Claiming Healing?

I have heard a lot over these past few months and weeks about how I just need to 'claim healing' over the sickness in my life.  It never quite set well with me, partially because of the thoughts it brings to mind of my time in the Christian Science church. The thought of trying to change my mind and situation through just saying or thinking certain words just brings up too much of the principles that were taught there.


But I thought I was being crazy.  I mean this time, it was coming from a place of 'claiming' the promises and stories of healing that appear in the Word, not from some woman who wanted to create her own 'religion.'


So I gave it a shot these past few months.  I would tell the Lord that I was ready to be healed.  I was ready to 'claim' these promises of healing, and that speaking it out made it true.  It was all in my mind, and I just had to readjust my thinking - I just had to work a bit harder in praying and believing.


Well.....I'm still not healthy.  I still can't pick up a piece of warm, cheesy pineapple and onion pizza.  Or a delicious, greasy cheeseburger with a milkshake on the side (preferably mint chocolate chip....).  I still can't make these annoying hormones get all situated so everything runs smoothly.


Clearly, I haven't been praying enough or 'claiming' the right promises. 

I must need to pray more. 

I must need to add more fervent requests. 

I must not be claiming it with enough authority. 

That was the mindset of my mind earlier this week - just completely down on myself.  I'm doing this whole Christianity thing wrong and not believing like all these others who have had healing.


And then God wrecked and corrected my heart in an instant.  This daily e-mail arrived from an organization called 20schemes (which I highly recommend you look into - they reach out to the schemes, or ghettos, in Scotland).  The writer was talking all about this struggle, and when I read this sentence, I just felt her speaking RIGHT to what I was thinking:

"The worst, most dreaded (so-called) ‘Christian’ statement has to be: “You just have to claim the HIS healing for your life”. This kind of unbiblical thoughtlessness can make people feel that their suffering isn’t important and is pointless and needless, when often God is doing something quite profound in the life and faith of the individual concerned."

I had been feeling like what I was suffering through wasn't important.

I had been feeling like what I was suffering through was pointless and needless.

But God's word tells me something different!  He tells me that He is actually doing something amazingly awesome in my life.

These health things that I am continuing to face, or that YOU are continuing to face, don't just go away because we 'claim' something. 

I mean, who are we to 'claim' anything from the Lord?  If we are owed anything, it's to spend eternity in hell for all of our sins against a great, holy God.  Praise the Lord that He provided a sacrifice for us in Jesus Christ as to where He can actually look upon us and hear our prayers at all.

So what do we do as we suffer through this pain and sickness in the world because of sin?  How do we endure faithfully, and encourage others, instead of pushing them to work harder?

We point each other back to God's word. 

This pain and suffering FORCES us to look to Jesus.  Always. 

Not a day goes by where we can't feel the effect of sin and sickness.  Like Job, it forces us to look up, not on ourselves, but on the Lord.  We must continue worshiping Him, and trusting in His faithfulness and plan that is so much bigger than just us.

It forces us to be honest and open before the Lord and others.  Instead of trying to cover up this pain and sickness, we bring it all to God.  We bear our souls and weaknesses before Him, which is exactly where He wants and calls us to be. 

We must learn humility in asking others for help.  God has given us a community of believers, of brothers and sisters, in whom He uses as His hands and feet and mouthpiece for prayers! 

We weren't made to 'claim' healing for ourselves. 

We were made to fall to our knees in humility,

full of trust and worship before our Father Creator. 

That's where I am going to fall now: to my knees.  Not to my own works and my own words.  That isn't what the gospel is about.

It's about Jesus hanging on a cross, paying the ransom for our souls with his own blood.  We aren't called to work or earn this at all.  That is what makes the cross so unbelievable beautiful.

"Here is a truth worth thinking about today: our pain may be bringing about a deep healing in our souls over time. It may also be used for the benefit of brothers and sisters in our local church as they find deep hope and blessing in ministering to us. None of it will go to waste. God won’t let one tear fall or one spasm come without an unseen, redemptive purpose."

-Sharon Dickens, Director of Women's Ministry

Read the article mentioned above here.