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THE PRAYER OF INTERCESSION

Intercede – means to act as go-between parties that are unfriendly.

By definition, this limits this type of prayer for people other than the pray-er. The prayer of intercession is a petition-type prayer.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

 Romans 8:34 “…who is at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.”

Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him because he lives to make intercession for them.”

Isaiah 53:12 “…He has poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” The whole work of the Cross was intercession on our behalf, not just what Jesus says or does at the right hand of the Father.

Intercession does not nullify personal responsibility. Jeremiah 7:16 “So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, so do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.”

Purpose for intercession – to pray God’s will into existence. To act as a priest on behalf of others who have not gotten God’s provision yet.

Examples: Moses -Exodus 32:7-14, Paul – Romans 9:1-3, 10:1, Jesus – Luke 23:34, and Stephen – Acts 7:60.

REMEMBER- generally speaking, our intercession works for others, but it is always based on the love and grace of God – along with what His foreknowledge has planned. He does not condemn anyone. John 3:17

   PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

Tongues are a language of men or angels. 1 Cor.13:1

It is a language that one has not studied and does not know. The person has the God-given ability to speak it, but the Spirit supplies the words and their meaning.

It is an expression of God’s divine presence and ability – Acts 10:10-44-46

How they operate:

• Speaking is a learned ability.
• With the infilling of the Holy Spirit we are given this ability.
• His knowledge and ability is not limited to ours.
• The ability comes through the human spirit. – 1 Cor.2:12-14
• Working together – Spirit gives utterance – person does the speaking.

The Place of Faith

Your faith will always work for you in things provided in the Atonement or the New Covenant. It may not always work for others you pray for.

• Mark 9:23  Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” NKJV
• Mark 11:22-24  So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. NKJV
• Why are there times that you faith may not work for others?
• The will of the person is involved. They can stand with you or you can agree with them on the promises of the Word of God; but ultimately if they are adults they are responsible for themselves to use their faith and trust in God. If it is a child or a new Christian, your faith will work for them for a short time. You may remember that even Jesus could do no mighty works in His home town because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58).
• Your faith or prayer will not work if it is for something contrary to the will of God. We know God’s will from reading, studying and meditating in the Word of God.

THE PRAYER OF AGREEMENT

Matthew 18:19-20 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

1. Prayer of Agreement depends on all parties agreeing on the need and the outcome.The word AGREE in Greek is sumphoneo – which means to sound together.
2. To agree means that we say the same thing when we pray and afterward.
3. Prayer of agreement is a petition prayer to the Father.
4. Prayer of agreement involves the presence of God in our situations.
5. Jesus prayer life-

• Blesses children – Mt. 19:13
• Prays in the Garden – Mt. 26:36
• Prayed when baptized – Lk. 3:21
• Prays to Father to be glorified – John 17:1
• Prays for believers – Jn.17:20
• Examples of How Jesus ministered-

• Leper – no prayer – Matt.8:1-3
• Centurion’s servant – Mat.8:5-13
• Peter’s mother-in-law – Matt.8:14-15
• Paralytic man – Mt.9:1-6
• Raised girl from dead – Mt.9:18-25
• Healed woman with issue of blood – Mt.9:18-15
• Healed 2 blind men – Mt.9:27-31
• Head deaf man – Mat 9:35-36
• Notice that in none of these cases did He beg or ask the Father to do something. He touched them and/or spoke and the healings occurred!

    Jesus gives His ministry to us. Matt.10:1, Mark 16:17-18

• Preach kingdom – Mt.10:7-8
• Heal
• Cleanses lepers
• Raise the dead
• Cast out demons
• Freely received – freely give

    Hearing the Voice of God

To pray as Jesus did, we need to hear the voice of God speak to us. He speaks through His Word – the Bible – and by His Spirit within us.

Psalm 77:6 “I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart and my spirit (ruach) makes diligent search.”

Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

INTRODUCTION

I am teaching a class at New Life Church, Louisville on this topic on Wednesday nights during January and February. I will be posting an edited version of those teaching sessions here over the next several days.

All religions have an exercise that they call praying. To some it is chanting, reciting sayings, quotes, or thoughts from those they regard as holy people. Others may quote the Koran, Buddhists ideas, Old Testament statements, or New Testament passages. Still, others may talk to God as one might talk to a friend.

Prayer is very important. But to see results from our praying, one must pray Biblically. One day some of Jesus’ disciples came to you requesting “teach us to pray as John taught his disciples” Luke 11:1. In response to that He gave them the Model prayer. One does not have to quote word for word what He gave them, because this is an outline of things they and we can pray. Matthew 6:9 says, “In this manner, therefore, pray…” I would suggest that one read and re-read what He said until we absorb the concept of what is being said in the Model prayer.

To pray as we should it is necessary to know some things about the One we are praying to. What is He like?

God’s Personality

God’s personality is revealed by certain characteristics that show what He is like. Things are said in Scripture about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that shows facets of His personality. We will confine ourselves primarily to the personality of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 11:2 says “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” This is a prophecy about the coming Messiah. 

Notice that there are seven things mentioned about the Spirit that would rest upon Him:

He is the Spirit of the Lord; 

The Spirit of Wisdom; 

The Spirit of understanding; 

The Spirit of Counsel; 

The Spirit of Might; 

The Spirit of Knowledge; and

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord.

The seven spirits of God are mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:4). Perhaps these seven characteristics mentioned in Isaiah are the seven-fold Spirit of God mentioned there.

Many other characteristics of His personality are revealed in the New Testament. For example:

• He can be lied against – Acts 5:3
• Tested – Acts 5:9
• Resisted – Acts 7:51
• Insulted – Hebrews 10:29
• Grieved – Ephesians 4:30
• Blasphemed – Matthew 12:31
• Reveal – 1 Corinthians 2:10
• Speak – Acts 8:29
• Pray – Romans 8:26-27
• Testify – John 15:26-27
• Lead – Romans 8:14
• Inspire – 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21

His personality can be seen through symbols as well. They include:

• Wind – Acts 2:2
• Water – John 7:37-39
• Fire – Acts 2:3, Matthew 3:11-12
• Oil – Hebrews 1:9
• Wine – Acts 2:13-15
• Seal – Ephesians 1:13
• Guarantee – 2 Corinthians 1:22
• Dove – Luke 3:22
• Finger (KJV) – Luke 11:20

We can know God through the things that He reveals about Himself, but the best way to know Him is by our relationship with Him. We know our Father as such because we have been born again (John 3:3, 5). We know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior as a result of that experience. We know the Holy Spirit because He lives within us and by our daily experiences of listening to His voice. Just as we might know a spouse or friend by contact with them, in the same way we know the Spirit of God. If we constantly tune our spirit to listen to His voice we will get to the place where we readily respond without question when He speaks or urges us to obey Him. And through all of our contact with Him, we begin to know what He is like; we discover His personality.

As we get to know what He is like, we can learn to pray effectively and see our prayers answered.

• Before we can pray effectively, we must first determine what we believe about God. Is He good? Is He concerned about me? Does He really love me and want the best for my life.
• Hebrews 11:6  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” NKJV We must know that He exists. We need to know that He will reward or answer us when we pray.

   2 Corinthians 6:1  “We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” NKJV When we pray the will of God we are working with Him to establish His will on earth.

Matthew 6:9-10  “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  NKJV

We need to know that there are different types of prayer – prayers of dedication, petition, praise, thanksgiving, supplication etc.  There is a place and time for each of these prayers to be prayed. They do not automatically work in every situation.

We need to know what we believe about the will of God.  Can our prayers change God’s will?  Do our prayers help to establish the will of God? 

• 1 John 5:14-15  “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”  NKJV
• John 15:7  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”  NKJV

Psalm 37:4  “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  NKJV

During 56 years of ministry, I have conducted over 200 funerals. In many of them, I have used John 14:1-23 referencing the home that Jesus has gone to prepare for the deceased. But is that all this passage is saying to us? In this short article, I am proposing that we examine it more closely for another viewpoint.

All Scripture passages have at least one interpretation but may have one or more applications. Some passages (prophecy for example) may have two interpretations – present and future.

As I have studied John 14 recently, I have seen more clearly that perhaps this passage is referring to the hereafter, but is also saying something about the present.

Jesus is saying to His hearers that as they have believed in God they should believe in Him. He explains elsewhere in this discourse that the Father is in Him, and He is in the Father, and they both would come to dwell in each of those in the audience who believed in Him (v.7,9,11,17,20,21,23). Knowing this should enable His hearers, and us, to not be troubled or agitated! I see that perhaps He could be referencing sometime in the future, but more so in the present time for them and for us now.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms…” This has most often been seen as our future home in Heaven. It could be, and/or it could be referring to the Father’s dwelling being in the spirit of the redeemed now. Jesus was then and is now preparing His disciples as a dwelling place of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).

They, and sometimes we, have a difficult time understanding the role of Father, Son, and Spirit and the seeming overlap that exists. Which one is speaking, who is doing what in the universe and in and with us? It seems to me, however, from this passage and others, that Jesus is saying from this passage that He, the Father, and the Spirit are all going to come and dwell within them and us, now. In my understanding, this in no way diminishes Heaven but empowers us now with God’s triune presence.

Other than a few special anointed people in the Old Covenant, the Spirit did not dwell upon or in people. But in the New Covenant, He dwells within every believer (Romans 8:9). This is what makes it so much better than the Mosiac covenant (Hebrews 7-10).

Jesus had to go to the Cross and die as us and for us. He overcame death and ascended back to the Father in Heaven so that they could send the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and thereafter indwell His disciples.

A present reality today is that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live within each disciple. Notice these statements:

verse 9 “…he who has seen me has seen the Father…”

verse 11 “Believe that I am in the Father and Father is in me…”

verse 18 “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.”

verse 20 “…I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you.”

verse 23 “…we will come to him and make our abode with him.”

And we do not have to wait until we get to Heaven to experience this, it is a present reality! This should be an encouragement to all of us that we now have everything we need to live a victorious, overcoming, productive life in the Kingdom of God!

Some people’s default setting in their thinking is ‘yes’ He does because they believe that ultimate He controls everything that happens in His creation.

Recently, a man I have known for several decades who is a committed disciple of Jesus said about the covid 19 virus that it was the judgment of God because of mankind’s disobedience. And if one’s view of God only considers what is said about God from the Mosaic covenant, it is easy to see why he thought that.

Perhaps a little background might help.

THE FALL

God’s ultimate plan was for mankind to rule and reign with Him. We see this from the five-fold mandate He gave to Adam (Genesis 1:26-28). We see that Adam & Eve disobeyed God and plunged humanity into sin. Notice the depths of it from the following passages:

Romans 5: 12 – sin entered and death

Romans 5:14,17 – death reigned

Romans 5:18 – from one offense many died

Romans 5:16,18 – judgment because of that one offense

THE CROSS

All the effects of sin have been removed through the work of Jesus through the Cross experience. Notice:

Romans 5:8 – while we were sinners Christ died for and as us.

Romans 5:9, 16, 18 – we have been justified

Romans 5:10-12 – we have been reconciled to God

Romans 5:17 – by His grace we reign with Him

Romans 5:19 – we were made righteous

For those who believe in and make Jesus their Savior and Lord, all these things are theirs today!

We should not interpret the New Testament through the lens of the Mosaic law. If we do, we find it is works-based, and God is seen as a rough taskmaster instead of a loving Father.

Then why do bad things happen? Because even though Satan has been defeated through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, He still lives on planet earth. He is out to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Someway, somehow he is behind anything that kills, steals, and destroys.

One reason we see so many bad things happening is because of sin on the earth, and believers not exercising their God-given authority to rule and reign with Him which is available today. Because we have been redeemed, every believer has the Spirit of Jesus living in us (Romans 8:9). This gives us many benefits not available to the person living under the Old Covenant.

The world system is opposed to the Word, and will of God, as well as, the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:40, James 4:4, Romans 12:1-2, 1 John 2:15-17). And it hinders the work of God.

THE RESURRECTION

After the resurrection ( 1 Corinthians 15:35-57, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) all the promises of God related to His Kingdom will be fulfilled (Revelation 11:15). Death, sorry, tears, separation, etc. will be removed (1 Corinthians 15:26, Revelation 21:1-5). Then, His ultimate plan will be manifest for all eternity!

So, we could say that Paradise was lost through Sin. Paradise was restored through the Cross. And Paradise will be totally manifest for eternity!

I remember being at Lakewood Church in the late ’70s and hearing John Osteen tell about one of his experiences. He said that one day he was in his office praying for more healings, and miracles in the church. He said the Lord spoke to him and said, ‘anybody needing healing in this room?’ His response was, ‘no, Lord.’ To which the Lord said, ‘you get out where there is a need and I will do healing and miracles.’ If we have the same prayer as John had, perhaps the Lord is saying the same thing to us.

This remembers me of a passage in Acts 4:29-31. The context is the early church was being persecuted by the crowd. They gathered together to pray and said this, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto your servants, that with all boldness they may speak your word. By stretching out your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your son, Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Notice:

• They were threatened.
• They prayed.
• They were filled with the Spirit.
• They spoke the Word with boldness.
• And the miraculous happened.
• Now, look at verses 32-33, which says, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all thing in common. And with great power the Apostles gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”

Jesus’ ministry was four-fold, teaching, preaching, healing, and delivering the demonized (Matt.4:23-24, Matt.9:35). The ministry of the Church is the same today (Matt.10:1,7-8, Matt.28:19-20).

Perhaps we are not seeing the number of healings and miracles today as they did in the First Century because we do not believe it is possible! Or, we are not preaching the same message they were! Or, we are not stepping out in boldness as we should!

The Jesus of the 21st century is the same as He was in the 1st century! He was there in person in a physical body. He is present today in the person of the Holy Spirit – same God, the same power and He will do the same works today! Another thing may be that we are too comfortable and do not want to deal with the persecution that might come if we take a more bold stand on the Word of God! Still another thing might be that we are not in unity as a Body as they were in the first century!

Something to think about!

The Corinthian Church was very gifted (1 Corinthians 1:7). But it was also very divided (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). They had forgotten how the message of the Cross unites us and we all stand as equals around it (Galatians 3:26-29). When that is forgotten schisms occur.

The Corinthian Church was very carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). They were divided over personalities, gifts, immorality, possessions, the Lord’s supper, love, church order, the resurrection, and a special offering for the poor saints in other places. They also had some among them who believed that they had insight into spiritual realities that others did not have (1 Corinthians 2:6-9). The Apostle Paul proceeded to show them the revelation that God had given when he said, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches (reveals) all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Over the years I have heard many Christians refer to 1 Corinthians 2:9, where it says, “But as it is written, ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him’ as referring only to what we will discover when we get to Heaven. But here Paul is saying that the revelation from God reveals those things to us by His Spirit now.  “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).

It seems to me that they, in their carnality, had failed to see how the present work of the Spirit of God reveals things about ourselves, and God, that will product spirituality instead of carnality.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, and us, in Galatians 5:16-26 showing the differences between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. He said, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

The works of the flesh are those areas of a disciple of Jesus that have not yet been submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is those characteristics that the Spirit of God produces in us as we submit to His Lordship.

So, carnality and spirituality are determined whether one is submitted to Jesus’ Lordship or not! And obey His Word and the voice of His Spirit!

Discovering the Spirit Realm

To one who is used to following the five senses, the spirit realm and all that goes with it seems foreign. Believing things that you can not be seen, knowing things as reality that have not been proven by scientific methods, and praying to God who, as far as that person knows, has never been involved in his life is out of the question.

To get to the point of searching for true reality, one needs to be fed up with the ‘seen’ realm and desirous of what is much better. As has been said by others, there seems to be a God-shaped hole in the inner being of mankind that only He can feel. If we try to fill it with things from this world, they never satisfy because they cannot. Only He, and the things He has provided, will suffice.

How do we discover the spirit realm? A lot of religions try to answer that question with varying degrees of philosophies syncretized with pop theology that is erroneous and totally misleading. We must go to the fountain of truth found in the Word of God – the Bible. If one is unsure if the Bible can be trusted, read it anyway. Ask God to lead you, and open your mind and heart to the truth. I suggest you start with the Gospels, specifically the Gospel of John, and read to the right all the way to the book of Jude. Then return to the first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, and read to the right again to the book of Jude. By then, if one has a genuine desire to know the truth, they should see that there is a reality that far transcends the five senses. And at the top of that reality sits God the Father, God the Son – Jesus, and the Holy Spirit!

Conflicting Personalities

The person who is highly disciplined is often thought boring or rigid by the person who is less disciplined. On the other hand, the person who is less structured is thought to be too often moved by his emotions.

One’s personality, to some degree, is inherent within at birth. But often is enhanced by life experiences within the family, education, neighbor, a relationship with Jesus, and church life.

A life lived under the Lordship of Jesus Christ will experience the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control which will be the pentacle of a great personality!

Handling Life’s Challenges

Everyone whether saint or sinner faces challenges in this life! Some are more serious than others, some maybe even life-threatening. What do we do?

I suggest that THE solution is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, as revealed in His Word – the Bible. Get to know Him through His Word.

Read, study, meditate in, personalize, and declare His Word.

Pray according to what His Word promises.

Get involved with a group – church – of like-minded disciples of Jesus. They will encourage, stand with, and help you through the crisis.

Worship Jesus. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak and lead you in the midst of the struggle.

Get involved in helping other people, which will bless them, and at the same time will also help you get the focus off your problems and on to better things!

A kingdom is a geographic area or populace over which a king reigns. As we look at human examples we find that areas or people groups could be taken by force or voluntary submission. In either case, at some point, the king would have to delegate some of his authority to trusted subjects. From a Biblical sense, another way of saying kingdom is ‘the government of God.’ It has to do with authority and its use among people.

God in eternity past determined that He would create a universe and populate it with people and angels and would delegate authority to them as co-regents. So, Adam and Eve came into being (Genesis 1-3). As we read these passages, we find God gave Adam five mandates – be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over it. In saying these things He was giving him authority to rule and reign with Him. This worked for some time (no one knows for sure how long) until they disobeyed God and yielded to the serpent’s temptation. They had been told by God that if they ate of the forbidden fruit they would surely die. On the day they disobeyed they died spiritually. Their relationship with God was broken, although they lived hundreds of years longer (Genesis 5 says Adam died at the age of 930 years). God was not surprised by this and had planned for a Savior to come from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8). Romans 5:12-21 reveals a good comparison between the first Adam and the last Adam, Jesus Christ.

Through the work of Jesus on the Cross, believers have our broken relationship restored! We are sons and daughters of God through the new birth (John 3:3-5). We have been forgiven and restored to the original plan of Father God. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). We stand before Him totally righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). When He looks at us through the blood of Christ, He does not see our sin but Jesus’ righteousness. We have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). He has already given us everything for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4). We have been conveyed out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). So, this means that if we obey His instructions (the Bible & Holy Spirit) we can rule and reign with Him as He planned (Romans 5:17).

The problem is that our position in Christ (standing) is far superior to our present state. All of us have some flesh (areas of our life not yet submitted to the Lordship of Christ). This flesh or selfishness still wants to do some things on its’ own. Although it has been crucified (Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:24) it still tries to raise its’ ugly head from time to time. If we yield to its’ urgings we become disobedient in that area and hinder the work of God in us from being fulfilled as it should be.

Behavior Follows Identity. The solution is to consistently keep renewing the mind (Romans 12:1-2) about who you are and what you possess in Christ to the point that these other things are immediately recognized and anything to the contrary is rejected at the gate of the five senses! In the New Testament, there are 168 things that you are and possess in Christ today! Look for terms like “in Him” or “in whom.” Begin to personalize them by declaring that you are what it says. For example: ‘I am the righteousness of God in Him.” “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” “I am more than a conqueror through Christ.”

Future Kingdom or Present Kingdom. Are we supposed to just exist down here on planet earth doing the best we can until the day when we die and get to go to Heaven?

The Kingdom of God is not just in the future, when we get to Heaven, but exists today! John the Baptist announced it (Matthew 3:2) Jesus proclaimed it (Matthew 4:17) as did others in the New Testament. It is here but not totally manifested in the way it will be in the future. We are told in Matthew 6:10 to pray and declare “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” This is something we should be doing consistently. It is not only a prayer to be prayed but a declaration to be made. Remember, when we say ‘kingdom’ we are saying the government of God, His rulership, and our participation in it.

Life in the Kingdom of God is not just what happens on Sunday! It involves all aspects of life today. Family, job, recreation, friendships, etc. are things that should be brought under the auspices of God’s rulership. Kingdom thinking is realizing the magnitude of God’s presence, authority, and will in all things that concern us as well as what He has planned for the future.

We should begin to see ourselves as citizens of God’s Kingdom, ruling and reigning with Him, now in this life, with even a greater future in eternity!

I believe that too often we allow our upbringing, society in general, or education to determine what we believe about things that only God, in His Word, can reveal. If we were raised in a home that believed the Bible is the inspired word of God and its’ promises can be taken literally, then we are more likely to trust God for healing as we did for the forgiveness of our sins (Psalm 103:1-5).

Before the Fall, Adam & Eve were perfect in every way, in relationship with God, body, mind, emotions, and environment were all perfect. But when they disobeyed God, they lost their relationship with God, sickness became a possibility, they were removed from the Garden of Eden and plunged the whole creation into sin.

But God was not caught off guard, He had a plan of redemption already set in motion (John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:20). The prophet Isaiah, some 700 years before Messiah came, prophesied that He would “…bear our griefs, carry our sorrows…be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities…and by His stripes, we were healed” Isaiah 53:4-6. At the same place, time, and moment that He provided a sacrifice for our sins, He also took stripes for our physical healing!

This is illustrated for us in Jesus’ earthly ministry as mentioned by Matthew in chapter 8:16-17, “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'” (See also 1 Peter 2:24)

We have examples where Jesus healed everyone present at the time who was in need of healing (Matthew 4:24, Matthew 12:15). We also have an example where He only healed one person (John 5:8-9), even though there were others present who needed healing.

I would suggest that we each do an intensive study of the four Gospels to get a clear picture of how Jesus ministered healing to the sick. We will discover He always knew the mind of the Father and followed His directives when and how He ministered to those in need (John 5:19-23). This is illustrated also in the early church by the Apostle Peter when he encountered a believer, Dorcas, who had recently died (Acts 9:36-43). He prayed, discovered the will of God about it, ministered to her and she was restored to life.

I suggest that healing is a part of the atonement and is available to all who will make Jesus their personal Lord & Savior. Other Scriptures that solidifies this to me are:

The ministry of the early church in the book of Acts. (Acts 2:43, Acts 3:1-10, Acts 4:30, Acts 8:4-8,Acts 9:32-35, Acts 9:36-43, Acts 10:38).

Anointing with oil by the elders. James 5:13-15

The gifts of healings that have been placed in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:9.

Statements like: John 9:23 “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

I suggest that we can serve God better with a healthy body than a sick one. While it is possible to be joyful, happy, peaceful, and content in any circumstance, I believe it is best to be all these things with a right relationship with the Lord AND with a healthy body to serve Him and live out all our days until we have finished the course given to us by God! 2 Timothy 4:7-8