Healed by Faith

August 12, 2010 by Ylena Parks, MA
Filed under: Christianity, Life 

“What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” ~ Luke 18:41

Have you ever wondered why, despite your being aware of a particular issue you may have in your life, you have not been able to resolve the issue? You have identified the fact that you drink too much, eat too much or too little, have marital issues or a prodigal child, yet recognizing and being aware of the problem have done nothing to help you solve the problem. Perhaps you’ve gone to the self-help section of the bookstore or discussed the problem at length with a friend or even attended a recovery group but to no avail. Perhaps you’ve thought to yourself, “I’m trying so hard to work through this problem and fix it yet nothing seems to help. What more can I do?” The answer lies in the scripture above.

When nothing else works we must pray and have faith. It was not an advanced surgery or holistic healing that gave the blind man sight it was (1) he asked Jesus for healing and (2) he had faith that Jesus would heal. Often times we get so caught up in all of the worldly solutions to problems that we forget the most important, integral and essential solution available to everyone on this mud ball called earth – PRAYER. Ask the Lord for healing in prayer. He knows far more about you and your issue than any psychologist on Oprah or than can be found at the bottom of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream or a bottle of Vodka. Seek Him and He will reveal the answer.

The caveat is that you must also have FAITH that He will provide the answer and the healing. It was not simply the request made by the blind man that healed him. Jesus tells us that it was His faith. We must have faith that God will deliver and that He will heals us in order for the healing to occur.

We must also remember that all things occur in God’s timing (see blog titled “Aha moments” for further discussion). While we are not given the blind man’s age in this scripture, I believe it safe to assume that this was not a situation he had only been suffering from for a short period of time. After all, he is at point in his life when he has become so desperate that he ignores the crowds requests for him to be quiet and instead cries out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v38). Often times we too must be at our wits end before we will turn to God and cry out, asking Him to have mercy on us. And until we come to that point, no matter what truth God has revealed, we do not lean on our faith for healing but instead rely on our own efforts. Faith in God heals. Not man or any of his best efforts. This is not to say that seeking support and guidance from man – a Pastor or professional counselor – cannot be of great benefit to you during your struggles. It can and I would recommend it. However, the ultimate healing comes from God by faith.

So if you are struggling, if you are lost in a quagmire and you don’t know what to do next, there are two things I recommend – prayer and faith. And if you are not at a point in your life where you feel mentally, emotionally or spiritually strong enough to do this on our own and you need help getting your footing, seek professional help either from a Pastor or a Christian counselor. While neither can give you faith, both can support you as Christ has called us to do for fellow believers (Hebrews 3:13) until you are strong enough to kneel in prayer or walk to the foot of the throne on your own.

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  • Meet Ylena

    Ylena Parks, a native Californian, is married to a godly man and has two beautiful step-children. She has a Master's in Community/Clinical Counseling from Eastern University and presently works as an MFT Intern at OC Chrisitan Counseling in Garden Grove, CA.

    Ylena came to Christ at Calvary Chapel-Monterey Bay in 2001. It is through Christ's work in her that she conquered a 10-year battle with Anorexia, a disorder which consumed her 20s and led her along a path of self-destruction ... and eventually into the arms of Christ.

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