Let’s consider a few instances of healing from God’s Word.

• Luke 8:43-47, “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how SHE WAS HEALED IMMEDIATELY.”
• Matthew 20:34, “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and IMMEDIATELY THEIR EYES RECEIVED SIGHT, and they followed him.”
• Acts 3:6-7, “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and IMMEDIATELY HIS FEET AND ANCLE BONES RECEIVED STRENGTH.”

Here we have three examples of immediate and instantaneous healing. Notice that the Lord healed in the first two examples and the third healing by accomplished through Peter. Do we have examples of healings that took place over time?

• Mark 8:22-25, “And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”
• John 4:50-53, “Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them THE HOUR WHEN HE BEGAN TO AMEND. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”
• John 9:6-7, “When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”

Here we have three examples where the healings of the Lord were not immediate, yet did result in complete healing. Also, we must believe that ALL healing comes from the Lord. The doctors can do great and mighty things today, but it is only the Lord that can truly heal the body. If you break your leg, or if you fall and skin up your arms, will you not pray about that? Sure you would, and the Lord may provide healing, but it will probably take time for your complete healing. We read in James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” We often pray for others, and for ourselves to be healed. Just because there may not be an instant healing, do we despair and stop praying, or do we continue to pray until the Lord heals?

The Lord is the one who heals, and He will heal according to His own time and purpose. There may be times when the Lord does not heal at all. Let’s read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” The Lord determined not to heal Paul of his ‘thorn in the flesh’, allowing this infirmity to stay on Paul to make sure that he continued to be humble. We are encouraged to pray for illnesses. We are told to take medicine for our illnesses. (1 Timothy 5:23). If the Lord be not come, each one of us will either become sick or become hurt and we will die. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” If you have never put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, I encourage you to do so now before you meet Him in judgment. (248.4)