Jesus Healings – Speak to the Problem

Luke 4:39-39 (AMP)
38 Then He arose and left the synagogue and went into Simon’s (Peter’s) house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering in the grip of a burning fever, and they pleaded with Him for her.
39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she got up and began waiting on them.

Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.  Jesus didn’t pray for her, though.  Instead, Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her.

The word “rebuke” can also be translated “scold” or “sternly warn.”

Jesus gave orders to a physical condition.  He spoke to a sickness.  Instead of praying to the Father about the fever, He spoke to the fever.  He was talking to the problem.

Think about that.  Jesus spoke to a fever, and the fever left. That is amazing.

Although He didn’t operate in this way every time, this is not an isolated case. There are many other examples of this.  Take a look at these:

Mark 7:32-35
32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.
33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

Matthew 8:3
Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

In these examples, Jesus is speaking to physical conditions, and giving orders.  The physical bodies of the sick people respond to His orders.

This is a completely different dynamic than praying to the Father for healing.  It is speaking to the problem on behalf of God, rather than speaking to God about the problem.  This is one of the ways that Jesus ministered healing.  And because Jesus is our example, this should be one of the ways that we are to minister healing as well.

Now at this point, you might be tempted to say “yeah, but that was Jesus.”  But do not forget the words of Jesus in John 14:

John 14:12
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

And don’t forget that all of the miracles of Jesus were performed in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). This is the same Holy Spirit that lives inside of every single born-again Christian.  (Click here to read more about this).

If you read the healing accounts in Acts, you can see the followers of Jesus behaving in the same way many times. In cases where healing is concerned, they were not praying for God to do something, they were speaking to the problem, acting as a representative of the One they were serving.

Acts 3:1-8
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”
5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them–walking, leaping, and praising God.

Peter and John were acting just like Jesus did.  This makes complete sense when you think about the fact that Peter and John watched Jesus do things like this probably hundreds of times.  They were just imitating their mentor.  They were doing what Jesus would do, and they got the same results because it was the same Holy Spirit at work in them that was at work in Jesus.

Here’s another one.  This time it is Paul.  Paul didn’t become a believer until a long time after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.  So, he wasn’t there to watch Jesus during His earthly ministry, but he was acting the same way as the other disciples.

Acts 14:8-10
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.
9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

As children of God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. He is the same Holy Spirit that lived and worked in Jesus when He came to earth.  He (the Holy Spirit) knows how to heal people.  He was present and active in every divine healing that has ever happened, so He has plenty of experience in fixing up broken bodies.

Everywhere you go, He goes.  You will never run into a physical condition that He is not prepared to handle.  He has chosen to work through us to demonstrate His love and His power on the earth.  We can participate by believing this, and acting on it.

So, this is a new way to pray.  As an ambassador of Christ the King, you can speak to the problem the same way that your King would if He were physically present.  You are here to enforce the will of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is your example, so do what He did.  Speak to the problem.  Tell it to obey God.  Order the sickness to leave the person, in the name of Jesus.