GUARANTEED ANSWERED PRAYER
Mark 5:34 He said to her, “Daughter your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
One day as Jesus was walking a large crowd began to press around him. Word of Jesus’ miracle working power was spreading fast and people not only wanted to be healed, but to see him heal or do a miracle. In some ways Jesus was the best show in town. He was certainly drawing attention away from the Pharisees, Sadducees and teachers of the law. He had words of wisdom that even the elders had no answer for. So Jesus’ following came with many different agendas. Some came to him wanting help, some insight, some out of courtesy, doubt, and even to accuse him as being Satan.
This day there was a woman who needed healing. She had been bleeding for twelve years, and although she had seen many doctors she couldn’t be cured. She had heard that just touching his cloths she could be heal, so she made her way as close to Jesus as she could and touched his cloak. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she knew she was healed. At once Jesus turned around and asked who had touched him, because he felt power leave his body. She fell at his feet afraid, because she was considered unclean due to her bleeding. She may have even feared for her life, because it was against the law for an unclean person to be in a crowd let alone to touch a righteous person like Jesus. For a unclean person to even touch a clean person made the clean person spiritually unclean and unable to enter the temple. But instead of making Jesus unclean, he made her clean. Now Jesus told her that her faith had healed her, and she could go in peace, free from her suffering. My question might be; If her faith could heal her, why did it take touching Jesus to bring it about? Well, it’s funny I would ask such a question, because I just might have the answer. Ha!
This very dogma, if I can call it that, has gotten many Christians very side tracked in error. The reason I say this is because some feel that faith, belief and understanding are all the same. This is why some Christians will confess their healing as already taken place while it is obviously not cured. The longer it is not healed, the louder and more fervently they declare it done. They see the problem is with them not believing good or hard enough. Their healing is their fault. I call this pulling up their paints and tightening their belt for healing and help. They base their assurance of their relationship with Jesus on their efforts. They think they just simply need to keep pulling up their pants of faith higher and make their belt tighter. They need to quoted more or different scripture, make more positive confession or just ignore the symptoms. When it all boils down, everything points to trusting in their own efforts. This points to the real problem and the real answer. It is not us! It is Jesus!
Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Faith is not the same as belief. Satan believes in Jesus, but he is lost to spend eternity in hell's torment. The demons that Jesus cast out of people believed in him and feared that he would torture them. So belief is not the key to our healing and answered prayer. Our belief gives us trust in what needs to be done. Our hope causes us to want to trust our belief. Our faith causes us to take action and trust what we believe. The woman had heard that if she touched Jesus’ clothes she could be healed. She hoped it would happen to her, so she went to Jesus and touched his cloak.
Our belief, hope and faith must all be correct. If our belief is wrong no amount of hope or trying to make it work by action of faith will make it work. I can look at a trampoline and understand how it works, hope I can jump over the moon, jump on it as hard as I can, but I will not jump over the moon. My belief was incorrect. I could have a correct belief, but with no hope I would not attempt it. (no faith) I could have a correct belief and even have hope, but if I did not attempt to do it my lack of faith would leave me as lacking as if I had no belief or hope. The entire matter of answered prayer is in Jesus and not ourselves. We are simply beggars going to someone with bread asking for help and mercy! The reason why our faith is so important is our free will. Jesus will not shove the bread in our mouth if we don’t act in faith by asking him for his help. James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.”
Jesus is God, and he can do all things. We can trust him, because not only did he create us but loves us so much as come and die a terrible death for us. He will always do what is right for us even if we ask wrong. Our belief in him is not wrong, because he has proven himself true to his character for thousands of years. He will not betray our hope in him. He sees us as his children and Bride. All he asks is we have faith in him by asking for his help! Remember with God a no or not now is still answered prayer. What we ask for from God may not be the best thing, but God will always answer the best way for us. We can trust the Lord to answer our prayer the best way!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, we love you and thank you for being such a wonderful God and Savior. Thank you for all the times you answered our prayers, and them many more that you will. We love you Lord!
