God Gives Grace to the Humble…

…but resists the proud.

I meet so many people that say they want to be healed, they need me to pray for them, but then as I try to counsel or minister, they then begin to tell me how they expect God will heal them and exactly how I should minister to them.

When it was time for some deep healing to be done in my heart, God sent me to a minister that did not have the best character. I could see many things they needed healing from, and a pastor’s wife said to me later, “why would you go to them?” Well, at the time I did question God about it and He said to me, “I am the one healing you, not them. So keep your eyes on me.”  That was a good lesson for me…and great wisdom. A lesson in true humility. And God was right, it was in those times when I was with this person, that Jesus himself came and ministered to me. I was healed of so much, and my eyes were opened more to the spirit realm.

When I start to counsel a person, oftentimes I will give them homework. I will push them a little, to see if they will comply. It is my way of “testing” them. I do not want to waste my time, if they are not willing to invest in themselves, then there is no reason for me to. Sometimes they come back and want to critique me about how I am counseling them, or they won’t do the homework I give them, I know right then, it isn’t gonna work. It will just get worse. They are looking at me, and not Jesus. They don’t really want to change, so they will pick me apart, and create me out to be evil so they can continue to be a victim. When people I am trying to help began to attack me, it exposes their hearts and shows me they are not ready.

These are the same people that have story after story about how they have gone here and there for ministry, but have NEVER gotten healed. They seem to forget that they are the common denominator in the equation.
When people tell me how they expect to be healed, and how Jesus is going to do it. I think that’s just ultimately prideful…and, honestly I doubt they will ever get healed if they continue to think that way. Getting healed takes a lot of humility.  Humility to do it like God says, to look at your past, and walk through the painful places.

One time I was ministering to a person, and it was going really well but then she started crying and said “I have to pray, I have to pray!!!” So I said, pray, and I listened, well the the whole prayer was about how she knew Jesus was just gonna miraculously heal her and it was coming one day soon. It would come like lightning. She would not have to suffer through it. When she got done I said to her “you’re not ready to be healed.”
She was taken back because was one of those that had story and story of how she went to this person for healing and that person for healing and this person….but she never got healed.  After I heard her prayer I understood why.    She was resisting it and she was telling God how she intended to be healed.  It was a fortress built to protect her from doing the work.   Isn’t He still the potter and aren’t we still the clay? But it seems sometimes people forget that, especially in the charismatic church…and especially people that are wounded.

God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble.

Wounded people set themselves up as a victim, like they have no power, and they just have to wait for God to heal them. Sit by the pool hoping someone will put them in it. But I believe you have to be proactive in your healing. You have to pray, fast, knock on doors, seek your healing, and be willing to be ministered to by whosoever God sends you to in any way He chooses. You also need to do the work when counselors, ministers, preachers give you homework. You need to pick up your mat and walk.

When I wanted my healing, I read every book I could get my hands on… And learned all I could about how to get healed. Many are not ready to “be made whole” and most don’t want to do whatever work might be required. The church has aided in the debilitation of believers by carrying them, feeding them, nursing them, etc. Giving them prophesy after prophesy of how God is going to miraculously intervene on their behalf.

The other day, I was praying for someone, and I saw them,  lying on their back as an adult with their legs in the air, waiting and wanting someone to come change their diaper; how tragic, but how true for some. They want to stay a baby, so much so, they do not even want to take responsibility for themselves.  This person was in their 40’s and still  living with their mother.  They had no job, but was physically able to work.  They even tried to ask me for money.  I stopped them right away and said, I do not support people that can work but choose not to.

I want help to people that are wounded, and because I’m called to be a mother, I also try to help people grow up. I attempt to teach them how to take care of themselves, and be able to stand on their own two feet, to be an adult. But I have learned, I cannot minister to someone that is stuck in this place, or is prideful. I would be wasting my time. Sometimes I think people, like that person, are in such humble circumstances because God’s trying to humble them so He CAN heal them.

Naaman the leper is such a good example from the bible. He was a leader, and was used to people under his authority. He was upset when Elisha did not come to him personally, but he had just sent word through someone telling Naaman to dip in the waters 7 times.

Naaman was so offended, upset with Elisha, he almost left, but the people around him encouraged him to give it a go. To stay humble and submitted.  So Naaman did as the prophet said, he dipped in this dirty water 7 times…AND then miraculously, he WAS healed from the leprosy, and praised God.

Leprosy is symbolic of rebellion in the bible. Rebellion is always rooted in pride. Naaman had to be humbled, before he would be healed.

Are you ready to be healed?
Are you willing to receive it any way the Lord sends it to you?
Would you dip 7 times in a dirty river if God asked you to?
Would you let someone less than perfect minister to you?
Are you willing for God to humble you so you can receive grace?
Can you put your “expectations” and “words” on the altar and be healed however God says?
Are you ready to take responsibility for your life, your healing and spiritual maturity?
Are you ready to stop blaming everyone else for your inability to get healed?

Imagine It

When I was a child, I loved to pretend. When I pretended, I actually saw what I imagined. If I wanted my bear to talk, I just saw him come to life and talk. It was amazing!!! I still remember it. I also remember thinking, I do not want to grow up…because somehow, I knew that this gift would end. Sure enough, one day it stopped.

Sometimes, I wonder why it stopped, and I wonder why God let me be able to do that as a child. I also wonder if there is a power in imagination that we in the church have not understood. Did you know that people can imagine they are sick and sure enough, they will manifest all the symptoms of the illness? Wikipedia says “In some cases, they can seem so ‘real’ that specific physical manifestations occur such as rashes and bruises appearing on the skin, as though imagination had passed into belief or the events imagined were actually in progress.”

So I wonder, what if sick people imagined Jesus healed them, and that passed into belief, with faith like a child…would they, could they…manifest a healing?

I still think it is so amazing that I was able to “see”…and to believe it was real. I had faith as a child, THE faith of a child. When I hear about creative miracles, I wonder if this gift of imagining, seeing and believing could be used to release that.

Luke 18:17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Matthew 18:3 And said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”