You don’t know what’s in people’s hearts. They could be going to church for decades and have faith to believe God for everyone else to be healed. But when it comes to them, they may have become weary. They might not have the strength to believe for themselves, and they might need strong faith from those around them in order to receive their healing.
Sometimes, whether we want to believe it or not, people don’t want to fight the good fight of faith. Sometimes, there are people who would rather die and go home to be with Jesus than fight the sickness Satan attacked them with. And hey, whether we like it or not, it’s their choice. The will to live and not die must be burning in their hearts if they are going to receive the power of healing in their lives.
This is a hard situation because many times the family really does have faith to believe for the healing. The person who is sick has the faith to believe for a healing. Everyone prays. Then, if the person dies, often it shakes the family so much that they begin to denounce faith and become somewhat angry at God.
They begin to reassess what they believe about God. They wouldn’t think of putting the blame for the death on anyone but God. After all, they did everything they could, right? Well, yes, they might have done everything they know to do. But as much as it hurts to say it, God still isn’t the one to blame.
God always has his hand out to heal. He never lies. He’s able to heal. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. So why did that person die? According to the power that worketh in us. The family had the power. The sick person had the power. But was it working? Did the manifestation of healing present itself? No. Why wasn’t it working? Ahhh, now that’s the question. Why wasn’t the power of God, which is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, working in this situation? What went wrong?
These are good questions to ask yourself if a situation like this comes up in your life. Not so that you can pin the blame on somebody, but so that you can understand that sometimes we as humans fall short of the glory of God. We don’t always know how to use “the power that worketh in us.”
Through ignorance of the Word, many people perish. Some perish because in their hearts they believe more in the doctor’s report than in the report of the Lord. Some perish because those around them drown their faith through anti-faith speaking and acting. (These people must war against both sickness and doubt, and sometimes they are too weary to overcome.) Some perish because they are totally dependent on another person’s faith.
And for some, well, it goes even deeper. They know what faith is. They know how to use that faith for a healing. But inside, there is something deeper that draws them, that makes them agree in faith with their lips but disagree in their hearts. Most of the time this is the person who knows God. These are people who have reached a state of peace with God. And they’ve finally reached the point in life where they aren’t afraid to meet Him face to face. In fact, they are the ones who are willing to accept defeat in order to do just that.
Excerpt permission granted by Jesse Duplantis Ministries
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”