Make Sure You Are Equipped With This When Entering Healing Ministry

Something wonderful and beautiful happens as we begin to equip ourselves to heal: We become equipped to minister healing to others!

A good first step when ministering to others is to take some time to build the person’s faith by sharing God’s will to heal. As we share what God’s Word says about healing, our faith also will be strengthened in the process.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of faith when ministering in the area of healing. Faith is an actual invisible substance that brings into reality the hope upon which we are standing, as the following verse attests:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

Our faith grows when we hear God’s truth: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

We each have been given a measure of faith, as Romans 12:3 proclaims. It is up to us to grow that measure into a mighty force by learning God’s Word and drawing close to the Lord so we build our confidence in His power to heal. Faith is critical when we are ministering to others because it is what empowers us to stand firmly upon God’s truth and speak to the situation at hand.

I sometimes relate faith to a small, invisible muscle that I can nourish and exercise as I hear the Word of God and boldly speak it with expectation. As I take the time to build faith, it can grow large and strong, becoming the vital tool needed for healing to manifest.

The Holy Spirit partners with me, releasing His power as I act upon what I have learned in His Word. It may take years to grow your faith, or it may take only a few minutes. Whatever the case, God’s Word needs to become more real to you than the seemingly impossible situation.

The original generation of Israelites wandered for years in the wilderness after leaving Egypt with Moses and was not able to receive its promise—entering into the land of Canaan—due to their unbelief. They had more confidence in the obstacles they faced than in the mighty power of God.

Even Jesus asked those who were unbelieving to leave the room before He healed certain people. In some towns He was unable to do many miracles because of the high level of unbelief residing there.

This is why we must be wise regarding what we take in through the television, newspapers and magazines, which emit streams of negative words, visuals and audio that glorify the limitations of walking by sight. If we consume a steady diet of this, we can take on the doubts, worries, cares and negative mind-sets that are presented.

These place strongholds in our minds, often with very little resistance from us and virtually no resistance from our children.

Speaking of children, did you know that a child’s brain waves are different from an adult’s? They are similar to those of an adult under hypnosis. That means whatever goes into their minds enters through totally open doors. They believe it all.

We must remember that faith is the key to seeing healing become a reality as we pray for others, so we must carefully guard what we allow into our hearts and minds:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you'” (Matt. 17:20).

“He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?'” (Mark 4:40).

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

This is what a lifestyle of faith produces: “A faithful man will abound with blessings … ” (Prov. 28:20).

“Now Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people” (Acts 6:8).

I want this type of faith, don’t you?

The Bible tells us faith works through love:

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith which works through love” (Gal. 5:6).

This tells me that we must have an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father and compassion for those we serve. Knowing who God is and that He loves us empowers us in this respect. Daily praise and gratitude water this love and keep it vibrant.

Remember, we speak to the mountains of ill health in faith. So what do we do while we are waiting for the results? We might see the results instantly, sure, but what if we don’t? Many times in Scripture, a time lag was present between the time a person prayed and when he received the response. Sometimes evil forces delayed the result, as in the case of a prayer of Daniel’s (Dan. 10.)

We will grow weak and weary if we start thinking like the world or listening to the pessimism of others and the devil while we wait for someone we are praying for to be healed. Instead, we must keep our focus on God’s good promises and reports:

“So that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:5).

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be bold like men, and be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

“My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience. But let patience perfect its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4).

Patience and endurance are a perfect work that occurs while you are standing in faith waiting for healing to manifest, or while that mountain is starting to break up and go. Stay focused on the prize ahead. Share with supportive friends what you are doing. Keep your thoughts and words in line with your goal to see healing manifest in people’s lives:

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16).

“That the sharing of your faith may be most effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you from Christ Jesus” (Philem. 1:6).

“Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (James 2:22). {eoa}

Excerpted from Healing Words by Sylvia Rogers; published in 2016 by Siloam/Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group. To order the book, click here.

Sylvia Rogers is committed to teaching scriptural healing techniques to help people take more responsibility for their health and partner with their heavenly Father to experience wholeness and lasting wellness. She holds a bachelor of science in nursing and is a certified nutritionist, a natural health consultant and herb specialist, and a national lecturer and teacher for Nature’s Sunshine Products. She is also a certified biofeedback specialist who has assisted her clients in praying biblical promises and principles during biofeedback sessions with eye-opening and astounding results.