First all, just to mention it, Zoro has the pdf of his book "Soar" available free on his online site at https://zorothedrummer.com/ (scroll down a few screens). Also, I'd like to mention a book entitled Practicing the way. Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did by John Mark Comer. I've only read the first few pages, yet it seems to indicate a thoroughgoing view of following the Lord. Somehow the words I've only read the first few pages reminds me of a song--not sure I can recall it--we've only just begun to see the start of who he is. This was not the song, however I found https://youtu.be/ZGUMiKj7iO8?si=jgaCMj_0tkSCGU7- We are supposed to be like the Lord. Praise God, I tried searching and could not identify the song. Then as I looked at my note YouTube began to play Suzy Yaraei's song "He's alive". "I've only just begun to worship him". I've been seeking to learn more about healing and wanted to mention a few things that recently were revealed in my walk. Yesterday when Rick spoke at the Sunday morning meeting he mentioned that he had hurt himself the evening before and I began to pray for healing, both for him and for the sake of what would be preached and for those listening (the benefit to them of him being able to preach). It was easy to pray, no questions in my mind, and I felt the presence of the Lord. Then again when I went to bed I prayed for him and felt the presence of the Lord and thought, Lord, pour out the graciousness of You, precious Lord, not anything of myself. I mention this because of the "no questions". Sometimes in some other circumstance when I try to pray for healing for someone (from the song--very good news) there is a sense of correction needed and that does seem to hinder the freedom of my prayer. Definitely, not so often the sense of the presence of the Lord. Now, when Jesus healed folks it does not show him stating their wrongs usually, though you can see him speaking truth to the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery. It's possible that the woman touching his garment was also corrected some (who touched me, I felt power go out of me) though he also said to her that her faith had made her well. (In case that's disturbing, and I don't know that it was correction, there's the parable of the persistent friend asking for bread for another friend, so we see the Lord presenting the case of the violent (spiritually) taking it by force. (I'm not saying "this is the teaching", I'm just sharing.) Still, when it is written that Jesus healed them all, it seems to be without mention of evaluating the person and resolving everything before healing them. As my faith is tried and the way to healing not being like what I lowerly would have preferred. Here "lowerly" means what it sounds like, even if it is not a word. In a way that is lower, in a way that doesn't recognize the "exceedingly abundantly" of what the Lord is doing. I just wanted it to be easy. And in some measure it has been easy. The Lord does treat us easy. Yet obtaining my present need of healing has not been easy, if I may say that. I have been taught that the Christian life is difficult, that we're not going to stumble into it--hey, I got in. It's difficult. So in that sense, it's not easy. I wonder if that kind of freedom or confidence, perhaps also welcomed awareness of how the other is doing instead of the awareness of some ongoing wrong--how is that to be compared to believing when we pray? If I have questions maybe that is not believing my prayer. I wonder in my ignorance if believing what we ask for may involve anything that has not been accounted for or that I have not realized to be accounted for. (I think I mean accounted for in practical terms in the teaching that I have encountered. I would not want to oppose the teaching that I've received. I don't mean to imply or allow that with my words. I wonder if the Lord said, discover the meaning of this.) The awareness that I mention is just discernment and the sense that we can know how another is doing, even if we do not see them at the time--because we're one. Something like 20 years ago my pastor said, what if the Lord says, I want that person raised from the dead? As I consider that, it seems like the Lord is expecting something of those he is speaking to, that we should go in faith and do that. Yet, how is that done? It seems like it might not be my past practice of saying only or mainly "Lord, please heal" or "Lord, please do the thing I am requesting." How would those prayers be responding to the Lord saying to his servants, I want that person healed. Yet even if we exercise faith or in some other way "bring something" it would still be true as the apostles said, "why do you look intently on us as if by our own power or godliness" we did anything? Please don't take my comments as "I know so much" or "I understand about healing". I don't know if I'm still in kindergarten, but I might be. If anyone has comments, I'd appreciate hearing more.

Posted by John Fullerton at 2024-12-30 11:55:36 UTC