Article February 2, 1987 ISSUE

Are we ready to heal?

Through prayer, we can heal. The real question is whether we are actually willing to accept and act upon this fact.

Ronald Gray Walker

Why did so many come to Christ Jesus for healing? Wasn't it largely because he was always ready to heal? Many, of course, came to him because they had heard of his marvelous works. Others met him seemingly by chance. But these encounters could not have been solely on account of his reputation as a healer or merely by chance. They were the result of his earnest and consecrated prayer.

Here are some instances mentioned in the Bible: it is recorded that during his wilderness experience at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus "fasted forty days and forty nights," which suggests that he devoted an extensive period to deep communion with God; later, before selecting his twelve disciples and delivering his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus "continued all night in prayer"; before responding to the call to help Lazarus, Jesus waited two days, during which he surely must have prayed deeply; and during the night before his trial and crucifixion Jesus prayed earnestly in Gethsemane. See Matt. 4:2; Luke 6:12; John 1 1:6; Matt. 26:36-44.

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