“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

His lovingkindness is everlasting

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (1 Chron. 16:34 NASB)

His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4 ESV)

We are examples of His incredible kindness 

“God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7 NLT)

“The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” (Psalm 103:8 NIV)

Steadfast: unfailing, faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, resolute, never changing or becoming weaker even in difficult times: always providing enough of what is needed.

You can trust in God’s steadfast love

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5 ESV)

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8 ESV)

Because God is Love!

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16 ESV)

“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5:28-29 NIV)

The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen

Here is a remarkable story about a woman who reached out in desperation and touched Jesus’s clothes, fully expecting to be healed by doing so, and by that courageous act of faith, she instantly received her healing. Jesus acknowledged this by saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.” Elsewhere in scripture we read the definition of faith: “Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1). The woman in this passage demonstrated the application of faith. This is why she got results. Read the story below.

A woman in the crowd with a long-time physical problem

“A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. (Mark 5:24-26 NIV)

“She thought, “if I Just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

“When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5:27-29 NIV) 

“Who touched my clothes?”

“At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.” (Mark 5:30-32 NIV)

 “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

“Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:33-34 NIV)

"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. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." (James 5:14-15) 

“The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” 

Notice that the above verse, which is a promise by the way, says plainly that “the prayer of faith will make the sick person well.”

Healing is a controversial topic in the church today, but it should not be! There is not one incident where Jesus refused anyone healing in the New Testament.

“And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” (Matt. 4:23)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

And the Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).

Yet, there are many incidents where people are prayed for and they stay sick. Why is this so? Today I’m giving one possible answer and solutions for those who have been prayed for and wondering why they are still sick. 

Some churches say that God no longer heals today, that the healing gift died with the apostles (not true). Or they teach that God sometimes sends sickness to teach you something (not true). Or, that God sometimes says “no” when you ask, (not true) and therefore, they start their prayer with, “If it be your will, dear Lord, heal so-and-so.” Even starting off a prayer like this generates doubt. Read on for the most common reason (true).

One reason healing doesn’t happen

Skeptics (doubters) in the room can undermine the results of prayers for the sick and it happens often. Because if this, Jesus removed skeptical people from the room when He raised Jairus’ daughter (see Mark 5:40). And Peter, Acts 9:30, removed weeping mourners from the room before he prayed for Tabitha. Another example of this “lack-of-faith” problem is when Jesus visited his own hometown, but “He could do very little there because of their lack of faith.” Yes, the lack of faith in others limited Jesus (see Matthew 13:58). This begs the question, “How little “lack of faith” does it take to undermine healing results?” Apparently, not much, James 1:6-7 says, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” This is why individuals often continue in their illnesses despite receiving prayers attended by others. In a world filled with fake faith healers and many churches boldly teaching that God does not heal today, or that He is causing you to be sick to teach you something, it is difficult to find any group without doubters among them. For example, in their sermons, I have heard many preachers refer to Paul's “thorn in the flesh” as a divinely sent sickness. However, the passage does not say the thorn in the flesh is a sickness, but rather refers to it several times as a “weakness.” And, the passage explicitly says the thorn in Paul’s flesh was sent by “a messenger of Satan,” not sent from God (2 Cor. 12:7). And if you do a search for other instances of a thorn in the flesh throughout the Bible, in every case, a thorn in the flesh describes some kind of persecution, never is a sickness. Yet, pastors still use this passage to say that God uses sickness to teach you something, yet you will not find a single example of Jesus saying this to anyone who approached Him for healing. Instead, He said He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), sickness, and to set people free from them. If you honestly believe that God sends sickness as part of His will for you, then why would you take medicine or see a doctor, which would then work against His will being done for you; it does not make sense. The Bible clearly says that sickness is from the devil.

So, what can you do about it? 

The solution to this problem is to build up your healing faith. How do you do this? The Bible says, “Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of God (Rom. 10:17). An effective way to build up your y"healing faith" is to fill your mind with healing scriptures (look them up in your Bible’s concordance; there are over fifty), as well as fact-filled and medically verified healing testimonies. Here is a website that has many verified healing testimonials. Watch them and strengthen your healing faith. 

https://www.awmi.net/video/series/healing-journeys/

Therefore

“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” (Prov. 4:20-22 NIV)

“For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds” (Job 33:14-15 ESV)

God makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert

“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:16-19 ESV)

God will lead you in the way you should go

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isa. 48:17-18 ESV)

God will counsel you with His eye

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8 ESV)

“Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

Every good and perfect gift

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Things work together for good

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 ESV)

A future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

Out of darkness and into His  marvelous light

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9 ESV)

The late Flip Wilson was famous for his, “The devil made me do it” routine. But, as funny as it was, God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that we do not ever have to obey the devil when he temps us to sin. Christ’s death on the cross has enabled us to live lives without the power of sin’s control over us.

New lives in Christ

“… And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” (Rom. 6:4b NLT)

No longer slaves to sin

“We know that our old sinful lives were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” (Rom. 6:6-7 NLT)

Consider yourself to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God 

“So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 6:11 NLT)

Do not let sin control you!

“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.  Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Rom. 6:12-14 NLT)

ON THE FIRST DAY: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Gen. 1:3-4 NIV)

ON THE FOURTH DAY: “God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.” (Gen. 1:16-19 NIV).

A conundrum for man but not for God! 

God created light before He created the sun and the moon. Is it possible to have light for three days without the sun? There are those who read the order of creation and they say, “Hey, this must be a big mistake and proves the Bible has errors! The Bible says God created light on day one, but He didn’t create the sun and the moon until day four, and that can’t be right! You cannot have daylight without the light source, the sun!” 

God made and controls light

The order of creation may be an obstacle for some, but it is not a problem for God. The temporary light source—whatever it was—by God’s design and purpose served to function as light and heat for the earth for three days. Here, God proved that He created and controlled light.

“I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.” (Isa. 42:16)

Examples of God controlling light 

During the ninth plague, God added light to the inside of the Israelite’s homes, while it was totally dark outside.

“So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.” (Exo. 10:22-23 NIV)

Therefore

And there will come a day when we will all be in heaven and all light will come from God’s glory.

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Rev. 21:23 NIV)

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Hab. 2:3 ESV) 

There is a time for every matter

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Eccles. 3:1 ESV)

Wait for the Lord

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 ESV)

A time for everything

“For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him.” (Eccles. 8:6 ESV)

Don’t grow weary of doing good

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9 ESV)

In all your ways acknowledge Him

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov.  3:5-6 ESV)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:89 ESV)

A future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)