I find it hugely reassuring that, when Jesus released healing to the ten lepers in Luke 17, they were still covered in leprosy when they left him (i.e. seemingly unhealed) ! Their healing only manifested as they made their way to the priest in Jerusalem for his inspection, as Jesus had instructed them to do. (A leper would only show himself to a priest if he believed he was now clean of the disease) The lepers’ journey to Jerusalem was a long one of many miles, Jesus now in the far distance. I wonder at what point along the journey they realised that they were healed?! Maybe not until they were coming close to the priest!
The fact remains that Jesus didn’t get to see or hear the “evidence” of the lepers’ healing for himself. At least not immediately. Despite this seeming lack of evidence, Jesus stayed in absolute faith that they had been healed, and that the manifestation of it would happen as they stepped out in their own act of faith. All ten lepers were indeed completely healed – even if only one came back to say “Thank You “to Jesus !
This really encourages me to hold firm in faith when someone I have prayed for is not healed immediately, or when I don’t get to see the evidence of their healing while I am with them. It’s a real challenge sometimes – but I have a great Coach!!
Two occasions like this happened to me recently.
At a recent gathering of both believers and seekers, I released a word of knowledge for someone with a painful knee that had already had keyhole surgery on it some time ago but was still causing pain to the person now. Someone responded who had keyhole surgery a decade previously but was suffering a lot of pain there now. This person was a believer but unfamiliar with supernatural healing. I ministered healing to their knee over the next few moments or so.
There was some immediate lessening of pain (Hallelujah!) but, as they checked out their movement level, the person still found it hard to move freely without pain. I instructed them not to be afraid but to keep walking in faith, celebrating every small level of healing progress, to keep thanking God, declaring that their healing was already done and calling their knee blessed and healed.
I needed to leave the person still with pain at that point, so did not get to see evident healing in their knee before I left.
A week later, however, I received a report from someone who knew this “keyhole knee” person, saying that they were now completely free of knee pain, apart from just a tiny trace. And that trace has to go fully, in Jesus Name! Amen!
The second instance of someone I didn’t get to see healed was just a few days ago when a group of family and friends had gathered for our Easter celebration lunch. One of the guests had a very painful, swollen thumb – either a hairline fracture or bad sprain. They weren’t even sure how they had done it. This guest is also a believer, but new to miracle healing through the power of Jesus.
After praying a few times for the thumb and commanding all swelling, pain and its root source to go in the Name of Jesus, our guest checked it out. There was a small change but nothing really significant that would point to healing. Once again, I coached the person in the same kind of way as above, urging them not to give way to fear or negativity but to hold the line in faith and to keep speaking life and healing as their reality, rather than pain and restriction. They left grateful -though still in discomfort.
Yesterday, (two days later), I heard that this guest had been to get the thumb checked out and was told it was a badly sprained ligament that would take some time to heal. A splint was applied to the thumb but when they got home, the splint was so uncomfortable that our guest took the splint off and discovered they could now move their thumb quite freely….and then even more freely…. and realised it was healed! They were so excited to have received healing supernaturally, especially having just been told it would be a while before they could move the thumb freely without pain!! Praise you Jesus!!!
Though I still intend to press on to see more and more immediate healings, I am encouraged to build faith for healings that I don’t immediately see – or even hear about. I hope this might have encouraged you, too! And to remember also that not even Jesus was always thanked for the miracles He freely gifted to people in need.
Sometimes healing is spelled “E N D U R A N C E “. It happens over a distance of some miles. That’s why it’s called “on the way”!
Onwards, upwards – and outwards!