How strong is your faith? Do you believe in miracles? Faith-filled surrender leads to healing forgiveness.

Fifteen years ago, the Lord miraculously healed me of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

I wanted to celebrate this anniversary by recounting the Scriptures that I have most identified with as my healing story, the woman who suffered from bleeding for 12 years, Luke 8:43-48. However, the Lord kept directing me to the story of the paralyzed man whose four friends brought him to Jesus in Luke 5:17-26, Matthew 9:2-8, and Mark 2:1-12 .

Four Faith-filled Friends

Four men carried their paralyzed friend to a crowded home where Jesus was teaching. The men couldn’t push through the crowd. They knew that Jesus would heal their friend if they could just get him close to Jesus.

The paralytic was helpless, but his friends were strong and determined.

They hoisted their friend up the stairway to the roof and made a hole in the roof big enough to lower their friend to the ground floor of the home.

The roof was usually accessible by means of an outside stairway, and was made of thatch, dirt or tile set over beams. It could be taken apart, and the friends of the paralyzed man could lower their friend down to Jesus. (David Guzik, BlueLetterBible)

Can you imagine dirt and dust falling from the roof upon Jesus and the people? Imagine the friends looking down and seeing the man slowly descending.

He’s at the feet of Jesus!

Jesus sees their faith and looks at the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 5:20, CSB)

Jesus knew the most important need and addressed it first and then the healing.

Jesus addresses the indignation of the scribes and Pharisees because He claimed to be able to forgive this man’s sins.

“Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — He told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God.“(Luke 5:23-25 CSB)

Faith-filled Surrender Leads to Healing Forgiveness

What a witness this man has! What a witness his faith-filled friends have! Filled with awe, the crowd glorified God.

One Faith-Filled Husband

After a humiliating leadership retreat, I planned to resign from my demanding job. Our retreats tended to be physical, and one night, I was in so much pain that a co-worker had to escort me back to my room before the evening was done.

The next day, I went home and told Keith, my faithful husband, that I would resign that Monday.

The next day, “There’s that healing service tonight, want to go?” I asked Keith as he drove to church. “Sure.”

We didn’t talk about it, we just went that night.

The Holy Spirit filled our hearts to overflowing with praise and prayer.

I cried out to the Lord, “I don’t care about the healing anymore, Lord. I just want more of You.”

People we knew were being healed.

“Those in pain, come forward.”

Keith grabbed my arm and marched me down to the front.

Jesus miraculously healed! A miracle confirmed by my doctor.

Like the paralytic, Jesus gave me my marching orders. Go back to work and tell everyone you’re healed. Be strong when they tell you it’s just a placebo effect.

Surrender! Faith! Forgiveness! Healing!

Faith-Filled Friends

There’s a young man in the hospital today. He has friends who are surrounding him. Friends who would dig holes in the roof to place him where he can get healing.

He has asked for prayer, and his friends are asking for prayer, faith-filled prayer.

Keith and I are praying for him to surrender his life and lay his hurts at the feet of Jesus. We’re praying that he will receive the forgiveness that leads to salvation and healing that Jesus freely offers.

Do you have a friend that needs faith-filled prayer? Will you pray for that friend now and believe that Jesus will forgive and heal?

A Prayer for Our Friends

Father, thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that You have plans for us and our families and friends. We know that Your plans for us are good and better than we can imagine.We know that You sent Your Son, Jesus, into the world to take our sins upon Himself. Jesus brought forgiveness to us and our friends if we only receive it as the paralytic did. Bring healing, Lord. You, alone are God. We surrender to You. Thank You, Lord. We will wait for Your work in our friends and glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

How are you bringing your friends to the feet of Jesus?

Related Links

14 Lessons Since God Healed Me

Bible Verses About Healing (GotQuestions.org)

First Forgiveness, Then Healing (Charles H. Spurgeon)