This document is written to obedient believers, who want to obey God’s will and command to heal the sick.
This list of blockades is not exhaustive. So someone might be sick for a reason that does not appear here. It may be sin, or it might be a non-sin reason like this:
"Neither this man nor his parents
sinned," said Jesus, "but this
happened so that the work of God might be
displayed in his life.
(Whole Chapter: In
context: )
The point is that God’s will was to heal the man, and he did. God was glorified in his HEALING, not his sickness. This HEALING work of God was displayed in his life.
28Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from."
30The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. 32Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."
In other words, if he was not born blind, then Jesus could not have “healed a man born blind”. So there are some people who are not healed yet, but will be in this life, and that will glorify God.
Even though we cannot always know why obedient believers are sick, we can know this: God always wants His children healed, and he also wants his children to heal in His name. That does not mean that His people always get healed. There can be a lot involved with receiving healing. The purpose of this document is relay biblical warnings of blockades to receiving God’s healing.
We might not be able to know exactly why we don’t always get healed, but the Bible gives us wisdom on the topic—and therefore we should take heed. We should also take inventory to make sure that we do not have a blockade to healing ourselves or others. Obedient believers may have blockades to healing—like not asking. Here is the list of blockades that I have found in the Bible so far:
James 5 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Obviously, practicing witchcraft or any other deadly sin will damn your soul: This means that God is not obligated to heal you under a covenant that you are not choosing to participate in, but you have instead brought yourself under a curse by sinning. Since I am writing to believers, I am warning you to avoid idolatrous objects that are associated with it.
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 (New International Version)
25 The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God. 26 Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Micah 5
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.
13 I will destroy your carved images
and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.
One time a chiropractor rubbed healing stones on my Mom’s belly—Scary.
Magic charms, or good luck charms like Rabbits feet, or fortune cookies, are associated with the occult and false prophecy. The Lord is against them.
Ezekiel 13
13 " 'Therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent
wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with
destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with
whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid
bare. When it [2]
falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD . 15
So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with
whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who
whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to
Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares
the Sovereign LORD ." '
17 "Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of
your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18
and say, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists
and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people.
Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19
You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of
bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who
should not have died and have spared those who should not live.
20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with
which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you
ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people
from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will
know that I am the LORD . 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with
your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not
to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23
therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will
save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD .'
"
So if the charms did not work, then why would to Lord have to set free the people that were ensnared by them? The Lord acknowledges the small power of witchcraft over people ensnared by it. However, He promises to set the ensnared people free directly—Demonstrating that his power is greater than the power of the devil in the occult magic arts. He gave that same authority to Jesus, and then Jesus gave it to us.
Matthew 28
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to
Matthew
10:1
He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to
drive out evil[ 10:1 Greek unclean] spirits and to heal every disease and
sickness.
(Whole Chapter: Matthew
10 In context: Matthew
10:1-2)
Mark 16
15He said to them,
"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my
name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they
will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it
will not hurt them at all; they will
place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into
heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples
went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed
his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Ephesians
3:10
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should
be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
(Whole Chapter: Ephesians
3 In context: Ephesians
3:9-11)
Ephesians
6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Whole Chapter: Ephesians
6 In context: Ephesians
6:11-13)
Colossians
1:16
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all
things were created by him and for him.
(Whole Chapter: Colossians
1 In context: Colossians
1:15-17)
Colossians
2:15
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public
spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[
(Whole Chapter: Colossians
2 In context: Colossians
2:14-16)
Biblical submission prevents an attitude of rebellion:
1
Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin
of
divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected
the word of the LORD , he has rejected you as king."
(Whole Chapter: 1
Samuel 15 In context: 1
Samuel 15:22-24)
Joshua
22:22
"The Mighty One, God, the LORD ! The Mighty One, God, the LORD ! He knows!
And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to
the LORD , do not spare us this day.
(Whole Chapter: Joshua
22 In context: Joshua
22:21-23)
Joshua
24:19
Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD . He is a
holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and
your sins.
(Whole Chapter: Joshua
24 In context: Joshua
24:18-20)
1
Samuel 24:11
See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the
corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I
am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but
you are hunting me down to take my life.
(Whole Chapter: 1
Samuel 24 In context: 1
Samuel 24:10-12)
Titus
3:1
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be
obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,
(Whole Chapter: Titus
3 In context: Titus
3:1-2)
There are too many to list.
Some manuscripts render 9:29
as “prayer and fasting”. These are
two ways of walking individually in the presence of God’s power.
Luke
5:17
One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had
come from every
(Whole Chapter: Luke
5 In context: Luke
5:16-18)
Acts 19
8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months,
arguing persuasively about the
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that
even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and
their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Acts 5
14Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and
were added to their number. 15As a result, people brought the sick
into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow
might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16Crowds gathered also
from the towns around
If you review the all of the above scriptures, you will notice the correlation between the presence of God’s power and teaching/preaching the “full message” of the gospel.
Mark 6
12They went out and preached that people should repent. 13They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Acts
5:20
"Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people
the full message of this new life."
(Whole Chapter: Acts
5 In context: Acts
5:19-21)
Romans 15
18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has
accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done-- 19by the power of signs and miracles, through the power
of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
Churchy people tend
to expect the “power of the Lord” to be “present” only in a church
service. Here Paul is abandon by all
other believers and still walking in it.
2 Timothy 4
16At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone
deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood
at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully
proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the
lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and
will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.
Jesus demonstrated that much sickness is caused by demons.
Mark
9:25
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[
(Whole Chapter: Mark
9 In context: Mark
9:24-26)
Luke records a case where a child's demon possession caused what we would call epilepsy today. In Luke 9:39, the boy's father describes his son's symptoms:
"'A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.'"
Jesus provides the solution in verse 42:
"Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father."
Luke also documents the case of a person who had his speech restored when he was delivered from demon possession. Luke 11:14:
"Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been dumb spoke, and the crowd was amazed."
In Luke 13:10-13, he documents the case of a woman who had a physical disability for eighteen years because of a demon:
"...and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her he called her forward and said to her, 'Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.' Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God."
Again, we see a causal correlation between demons and sickness. In this case, deafness was caused by a demon. In other places, we see a hint at a causal correlation:
Matt 8:16-17
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." (NIV)
Acts
10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing
good and healing all who
were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
(Whole Chapter: Acts
10 In context: Acts
10:37-39)
However, here is a passage where Christ mentions healing without mentioning deliverance from demons.
Luke
7:22
So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have
seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[
(Whole Chapter: Luke
7 In context: Luke
7:21-23)
He does mention preaching the good news in conjunction with healing, however. This makes sense, since the word for “saved” (SOZO) refers to salvation (the good news), physical healing, and deliverance from evil (demons).
So how do we know what causes which sickness? We don’t. However, since we are called to “cast out demons” we should know when they are there and when they are not.
1 Corinthians 12
4There are different kinds
of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different kinds of
service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working,
but the same God works all of them in all men.
7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the
common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message
of wisdom, to another the message of
knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the
same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to
another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different
kinds of tongues,[1]
and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[2]
11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives
them to each one, just as he determines
Hebrews
5:14
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves
to distinguish good from evil.
(Whole Chapter: Hebrews
5 In context: Hebrews
5:13-15)
Even if we sense a demon by “distinguishing between spirits”, we often need a “message of knowledge” to know how to help the person. Here are some loose examples of this below.
I don’t really understand this passage, but I’ve heard that the paralytic may have been encouraged to have faith for his healing after hearing Jesus’ “word of knowledge”, or “message of knowledge” as the NIV version translates it.
Matthew 9
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some
men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said
to the paralytic, "Take heart, son;
your sins are forgiven."
3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves,
"This fellow is blaspheming!"
4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil
thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6But so that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he
said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7And
the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were
filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
So the paralytic might have thought,
“Oh my sins are forgiven? Well I know sin caused my paralysis. If it is forgiven then maybe I can get up and walk now.”
Then again, maybe Jesus just wanted to demonstrate that he had the power to forgive sin. Maybe both theories are correct and He was killing two birds with one stone.
However, it makes sense that Jesus forgiving the man’s sins would cause him to take heart and believe for his own healing.
Psalm 38
2 For your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down upon me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
Individual issues are often best handled with a word of knowledge as above—to expose and confront them. This is because the Holy Spirit wants to deal with people on a case-by-case basis.
John
16:8
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt[ 16:8 Or will expose
the guilt of the world] in regard to sin
and righteousness and judgment:
(Whole Chapter: John
16 In context: John
16:7-9)
John 4
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more
disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who
baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left
Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town
in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son
Joseph. 6Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the
journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her,
"Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into
the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a
Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate
with Samaritans.[1]
)
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it
is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given
you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw
with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are
you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it
himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be
thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never
thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I
won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied.
18Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no
husband. The fact is, you have had five
husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just
said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a
prophet.
So how did Jesus
know her history?
Philippians 2
5Your attitude should be
the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[1]
God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[2]
of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a
cross!
The same way that Peter knew that Ananias was lying to the Holy Spirit.
Acts 5
Ananias and Sapphira
1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold
a piece of property. 2With his wife's full knowledge he kept back
part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles'
feet.
3Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled
your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself
some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn't it belong to
you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your
disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men
but to God."
5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear
seized all who heard what had happened.
Since the Holy Spirit is inside of me, I can often tell how other people are reacting/have reacted to Him. If you have no idea what I am talking about then you should desire and pursue the spiritual gifts.
1 Corinthians 12
31But eagerly desire[5] the greater gifts.
So even if you already have many of them, you should desire them in increasing measure. Not for your own glory or magic show, but so the “lame may not be disabled, but healed”. Here Jesus offers another individual remedy.
John
9:11
He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on
my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and
washed, and then I could see."
(Whole Chapter: John
9 In context: John
9:10-12)
I personally have no idea what He was doing here. Should we always make mud and put on blind eyes? I hope not.
John 5
19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
Hearing God’s voice is often crucial to know when to do and/or say what—when ministering SOZO: salvation, healing, and deliverance. This is why I personally recommend first pursuing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
Acts 1
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
"Do not leave
How did they wait
for the gift? Notice how in the
context of the passage:
Acts 1
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began
to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after
giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After
his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs
that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke
about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with
them, he gave them this command: "Do
not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have
heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[1]
water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at
this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates
the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a
cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of
Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky?
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the
same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12Then they returned to
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one
place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came
from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They
saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each
of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues[1]
as the Spirit enabled them.
The immediate effect
in Acts Chapter 2 of this Baptism was powerful SOZO ministry:
Acts Chapter 2
38Peter replied,
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all
who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them,
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those
who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand
were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was
filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the
apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in
common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone
as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the
temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and
sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This
document is an important part of the document on God’s will and command in healing the sick.
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