Christ As Healer- Standing Firm

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Standing Firm 

Matthew 9:27-31

Opening Prayer: O Lord, You are my Rock, my Fortress and my Strong Tower.  You are my Strength and my Perfect Provider.  I praise You for showing me the way to be steadfast in You as You open my heart and my eyes to even more of You.  I long to abide in You.  In Christ’s holy Name I pray.  Amen. 

BELIEVE

The Word says that mountains can be moved because we have faith in God.  Though that faith may be as tiny as a mustard seed, it sparks the fire of increased faith within us as the Lord works in our hearts, minds, and circumstances to bring about His good, acceptable and perfect sovereign will in our lives.  In faith, believe that God can and will do the impossible, then leave the details to Him, knowing that He will work all things together for your good no matter what happens.  In the midst of it all, you will experience His healing, renewal, hope, encouragement and peace.

In faith the blind men believed Jesus and He opened the door to their healing.  That same faith is available to you as you step out to believe what you cannot yet see.  Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  This is what Jesus said.  Open your heart up to the power of Christ to do the impossible and believe that nothing can thwart His plans.  Trust in Him at all times and He will do immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine.  Though the healing may not look like what you envisioned, it will be His perfect healing for you.  Praise Him for His goodness and mercy toward you.  

Consider these scriptures about faith:

Mark 11:22-24 

Hebrews 11:1 

Isaiah 55:8-9

Mark 9:24 

I Corinthians 15:58 

Luke 1:37 

Matthew 19:26 

Jeremiah 32:17 

Psalm 20:7 

GOOD TIMES

When good times come, we are tempted to become self-sufficient and to forget our complete dependency on the Lord.  We begin to believe that we can handle things on our own.  We fail to pray about everything, to seek Him first, and to seek Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  We think that God is surely too busy or too small for our seemingly insignificant, mundane trials and that we can do “this one” apart from Him.  We lose our godly perspective and begin to look to worldly wisdom for answers.  However, the Word admonishes us to ”remember the Lord” and to seek Him first in all things.  

God’s blessings come to us in many ways, even through His discipline.  As He lovingly guides and directs our paths through hard times, we can be assured that He is maturing us in our faith and making us more dependent on Him in order to make us more like Jesus.  When we forget Him in good times, our growth in Him is stifled and we become stagnant in our faith.  Our hearts become hardened to the sound of His voice and we become disobedient.  Give thanks for the hard times as well as the good, for they keep us totally dependent on Him.  Walk intimately and closely with Him in the good times as well and He will abundantly bless that obedience.  

Consider these scriptures that admonish us in good times:

Deuteronomy 6:10-14

Deuteronomy 8:11-18

Deuteronomy 9:6 

Deuteronomy 4:23

Matthew 6:33 

Acts 5:29

John 15:4-8

Revelation 14:12 

YOUR DEPENDENCE ON THE LORD

God desires that we be completely dependent on Him at all times.  As children of God, we belong to Him and can depend on Him for everything, even for the smallest of things.  All is to be returned in total surrender to Him, seeking His disposition of it, not our own.  Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above and is His to command, for all that we have, we have received from Him, including every breath that we take.   

Describe an area of your life where you desire greater dependence on the Lord.  In prayer, place that area of your life on His altar, surrendering it all to Him.  Journal your surrender to Him along with your hopes, fears, desires and concerns about this area.  Thank God for what He will do in this area of your life.  Give Him all the glory and say thank You for His amazing love and care for you in all things.  

Consider these scriptures before you journal:

Jeremiah 29:12-13

Matthew 16:24

Jeremiah 29:11 

I Corinthians 2:9 

I Peter 4:11 

Colossians 1:17 

I Peter 2:9 

Journal Entry-

RELECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you? 

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 72:8 

Isaiah 41:10

Psalm 139 

Psalm 121 

Psalm 56:4 

Romans 8:37 

Philippians 1:6 

Philippians 4:9

Closing Prayer: I praise You, my Lord, for Your revelations to me.  Continue to grow me up in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  May You be mightily glorified in and through my life as You complete the work that You have begun in me to make me more like Jesus. I abandon myself and all to You.  Order my steps in Your Word so that Your will is done and You are mightily glorified.  All these things I pray in Christ’s precious and holy Name.  Amen.  

Christ As Healer- Thanksgiving And Praise

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Thanksgiving and Praise 

Luke 17:11-19

Opening Prayer: How I praise You, O Lord my God, for You alone are worthy of all praise.  I praise You as my Lord of all and give thanks for Your lovingkindness, mercy, grace, peace, and love.  May Your praise always be on my lips.  I praise Your holy Name, Almighty God, and I pray all these things in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

THANKSGIVING 

Although only one of the ten lepers returned to give thanks to Jesus, that one threw himself at His feet in praise and thanksgiving.  His heart overflowed with humility as he began to understand the gift of his healing and the One Who had given it.  He was ready for more of Jesus.  He was ready to grow in the Lord. 

Are you ready for more of Jesus?  Are you ready to grow up in Him?  He longs to give you more of Himself and to see you walking uprightly in Him.  He longs to sanctify you through His Word and to teach you to stand strong upon the Rock, the rock of salvation through Himself.  He longs to make you more holy, more like Jesus.  Are you ready for more of Jesus?  He is ready to grow you up in Himself.  

If you desire more of His sanctifying work in your life, you may pray this prayer-

“Grow me up, Lord Jesus.  I want to be more like you.  Come now to do Your sanctifying work in me.  I desire more of You and less of me.  All praise, honor, and glory to You, my Lord, as I pray this desire in Your holy Name.  Amen.”

True thanksgiving comes as you offer yourself to the Lord as a living sacrifice.  As you lay down your life to serve Him, you understand more clearly the power of His sacrifice for you.  Seek Him, praise Him, and thank Him for the privileges of service that He will give you.  

Consider these scriptures about thanksgiving and sacrifice:

Leviticus 7:11-15

Leviticus 1

Romans 12:1

Romans 8:32 

Psalm 100:4

Jonah 2:9 

Jeremiah 30:19

James 1:17 

Philippians 4:11 

Commit yourself to the Lord as a living sacrifice for Him.

SERVICE 

As Christ served the least and the lowest, the mighty and the proud, and the faithful and the betrayer in true humility, He was poured out as a drink offering for others as He gave Himself completely to His Father.  We are called to do the same, to give ourselves completely to the Lord and to serve Him by serving others.  

How will your service reflect His service?  To whom will you be Jesus?  To whom will you introduce Jesus as Savior?  To whom will you impart selfless, sacrificial service in His Name?  To whom will you minister in a way that only you can?  Praise Him for the blessing of being a blessing to others and give Him all the glory.  

Who do you feel led to serve?  List their name or names and pray for them as the Spirit leads.  Be that poured out drink offering to them and see your Father in heaven mightily glorified.  Shower them with His love and bless their lives with the blessings of Jesus.  He alone can satisfy their needs.  Praise the Lord for the privilege of serving them.  

Consider the following scriptures about serving:

Matthew 25:35-36, 40

John 13:2-5

I Samuel 12:24 

Luke 1:74

Romans 7:6 

Matthew 4:10

Matthew 20:26-28

Philippians 2:17

PRAISE AND WORSHIP 

God inhabits the praises of His people.  When we praise Him, He is glorified and we are changed.  As He beckons us to come closer to Him, we draw closer to Him to praise and magnify His holy Name.  He is blessed and we are ushered into His presence in a grand and glorious way.  

Spend time in praise and worship each day and come to know your God in a new and deeper way.  Begin today by using the following scriptures, along with praise and worship songs or hymns, as a springboard for a time of praise and worship of the Lord.  

Psalm 117:1-2

Psalm 150 

Psalm 22:3

Psalm 103:1-3

Revelation 5:12 

Psalm 119:175

Ephesians 1:12 

Exodus 15:12 

Journal the impact of this praise time.

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you? 

I John 2:2 

I John 4:10 

Hebrews 10:10, 12, 26

Hebrews 13:15 

Romans 3:25 

Psalm 50:14 

Psalm 54:6

Matthew 20:28

I Timothy 2:6 

Hebrew 9:15 

Closing Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for giving me more of You and leaving less of me.  I thank You for using me in Your kingdom and for teaching me more about praising and worshiping You.  I come to love You more, dear Lord, as I continue to abandon myself to You completely and seek to serve You all the days of my life.  I am Yours to command.  Do with me what pleases You.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen.  

Christ As Healer- Standing On The Word

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Standing on the Word 

John 4:46-53

Opening Prayer: Teach me to stand firm in Your Word, Lord.  Grant me grace to believe Your Truth.  Keep it ever before me that I might grow more in You and be set free.  Heal my brokenness and make me strong in You and in the power of Your might.  Lord, You are my Healer and I pray these things in Christ’s holy Name.  Amen. 

HIS OMNIPOTENCE

The unlimited omnipotent power of God is unfathomable.  He can do immeasurably more than all we ask or think.  He can do the impossible, for there is nothing that is too hard for Him.  He has created all things, including you and me, and sustains everything moment by moment.  There is none like God.  He is the one and only True God Who can do ANYTHING.  He is infinite, eternal, and sovereign and nothing is above God.  

As we come to know Him in His omnipotence, we see our weaknesses.  When we see and experience His all-sufficiency, we realize our inadequacies.  In coming to understand His sovereignty, we see our need for Him.  As we bear witness to His holiness, we come face to face with our humanity and, when we see His love for us, we fall on our knees in praise and thanksgiving.  When we truly see Who He is and who we are before Him, we are humbled and praise Him for His love, mercy, and grace toward us.  He is truly worthy of all our praise for Who He is and all He does.

Spend time in prayer, praising God and giving thanks for His omnipotence in all things.  

Consider these scriptures about the omnipotence of God:

Isaiah 41:4b

Job 38-41

Job 42:2

Jeremiah 32:17 

Matthew 19:26

Genesis 18:14

Luke 1:37

Isaiah 40:13-14

FAITH AND HIS WORD 

When all around you is uncertain and confusing, you can believe and hold on to the Word of God, because it is HIS Word and HIS Truth and can always be trusted.  His Word is true despite your circumstances, so set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.  Read, study and believe the Word of God and let it be the lamp to your feet and the light to your path, guiding your every step.

In times of trial and suffering seek the Lord for scriptures to hold on to, for each one is a promise from your loving heavenly Father.  “Remind” the Lord of His promises as you walk through your day and claim them as your own.  Write them down somewhere and refer to them often. When you become discouraged, read them silently or aloud and thank the Lord for His continuing promises to you.  Then STAND ON HIS WORD, believing that, what He has said He will do, He will bring to pass.  

Seek the Lord now for scriptures you can hold on to.  Praise God for His faithfulness to strengthen, help, and uphold you in this way. 

FAITH OR DOUBT?

Are you a Peter or a Thomas?  The one who believes or the one who doubts?  Chances are good that you have been both at one time or another.  You have been Peter who pleases the Lord and announces “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” and you have been Thomas who saddens the Lord by saying “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand in His side, I will not believe it.”.  In faith Peter believed what the Lord had told him, but in doubt Thomas could have said “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief!” like the father of the demon-possessed son that Jesus healed.  

When you doubt, you don’t have to stay there. By seeking the Lord in prayer and the Word, you can be assured by Him and choose to stand on His Word rather than your feelings, circumstances, or the counsel of others.  Allow God to be your counselor through His Word.  By the power of His Spirit, He will guide and direct your path, leading you to His Truth at all times.  

Consider these scriptures about the declarations of Peter and Thomas concerning Christ:

John 20:24-27

Matthew 16:13-17

What are your desires concerning your faith?  Seek the Lord in prayer about your current level of faith and ask Him to increase it.  Thank Him for His faithfulness to do that.    

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you?’

Psalm 37:7 

II Timothy 2:13 

Mark 11:22-24

Psalm 119:105, 130, 133

Psalm 119:24

Closing Prayer: Lord God, I choose to stand on Your Word and to believe that it is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.  Show me Your Truth, plant it deep within my heart, and make me more like Jesus as You direct my steps in Your Word.  I abandon all to You as I seek Your face, O Lord, and pray all these things in Christ’s holy Name.  Amen.  

Christ As Healer- Forgiveness

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Forgiveness 

Luke 5:17-26

Opening Prayer: O Lord, give me a heart to forgive as You have forgiven me.  Take my wounds, my pain, and my suffering and redeem them through the cross.  Forgive me for my failure to believe, for unforgiveness I hold in my heart against You or man, and for willful disobedience against You.  Purge me with hyssop, cleanse me of all my iniquities that I might be whiter than snow before You.  Thank You for Your forgiveness through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for it is in His Name that I pray.  Amen.

FORGIVENESS 

Forgiveness is an act of the will, not of feelings or because of the response of others.  Like all sins, the sin of unforgiveness distances you from the Father.  The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual impact of unforgiveness can become debilitating and, even paralyzing, in your health, your walk with the Him, and your relationships.  Choose to forgive and seek His grace to walk in the light of His forgiveness of yourself and of others, for nothing is impossible with God!

Though others may not repent of their sins against you, the Lord still calls you to forgive them.  Just as Christ spoke these words on the cross “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing,” you too are to forgive others in spite of their unrepentant heart.  Great healing takes place as He blesses your obedience to obey His Word rather than follow your feelings.  Forgiveness is imperative in the light of God’s Truth, not an option.

Consider these scriptures concerning forgiveness:

Ephesians 4:26, 31-32

I Corinthians 9:8 

Matthew 19:26 

Matthew 18:21-22

Mark 11:25 

Luke 1:37 

FAITH AND OBEDIENCE 

Forgiveness is critical in healing.  By holding on to our unforgiveness we diminish our intimacy with the Father and our witness to others about the love and forgiveness of Christ.   When we step out in faith and choose to forgive, our burdens are lifted, we are set free in Him, and others see His love.  In Christ alone we find grace to forgive and by His wounds we are healed. 

The paralytic discovered the power of the forgiveness of Christ as he followed Him in faith and obedience.  As Christ granted him spiritual pardon, he received physical healing through Christ’s forgiveness of his sins.  By faith the paralytic literally walked in the light of that forgiveness and was healed of his physical infirmity.  

How often do we harbor unforgiveness and end up physically ill or emotionally damaged?  Holding grudges against others turns to bitterness and we find ourselves with physical and emotional ailments because of our spiritual unforgiveness.  There seems to be a correlation between spiritual pardon and healing.  Christ calls you to forgive.  Choose to forgive.  

In faith and obedience, I choose to forgive _________________ for ________________.

Fill in the blanks and receive His healing.  

Consider these scriptures concerning faith and obedience:

Luke 5:21, 23-24

Luke 5:17

Matthew 6:33 

Psalm 118:17 

Isaiah 1:19 

Jeremiah 26:14 

Psalm 16:7 

Philippians 4:19 

Acts 5:29 

Colossians 3:2 

Jeremiah 32:7 

FORGIVING YOURSELF AND GOD 

Forgiving yourself is as important as forgiving others.  When you choose not to forgive yourself, you declare that Christ’s sacrifice was not sufficient for your sins.  Because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, choose to forgive yourself and walk forward with the Lord in the light of His freedom from guilt and shame.  He longs for you to be free to serve Him unhindered by the burden of sin and He died to set you free.  Honor Him by forgiving yourself.  

As strange as it may sound, when necessary, forgive God for His seeming injustices in your life.  Hold no anger, bitterness, resentment or frustration against the Sovereign Lord, Loving God, and Abba Father Who loves you with an everlasting love, for His perfect plan always comes into your life through His sovereign hands of love.  Though you may not understand His ways in your life, He always takes care of His children and works it all together for your good.  What was meant for evil, God will use for good.  Acknowledge your unforgiveness, confess it, repent of it, and walk in the light of His love and forgiveness as you continue to seek His face and do His will.  Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Is there something that you need to forgive God for? 

Consider these scriptures about love and forgiveness: 

I John 1:9 

II Chronicles 7:14

Romans 8:1

Jeremiah 31:3

Psalm 55:22

Romans 8:28 

Genesis 50:20 

REFLECTING ON GOD’S WORD- What does each scripture say to you? 

Psalm 51:17 

Psalm 103:3

Psalm 36:7

Philippians 4:13 

Psalm 91:4 

Joshua 24:15

I Peter 4:11c

Closing Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price for all my sins.  Thank You for Your grace to forgive others, myself, and even You, as I am forgiven through You.  I praise You for Your perfect love that never fails and for making me more like You in the midst of it all.  All praise, honor, and glory be unto You, my Lord Master, Savior and Friend.  In Your holy Name I pray.  Amen.