Hi Everyone,
A few months ago, I shared via facebook, using as an anology, an illness that I had been dealing with for over 3years. Well, guess what! Today, I am sharing being healed from that illness about 4 weeks ago. I have not only been symptom-free for over a month, I have equally received healing for diverse ailments since then.
 
It is this unprecedented flow of healing into my life, that now causes me to share this with you.
 
In my almost 31years of personal faith in the LORD, I have always believed and never doubted, that healing is part of the Salvation package! And so for thirty-one years, I have exercised that faith in praying for the sick as I came across them in life. As far as I know, in those thirty-one years, almost everyone I prayed for received their healing. Very, very, few, (not even up to a handful) did not come back with testimonies of healing.
 
I never had to personally deal with or confront personal illness, until about late 2007. It was then, I developed the condition that led to my hormone replacement therapy treatments. With the incidence of the illness into my life, I immediately took a hold of the word of God and started praying for healing for myself, to no avail for over 3years. In that same period, I saw various doctors who offered all kinds of treatments, which I refused, due to my knowledge of the dangerous and debilitating side effects and knowledge of the anatomy and physiological workings of the human body. I chose instead, to continue to pray for healing rather than damage my body, while trying to cure one illness.
 
For over three years of praying for healing, I received neither word, signs nor sense of assurance that I would be healed. But I kept asking anyway, because I didn’t want to live with that illness. Although, I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t getting healed, I never stopped praying for God to heal me. Why?
 
You see, I entered into a personal relationship with the LORD as a little girl. An experience, which ‘us’ Pentecostals refer to as “being born-again” and which many today refer to as “coming to faith.” By which ever term you refer to it, the bottom line is that, I came to faith, got born-again, on belief of the entire word of God, not just the part about salvation, but everything in the word! But, incidentally, healing, faith for healing and the gift healing (receiving healing) is intimately tied in with salvation. As written in Isaiah 53:4-6 “ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5.But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  6.All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (KJV).
 
From the inception of my walk with our Father, I have implicitly believed not only verses 4 and 6, but also the middle verse-verse 5. I have never doubted God’s power, willingness, desire or readiness to heal,  just as I’ve never doubted His power, willingness, desire or readiness to save from sin. So my faith for salvation has never been separate from my faith for healing. Just as I speak the word and encouragement to accept the LORD’s salvation, those who know me and walked with me, will tell you, I also have believed and believed God for the most (sometimes) hopeless situations. And like I said, to date, less than a handful of people, that I prayed for neither received nor gave me a report of healing.
 
So why wasn’t I getting healed and dealing with the same illness for over 3 years??? I wondered sometimes, was really puzzled, considered and addressed every reason (e.g.   personal sin and spiritual forces) that might hinder my healing. But I never stopped asking and never stopped believing that healing from God was as much my right, as salvation through Christ is.
 
Like I said, initially after praying for several months without any results or signs of it, I got frustrated and started consulting with physicians. Simply because, I am also aware that just as Jesus healed people in diverse manners, God still heals today with diverse means. I do not consider medical knowledge outside of God’s will, because God is the giver and author of all knowledge, and He has given us all knowledge to help us manage ourselves and our world (Colossian 2:3). Where and when knowledge is bad, is when it exalts itself above the knowledge of God (that is, denies and excludes God from its source and existence). Such prideful knowledge that rejects God, the Bible tells us to reject and displace (2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 1:28a).
 
So I considered that God might want to heal me through physical means of medicine (just like Jesus used the physical medium of spit and prayer to heal the deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:32-35) and physical sand, saliva and river water to restore sight to the blind man-John 9:1-11). So I prayed for healing and when it did not occur supernaturally, my faith that healing was my portion caused me to consider physical treatment. After over  three years of ailment and rejection of undesirable medical procedures, I finally found a doctor who recommended and started me on hormone replacement therapy. It worked!!! Eureka! I was satisfied. I was cured (as long as I took the medication).
 
Then shortly after I used my condition as an analogy on facebook, the LORD spoke to me and told me He would heal me!!! Okay, I was confused and not too thrilled, because I figured I had waited over three years for Him to supernaturally heal me. So why now, when I had gotten some above average and best treatment (as far as I was concerned), was I receiving this news? I dreaded letting go of my medication and going through those symptoms again.So I let God know I was totally happy with the cure He had provided through medicine. My heart was satisfied that it was from Him and I was no longer going to push for supernatural and complete abatement of the illness. I was satisfied with what He provided through science.
 
Imagine my surprise when after that, the Spirit of the LORD would not quit talking to me “I will heal you now, get off the medicine.” I argued back and forth with the LORD for several days, basically just telling Him, how I hated the illness and did not want to deal with it for even one second ever again, and so was ready and satisfied to continue the medication. God patiently listened to me, and then pressured me into yielding to Him. This is how it happened. When after about two weeks, I still wasn’t close to yielding to let go of my medication, all hell break loose with my hormone replacement therapy treatment. Whereas before, it had healed and restored my body to almost perfect health, I suddenly developed severe uncontrollable painful symptoms, that culminated in one weekend of pain so severe I headed for the emergency room. But before that, in over six hours of excruciating pain, I cried out to the LORD in agony, and screamed in pain that I knew He could heal me. That I knew healing was my portion, that His word is true and that He does not lie and that He should give me even in that moment, the healing promised in His word and which I have always wholeheartedly believed.
 
Then the tone of the prayers changed, suddenly, in the spirit, I began to see resistance from the powers of darkness, I saw that these had opposed my healing for several years, for the sole purpose of keeping me from operating and exercising my authority as a believer in Christ Jesus. Ooh--I got might angry in the spirit and started authoritatively denouncing the devil, his works and his purposes in my life and ministry. Immediately after this prayer, I practically felt like someone wading in a cool pool on a very hot summer day. There was an instant cooling in my whole system that I could feel, all the pain instantly went away. I was stunned, I couldn’t believe it and so I waited for the pain to return. I ended up not going to the emergency room at all. Its been over a month since and I’ve had neither pains nor any other symptoms. I have also been medication free since then!!
 
To test whether God was really telling me to get off the medication, I took the medication   one week after this incident and it immediately messed up my health, I was so sick as a dog, I was glad to let it go!!!
 
Why am I sharing this with you? Brethren, there are many among you who are either praying or have prayed for healing or something else that the Word of God tells you is true. But you have been resisted and your prayers seemingly unanswered. I am sharing this with you to say to you “don’t give up, it doesn’t mean God isn’t hearing you or will not grant your request. If it is in His Word, HE WILL DO IT!!! Keep believing and praying for it. After all, the same thing happened to Daniel. In Daniel 9, Daniel prayed for what the Word of God told him was true and his right. He persisted in prayer, NOT KNOWING he was being resisted by the forces of evil. When the angel of the LORD appeared to him, he was informed, his prayer had been answered from the day he started to ask it, but Satan’s angels prohibited the result from being brought to him. What is interesting is that, for twenty-one days, Daniel fasted for the result of his prayer. Unbeknown to him, those 21 days of fast were spent with the angels of God wrestling Satan’s angels, in order to bring Daniel the answer to his prayers. Needless to say, the angels of God prevailed and on the 21st day of Daniel’s fast, the angel of God came to him with the answer to his prayers.
 
Brethren, I tell you confidently that when you have asked the will of God, as revealed by His Word, stand firm!!! Neither shake, nor give up your confidence that God will keep His end of the bargain. After all He has said, because, there is none greater than He, by whom He should sware, He swares by Himself to keep His word to us!! (Oh how beautiful it is for the Great, Omnipotent God to make a promise to us mortals! It is a true love story, for He is so great He doesn’t have to keep or make promises to us, He can do whatever He pleases. But He chooses instead, to be bound by His Word and faithful to you and me! Hallelujah, what a Savior!).
 
Nextm after praying, stand still (meaning “WAIT!”). WAIT CONFIDENTLY and PATIENTLY for the RESULTS TO APPEAR, for THEY SURELY WILL COME!- Hebrews 10:35. And if the results delay, do not assume that God said no. If you asked according to His will, i.e. if His Word backs up your request, YOU WILL RECEIVE IT!!!
 
And for those very minimal times, when you don’t get what you ask, don’t let that make you alter your belief or stop believing. After all, what is 3 or 4 no’s compared to hundreds of yes!!!
 
And let me tell you another reason why you must keep believing and asking: you know how since you were growing up, you learned your ‘ABC’s’ and then learned to count and from there you went to do great things, like go to Elementary, then High School, then College? It was because you believed what you learned! You never doubted your ‘abc’s leading you into reading, or your ‘1,2,3’s leading to skills in algebra and engineering and so forth. You believed in the system of reading and counting and look how far its brought you! It didn’t matter that sometimes you got the answers to the problems wrong, you never for one moment doubted the integrity of the academic exercises you were exposed to or pursued.
 
Same thing you have to do with God and His Word. Learn the ABC’s of His Word, continue learning them and let them progress into reading and finally higher standards of operation. At every level of learning His word, you are going to be called upon to put into practice what you have learned (compare to your academic grade level tests in school). The fact that you fail some questions does not mean the academic system is wrong or unstable. You just need to go back work it out again, FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED and don’t quit until you get it right! I know what I’m talking about, because in order to go to medical school, I had to retake math several times. I knew I could do it, if I could just understand the formula and understand how to apply it. I kept at it, until I not only got proficient, but advanced and I went into medical school with very high scores. When I failed before, the mathematical equations were not wrong, I just neither understood nor properly applied them.
 
Similarly, when our answers don’t come ( and if we are following and applying God’s Word rightly,  they should come more often than not-James :16b), the system (God) is not wrong, but something may be wrong with our application ( and not always necessarily your fault-but its good to always check-but also, interference from the forces of darkness might be hindering receiving your results).
 
Equally, utilize the virtue of patience (with confidence) in dealing with and receiving from God. As most medications take some time for the overall effect of well-being to be felt (from hours to days, to weeks to months for some), sometimes your prayers are already answered, things are just working themselves out! And you may not feel it, nor see it until after some time has passed.
 
I use lots of analogies with physical things to help my own and others understanding of God and spiritual matters. This is because, the physical things are always patterned after the spiritual things. So in  order to understand the spiritual, you must first understand the proper workings of the physical. Jesus modeled this in His teachings as He exposed the kingdom of Heaven and God’s righteousness to us. We therefore, understand the things we do not see, from the proper and correct application of the things that we do see.
 
Now therefore, Brethren, please go and get blessed! You are blessed already (Ephesians 1:3b), just stretch out your hand and receive the blessing. And don’t take back your hand until you feel it or receive it. It is yours, set apart for you, TAKE IT, RECEIVE IT!
 
GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW! FEEL , KNOW AND REVEL IN HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO BE THE OBJECT OF HIS LOVE AND AFFECTIONS!!!
 
GOD LOVES YOU!

Many think that their life goes on by chance. But those who acknowledge God and His DIVINE PROVIDENCE, walk by faith in the continuous activity of God in His creation by which He preserves and governs. The doctrine of providence affirms God’s absolute lordship over His creation and confirms the dependence of all creation on the Creator. Divine providence is also the denial of the idea that the universe is governed by chance or by fate. If we all could just realize that one truth about God. Through His providence the Bible says to us God controls the universe (Ps. 103:19) The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.; And God controls the physical world (Matt. 5:45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.; and God controls the affairs of nations (Ps. 66:7) He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves.; and God controls human birth and destiny (Gal. 1:15) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,; and God controls human successes and failures (Luke 1:52) He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.; It is looking more like God controls everything! And more, God controls the protection of His people (Ps. 4:8) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Yes, God preserves all things through His providence (1 Sam. 2:9; Acts 17:28). Without His continual care and activity, the world would not even exist. God also preserves His people through His providence (Gen. 28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest… Divine government is the continued activity of God by which He directs all things to the ends He has chosen in His eternal plan. God is King of the universe who has given Christ all power and authority to reign. Divine providence is our refuge and our fortress. Rev. Arthur Peters, Chaplain Friendship Ridge