John 15:7 (KJV) 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

I have people come up to me all the time and say things like, you know I pray all the time, every day, and there is an unspoken “but” left hanging in the air. You know, I hate it when “buts” are left hanging in the air, they’re not very pretty are they? Jesus spent His time giving us directions about how to pray, and how to get answers when we pray, “but,” have to pay attention to what He said between the commas, the part that says, “and my words abide in you.” Everyone wants to get whatever they are praying for, but very few are willing to abide in Jesus to the point that Jesus’ words are abiding in them. When we truly “abide in Jesus,” then we truly want to spend time in relationship with Him. If I didn’t give my husband my undivided attention on a very regular basis, then our relationship would grow old and cold. Our lessons in “Speak Life” this week, are mostly dealing with healing and physical health, I’ve spent a lot of time at the bedside of sick loved ones, begging God, “praying” in the only manner that I knew at the time. God NEVER FAILS. This is not a promise that if we meet certain conditions, the Lord will grant anything that we ask of Him, even if it doesn’t line up with His Word. But, when we are abiding in Jesus and His Words are abiding in us, our desires change.

I want us all to remember that “God is no respecter of persons” as we study.

Psalm 107:20-21 (KJV) 20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered themfrom their destructions. 21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

In our focus on healing and health today. We are going to start back with the ending of last week’s lesson, when God introduced Himself to the Israelites as Jehovah Rapha, I am the Lord that heals you. Exodus 15:26. Fourteen times in the New Testament the Scriptures say that “Jesus healed them all.” And then we see in Hebrews 13:8 that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” So, what then are we missing?

Romans 4:16 (NLT2) 16 So, the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

We have to have faith.

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We build our faith by the renewing of our minds in the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 (HCSB) 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

How many times I remember, “If it be Your will Lord, If it be Your Will. . .”

James 5:13-16 (HCSB) 13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

First we should pray and if we abide in Him and His Words abide in us then whatever we ask shall be done unto us, which should make us cheerful and full of songs of praise. “But,” if that is not the case, our prayers are not being answered, then we should call for the elders of the church, they should lay hands on the sick and they shall recover, because the prayer of faith will save the sick person. . . My professors worded that somewhat this way, we can renew our minds to the Word of God, get to really know God, and we can live life abundantly with God, or we can fly by the seat of our pants, not read our Bible, not renew our mind, and live from crisis to crisis, from miracle to miracle.

John 8:31-32 (KJV) 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus was speaking to Jews who believed on Him, yet He said that they would not be His disciples unless they continued in His Word. He made a clear distinction between those who believed and those who were disciples. There is a difference. Later in this same discourse, He said those who just believed on Him but would not continue in His Word were of their father, the devil (John 8:44). It sounds like just believing isn’t enough. Continuing in the Word until we get free and become disciples should be the goal, not just forgiveness of sins.

In John 8:48 and 53, these Jews showed their true colors. They didn’t think Jesus was any better than Abraham or any of the prophets. In John 8:58-59, when Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the great I AM, they tried to stone him to death. They also said He was demon possessed (John 8:48 and 52). So, Jesus’ assessment of these people was exactly correct. They believed on Him to a degree, but not to the degree that they accepted Him as the Christ. We should follow Jesus’ example. He didn’t pronounce those who just accepted Him as good, as being right with God (see my note at Mark 10:20). He has to be accepted as God and worshiped as such in the heart of an individual to become their Savior.

True disciples are marked by the fact that they continue in God’s Word. Staying in God’s Word has to be a lifestyle, not just something done occasionally. The just live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38); they don’t just spend the weekends there.

Andrew Wommack's Living Commentary.

Mark 16:15-20 (HCSB) 15 Then He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; 18 they will pick up snakes; if they should drink anything deadly, it will never harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” 19 Then after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the accompanying signs.

I have in the last year had some healing of my body done by the Lord through the renewal of my mind to His Word and Who He Is, and what His Will is. I’ve also spent over a year now trying to “get” this concept of being able to lay hands on others and they will recover. . . Here is what the Holy Spirit said to me this week, “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. If you are waiting to be able to “feel” like you can lay hands on someone and they will recover, then you are not walking in faith of what the Word says.” See when I lay hands on the sick and pray for them, in the “new” way that we have learned from this Instruction Book, all I am is a vessel, the healing comes from God. I will never “feel” like a super-hero that can heal everyone who is sick, because I am not, but Christ in me can do all things that I will submit to do. “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee.” The passage in Mark 16:15-18 in the original language was given as a command, as His disciples we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation, and In Jesus’ name we are to drive out demons, speak new languages, be free from harm, lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Jesus always taught the Kingdom of Heaven before healing all that came to Him. Let’s look now for a bit at Don Gossett’s “Alphabet of Healing.”