Why Some Fail to Receive Divine Healing - Further Reasons

Its pretty clear when you consider certain Scriptures that God wants us well. Healing is part of one of God's own names (Exodus 15:26), and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus consistently showed God's mercy and compassion by healing all who came to Him with even a little faith, and the apostles and early church continued this ministry. The prophet Isaiah talked about Jesus bearing our sicknesses and carrying our diseases in his substitutionary atonement for us, and that with his stripes we are healed (see Isaiah 53:4,5). This makes healing part of our salvation purchased at the cross. It makes sense because the words for salvation and healing are the same in the New Testament. David said that the Lord “forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3) while John wrote that “I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). James promised in the case of sick people “the prayer of faith will heal the sick” while Jesus promised that in His name, believers “shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18). Jesus said that we could speak to any mountain (including sickness) and it will move if we don't doubt. Peter identified sickness clearly as the work of the devil in Acts 10:38, while John said that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Taken together, these and other Scriptures make it pretty clear that God wants people well. We have already dealt with the objection that the fact that people don't get healed after prayer proves that it is not God's will to heal in every case. But if all this be so, why do so many still fail to receive healing, even amongst those who seek it through Jesus Christ. There are answers to this question. When we consider them all, it is remarkable that so many do receive healing at all!

In another article we considered some of the traditions of men that have formed a powerful barrier to the development of faith for healing. This is the major reason why divine healing is not universally practiced and received in the Christian church. We will now consider other reasons people are not healed

Insufficient Instruction – ignorance concerning the healing power of the Gospel

There are plenty of Scriptures which show that healing has been purchased for us as part of our redemption. But if these Scriptures are not preached or meditated upon, they will not produce the faith that moves the heart of God to divinely heal those in need.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17). So if people aren't hearing the Word about healing, or are hearing something that leaves them unsure if God wants to heal them, there won't be any faith for healing. There will only be doubt, unbelief or confusion. God has not promised to respond to prayers where the heart is full of doubt and uncertainty. To overcome this, people need to hear the promises of the Word of God, preferably from someone who actually believes they are true, relevant and up-to-date. Faith is best imparted by the ministry of those who themselves are full of faith. There is such a thing as the “spirit of faith”, which believes something, and so talks about it (2 Corinthians 4:13).

When people are not sure if God wills to heal them, they cannot ask with what the Bible calls faith. Faith is being sure of something hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), but if you are not sure if God really wants to do it, you can't be sure that you will obtain what you ask. That isn't faith. Jesus told us to believe that we receive what we ask for in prayer (Mark 11:24). He never promised to answer prayers we offer in a spirit of uncertainty and wishful hoping. He expects us to actually believe the promises.

People get saved when they hear the gospel and understand God wants to save them. Without this conviction of God's willingness to save and forgive them personally, people remain unsure that God will save them – and they don't get saved. The same principle applies to divine healing. If people don't get the message that God really wants them better, if they feel somehow that they must pay the consequences of their own sin in the form of suffering with sickness, or if they are left with the impression that God will heal some, but not all, they cannot have steadfast faith for their own healing. God may heal them through the gifts of the Spirit in spite of this uncertainty, but many in this condition remain unhealed. Some who are touched by the power of God and receive a measure of healing, later lose it because they do not know how to resist the satanic spirits of infirmity and unbelief that come against them after they receive a healing touch.

Neglect of this Ministry by the Church

Jesus said that believers would lay hands on the sick and they would recover, and that the prayer of faith by the elders would heal the bedridden sufferer, but the church is still often neglecting these promises and instructions. A lot of stuff might be happening in the church life, but unless the church applies itself to actually going for results in the area of divine healing, and telling people what God's Word says about healing as a covenant blessing of God, a lot of people are going to miss out. The example of others in the church who have failed to receive often discourages those who are currently challenged in their health. Instead of taking it lying down, the church should militantly pray, fast if necessary, seek the leading of the Holy Spirit, and give attention to the preaching of those truths which are calculated to produce faith for healing. Then action needs to be taken in line with a belief that God is serious about doing His part when we do ours.

Neglect of the Holy Spirit and the Fullness of the Spirit

Unless the church is serious about getting filled with the Holy Spirit and staying that way, the church will consistently fall short of God's intentions with respect to divine healing. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that divine healing takes place – therefore the Holy Spirit must be honored and followed if we really want His power to be manifested according to the Word of God.

Community Unbelief

In his home town of Nazareth, Jesus could not do any mighty miracles, because of the peoples' unbelief. Even Jesus was hindered by community unbelief which prevented Him from moving strongly in the power of God. Nowadays the preaching of traditions and questionable interpretations of certain Scriptures has turned a lot of places into real Nazareths of unbelief, especially in the western world. Its easier to get results in divine healing in places where the gospel has not been preached than in places where traditional Christianity has been around for a while, often inoculating people against the power of God. Also, its often harder to get results in your own home town where people know and possibly despise you than it is in other countries and regions. That is one reason why it is good to go somewhere else to preach the gospel if the Lord sends you or gives you opportunity to do so. If this principle was true in the life of Jesus Christ, it certainly could be the same for us also at times.

If the consensus of religious opinion amongst Christians is against the expectation that God will move in divine healing, it is difficult to “buck the system” and get people to believe what you are preaching from the Word of God. Established ministries may find it threatening.

Trusting and Looking to Something Else

Multitudes are receiving healing in some of the poorer areas of the world such as Africa, India. Even in South and Central America, and parts of Asia divine healing is relatively commonplace. I have seen God do it more in these places. Some people ask, “Why does it always seem to happen there?” Actually it does happen in the West, but it happens less often for a variety of reasons. One is that people find it much easier to go straight to the doctor for help rather than to the Lord. They are not willing to invest as much time and money in seeking the Lord for healing as they would in a doctor. We think we can solve things with our social security systems and our money. And so when real trouble comes we are often still looking in vain to those sources which cannot bring a remedy, instead of looking to the Lord. People are content to accept the verdict of the doctor in so many cases – they do not seriously consider this: that one Word from God can make all the difference in the world.

I notice that in John 5:1-15 there were many people who were sick but only one man was healed. Everyone was so busy focusing on that pool with its supposed healing properties that they ignored the Author of life and healing Himself when He came into the place. Even the crippled man himself who was healed seemed more focused on the pool than on the Lord. It is like this in hospitals and places where people have their hope and faith in doctors more than anything else. You can't always get people to consider the Lord.

When people have no other hope to cling onto, they are far more attentive to the promises of God with regard to divine healing. And it is quite possible that the Lord, being very good and compassionate, is especially interested in blessing the poor of this world. Many times they have stronger faith, because they are often not as distracted. Of course, this is not always the case. There are some rich people who are very focused on the Lord, and some poor people who are totally distracted and have no time for God. But more often than not it is the other way around.

Another thing is this: if Western churches want to see more of the miraculous, they should give more place to ministers who are experienced in this area, and give more time to them in their pulpits. I am amazed at how little this is done. I am not suggesting that miracle gifts should dominate the agenda of the church, but they have their place. The church leadership in the west has made it clear that they value entertainment more than the power of God. “Give the people what they want” is a ruling ministry philosophy today in many places. Musicians have become the chief ministers of the church in the west. There's plenty of time for solo items from people of natural talent, and little time for prayer and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in modern western Pentecostal churches. It is no wonder that there is so little demonstration of the Holy Spirit and power when it is most needed.

Improper Eating Habits

As Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). This is one very excellent reason to care for them. Many in the west are addicted to junk food. Highly processed foods often contain too much salt, sugar and fat while denying the body essential nutrients. To make matters worse, many of the vitamins, minerals and other trace elements we need no longer exist in the same proportions in the vegetables coming on the market today. The soil has been depleted. The net result of this is that lots of people fill their bodies with inferior food leaving their bodies depleted and vulnerable to attack.

It has been shown that eating too much food is the root cause of much disease. This is especially so if it is the wrong kind of food. When people indulge in gluttony, not only do they grieve the Holy Spirit, who is the administrator of divine healing, but they allow toxins to accumulate in their body. The kidneys and liver cannot cope with all the toxins, so they build up. If people would fast regularly and eat well at other times, a lot of toxins would be eliminated and disease would be much rarer.

Moderate amounts of exercise is also important for health.

If people continue to violate these natural principles and grieve the Spirit of God, two things happen. One is that the body cannot cope with the toxins and something will eventually break down. The second thing is that the very act of grieving the Spirit of God in this way can be a barrier to divine healing. This barrier can be removed by a change of attitude, by repentance.

Even though God declared Himself as "the Lord who heals you" (Exodus 15:26), it is in the context of listening to and obeying the voice of the Lord. There were many food laws given at that time which had a lot of value in terms of promoting health. We are not under strict food laws today but the principle of wise eating and taking care of our bodies still applies. "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:30). The Holy Spirit bears witness to this both by His Word and by His anointing in our own lives. We are supposed to be in control of our own appetites.


Unbelief on the Part of the Minister

Some ministers of the gospel fail to prepare themselves for the serious responsibility of ministering to the sick and oppressed in the name of the Lord.This can easily come about simply by filling one's schedule with project and appointments and cares of this life to the point where prayer gets squeezed out, and no time is taken to fast and meditate on the Word. Then, when a more challenging case of need is presented, such as a paralyzed person, not enough power is operating and the minister lacks the conviction that anything definite is going to happen.

Jesus rebuked his own disciples for their unbelief in the case of the epileptic boy (Matthew 17:14-22). He told them that that kind of demon only comes out through prayer and fasting. The disciples had obviously failed to do this, and so they were powerless when it came to the test. Their faith was deficient. Neither were they able to inspire faith in the heart of the boy's father.

Some want to take the easy way out and say that in such cases it is just not God's will for the person to be healed, at least at that time. The problem, however, is not with "God's will". Jesus showed it was God's will by healing the epileptic boy on the spot. The problem is with our spiritual preparation. Having failed to pray and fast and consider as we should, we cannot operate in faith when people so desparately need us to bring the real compassion and ministry of Jesus to them.

God said "the prayer of faith" shall heal the sick (James 5:14,15). Ministers who do not understand the prayer of faith (see Mark 11:24) are a barrier to the divine healing of many.


Some Need Deliverance first Before they Can Be Healed

Many cases of sickness are due to the presence of an evil spirit which is destroying part of a person's bodily function. The classic example of this in the Scripture was the blind and mute man whom Jesus healed in (Matthew 12:22). Even the Pharisees understood that Jesus healed this man by casting out demons. However, they said Jesus did it by the ruler of demons.

Unless a problem is caused by an accident, it is very likely that some kind of spirit of infirmity is involved in a person's physical affliction. You can command such spirits to leave. Just believe that they do when you give the command. Such spirits cannot continue to resist a word spoken in faith by a spirit-empowered person.

When the symptons of disease go after prayer and return some short time later, it is almost always the work of an evil spirit. Matthew 12:43-45 reveals that unclean spirits do seek to return. Some spirits are driven away by the touch of the anointing, and this causes relief. If the person so cured is not vigilant, does not seek God for the Holy Spirit, or does not learn how to use faith to rebuke the evil spirit, it is possible that the evil spirit will return and the person will be worse off than before - additional unbelief and confusion will be present. When faced with returning symptons, we should without hesitation command the evil spirit to leave. We may also confess the Word of God, for example, "Jesus took my sicknesses and carried my pains, and by His Stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:4,5). But the main thing is to command the spirit to leave.

Understanding deliverance ministry is actually an important key to receiving and ministering healing in Jesus' name. A lot of the barriers to divine healing are constructed in one way or another by the work of evil spirits. For example, the mindsets which oppose divine healing are promoted and defended by evil spirits.


Some Are Holding onto Sin and So Are Not Healed

"He who covereth His Sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall obtain mercy." (Proverbs 28:13).

Since healing is a mercy, and since it is an expression of the Kingdom of God, it is unreasonable to for a person to wilfully hold onto sin and expect to be healed by God's power. We ought to learn to say with David, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."(Psalm 66:18)

When the Kingdom of God comes to our bodies, we are healed. When we resist the Kingdom of God, and resist the Holy Spirit, by impenitence, we may miss out on many blessings.

Any sin can be a barrier to God, but the chief enemies of divine healing are unforgiveness towards others, and unbelief concerning the Word of God.

God may permit sickness to remain on people who are Outside His Perfect Will

Another barrier is disobedience to the call of God. I have known a minister to be healed immediately when he began preaching the gospel publicly. If people are called by God to serve Him, and they know it, should God heal them so they can watch the offerings of television in greater comfort? Sometimes, God permits sickness to afflict a person until they will get themselves into the very centre of God's will. Some people, while comfortable, are not sufficiently motivated to align their lives with God's plan for them.

General Church Lukewarmness

Lukewarmness occurs when people are not totally cold towards the things of God, but neither are they “hot”. They are not “on fire” about the things of God. Perhaps they mix a bit of the fire with a bit of coldness, and the result is lukewarmness.

The sin of lukewarmness is a barrier to healing. This sin is common today, and God finds it repulsive. So much so that He promises to spew the lukewarm out of His mouth. God said in Psalm 91, "Because He has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver Him". People whose love is set on the world are grieving the Holy Spirit. They are not applying their hearts diligently to the Word of God, nor are they full of the Holy Spirit. Is it any wonder then, that they receive no divine healing?

If the church in general is lukewarm, it is to be expected that seekers after divine healing will have to face the discouragement of hearing faith destroying remarks from possibly wel

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