Christ As Healer- Faith

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Faith 

Matthew 15:21-28

Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank You for calling me to greater faith.  I believe; help me overcome my unbelief.  By Your grace I step out in faith to seek You in greater ways so that I may become less and you may become more.  In Christ’s precious Name I pray.  Amen.  

GREATER FAITH 

God desires that each Christian continue to grow in Him through the Truth of His Word after their salvation.  As we grow in the grace and knowledge of His Son Jesus, we desire a deeper walk with Him and a greater faith.  He abundantly supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory as we seek His face in prayer, His Word, and service.

Greater faith can come in many ways- by walking through trials, by the need to persevere in faith, or by obeying Him when it seems impossible to do so.  In whatever way the call comes, our response is to be a resounding “YES!”  Because He has bought and paid for us with the precious blood of His Son, we are His and He is ours.  With Him nothing shall be impossible.  He is faithful to provide all that we need to do His will, as we walk by faith and not by sight.  

Tell the Lord of your desire for a greater faith and a deeper, more intimate walk with Him.

Consider these scriptures relating to faith:

Judges 6 

Exodus 4 

Romans 4:19-21

Acts 14:19-22

Joshua 5:13- 6:27 

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 

Leviticus 26:1-13 

I Corinthians 6:19b-20

SEEK HIM FIRST 

The Lord tells us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be given to us as well.  Choosing God and His ways above all else can be very challenging, but it is always the best and most fruitful thing to do.  When we do, there will be more of Him and less of us as we submit our will to His.

Rather than focusing on our circumstances that threaten to overshadow our faith or declaring that our circumstances are greater than the omnipotent Lord God Almighty, we are to walk in the light of His will as God makes the way for us, even in the most difficult times.  He is still the Lord Who goes before us and cuts through the deepest darkness, making our path a place of springs to the victory He has for us in His perfect timing and way.  The glory will be all His. 

Consider these scriptures concerning seeking Him first: 

Colossians 3:2

Matthew 19:26 

Job 42:2

I Corinthians 15:57 

Isaiah 54:17 

Matthew 5:16 

Luke 1:37 

Revelation 17:14

Colossians 3:11 

MERCY GIVEN 

Mercy is not getting what we deserve.  Though we all deserve death, in His mercy, Jesus took our place on the cross and paid the price that we could never pay for the sins that we commit.  Mercy indeed triumphed over judgment, for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  

Like the faith-filled Canaanite woman who received mercy from the Lord Jesus in the healing of her demon possessed daughter, we also need the mercy of God in our daily lives.  Because He is rich in mercy, delights to show us His mercy, and loves us with an everlasting love, we can come before His throne of grace to receive His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.  He is a merciful, gracious, and compassionate God.  

Where do you need God’s mercy in your life?  Where do you need to show God’s mercy to others?  Seek the Lord’s mercy in your life and ask Him to show you how you can show mercy to others.  Journal your discoveries.  

Consider these scriptures about mercy:

Ephesians 2:4-9

James 2:13

Micah 6:8 

Micah 7:18

Luke 1:50

Matthew 5:7 

Psalm 28:6

Luke 6:36 

Hebrews 4:16

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

Romans 8:32 

Luke 6:46 

Psalm 18:30 

John 3:30 

Psalm 78

Revelation 5:12 

Galatians 5:5

II Corinthians 1:24 

Romans 10:6 

Acts 14:22 

Hebrews 12:1

Hosea 6:6

Matthew 18:33

Closing Prayer: Thank You for doing the work of greater faith in me, Lord.  May I be your humble, submissive, and obedient servant as I step out in faith to do those things that only You can make possible.  Grant me grace to be as merciful to others as You are to me.  I pray all in Christ’s holy and precious Name.  Amen.  

Christ As Healer- The Overflow of Your Heart

CHRIST AS HEALER 

The Overflow of Your Heart 

Matthew 12:22-37

Opening Prayer: Father, You know me inside and out.  Search my heart, know my wicked ways, purge me with hyssop, and cleanse me of all of my iniquities, that I may be whiter than snow before You.  Give me a broken and contrite heart and make me more like Jesus.  In His Name I pray.  Amen.  

NO HEALING WITHOUT JESUS

Although there is no record of how this demon possessed man was healed, the fact remains that Jesus alone was his Healer.  Once he was blind and mute, but now He could see and speak because of Jesus.  No other one was needed and God was greatly glorified.  

The healing that we all seek is only found in Christ.  It is He Who gives light to our darkness and voice to our heart’s desire to know Him intimately.  It is He Who gives health and healing to all of our wounds, for He is our All in all and meets our every need according to His riches in glory.   

Ask Jesus to be your All in all. 

Consider these scriptures about our dependence on Jesus, our All in all:

John 15:5 

Acts 10:36 

Romans 10:12 

Colossians 1:17, 20

Ephesians 2:14-16

Isaiah 53:5 

Psalm 147:3 

Jeremiah 33:6 

Jeremiah 17:14 

Isaiah 57:18-19

THE OVERFLOW OF YOUR HEART 

Out of our mouths comes the truth of the condition of our heart.  As we speak God’s Truth, His hope and light shine in and through our lives.  When we speak the Enemy’s lies and deception, his hopelessness, despair and depression shine through.  

Listen carefully to your words and seek to speak His Truth, hope, and light at all times.   

Keep your eyes on things above, not on your circumstances and trust God to walk you through the most difficult times by His grace.  You are an overcomer through Him.  

Write Philippians 4:8 and begin to memorize it.  Repeat it when you are tempted to think on other things.  

Consider these scriptures for the good of our heart:

Psalm 150

Romans 14:19 

I Peter 4:11 

Psalm 149:6

Ephesians 4:29

Revelation 14:5 

Matthew 4:4 

Romans 10:8

Romans 15:5-6

I Peter 2:21-22

SELF-DESTRUCTION

The Enemy longs to steal, kill, and destroy the lives and testimonies of God’s children.  Only through the power of Jesus Christ Who overcame the world by shedding His blood on the cross at Calvary on our behalf has our victory been won.  Attempting to overcome apart from Him and His victory leads to continual defeat and eventual destruction.  In our weakness we are strong in Him, for we can do all things through Christ Who gives us HIS strength. 

Where in your life is the Enemy seeking to steal, kill, and destroy you or your witness to others?  Ask the Lord to bring His victory there and thank Him for His love and protection.  

Consider these scriptures about our dependence on Him:

Revelation 12:11

Revelation 17:14 

I John 4:4 

I Corinthians 15:57

John 10:10

Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26 

Revelation 3:5, 12, 21 

Revelation 21:7 

I John 5:4-5

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

Philippians 4:13 

II Corinthians 12:9-10 

Hebrews 13:5 

Habakkuk 1:5 

Colossians 3:1 

John 3:30 

Romans 8:37 

Psalm 57:7 

Closing Prayer: Lord God, I praise You for the victory already won through Jesus, Your Son.  I praise You for Your all-sufficient grace that enables me to be more than a conqueror through Him.  I praise You for Your mercy, grace, and love that abundantly flows from Your heart of perfect love.  May I always honor You and become more like Jesus each day.  In Christ’s holy Name I pray.  Amen.  

Christ As Healer- Complete Dependence

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Complete Dependence 

Mark 9:14-29

Opening Prayer: Father God, I acknowledge that I am completely dependent on You, for apart from You I can do nothing.  Empty me of myself and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, that I may seek Your face to do Your will.  I am at Your mercy.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen. 

OUR COMPLETE DEPENDENCE ON HIM

As they sought to do the supernatural in their own natural, human strength, the father and disciples were powerless to overcome the demonic possession of the son.  In their futility, they finally approached Jesus.  When He commanded the demons to go, they left immediately, for all authority is His in heaven and on earth.  

By relying on HIS power, HIS strength, and HIS perfect provision, we can do all things through Him.  In our weakness He is strong.  As we wait upon Him to do His perfect will in His perfect timing and way, He will perfectly provide all our needs, for He is faithful and true and can be no other way.   

Seek His wisdom and ways for your circumstances and situations.  Lay your burdens at His feet and trust Him now with your struggles.    

Consider these scriptures about our need for Him:

John 15:5 

Jeremiah 32:17 

Philippians 4:16, 19 

Romans 8:32 

II Chronicles 20:12

Colossians 1:15-17 

Luke 10:19

I Peter 3:22

Colossians 2:15

FAITH AND THE HAND OF GOD

Faith moves the hand of God.  Mountains are moved and the impossible made possible.  As we rely on God to do the work, He blesses the obedience of our faith in Him to accomplish it.  As we joyfully persevere in faith and prayer, awaiting His perfect timing and way, we rejoice and give thanks even before our prayers are answered, for by faith all things can be accomplished as we pray according to His will.   

Where do you need increased faith?  Where do you need Him to prove Himself strong and able?  Where is it that you need to trust Him to accomplish the work that He has begun?  Ask Him to deepen your faith in these areas.   

Consider these scriptures about faith:

Hebrews 11:1

Luke 1:37 

Matthew 17:20

Mark 4:31-32

Philippians 4:6 

II Corinthians 5:7

II Timothy 2:13

Colossians 3:2 

RESIST THE ENEMY 

Christians were never meant to be door mats for the Enemy and his ways.  When Jesus is our personal Savior, we have access to the omnipotent power of God Almighty and to His authority over evil to resist the schemes of the Enemy that are launched against us.  

Satan has no authority over us unless it is granted by God Himself for His eternal purposes in our lives.  God’s protection during these times strengthens, helps, and upholds us by His righteous right hand so that we can stand firm against the enemy’s attempts to steal, kill, and destroy in our lives and circumstances.  We can be strong in Him and in the power of His might because He will make a way so that we can stand up under the attacks of the Enemy.  The Lord will use what was intended for evil against us for our good.  We are more than conquerors, for in Him we have the victory. 

In what areas of your life do you need to resist the Enemy’s onslaught?  Give those areas to the Lord and thank Him for your victory in Him. 

Consider these scriptures about resisting the Enemy: 

James 4:7 

I Corinthians 15:58

John 19:11 

Genesis 50:20 

Romans 8:28 

I Corinthians 15:57

Romans 8:37 

Luke 10:19

Galatians 6:9 

Psalm 23:4 

John 3:30 

I Corinthians 10:13

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

Jeremiah 29:11 

Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 43:1-2, 4

Isaiah 53:5 

Ephesians 6:10-18

Closing Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the power to resist the enemy through my Lord Jesus Who lives in my heart and makes all things possible.  May I persevere in prayer, Your Word, and faith to stand firm in You and in the power of Your might.  I praise You, my Lord, and give thanks for Your perfect provision in Christ and in Your Word for my redemption.  In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen. 

Christ As Healer- Touch The Master

CHRIST AS HEALER 

Touch the Master 

Mark 5:25-34 

Opening Prayer: My only hope is You, dear Lord.  My only hope is You.  I put my trust in You alone.  My only hope is You.  I bless Your Name and seek Your face.  My only hope is You.  In Christ’s Name I pray.  Amen. 

HOPE 

To touch the clothes of Jesus was the bleeding woman’s last glimmer of hope.  Her bleeding had made her an outcast of society, ceremonially unclean, and estranged from her husband, family and friends.  Now, after twelve years, she was helpless and hopeless, for all human solutions had been fruitless.  Her very life drained from her as she sought to touch the Master.  Her only hope was Jesus.  

Your only hope is Jesus.  For whatever is draining your life from you, instead of seeking the world’s solutions, go to Jesus.  He alone can work miracles.  He alone can save and heal.  He alone can do the impossible, for He alone is the Hope for all the world and He is your hope.  Reach out, touch the Master, and be forever changed. Seek His face and come to know your Hope personally.  You won’t ever be the same again.  

Consider these scriptures and receive hope:

John 15:5 

I Corinthians 9:8

Philippians 4:19

Colossians 1:15-20

Psalm 71:5 

I Timothy 1:1 

II Corinthians 1:10

THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER 

The touch of the Master brings the impossible to pass, for only He can stop the floodgates that threaten to overwhelm and destroy you.  Only He can release His power into your life and heal your brokenness.  Only He can change your life in radical ways, just as He did for the bleeding woman.  Only He can cleanse you and make you whiter than snow before Himself.  In faith, reach out, touch the Master, and be changed forever.

Just like the bleeding woman, it is time for you to reach out and touch the Master for your healing.   Your open, bleeding, festering wounds need the healing that only He can give.  Stop hesitating and reach out.  He is right in front of you and longs to receive your touch.  Touch Him now and be healed. 

Take your bleeding wounds to Jesus now: 

Consider these scriptures of encouragement:

Genesis 18:14

Luke 1:37 

Matthew 19:26 

Jeremiah 32:17 

Psalm 139:1-4

Psalm 121:1-2

Philippians 4:13, 19

Colossians 1:10 

John 14:27 

FREEDOM 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  As a child of God, indwelled by His Holy Spirit, you are meant to be free, for Christ died to set you free by the shedding of His blood on the cross at Calvary.  It is His desire to see you walk in the light of His freedom and to pass along this truth to others.   

Do you want to be free?  Will you do whatever it takes to walk in the light of His freedom?  Seek the Lord to discover His plan of healing for your life, and, by His grace, do everything that He tells you to do so that you can be completely healed.  You will be amazed as He breaks down the barriers and makes the way for you to obey, even when it seems impossible.  Trust Him to go before you as you seek His healing in your life.  

In His perfect timing His healing will come to pass in your life as you obey the His guidance and direction for you.  His touch will permeate your soul and change your life.  Soon you will take other wounds to Him for their healing as well.  Thank Him for the freedoms you have in Him now and for the freedoms yet to come.  

Consider these scriptures concerning freedom: 

Galatians 5:1, 13

II Corinthians 3:17 

Ephesians 3:12 

John 8:32, 36

I Peter 2:16 

Hebrews 9:15 

Revelation 1:5 

Romans 13:3 

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

I John 1:7 

Isaiah 61:1

Mark 5:34 

Romans 8:21 

Matthew 11:28-30

Romans 15:13 

Closing Prayer: Christ my Healer, thank You for Your touch in my life and for the privilege to know You better through it all.  I bow at Your feet in praise and thanksgiving for Your perfect love for me.  Thank You that nothing can ever separate me from Your love in Christ Jesus.  I love You, too, Lord, and I praise Your holy Name, God Almighty.  In the precious and perfect Name of Your Son I pray.  Amen.