THANK FATHER AND ACT ON HIS PROMISE
If you really believe God has answered you, and that you have received the healing you requested, you will naturally do two things: 1) You’ll thank Him for it. 2) You’ll put your new health into action. As Paul wrote in Romans chapter 4 about Abraham who gave glory to FATHER for the fulfillment of HIS promise, long before the answer manifested.:
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to GOD,
21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Abraham was fully persuaded that FATHER had power to DO WHAT HE HAD PROMISED. He believed FATHER’S Word, and thanked Him. Jonah also gave thanks for release from the fish’s belly, BEFORE it vomited him up:
Jonah 2:8 “Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD.”
You may take all the other six steps of faith, but if when you pray for healing you do not believe enough to ACT ON God’s promises, your faith is nullified. So important is this, that FATHER devotes a whole chapter of the New Testament to it. In James chapter 2, we are told to act on faith and are given Abraham and Rahab as examples to reference:
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
This is the vital proof, that your faith is genuine. What good is it if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds. (corresponding actions) Can such faith save you? Faith without deeds is useless or dead. All through the Bible, people of faith were people of ACTION. Those who believed FATHER’S, those who acted on HIS Word. Jesus said to the paralytic, Get up! Take your mat, and go home. The man didn’t question Jesus saying, "But Lord, I’m paralyzed!" He believed Christ’s spoken word enough to ACT on it. His action proved his faith. He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all:
Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,
11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Peter’s Mother-in-law lay in bed with fever. Luke tells us in chapter 4, Jesus rebuked the fever:
39 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
Mark 1:31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
This is a perfect example of real faith in action: 1) Jesus rebuked the fever. 2) Jesus made her get up, and act her faith. 3) The fever left her, and she was well. Peter did the same to the cripple in Acts 3:
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.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
And again in Acts 9 to another cripple:
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.
33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.
34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately.
We have no problem in acting on what a doctor in a white coat tells us to do and take countless pharmaceuticals in response. We believe him enough to take the drugs before we feel any results. We should act on the Word of FATHER, WHO tells us; I AM THE LORD WHO heals you:
Exodus 15:26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
By His wounds you have been healed as 1 Peter 2:24 tells us. We must believe Him and His Word for us. We must go to FATHER in prayer for healing. We must believe HE hears and answers. We must walk in gratitude for all that HE has done for us and is doing for us now. We must be quiet and hear HIM when he tells us to arise from our sick-bed even before we feel any results. When we act on the Word, FATHER CONFIRMS it.
Jeremiah 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
We must believe FATHER’S Word today and act on it now. This writing is to bring to light that FATHER is still in the restoration business, including restoring our health. These Scriptures are to assist you in building your faith and to walk in faith knowing that HIS Love for us is greater than any sickness or disease. The promises of healing are of no benefit to those who will not act on them. if you refuse to accept, and act on FATHER’S Word, your faith is dead. No matter who prays for you the prayer of faith, your own unbelief renders their prayers ineffective because you fail to act on FATHER’S Word. In reality, your failure to act is your refusal to accept the answer. FATHER does not promise to begin healing you until after you believe you have received the answer:
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Your faith gets stronger as you act on FATHER’S Word. FATHER will create in your body the very thing you need to be well and strong. Sickness will become health. Impossibilities will become possibilities. Sickness is not the opposite of health, it is the lack of health. FATHER designed you to be healthy and HE designed your body to heal itself. Seek HIM and HE will respond. After all, HE Loves you. Be grateful for for all HE does.