Power to Heal, part 3: An Army of Healers

“Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion...”
Obadiah 1:21

If supernatural healing really is God’s will (as it is), then why is healing ministry not a normal part of every church? Bringing it even closer to home, is it a normal part of your walk as a believer? God wants to raise up an army of healers, who walk in confidence of God’s healing power and release it as they go through life. This is our inheritance as followers of Jesus!

One of the things I enjoy doing in ministry is activating others.

There’ll be times when I’m praying for someone to be healed and nothing seems to be happening, but when I activate someone else to pray, they get healed almost instantly!

I think the message is clear - God wants to raise up many who walk in the healing ministry!

This obscure passage in Obadiah 1:21 tells us there are “saviors” or some translations say “deliverers”.

In the Greek manuscript of this text, it uses the word sozo. We talked about this word in a previous post, but in summary, it means: “saved, rescued, healed, and delivered.”

A deeper study of the original languages can be combined to say these “saviors” are the ones who not only have received the saving power of God, but they have now become agents of it. 

Scholars see this text as a prophecy of the Church of Jesus Christ.

In other words, God wants to raise up an army who are agents of the saving power of God! An army of saviors, an army of deliverers, an army of healers!

We are not THE Savior, but He lives in and through us and we are vessels through which He flows.

So let’s bring it back to the first question - if this is all true, then why is healing ministry not a normal part of every church? 

It can be...and will be as the church rises up.

Here’s why healing ministry should be normal:

1. It’s normal to Jesus

A quick sampling of the Gospel accounts would see that healing ministry was normal to Jesus. It’s safe to assume that every Christian wants to be like Jesus. 

One of the first things He said to His disciples was, “Follow Me.”

As followers of Jesus, it’s fitting that we’d follow Him into healing ministry.

On one of our anniversary vacations to Hawaii, my wife and I ended up sitting at a breakfast table with an older Chinese woman. We struck up a conversation and as we talked, I saw a vision of Jesus standing behind her and pointing at her; I thought at her shoulders, but it ended up being her back.

I took it as a word of knowledge and asked her if she needed healing. She said yes; her back was sore from playing with her grandkids.

I prayed once and nothing seemed to happen, but when my wife prayed this heat came and God totally healed her back. (Remember it’s the army! Not just one)

We literally followed Jesus right into healing ministry!

2. It’s normal to the New Testament believer

Again, with a quick sampling of not only the Gospel accounts but also the Book of Acts, we’d see that healing ministry was normal to the followers of Jesus.

They had a reputation of the supernatural healing power of God.

Acts 5:16 - “Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

As our examples of what following Jesus looks like, they set a precedent for healing to be a part of our walk with Christ.

3. It’s normal to the Gospel message

In Mark’s version of the Great Commission, healing ministry was a part of it. (Mark 16:18)

The supernatural was meant to accompany the preaching of the Gospel. (here’s a blog on how to see more supernatural power flow in your life)

Hebrews 2:4 says: “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

I remember a while back, when we began to step into this type of ministry, we took our young adult group to Denny’s after our Thursday night service.

We all took a moment to listen to the Holy Spirit and see what He wanted to say to our server.  Some of the group got prophetic words and ministered them and another got a word of knowledge for pain in the foot.

Our server said she actually had been having pain in her foot.

So we prayed for her and the pain totally left. 

Then my wife and I asked her if she knew she was going to heaven and she wasn’t sure. We shared a brief Gospel message on what Jesus did for us at the cross - and led her to receive Jesus as her Savior!

The supernatural accompanied the preaching of the Gospel. This is how it’s meant to be.

So...how do you step into this healing ministry?
Take risks! Step out in faith and see what God will do.

You’ll never know what’ll happen until you take a risk and see.

(Look back at Part 2 of this series for some practical steps to take.)

God wants to raise up an army of healers and you are a part of it!

Question: Who can you minister healing to today?