Jesus is Willing and Able to Heal! - Tom Shanklin Ministries

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This woman from Andhra Pradesh India testified of receiving a healing from a near crippled condition last year.

By Tom Shanklin

We have been privileged to see many people healed in our ministry over the years—healings of arthritis, aches and pains, injuries, and cancers. We have seen miraculous conceptions, deafness healed, paralysis, and much more. I think of throngs of people in India receiving instant manifestations of healing. It seems to just keep on happening! Sometimes I think I get more excited about it than the people receiving help. I don’t take any credit for such notable miracles. I do recognize that it is only by God’s power that someone can receive divine healing.

At the same time I rejoice over those who receive results, I feel grieved for those who continue to suffer. I tend to take personal responsibility. And the truth is, those who minister healing do bear part of the responsibility for the results. We need to prepare ourselves in prayer and the Word. We need to walk in the sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and grow in learning how to effectively minister healing. Always being ready. Always depending on the power of God. It’s all about Him!

This past June in Spring Grove and Avoca, Minnesota I had healing services where people testified of immediate relief from pain. Praise the Lord! I say, “Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!”

Even though we do not always immediately know the results of our ministry to the sick, at times we will hear follow-up testimonies of God’s healing. One man reminded me this month that I had previously prayed in agreement with him for his wife, who had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, an incurable disease. Since we prayed, he said that the doctors have not been able to find a trace of Hepatitis C in her body.

There is power in agreement in prayer. As the scripture says, “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:19, KJV. When I pray with people, I try to find a point of agreement with them, some place where we both can agree. If they are believing that the doctor will find out what is wrong and fix it or that a surgery will be successful, then I agree with them on that point.

Jesus would ask people, “Do you believe I am able to do this?” (See Matthew 9:28) When they said “Yes.” He would then successfully minister healing to them. Some people think that Jesus did the mighty miracles that He did only because of His great power as the Son or God. But a careful study of the Scriptures demonstrate that He worked with people’s faith. To the woman with the issue of blood, He said, “…Daughter, THY FAITH hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” Mark 5:34, KJV.

One the biggest stumbling blocks for people receiving healing, I believe, is not knowing the will of God concerning healing. Very often we hear people pray something like, “Oh Dear Lord, if it be your will, heal this dear sick one.” This type of prayer and attitude can be a great hindrance to receiving healing from the Lord. It is very hard to have faith for something that you do not believe or know to be the will of God.

A leper came to Jesus one day and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” The Scripture then tells us, “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Mt. 8:2-3 NKJV) Jesus said, “I am willing!” That, along with many other scriptures, settles it for me. Not only is Jesus able to heal, He is also willing to heal!

When we don’t receive immediate answers to our prayers, we tend to think, “Oh, it must not be the will of God for me to be healed.” So, even though we may have initially exercised faith, because we don’t see immediate results, we negate our faith and turn back to doubt and unbelief. But, we are called by God to live by faith in His Word, not by our experience. God’s Word IS His will!

We don’t always know why the answers to our prayers are delayed. Sometimes our physical healing is dependent on an emotional healing. Or we may need to release forgiveness to others. Sometimes God expects us to stand in faith and exercise patience. Sometimes we need to feed on God’s Word to come to faith in God’s healing power. But, whatever the reason is, God is well able to reveal it to us as we seek Him. So don’t simply give up hope! Don’t let Satan hinder God’s work of healing in your life or in others. STAND on God Word and HIS HEALING ABILITY in Jesus’ name! God can turn your situation around and bring HIS marvelous results.

Physical healing is wonderful, but the greatest and most important healing of all is a healing in our relationship with God. After all, eventually all of us will put aside this earthly body, then what will remain is based on our relationship with our Creator. And just as relationships between spouses or friends or family members at times need mending, many people are in need of reconciliation with the living God.

I recently preached on John 3:16 at a nursing home here in Mankato, emphasizing the words “should not perish.” Six people prayed to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The people of this world, your friends and family, the people of your community “should not perish” because God has sent His Son to pay the penalty for their sins and to reconcile them to God.

According to Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the original Greek word translated “perish” means to utterly destroy, but not to extinguish. This agrees with many other scriptures which indicate that the unrighteous will have consciousness after death and suffer throughout eternity. Those who do not receive Christ will suffer eternal damnation in the fire of hell and separation from God forever. But thank God, just as it is God’s will to heal, it is also His will to save. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9, KJV.

So I want to encourage you today! Stand fast on the promises of God. Recognize God to be the answer to your problems, not the source of your problems. Let Jesus be your Savior! Let Jesus be your Healer! Let Jesus be your Lord! His plan for you is GOOD! Believe in a God who is willing and able to heal, and willing and able to save.