It is always God's will to heal you!

The proof for this controversial title is actually quite simple, but it would take volumes to exhaustively show.  However, I find that people don't usually take direct issue with the logic; they disagree with the Scriptures on the basis of their own experience.  Here I will only take the time to outline the proof.  Perhaps I will treat the remaining parts more thoroughly later.  The outline is as follows:

1. Jesus is the very image of the Father, and Jesus claimed to do nothing on His own, but only what He saw the Father doing.
2. Never once in Jesus' whole earthly ministry do we see Jesus refusing to heal someone because it was God's will for them to be sick.
3. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
4. Jesus told us that the works He had done, we too would do, and even greater ones than these.
5. He followed that up by saying that it was to the Father's glory that we bear much fruit by asking and receiving from Him whatever we need.

The weakest premise in the lot is the second, because it is negative, and we cannot say categorically that Jesus never refused to heal anyone.  We can only say that we never see it recorded.  We do know that there are plenty of instances when people who needed healing didn't get it.  For example, Jesus picked one man out at the Pool of Bethesda and healed him.  Why not heal the whole crowd?  And the woman with the issue of blood was healed by touching Jesus, even though hundreds more were practically crushing Him (presumably looking for the same blessing).  

There are two possible conclusions: 

1. The Father sent Jesus only to heal certain ones, and Jesus only healed those.
2. Jesus only healed in response to faith that He recognized.

The first seems rather arbitrary, but Jesus did everything for His Father's glory, could it have been to God's glory to heal just a few?  It seems not because Mark 6:6-5 says that Jesus was actually prevented from healing people by an amazing lack of faith.  In contrast, Jesus remarks several times that certain ones had "great faith" (Matt 8;10; 15:28) in connection with their healing, or that their faith had healed them (Mt 9:22; Mr 5:34; 10:52; Lu 8:48; 18:42).  It seems that God's power flows through our faith.

If that is true, then it can indeed be God's will to heal every time, but we would still see many not healed, because many lack faith.  Jesus didn't say that a lot of faith was needed, just a very small amount.  But He did say that having no doubt was important.  I cannot go into that here, but this is demonstrable from the Gospel accounts.  Perhaps another day.

So then, why do so few people believe that it is God's will to heal them?  Most everybody believes that God can heal, but very few believe that they are likely to see it in their lives.  My own daughter is a type I diabetic.  I have friends with terminal illnesses.  In every situation, people are fervently praying for healing, but it has not clearly come.  I can only speak for my own beliefs along my journey to offer a possible explanation for this.  I offer it in the hopes that it will help others who may be wrestling with this concept.  

I know I was afraid to presume on God that He would heal me.  I thought my problems were so insignificant, that surely God had bigger reasons for me not being healed.  Someone once pointed out that most of the biblical accounts of healing prayers were not requests but commands.  But I felt that demanding would be presumptuous.  I thought that that would be like trying to boss God.  Big mistake.  I didn't realize that Jesus told us to speak to our mountain about our God, not to speak to God about our mountain.  It makes a world of difference whom you are commanding.

But the rock-bottom reason I didn't believe in healing was because of my own experience. I'd asked and had not received, and I thought that must mean that the answer was, "No."  Hundreds of times I'd heard that God may answer, "Yes," "No," or "Wait" (I find no Scripture for this).  I figured I was just always getting "No" and "Wait" from Him.  So usually I'd just give up.  I didn't realize that healing wasn't magic, it doesn't usually happen in a flash (although it can).  I didn't realize how hard pressed we are by our enemy, the devil, who wants to steal, kill, and destroy.  He can't steal our salvation, but he can steal our blessings if we don't submit ourselves to God and resist the devil.  

The main problem was that I believed that I was trying to get God to do something He might have reasons not to do.  I would repeat and beg and plead, but I couldn't get God to move.  It wasn't until I realized that God had already done His part that I found out how to simply receive it.  By His wounds we have been healed. He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.  Matthew 8:17 applies this to physical healing, not just some spiritualized sense of healing.  

So God has already done His part with Jesus' sacrifice.  Now it is up to me to respond in faith.  I'm not trying to motivate God to do anything.  He has already bought my salvation and my health, and everything else.  But I must receive it. And I must fight off (in His power) my enemy who would steal it.  And I must rid myself of my unbelief that stops my faith.

The best way I've ever heard it put is that faith is just the hand that reaches out to receive what God has already provided by grace.  This is why we are saved by grace through faith.  Grace is the power, faith is the means.  Grace is like the electricity provided by the power company.  Faith is like the switch that puts all that power at my fingertips.

So God wants to heal all the time, but we seldom persist and receive.  Some may take issue with the idea that God could want something and not get it.  But His will is that none should perish but that all would come to repentance.  But all are not saved.  God has provided the way and paid for all the sins.  It is His desire that all avail themselves of this salvation.  But few actually reach out and receive it.  The same is true of healing.  True, the faith, too, comes from God.  But He gives us the right and the accompanying responsibility to exercise that power to make His work effectual.

So much more could be said, and I've only just started.  I conclude with many loose strings that I'm sure you could pull.  But I hope what I have managed to jot down will be a blessing to you as you reach out your hand of faith to receive all that God has to offer you through His grace.  And I hope you'll be there for me, too, when I have a hard time persisting and receiving God's grace myself.