE
AS WELL AS THANKSGIVING TO GOD
Genuine
prayer involves a time of thanksgiving, worship and praise to the LORD,
as well as definite supplications or calling upon the Lord for His mercy,
grace and blessing! Prayer is essentially, entering the Holy of Holies in
the very presence of God and worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth.
SATAN
TREMBLES WHEN WE PRAY
It
has been said: "Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom,
but trembles when we pray!" The book 'The Kneeling Christian'
gives this poignant and powerful assessment of the importance of prayer.
THERE
IS NOTHING THE DEVIL DREADS AS MUCH AS PRAYER
"Fellow
Christians, let us awake! The devil is blinding our eyes. He
is endeavoring to prevent us from facing this question of prayer.
Do we realize that there is nothing the devil dreads so much as prayer?
His great concern is to keep us from praying. He loves to see us
'up to our eyes" in work - provided we do not pray. He does
not fear because we are eager and earnest Bible students - provided we
are little in prayer."
'THE
KNEELING CHRISTIAN'
When
my sister Astrid passed away in 1987, the above mentioned book fell into my
hands. She had purchased it from the Hull Publishing Company in Winnipeg
many years earlier, and knowing what a consistent and ardent Christian
she had been since 'Day One' in her life, I greatly treasured it. It
wasn't until I read 'The
Kneeling Christian’'
in the Norwegian language, however, that I began to fully understood
its great spiritual worth.
Written
many years ago by a Minister of the Gospel in Great Britain
,
the author refused to reveal his identity, using the pseudonym 'An
unknown Christian',
this book has a powerful appeal to those who love Jesus Christ and are
sold-out to His cause. Here is another excerpt from his writing:
WE
CAN ACCOMPLISH FAR MORE BY OUR PRAYERS
THAN BY OUR WORK
"Let
us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is
to pray. For, we can accomplish far more by our prayers than by
our work. Prayer is omnipotent; it can do anything that God can do!
When we pray, God works. All fruitfulness in service is the
outcome of prayer - of the worker's prayers, or of those who are holding
up holy hands on his knees on his behalf. We all know how to pray,
but perhaps many of us need to cry as the disciples did of old: "LORD,
teach us to pray."
LORD,
TEACH US TO PRAY
MARTIN
LUTHER declared: 'If I
don’t spend at least three hours in prayer daily, I would never get my
work done. If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should
lose a great deal of the fire of faith."
A.J.
GORDON stated: "You can
do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you can never do more than
pray until you have prayed."
RICHARD
BAXTER was a mighty 'man of
prayer'. He stated: "I seek to preach as a dying man to dying
men." He delivered every message "as though it were the
last message" he would ever preach.
JOHN
WESLEY - founder of the Methodist Church - stated: "Give me one
hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God,
and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone
will shake the gates of hell and set up the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
God does not but in answer to prayer."
Interestingly,
history credits John Wesley and the Methodist Revival that swept Great
Britain
, for saving
England
from
the similar fate of the French Revolution.
GEORGE
WHITEFIELD, a contemporary
of Wesley's wrote: "Whole days and weeks have I spent prostrate on
the ground in silent and vocal prayer."
DR.
A.J GORDON wrote concerning David Brainerd: "In the depths of those forests alone, he was
unable to speak the language of the Indians, but he spent whole days
literally in prayer…that the power of the Holy Ghost would come upon
him so unmistakably that these people should not be able to stand before
him…Once he preached through a drunken interpreter, a man so
intoxicated that he could hardly stand up…Yet scores were converted
through that sermon."
DAVID
BRAINARD wrote:
"I cared not where or how I lived or the hardships I went through,
so that I could but gain souls for Christ. When I was asleep I
dreamed of these things. When I was awake, the first thing I
thought of was this great work. All my desire was for the
conversion of the heathen and all my hope was in God."
Toward
the end of his life, John Wesley wrote a letter to all his pastors and
workers urging them all to read the 'Life of David Brainerd.'
DR.
A.C. DIXON
wrote: "William Carey read 'Life of David Brainerd', and he was
so moved that he went to India. Henry Martyn read 'Life of David
Brainerd', and by its impulse, he went to India. Payson read it, as
a young man of 20 years, and he said he had never been so impressed by
anything in his life as by that story. Murray McCheney read it and
was powerfully impressed by it.
It
was Robert Murray McCheney who stated: "A holy Minister is an awful
weapon in the hands of God."
WHY
IS PRAYER NECESSARY ?
WE HAVE AN INNATE DESIRE TO COMMUNE WITH GOD
1.
Because we are spiritual beings with an innate desire to communicate with
our Heavenly Father and Creator. We were
created in the image of God and there is therefore a natural pull
heavenward! Although Adam’s fall greatly marred this
process, through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for us all,
believers are reinstated and again bear the image of our Father and God!
WE
HAVE A DEEP NEED OF DAILY CLEANSING FROM SIN
2.
Because of the deep need of daily cleansing from sin, having been
reconciled to our Heavenly Father through the shed blood of Jesus Christ
our LORD.
And
the blessed assurance that this relationship will continue throughout our
lives and into eternity! Prayer keeps our relationship current, so that
doubts and fears do not enter our hearts.
3.
Because of the many and varied problems, crises, tragedies and human
needs that we cannot personally solve, which involve ourselves, our
families and society in general
DURING
PRAYER WE CALL UPON THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HELP US AND GUIDE US
Prayer
calls upon the only ONE who can make the necessary modifications to solve
those problems and give us proper directions and guidance.
4.
Because of God's generous offer to us - through the vicarious death and
resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ - of full salvation which includes
divine healing, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and eternity with Him
forevermore.
Through
prayer, we take advantage of His bountiful provisions for us, thereby
allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us "with groanings that
cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:28)
PRAYER
FULFILLS OUR SPIRITUAL HUNGER THROUGH PRAISE & WORSHIP
5.
Because of a spiritual hunger and longing to be in His presence - through
worship, praise and thanksgiving - we are drawn by the Holy Spirit into
the very Holy of Holies, the very presence of our Heavenly Father through
the Blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us on Calvary's cross.
'Dear
Heavenly Father, bless all who read these lines. In Jesus''
precious name, I pray, Amen.'
HEALING
FOR THE SICK
Through Faith In Jesus Christ
"...man
is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." (Job 5:7)
"Many
are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of
them all." (Psalms. 34:19)
"Is
any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall
raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven
him." (James 5:14-15)
“Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that
seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew
7:7-8)
THERE
IS HOPE FOR YOU - THERE IS HEALING FOR YOU - GOD WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS
Multitudes
today are suffering from a disease or infirmity with no relief in sight.
They have frequented doctors, clinics and hospitals with little or no
help - and are discouraged, angry and bitter!
Some
have prayed earnestly regarding their healing, had special prayer in
their church by the pastor and elders or by an evangelist whom God uses
to bring healing to the sick through faith in Jesus Christ - and still
are not healed! Many become discouraged thinking that God is not
listening to their prayers or that they are not important enough for him
to give them answers to their prayers.
Possibly
someone reading this booklet fits one of these categories. After your
hospital visit or prayer service, you are “not better”. You may even
be getting worse! Your faith is at a low ebb and you’re tired of being
tired, sick and defeated. You are tired of hoping and believing without
any answers to your prayers.
You
feel like throwing up your hands in despair since nothing helps, and
accept weakness, pain, sickness and distress as your lot in life!
MY
DEAR FRIEND, THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR YOU. It is not too late.
It may seem hopeless, but it is not. It may seem useless to think of
deliverance, but it is not. So long as you are alive and there is a God
in Heaven, there is hope!
The
Bible says, “With men this is impossible, but not with God, for with
God all things are possible”. (Mark 10:27) It may seem impossible to
you but with God NOTHING is impossible.
Man’s
extremity becomes God’s opportunity. And when man fails, that’s when
God can take over, for He never fails. When man “gives up on you”,
God is ready, willing and able to step in and bring to pass a miracle in
your life, because nothing is impossible with Him!
GOD
CAN & WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYER! When God could bring the
world into being by His spoken Word, hang the universe on nothing, fling
the sun, moon and stars into the far most corner of the night to rotate
in perfect harmony, HE CAN ANSWER YOUR PRAYER. You must be patient
and continue to pray and seek God, as he will answer your prayers when he
feels the time is right.
"By
the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by
the breath of His mouth." (Psalm 33:6). Since He has the
ability to create millions of moons, galaxies of stars and heavenly
bodies by a few words from Hs lips, most assuredly He is able to destroy
the cancer, heart disease, diabetes or arthritis which is stealing your
health.
WHEN
AT THE TOUCH OF HIS HAND, GOD CREATED A PERFECT HUMAN BEING IN HIS OWN
IMAGE AND BREATHED INTO MAN’S NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE MAKING HIM A
LIVING SOUL, SURELY HE CAN HEAL YOUR SICK SPIRIT, SOUL (MIND) AND BODY.
HE HAS PROMISED HEALING, GOD HAS PROMISED ANSWERS TO YOUR PRAYERS.
The
Great God Who brought back to life the Lord Jesus Christ, can certainly
quicken your mortal body. When you think of how great and mighty our God
is, certainly nothing could be impossible to Him!
St.
Paul declares: "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from
the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken - make life in - your mortal (temporal, dying) bodies by His
Spirit that dwelleth in you". (Romans 8:11)
Is
God able to heal our weak, aging, temporal bodies? Yes, He is able to and
He does! Is God able to answer your prayers. Yes - He is
willing to answer your prayers. The Bible says, “All things are
possible to him that believeth”. (Mark 9:23) Since He (the Holy
Spirit) brought Jesus Christ back from the dead, He can most certainly
heal our diseased and dying bodies, says St. Paul.
In
verse 26, the great apostle continues, "Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities (lit. greek - takes a hold of against our
sicknesses): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself (Himself) maketh intercession for us (lit. greek - and
together with us) with groanings (Holy Spirit prayer - praying in
tongues) which cannot be uttered".
The
same Blessed Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead dwells
within us and "takes a hold of against our sickness" and
“together with us” prays to our Heavenly Father for our healing and
deliverance!
"ALL
THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH"
The
Bible says, “All things are possible to him that believeth”. (Mark
9:23) The first truth we have established is that your case is not too
difficult for God and there is a good possibility of your healing to take
place We have also established that God is able and willing to heal
you - to answer your prayers!
THE
BIBLE STATES THAT JESUS CAME TO BRING LIFE!
“The
thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and destroy, but I am come
that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Jesus
stated that the devil came for only three reasons; to steal, kill and
destroy! But Jesus came to bring life! The devil is a thief and a
murderer (John 8:44) and came only to do evil (steal, kill and destroy).
He came to rob you of your happiness, joy, peace, health and blessing. He
came to harm you and finally destroy you in a hospital, insane asylum or
prison.
The
devil is cruel, perverted, evil, wicked and ungodly. He can only do evil.
He has no capability to do good. The devil is the death giver!
JESUS
IS 100% GOOD! He came to bring life. He came to bring blessings to all
who would believe. HE CAME TO BRING ABUNDANT LIFE BECAUSE HE IS THE LIFE
GIVER! Some people have given the devil the credit for healing sick
people - this is blasphemous and utterly false. It is contrary to God’s
Word and accuses Jesus of telling an untruth.
We
know that Jesus is the truth, the life and the way (John 14:6). The Word
of God is pure, divine and infallible!
JESUS
SAID THAT YOU CANNOT GET GOOD FRUIT FROM A CORRUPT TREE OR CORRUPT FRUIT
FROM A GOOD TREE. By their fruits we shall know them! Jesus said a
corrupt tree “bringeth not forth good fruit”. (Matthew 7:18) It is
against the law of a thorn tree to bring forth figs - you can’t get
sweet water out of a fountain that is bitter.
HOW
COULD THE DEVIL, WHO IS COMPLETELY EVIL, BRING FORTH SOMETHING THAT IS
GOOD?
Jesus
called the devil a thief who came only to steal, kill and destroy. He
came to this earth for no other purpose! Jesus came to bring life!
Healing and health is life! Sickness and disease brings death! The Bible
classifies 'healing' as 'doing good'!
“How
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who
went about doing good, healing all who were oppressed of the devil.”
(Acts 10:38)
The
message is plain and simple: The devil made people sick but Jesus made
them well. Sickness comes from satanic sources and divine healing has its
origin in God! The literal Greek states that Jesus Christ healed
all those who "were under the dominion, authority or lordship of
Satan". That is God's Word - Believe it and be healed;
IT
MAY APPEAR THAT WITCH DOCTORS AND OCCULTS MAY HEAL OR CURE BUT BE NOT
DECEIVED
Oh
I know there are times that it appears witch doctors and other occultists
may have affected cures by their incantations. Do not be deceived.
Satan is a deceiver and manipulator. In the end, his involvement
always brings enslavement, torment & death.
The
magicians (witch doctors and soothsayers) of Egypt could duplicate many
of the miracles performed by Moses in the sight of Pharaoh (king) of
Egypt. There were two things they could not do, however.
#1
- They could not get rid of the plagues even though they could duplicate
Moses in bringing forth the flies and frogs. Moses had to be called to
get rid of the plagues: eg. darkness, flies, frogs, lice, locusts.
Interpretation: Satan can bring the cancer but he has no power to heal
the person from the death-dealing work of the disease which he has
brought. God is the only healer and restorer!
#2
- When it comes to creating life, the magicians could not create lice out
of dust as Moses did in the Name of the Lord.
The
magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God”. (Exodus 8:19)
Here is the interpretation: Satan is a deceiver and trickster but he has
no power to do good, heal, save or create life! All he can do is deceive,
lie, steal and kill! Only God can heal and create life and sustain
it!
There
are some things you must do if you are to be healed. Study the accounts
of sick folk - in the Bible - who were healed, and if you do what they
did, you will certainly receive healing, because Jesus Christ is no
respecter of persons!
No.
1 - WORSHIP JESUS CHRIST!
There
is only ONE HEALER, Jesus Christ. He alone is the Great Physician. Seek
Him and worship Him, and turn from every known sin. Seek the Healer and
not the healing!
Focus
your attention on Jesus. Worship, praise and magnify His Name and His
love, forgiveness and healing will automatically flow into you!
“And,
behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched
him, saying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed”. (Matthew 8:2-3)
PEOPLE
WHO SEEK ONLY A HEALING OR MIRACLE OR ANSWERS TO PRAYER WITHOUT
WORSHIPPING GOD - WILL BE GREATLY DISAPPOINTED
By
seeking God through Jesus Christ, you will establish a vital contact with
the Great Physician and receive your miracle and answers to your prayers.
People who seek only a healing or a miracle or answers to prayers without
worshipping God, will be greatly disappointed.
ALWAYS
REMEMBER, KNOWING GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND THE BLESSED HOLY SPIRIT -
WITHOUT BEING HEALED PHYSICALLY - IS FAR MORE ADVANTAGEOUS THAN GETTING
ONLY A PHYSICAL MIRACLE WITHOUT RECEIVING JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOUR AND
LORD!
Jarius
was in a desperate situation. His daughter was at the point of death when
he decided to seek out the Master. Here is the Bible account.
While
He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and
worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay
Thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him,
and so did His disciples.
“And,
behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years,
came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment: For she said within
herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus
turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, Daughter, be of good
comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole
from that hour.
“And
when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the
people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not
dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn. But when the people
were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid
arose.” (Matt. 9:18-25)
CANAANITE
WOMAN WORSHIPS JESUS!
“And,
behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto
Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is
grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word. And His
disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth
after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. “Then came she and worshipped Him, saying,
Lord, help me.
“But
He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and
to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the
crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and
said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou
wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Matt.
15:22-28)
The
Bible states, “And as they went to tell His disciples. behold, Jesus
met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and
worshipped Him”. (Matthew 28:9)
GOD
HEARS THE PRAYERS AND ANSWERS THE PRAYERS OF THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM
Without
doubt, God hears your prayers and God answers the prayers of those who
worship Him. And all who are saved and healed by God’s power WILL
desire to worship Him!
The
blind man whom Jesus healed is a good example of that fact: “Jesus
heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto
him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is
He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast
both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.
“And
he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him”. (John 9:35-38)
To
the Samaritan woman, Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when
the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for
the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth”. (John 4:23-24)
No.
2 - HUMBLE YOURSELF!
Pride
is a gigantic hindrance to receiving divine healing! “But He answered
and said it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to
dogs.
“And
she said, truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from
their master’s table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman,
great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter
was made whole from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:26-28)
Here
is the account of a Canaanite woman humbling herself in the sight of God.
When she did, Jesus granted her request! Her daughter was healed!
ANOTHER
GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW GOD REWARDS HUMILITY IS FOUND IN THE HEALING ACCOUNT
OF NAAMAN
“So
Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door
of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go
and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee,
and thou shalt be clean.
“But
Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will
surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his
God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not
Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of
Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away
in a rage.
“And
his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the
prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?
how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
"Then
went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the
saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of
a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:9-14)
Many
people believe that they will receive something from God because of WHO
THEY ARE OR THINK THEY ARE! We do not receive healing because we are
worthy, but because we are needy. And Jesus Christ met that need nearly
2000 years ago on the cross!
WE
RECEIVE HEALING FROM GOD BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE AND MERCY AND BECAUSE OF
HIS WORD - NOT BECAUSE WE DESERVE IT - HEALING IS A GIFT
It
is only because of His great liberality to us by sending His Son Jesus
Christ, to die in our place and purchase our salvation, that we receive
forgiveness and divine healing from His gracious and loving land!
We
must never forget that forgiveness, divine healing, the gifts and graces
of God which He bestows upon us are simply that - gifts of God’s mercy
to us!
No.
3 - BELIEVE IN GOD’S INTEGRITY, ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS
TO KEEP HIS PROMISES TO US
Believe
that God’s Word is absolutely true and that it will never pass away!
The Heavens and the Earth will pass away, but God’s Word will stand
forever. (Matthew 24:35) God’s Word is as pure and divine as God
Himself (John 1:1-4).
THE
HOLY SCRIPTURES ARE GOD’S WORD!
The
Lord God Almighty is “back of” His Word, and it will never fail (1
Kings 8:56). God has placed “His Word” above “His Name” (Psalm
138:2). His Word has gone out of His mouth in righteousness and will not
return void.
“So
shall My word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
God
will perform every Word He has spoken. “Then said the Lord unto me,
Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it.”
(Jeremiah 1:12) “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My
mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
(Isaiah 55:11) Believe that God’s Word is the final authority and that
IT IS GOOD TODAY! Then, appropriate His Word to yourself, for your
own individual need!
Jesus
said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me
to preach the gospel to the poor, He hath sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach
the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-20)
The
Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word
of God.” (Romans 10:17) Jesus asked two blind men, “Believest
thou that I am able to do this (heal them)?” They answered, “Yea,
Lord.
Then
Jesus touched their eyes saying, “According to your faith be it unto
you”, and they were instantly healed!
Jesus
said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that
believeth”. (Mark 9:23)
“Believe
Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for
the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto My Father.
And
whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do
it.” (John 14:11-14)
No.
4 - TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD!
The
Bible says, “...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.” (Exodus 15:26)
Jesus
promised: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
“When
the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with
devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and HEALED ALL THAT
WERE SICK: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:16-17)
Seven
hundred years before His birth in Bethlehem, the Holy Spirit promised
divine healing through the Coming Messiah!
“But
He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are
healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Here
is the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophecy: “Who His own self
bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed.” (1
Peter 2:24)
There
are three very important spiritual laws which Jesus Christ gave His
Church:
The
Law of Binding & Loosing
The
Law of Agreement
The
Law of God’s Presence
These
three laws, when acted upon in faith, bring divine healing and total
deliverance to those who call upon the Lord in sincerity and trust!
“Verily
I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again
I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which
is in heaven.
“For
where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the
midst of them.” (Matthew 18:18-20)
The
Law of Binding & Loosing is found in Matthew 18:18
The
Law of Agreement is contained in Matthew18:19.
The
Law of God’s Presence is written in Matthew 18:20.
For
a full treatment of this subject, write for booklet on ‘The Laws of God
& Divine Healing’!
No.
5 - RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR HEALER
Confess
to the Lord that you Believe His Word and that you Know He is your
Healer!
Concur
with the Scriptures. Agree with Jesus Christ, that you Accept His
promises as true and infallible! Confess to Him that you Believe that
“By His Stripes you are Healed”.
Then,
Thank Him for healing you and for answering your prayers.
Trust the Lord for complete deliverance. Relax and get well for according
to His Word, He has healed you.
The
Bible says, “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He
shall bring it to pass”. (Psalm 37:5)
Jesus
said, "Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when
ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them".
(Mark 11:24) Jesus Christ promises that he will hear and answer
your prayers.
YOU
MAY RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS. YOU MAY BE HEALED
SUDDENLY OR YOU MAY BEGIN TO AMEND AS ALSO HAPPENED IN THE MINISTRY OF
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!
“Then
enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto
him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew
that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son
liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.” (John 4:52-53)
READ
WITH JOY THESE WORDS OF LIFE: “Is any sick among you? let him call
for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him
with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins,
they shall be forgiven him.
“Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”.
(James 5:14-16)
You
may receive divine healing in one of various ways - through the laying on
of hands, anointing with oil, prayer of agreement or praying alone to our
Heavenly Father in Jesus’ dear Name, in your home!
IT
DOESN’T MATTER WHICH WAY GOD HEALS YOU, SO LONG AS YOU ARE HEALED
Give
God all the glory. Share with others what God has done so that you may
rejoice together and glorify the Name of Jesus. Remember, Jesus said in
Mark 9:23 - “ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH”.
Allow
me now to offer a prayer to God on your behalf.
“Kind
Heavenly Father, I pray in Jesus’ Name that you will extend Your hand
of mercy, forgiveness and divine healing right now to each and everyone
who is reading this booklet.
“Upon
the authority of God’s Word, by the blood of the everlasting covenant,
through the eternal Spirit of God and in Jesus’ all powerful Name, I
command Satan to take his hands off each one reading this booklet now!
“Every
evil spirit of torment, infirmity and unrighteousness must leave NOW, in
Jesus’ Name.
“Heavenly
Father, please lay your healing hand on the sick, infirm and sinful right
now and save, heal and deliver them all.”
THANK
YOU LORD. I BELIEVE IT IS DONE AND I PRAISE YOU IN JESUS' HOLY &
PRECIOUS NAME." Amen.
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