"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart - I have overcome the world!"

Jesus' words in John 16:33

We began this indepth study on the topic of healing on Day 29.  Here is a recap of where we ended...

The Bible teaches us that we can know that we know that we know that God loves us unconditionally (Isaiah 54:10 ; Romans 8:38-39 ), that Jesus has secured our salvation and is preparing a place in Heaven for us. (John 14:1-3 )  We can be absolutely assured that we will spend eternity with God in a glorious, beautiful place, reunited with others who love Jesus and forever be freed from any pain or sorrow. (Read Colossians 1 ; 1 Peter 1:3-5 ;  Revelation 21 & 22)

Now, with all that said, the Bible is also very clear that we WILL experience hardships in this life, difficulties, pain, sorrow, trials.  These are a consequence of a fallen and sinful world.  (1 Peter 1: 6 -7; 1 Peter 4:1219 ; James 1:2-4 ; John 16:33 )

But, we also know that God has power over and in and through all things.  The Bible teaches us that we do walk in victory and that we can ask for healing.  We know that God can and does heal.  However, we also know that many godly, faithful, praying people do not get healed physically in this world.  Many faithful saints who earnestly pray for healing and believe in the power of Jesus Christ do not receive physical restoration.  They "lose the battle" to cancer, to aids, to sickness.  They are killed in car accidents, in senseless murders, in other tragedies...

Where is God in those circumstances?  Where is the promise of healing in those peoples' lives?

Perhaps it's that our definition of healing is too narrow.  But also, these are valid questions which are worth wrestling through.

I have had the blessing of being part of a Healing Prayer leadership team for the past decade or so.  The minister and mentor of that program always taught us that there are many different types of healing - emotional, physical, spiritual, relational.  When we pray and ask for healing, some kind of healing always takes place!  So often our prayers focus on physical healing, when the true healing that needs to occur is on a much deeper level - spiritual or emotional or relational.  (In my Healing Music Devotional appendix section there is a detailed discussion about what Christian healing is and what it is not.  Go to www.healingmusicvideo.com for more information.)

There have been times when I have experienced physical pain and/or sickness, prayed for healing time and time again, and the healing that first came to me was emotional healing.  As the emotional wounds were treated and soothed, the physical symptoms began to lessen.  I can also attest to times of great pain which I know were spiritual attacks on my physical body.  Spiritual healing came through prayer, putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20 ) and being anointed and prayed for by other believers.  Also, this kind of pain has often been overcome for me simply by being obedient.  I keep doing what God has called me to do (write, play music, speak, sing) regardless of the physical pain it causes.  Eventually there is breakthrough, and I rejoice in not only spiritual and emotional healing, but also in physical healing as well.

Like you, I have known precious saints of God who have died from cancer and other tragedies.  One particularly comes to mind who mentored me for years and was a member of that healing prayer team.  She died from ovarian cancer a couple years ago.  I had watched this woman closely and knew that God had done some real miracles in her life over the years.  She was filled with the Holy Spirit and surrendered to the Lord in every way.  I remember her husband (who is an ordained minister) saying to me at her funeral, "She prayed believing that God could heal her.  She prayed and believed it right up until the final moments."

Why didn't God choose to heal her physically?  I don't know.  Over the course of her battle with cancer He had turned back the tide of the disease more than once, gave her renewed strength and a measure of healing in her body.  Couldn't God have just removed the cancer entirely and completely restored her to optimal physical health?  Of course!  He created every cell in her body; He knit her together in her mother's womb (Psalm 139 ).  He could have completely irradicated her body of all disease in a mere breath.  But He didn't choose to.

Why?

That is the question that always haunts us, isn't it?  Why didn't God heal my friend?  Why was that baby born stillborn?  Why was that child killed in the car accident? Ten minutes spent watching the news on any given day will provide us with plenty of fodder for questions regarding heart wrenching tragedies.  And yet, we can point to hundreds of examples where people were healed miraculously, where barren wombs conceived and birthed healthy children, where individuals were saved from impending destruction by what only can be attributed as an act of God.

I can assure you of this:  my friend did receive the ultimate healing!  As the final earthly breath exhaled from her body, the next inhalation was the pure, eternal air of Heaven!  Her vision darkened in a hospital bed, but her eyes opened to stare into the face of the Jesus she knew and loved.  (2 Corinthians 5:8 ; 2 Timothy 4:18 )

God is reworking my image of Heaven.  Raised in the church all my life, I admit that I have basically pictured Heaven as a place with streets of gold and filled with lots of angels clothed in white and carrying around harps.  Undeniably, the music will be breath taking, but seriously, what will we fill our time with for eternity?  Certainly, God is worthy of worship and the thought of seeing Him face to face is breath-taking, but usually I found myself thinking that eventually we would get bored.  (Please tell me I'm not the only one who has thought this!)

Well, through many experiences and studies of the Word, revelations from the Spirit, my view of Heaven is now drastically different.  I now believe that Heaven is going to be so much greater, more beautiful, more enriching, more rewarding that we can ever imagine!  Sights, sounds, colors, relationships, experiences, intellect will more than fill our minds.  The more I worship here on earth, the more I realize how true Paul's words are, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."  (1 Corinthians 13:12 )  The more I study and grow in my relationship with Jesus, the more I realize that this world is just training ground for eternity.  I am just a pilgrim here, just passing through. (Hebrews 11:12-14 )  If you want to expand your thinking about Heaven, read Revelation chapters 4 & 5 and also 21 & 22.

Okay, so we can certainly take comfort in the promise of Heaven.  We can know that our loved ones are in Christ's presence and that we will be reunited with them one day.

But, what about praying for healing?  Jesus gave us all authority on earth to cast out demons and to walk in victory over the enemy.  (Matthew 10:7-9 )  He even told his disciples (and therefore, us) that we would do greater things than he did here on earth. (John 14:12 )

So, should we pray for physical healing?  If so, how?

The answer is Yes, we should; and we will continue our study in what the Bible has to say about the topic of healing.  Join me on Day 31 for "Healing - Part 3."