Healing without our Touch: Calling out the Phalanx
Shields, flaming arrows, heraldry, and gold rain!
The other day I was hit with the realization of how many people are currently in pain. (And you might be thinking, “woman, HELLO! this is a pandemic, DUH”. Even normally, DUH!)
Well, yes, that too. But thinking of all of the hip and knee replacements put on hold- ouch! I see stories of neurological pain that on a normal day are hard to diagnose and treat now being put off. And we really don’t know for how long. Tooth pain, blindness, transplants on hold, physical therapy progress…going backwards. Satan’s perfect recipe for hopelessness, pain, and isolation.
I’ve seen stories of people being healed miraculously by hospital workers, and still others asking “where are the pastors and miracle workers, why aren’t they in the hospitals? Looks like miracles aren’t really a thing when we need them, are they?” I can see how they’d say that.
So, prayer warrior friends, and people with gifts of healing, how do we “lay on of hands” NOW? How can we put into practice all of that oil-anointing, healing touch, and prophetic hand placements? What do we do with the modern day leper no one can go near?
HOW is there healing without touch?
Sure, Jesus touched the lepers when no one else would, but he also is the designer of our bodies and understands diseases. I am not talking about touching. That is between you and God.
What I feel moved to throw light on is Satan’s attack on the growth of your healing ministry as a whole right now when we are told not to touch or go near. The lies and fears of “Your pain is not worthy”, either in loss or physical suffering, Talk about a flaming arrow of pain!
So, healers and intercessors, I’m calling you out right now. Your ministry is NOT on pause because you are directed be physically distant. I repeat, YOUR MINISTRY IS NOT ON PAUSE.
Whose hand actually does the healing, anyway?
God brought to my mind at least three examples where people went to Jesus about a sick or dying person (without that person present !!!! ! ! ! ) and Jesus healed them without his physical human presence required.
Matthew 8:5-13 (NIV) The Faith of the Centurion
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Anna’s note here: I think one thing he could be saying is that be believes that all of the creation obeys the Creator like a good servant, and Jesus is that creator.)
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
Matthew 15:21-28 (NIV) The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
John 4:48-54
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.
Let’s not forget Lazarus, dead three days and commanded out of the grave
with only the words of Jesus:
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” John 11:41-44
I am not here to talk about the Canaanite woman with Jesus and their conversation about leftovers and doggie bags. Nor am I here to delve into why people aren’t healed when we can’t imagine any better outcome for God’s will.
Today, I’m here to point out prayer, and faith. I’m here to repeat the words of James:
James 5:14-16 (NIV)
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; (not the oil, duh, it’s only Jesus.—Anna’s note) the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
People with the spiritual gift of healing— please keep going!
Remember all those object lessons on Roman Shields ? Linking together in phalanx and covering up a group? Well, Paul calls our faith a shield , (Eph 6:16) so we’re basically talking about a stubborn, tight line of heavy shields soaked in living water, overlapping the next person, together moving forward towards an enemy with pokey spears and swords.
And I just gave you three examples of how someone else’s shield of petition to Jesus (sounds like prayer to me) covered another person’s suffering—-and Jesus (the Author of time and space, ) didn’t have to be there in his human body to touch them and heal them. Instantly. No, I don’t know how all of this works. or how much our shields cover each other spiritually. Yes, some healing isn’t instant, but I think you know I’m not talking about that stuff here. I’m talking about praying and faith. That’s it. Just start and keep going.
Shields and Authority
Gouache, watercolor and ink on paper. 5”x7”
Please inquire for prints.
NUTSHELL VERSION: It is a downright lie to think we have to physically lay hands on people for Jesus to heal them. Faith is crucial (Jesus says so) and our faith is our shield—- to overlap, extinguishing the flaming arrows of pain, fear, and lies.
