And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
(Luke 4:16-19)
There is a definite connection between hearing and being healed. You can find several instances in the New Testament where people refused to hear the Word and therefore were not healed.
In this passage from Luke 4 Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah, but the people wouldn’t hear it. Verse 28 tells of their response to Jesus: “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath.”
If the people had been willing to hear, they would have been filled with faith to receive their healing – not to mention all the other benefits of believing in Jesus. But they missed out on God’s blessings because they refused to hear.
During Jesus’ three years of ministry on this earth, we never find Him leaving anyone sick – except the people who wouldn’t receive from Him. For instance, in His own hometown, the people didn’t receive healing because of their unbelief.
Mark 6:5-6 says, “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.”
God won’t force anything on anyone. He’s a gentleman. But when you come to Him in faith, it’s His delight to heal you and set you free.
I choose to hear God’s Word and accept His will,
which is my healing. I will not allow doubt and
unbelief to keep me from receiving from God.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
Today Mark and Janet pastor World Outreach Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they base their ongoing outreach to the world. The Brazees still travel as the Lord leads, and they are raising up a congregation who share their passion to reach Tulsa and the world.