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What the Bible says about physical healing by prayer (faith healing
Passages from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament):
There are many passages in the Hebrew Scriptures in which God hears the prayers of the Israelites,
or enters in to a contract with them, and grants them healing. It is not necessarily clear whether the promise applies only
to certain individuals among the Israelites, to the whole Jewish nation, or to people of other lands as well. Some passages
are ambiguous about the time interval of the healing: whether they referred to ancient times, or to modern times as well.
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Exodus 15:26:
""...If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and
wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee." (KJV) |
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II Kings 20:5:
"...Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal
thee..." (ASV) Here, God tells Isaiah to inform Hezekiah that God has heard his prayer and seen his tears, and that He
will cure him of a serious boil. |
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Psalms 34:17-19:
"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that
are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD
delivereth him out of them all." (KJV) |
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Psalms 103:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,...And forget none of His benefits; Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy
diseases;" (KJV) |
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Isaiah 53:5:
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."(KJV) This is a reference to the "suffering servant" in Isaiah
which many Christians believe prophesied about Jesus. The Hebrew word napha can refer to physical or spiritual healing.
Here it is translated simply as healed. It is not clear whether physical or spiritual healing or both is intended
here. However, the references to transgressions and iniquities might imply that it is spiritual healing. |
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Isaiah 57:18-21:
"I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create
the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him. But
the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my
God, to the wicked." (ASV) From these and previous verses, God appears to promise healing to all those, both far and
near, with a contrite and humble heart. For those who do wicked deeds, there is apparently neither peace nor healing. |
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Jeremiah 30:17:
"For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith Jehovah; because they have called thee
an outcast..." (ASV) God promises Jacob that his enemies will be vanquished, and that Joseph will be healed.
Subsequent passages promises Jacob that his descendants "shall be my people, and I will be your God.." |
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Hosea 6:1:
"Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up."
(ASV) |
Healing promises in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament):
Some passages enthusiastically promise that prayer will always result in healing - at least for believers.
Some are:
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Matthew 7:7-11:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, who, if
his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then,
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things
to them that ask him?" (ASV) |
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Matt 21:22:
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (ASV) |
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Mark 16:18
"they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover." (ASV) This passage appears to be a forgery. They are verses not written by the author
of the Gospel of Mark but added by an unknown, later editor. |
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John 15:7:
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father's
glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (ASV) |
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James 5:14-15:
"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, it shall be forgiven him." (ASV) This appears to be a guarantee of recovery for anyone who goes through
a specific religious ritual, led by elders from his church. Not only healing would be automatically accomplished, but the
formerly ill person would have his sins forgiven. |
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Romans 8:32
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?"
(ASV) |
 Jabez's Prayer
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"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless
me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted
his request."
1Cronicles 4:10
This is a simple bold prayer of the Bible in the midst of boring genealogies, that has changed the lives
of thousands!... Christians and non Christians... a prayer that has brought prosperity to many homes, and love and joy and
peace... and it is not a selfish prayer, but a biblical one, according to the will of God... made by God for us to pray...
A short, one verse prayer, with four requests, granted by God.
The New York Times reports that the book "The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life",
by Bruce H. Wilkinson, a brief commentary of this prayer, has sold 4.1 million copies, most in the last three months. A slim
volume, little more than a sermon, selling for $9.99 or less, spreading the "prosperity gospel" popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
It can be read in one sitting, and it is the No.1 on USA Today's best-seller list... "people are praying this prayer because
they are seeing God work in their lives", says Mr. Jacobson, the publisher (May 8, 2001, in the Front Page of the NYT).
Who was Jabez?:
A simple man, like you and me... 1Cr.4:9 says that Jabez
enjoyed greater respect than his brothers, he was a religious man, living in God... his mother named him Jabez (sorrow maker),
"because I bore him in pain".
1- "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel":
This was the attitude of Jabez, he lived constantly in the presence of God...
"trust in God" is the message of every page of the Bible... "faith in Christ" in the New Testament, which is almost the same...
Do your best... and then "trust in God"... it is the formula that never
fails in this life... and in the next!... the one of Joshua in his first chapter.
- Rejoice and delight in God, your Father.
- Give thanks to God with joy in every circumstance in your life (1 Thes.5:16-18,
Eph.5:20).
- Believe always in God, your Creator, your Father...
- Make your prayer requests to God... "Our Father who are in Heaven..."
(Mt.6:9)
- Rebuke Satan in the name of Jesus. (Mr.16:17).
- Use the name of the God of Israel as your shelter and your strength.
2- "Oh, that you would bless me!":
This is what Jabez was crying out in every circumstance of his life...
his first request.
What that is mean to be blessed by God in the Bible:
Let's read it in Deuteronomy 28:1-14
- If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will
set you high above all the nations on earth.
- All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
- You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
- The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of
your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
- Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
- You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
- The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from
one direction but flee from you in seven.
- The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you
in the land he is giving you.
- The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your
God and walk in his ways.
- Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.
- The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity--in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock
and the crops of your ground--in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
- The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all
the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
- The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give
you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
- Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and
serving them.
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- Do like Jabez who literally cried out to God to bless him... it is very biblical... try it!...
you never know!... until you see the blessings God wants to give you...
Jabez did like Jacob, a most perseverant man in the Bible: "I will not
let you go until you bless me"... and God blessed "Jacob", which means "cheater", and changed his name into
"Israel", which means "prince of God"... God changed the whole life of Jacob, from the most deceiving man in the Bible into
the most kind in the Bible when he was in Egypt (Gen.32:24-28).
In the New Testament... let's read it in 3 John 2:
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in good health, just as your
soul prospers"... just have faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord God.
God Himself wants you to prosper!... in all things!... in your job, at home, in your social life,
be in good health... just ask for His blessing with the simple prayer of Jabez.
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come
that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."... that's what Jesus says to you right
now! (John 1:10)
- Ask God, your Father, to bless you... God wants to bless you... it is very biblical.
- Pray about your personal needs... your own crisis.
- Pray to God for the little things and the big ones...
- Ask God to have abundant life.
- Pray for your family, friends, enemies, neighbors.. for your church, the nation, the world.... God
is great!... He can do it!... he wants to do it!... He just needs your trust in Him, shown in your perseverant prayer of faith
and love.
3- "... and enlarge my territory!":
Yes!... Jabez asked God to give him
a larger home, a better job... do the same!... this was Jabez's second request.
Yes!... another bold request... Ask God to give you big things... He can
do it!... He wants to do it!... to enlarge your wisdom, and understanding, and humility, and patience, and your love and joy...
to have good health, to enlarge your physical strength... to enlarge your charisms in the mind, in the spirit, in your character...
Ask God of Israel to give you more influence to help others, your family,
your church, your city, the nation, the world...
Pray God to make you an apostle, an evangelist... one of His friends...
you may start by telling your friends about this small page...
Pray the God of Israel to fill you with the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus, for the glory
of the Father, for the good of the Church, and for your own good... this is a bold request for your life,and God wants to
do it!... just pray and trust in God!.
4- "Let your hand be with me":
This is Jabez's third request: Let
your hand be with me, your presence, your love, your power, in every minute of my life... Jabez's life was centered
in God... try to do the same!.
With so many blessings in your life come
more responsibilities... you, by yourself, can do nothing... (Jn.15:5)... but you can do everything through Him who gives
you strength, alleluia! (Phil.4:13).
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus"
(Phil. 4:19)... not according to your needs, but according to His riches in Glory!
5- "... and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
This was the fourth and last bold request
of Jabez... keep me from harm, from pain, from sicknesses, from suffering...
Ask you the same to God: Keep me from harm, from physical pain, from anxieties,
from fears, from slander, from bankruptcies, from the evil one... deliver me from evil... me and my family, and my friends,
and my enemies... deliver all of us from evil... it is a very biblical prayer ((Mt.6:13).
Cry out to the God of Israel to deliver you from alcohol, drugs, tobacco, overweight... from
loneliness or from being abused... from your problems at home, with the wife or husband or children... from the struggles
at work... from all harm and evil to be free from pain!.
6- "And God granted his request.":
It needs no explanation, no comments... Try it!... it has helped
thousands, millions...
If you are not a Christian nor a Jew... Try it!... many have profit from
it... it costs you nothing... and you never know!.
The little, bold, prayer of Jabez:
"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel,
- "Oh,
that you would bless me
- and enlarge my territory!
- Let your hand be with
me,
- and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."
And God granted his request."
Jabez prayed!... when he had a problem, a crisis,
he did not decided to go to school, nor to the influenced men, nor to work much harder... He just prayed!.
Jabez prayed with boldness and perseverance, like Jacob!...
When things didn't work out for him, he did not complained, or started a strike or a riot... he just prayed, he cried out
to the God of Israel!.
When Jabez had a hopeless and desperate situation, he prayed
God-size prayers... God can do the impossible! (Lk.1:37).
Prayer is the fine thread that moves the hand of God... it is
the atomic bomb of old times, and of our days!...
Do you want a breakthrough in your spiritual life?...at
home?... at work?... Pray, pray, pray!
Start praying the Prayer of Jabez every morning...
Pray with faith and humility and confidence and perseverance, like Jacob!... until God blesses
you!...
Pray at home with your family... the family that prays together stays together...
Pray at work, with some co-workers... or with your friends or neighbors... in small groups...
Pray always, continually, without ceasing! (Lk.18:1, 1Thes.5:16-18)...
In Two Ways:
1- Giving thanks to God with joy in all circumstances, at all times
and for everything in the name of Jesus (1Thes5:16-18, Eph.5:20).
2- Seeing
Jesus in your neighbor... Whatever you do unto your neighbor, you do it to Jesus (Mt.25:31-46).
And watch out!... In any storm in your life, God always answers every prayer
with a BIG YES!... in two ways:
1- Either He calms the storm... the sickness
is healed, the problem solved...
2- Or He calms you... and you will pass the
storm with peace and even with joy... your child may die, but you will be at peace... and even with joy!, when you realize
that your 3 year-old child went to eternal Heaven so soon in life...
Start a diary on how God answers any of your prayers... God makes miracles
daily in our lives...
... But we often look like Herod in Luke 23: He heard much about Jesus,
he wanted to see Jesus, he wanted to see a miracle made by Jesus...like you and me?... and Jesus did not made a miracle in
his presence!... but, wait a minute!: Imagine the scene: Herod gave Jesus a glass of water and asked: Convert it into wine...
and nothing!... he gave a piece of bread, and asked Jesus to multiply it... and nothing!... but read the end of the story
in Lk.23:12, "Pilate and Herod who were enemies before, became friends from that day"... and it is harder to convert
an enemy into a friend than water into wine!... and more profitable!... So, Herod had his miracle!... but he didn't see it!...
like you and me every day?.
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