A Gift of Healing (ePub)

Healing grows like a plant.
In scripture the Lord likens the kingdom of God to the planting of a grain of mustard seed, which grew and became a tree.
On another occasion he describes the growth in a slightly different way and says,
"first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear."
The nature of the kingdom is to grow from being small to being fully developed.
Divine healing is a part of the kingdom of God.
That is what Jesus meant when he said, "Heal the sick and say, the kingdom of God has come near to you."
This means that because the character of the kingdom is to grow, the character of healing is to grow as well.
Where there is faith the essential nature of divine healing is to increase.
When we pray the prayer of faith, and our faith is equal to the mountain to be moved, whether it is for healing or for anything else, then we can expect to see the answer at once – or at least very soon.
But when we think of all the barriers there can be of un-forgiveness or fear, we begin to see why the answers to our prayers usually come in a more progressive way.
"According to your faith," meaning in proportion to your faith. Believe that your miracle is planted in you.
Believe that it is growing. Accept that your faith is increasing.
Expect a result; keep your eyes open for a change for the better.
We need to keep in mind – that the nature of the kingdom of God, which includes healing, is to grow.
Our role is that of a gardener; by faith we plant the seed and then watch it come up.

In Colossians 4:2 we are told to "continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

This means that we are on the watch for signs of growth... "First the blade, then the ear...," and we are thankful to God for the growth as it takes place.
Suppose we plant a seed in the ground. For a while afterwards we see nothing at all.
There is no sign of what we have planted, and we might be tempted to think nothing is happening, we find, as time goes by, a slip of green poking its way up through the soil.
We are glad – even thrilled to see it.
And, as we go on watching it each day, tending it as best we can, it continues to grow and in due time reaches its full size.
And so it is when we pray the prayer of faith for healing. God says that his blessing will grow like a plant. We plant the seed by accepting healing in the same way as we accept Christ for salvation. At first we may not see any result at all.
Even so we believe something is happening, and sooner or later we will see the first sign of healing appear.

Our part is to be on the lookout for this improvement, however slight, and to return thanks to God.