I’ve thought a lot about the gifts named in the Bible, and I’ve decided that if I could choose, I’d want the gift of healing. I know…it would mean that from then on, I wouldn’t have much rest, because people would be coming to me at all hours with their health problems.

My first healings would probably be those in our church that I see suffering, even though they’re still faithful in church attendance. The cripple…the multiple sclerosis…the Alzheimer’s memory disease…and of course there would be people coming about their weight…or drinking problem…or smoking, or drugs, or lying, or they can’t keep from cursing. There would be millions of reasons just within the body itself.

But even with the gift of healing, there would be cases where the person would not be healed. Why would that be. Well, the person coming for prayer might have a thing in the heart…being mad at a neighbor. Or knowing a thing about someone that shouldn’t be, even though that person claims to be a Christian. Or having a thing against someone that just can’t be forgiven. But there are those who suffer for reasons known only to God. The Apostle Paul asked three times for healing but didn’t receive it, (2 Corinthians 12:9-12) and he left a helper named Trophimus sick in a town named Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20). No doubt Paul had prayed for him.

The thing is…Jesus said “”Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). And if you persist in these sins, it comes back at you. And the harder you judge others, the harder God will judge you! And He said, “If ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive YOUR trespasses (Mark 11:26). And Jesus Himself couldn’t do much in Nazareth, His hometown, because of their unbelief! (Matthew 13:58). So of all things, it take faith, for healing.

And so even with the gift of healing, there are circumstances in which healing doesn’t happen. If I had the gift, I would have to realize that all healing comes from God and Christ, not from the person praying for you. And He leaves all decisions to God.

Just as you should study yourself before taking communion, when you go for prayer, go with a clean heart and faith in God. He will take it from there.