Various Healing Methods

Lately I have been going to YouTube to listen to Healing Scriptures. I have summarized them into:

• Healing Scriptures in Old Testament from GNT, Good News Translation²³
• Healing Scriptures in New Testament from NKJV²⁴

I went to websites https://www.biblehub.com/ and https://www.biblegateway.com/ to get the various translated versions easily.

         From my experience so far, I have come to the following conclusions on:

1. Physical healing
2. Emotional/psychological healing
3. Relationship healing
4. Spiritual healing

1. Physical healing

When we pray or ask people to pray for us, we often look forward to the physical healing. We ask for miraculous healing. But I need to understand that God is wise and He can choose, as shown in the following, to: 

a] Heal immediately 

According to Dr Michelle K Strydom, only 3-5% of people are healed immediately with healing ministry. 

Supernatural Healing of Dodie Osteen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjCov9x6TeE&t=1227s

b] Heal slowly 

The doctors say one is medically healed if he/she is free of cancer for 5 years. After my second liver cancer surgery, I was free of liver cancer for more than 12 years but have relapsed recently. 

c] Heal over a prolonged period of time

Ravi Zacharias suffered pain from back disk injury and surgery at L3, L4, L5 and was healed only after 28 years. 

Belief in God Through Times of Suffering – Ravi Zacharias

d] Not to heal even after a prolonged period of time

Joni Eareckson Tada is still a quadriplegic for the past 50 years and has cancer on top of that recently.

Cancer – Joni Eareckson Tada’s Journey

e] Not to heal at all—Die

Dr Nabell Quresshi had stage 4 stomach cancer and died in 13 months. He attended many healing ministries.

The Dying Process of Dr Nabell Qureshi from YouTube

I have heard some Christians putting the blame on the suffering patients for not being healed to having insufficient faith in God. To me this is cruel and bad theology. 

It is interesting to read J I Parker’s comment on healing: “. . . even in New Testament times, among leaders who cannot be accused of lacking faith, healing was not universal. We know from Acts that the apostle Paul was sometimes Christ’s agent in miraculous healing, and he was himself once miraculously healed of snakebite. Yet he advises Timothy to “use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (1 Timothy 5:23 RSV) and informs him that he left Trophimus “ill at Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:20 NIV). He also tells the Philippians that their messenger Epaphroditus was so sick that he “nearly died for the work of Christ” and we see how grieved Paul himself had been at the prospect of losing him (Philippians 2:25-27 NIV). Plainly, had Paul or anyone else sought power to heal these cases miraculously, he would have been disappointed.” (Cruel to imply insufficient Faith when Healing Fails)

Thus, I need to trust unconditionally and accept God’s wise choice for me in my healing process. Know that He is in-charge of my life and that He is faithful.

2. Emotional/psychological healing

When we are hit with pain, suffering or crisis our natural and instinctive reaction is to fight, flee or freeze. We automatically apply the instinct of survival. But if we are constantly plugged into these negative and toxic human reactions of fear, bitterness, anger, revengefulness, we will do enormous harm to our physical, mental and emotional health! 

Our emotional/psychological healing takes place only if we stop for a moment to use our given free will to reflect and respond. We can choose or decide to be positive, to forgive and to love.

3. Relationship healing

Our pain and sufferings are often due to our fractured relationship with family or friends or colleagues.

Healing our broken relationships, according to Dr Ira Byock, comes only if we can honestly and constantly say:

                  Please forgive me.

I forgive you.

Thank you.

I love you

4. Spiritual healing

God is more interested in our spiritual healing than in the other healings. We can slowly be transformed if we go to God for our spiritual healing. He has created us to love and be loved and to live life more abundantly.

In view of my frequent doctor and hospital visits, I am hard pressed but not crushed. I am good. I give thanks and rejoice in the Lord for He has given and will continue to give me strength, support and comfort in all my trials.

         Written on 2 August 2019