Mid-May 2012 Partner Letter

Dear Partner,

I declare by faith right now a GOOD WORD into your life… By the spirit of God, I speak blessings over you today… I believe it’s time RIGHT NOW for you to walk in the full inheritance of blessings that God has for you!

So, I encourage you to sit down, put aside any distractions, and receive this word from the Lord that I have for you…

God’s power to work in your life is unlimited! Whatever circumstances you are facing, God has a good plan for you, and there is HOPE for you today! Reach out for all He has for you by faith… See yourself and your loved ones blessed with healing, deliverance, wisdom, godly relationships, abundant provision, and divine protection…

You see, this is the blessing we can have as Christians when we choose to pursue UNITY according to 1 Peter 3:8–9, which says, Be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

This is so important to your victory in the Lord… There is a powerful BLESSING available to you when you live in unity with others, especially with other believers in Jesus. God’s unlimited power can flow into our lives and our nations as we obey His Word and love others as He loves us.

First Peter 3:10–13 tells us what the blessing of unity looks like… He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?

Let me show you what this blessing of unity means to YOU…

#1—You will love life! Think about it… Strife leads to stress. People who are argumentative, jealous, and judgmental can weigh you down. But it feels wonderful to be with people who are peaceful, cooperative, and kind. Unity brings you godly enjoyment in the everyday moments of your life.

#2—You will see good days! Strife leads to all kinds of evil works (James 3:16). As you avoid strife, you avoid the troubles that result from it—like anger, violence, gossip, unforgiveness, lying, and other evil works. Instead, you see good days and enjoy the good things that God has planned for you.

#3—Your prayers will be heard! This scripture makes it clear that God is pleased when He sees you pursuing unity, watching your words, avoiding evil, and loving others as He loves you. He hears the prayers of those who please Him by obeying His Word.

#4—Your life will be protected! In the midst of trouble, unity helps you to experience God’s power to preserve you and bring about good for you. As you pursue peaceful agreements with others, it’s harder for the devil to isolate you and attack you. You have the benefit of receiving help from others when you’re in unity with them.

This is the blessing of unity… A good life filled with joy, answered prayers, and the Lord’s protection… And it is the harvest you reap when you sow seeds by forgiving others, loving them, and standing in faith with them in the name of the Lord. This is why it is so important to avoid strife and choose to do things that promote God’s peace in your life and in your nation.

Now, I want to be clear… I am NOT talking about compromising the Word of God to achieve a false sense of peace. If the Bible says something, you must obey it and be in agreement with it. Sometimes, it seems as if the world believes that the only way to have peace is to stop Christians from talking about Jesus. But those who say such things are deceived! They don’t see the truth that GOD-GIVEN PEACE—the kind that LASTS—is possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

God has a better way to live than what the world offers (Proverbs 14:12). He has called you to follow Him, obey His Word, make godly decisions, and avoid the things that divide us, such as offense, unforgiveness, judgmentalism, and pride.

If you want to see the blessing of unity, you must avoid the traps that promote division. Remember, our enemy the devil causes strife by convincing us to focus on things that are hurtful and negative, provoking people to jealousy and anger.

However… God’s will for you is that you focus on what is GOOD, because God Himself is good (Philippians 4:8). He instructs you to renew your mind and change your thinking so that you can see things from His perspective (Romans 12:1–2). Living in unity means being of ONE MIND with God and with other Christians (1 Peter 3:8). It means you are to have the same attitude that Jesus Christ has. Let me explain what the mind—or attitude—of Christ looks like…

The Bible says that although Jesus is the Son of God, He wasn’t dominated by pride or by a desire to lord His position over others. Instead, He humbled Himself to come to earth in the form of a man (Philippians 2:5–11). And He willingly went to death on the Cross, a humiliating form of execution, to pay for our sins. He did it because by faith He saw the reward that would come of it… He knew there would be forgiveness of sins, the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, and eternal life for all who believe on Him as Lord and Savior.

To put it simply, the attitude (or mind) of Jesus Christ is LOVE… He loved you enough to sacrifice Himself for you. He LOVES you enough to be with you in your time of need. He was and is not afraid to humble Himself and put others first. That’s how He was able to resist the devil, fulfill God’s plan for His earthly life, and receive the Name that is above every other name!

As you choose to humbly love others, you can see them as God sees them, which makes it so much easier to walk in unity with them. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). God doesn’t focus on the outward things. He doesn’t play favorites based on whether you are male or female, boss or employee, Republican or Democrat or other political groups, American or Canadian or another nationality, black or white or brown or any other skin color…

Partner, what matters MOST to God is YOUR HEART (1 Samuel 16:7). What you have on the inside is what matters most to Him—your faith in Him, your obedience to His Word, your motivations, your character, and your love for Him and His ways of doing and being.

We see this in the life of Jesus Christ, who did not play favorites (Romans 10:12). He ministered to the rich ruler Jairus and the poor Mary Magdalene. When He taught His disciples (men), He let Mary (a woman) listen in and He invited Martha (a woman) to join them and worry about the cooking later…

Jesus healed Jewish people like Peter’s mother-in-law, but He also healed the Roman centurion’s aide and the Syrophoenician (Gentile) woman’s demon-possessed daughter. He talked to Nicodemus, who was a respected member of the Jewish religious counsel, but He also talked to Zacchaeus, who was despised because he stole from others for his own personal gain.

Jesus ministered to everyone who would receive Him, no matter who they were.

If you want to enjoy the blessing of unity, you must pursue it just as Jesus did. You must choose to allow God’s Word to be the deciding factor in what you think, say, and do. As you avoid strife and choose to focus on what you have in common with others, you are doing your part to promote godly unity, and the blessing of His anointing will flow more freely in your life and in your nation.

Of course, you won’t always agree with others on every little thing. Sometimes, you’re going to see things differently. However… You always have the power to CHOOSE how you will respond when disagreements happen. You can CHOOSE to get angry and be divided from others… OR, you can CHOOSE to walk in love, forgiveness, and unity. It’s up to you to ALLOW God’s Word to be the final say in your life.

As you pursue godly unity, beware of people and groups that promote violence, division, or evil-doing. Don’t associate with them, and don’t give them place in your thinking. As a Christian, you don’t repay evil with evil, but instead you overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

So… When people attack others, promote the idea of robbing others of what they have worked hard to earn, take offense instead of forgiving, and adopt an “ends justify the means” philosophy, God isn’t in it! Don’t align yourself with people who choose to live this way. Avoid these kinds of behaviors, because they encourage division and strife.

Instead, align yourself with God, not man. Base your actions and your words on His Word—not on gender, race, political affiliation, financial status, or any other earthly thing. If you and I are truly His children, then we are going to live like our Father lives… dominated by peace, truth, love, mercy, goodness, and generosity. No matter what is going on in your circumstances… It is God’s Word that should ALWAYS determine your actions, because God’s Word is what produces lasting victory in your life!

Remember, the unlimited power of God is present when His people are in one accord (Acts 2:1–4). When we come together in faith before the Lord, humbling ourselves and seeking His face in unity, His healing can be poured out on our land, bringing much-needed godliness, wisdom, and a turnaround to the troubles we see at work in the world today.

This is why I’m calling on YOU to stand in faith and act on God’s Word for the healing of our nations! Through our prayers and our commitment to listening to the Holy Spirit and pursuing unity, I believe we can put the devil to flight and give God room to pour out His power to change our lives and heal our nations!

As you pray in faith, do things that promote peace instead of strife, and bless others, you are placing your faith in God to be the Source of the solution to any challenges in your life and in your nation. And what you sow—doing good and blessing others—is what you will reap in due season (Galatians 6:9).

The unlimited power of God produces great harvests from our seed-sowing! I believe that as we pray for our nations, God will not only hear us and answer us, but I believe He will also begin to work in your individual life… I am expecting Him to send His healing power to you and your loved ones, in every area where you need His help.

When you send in your Prayer Response, be sure to tell me what you are believing God to do for you and your loved ones. I will hold your prayer requests in my hands and pray over them, believing God to send you His perfect answers for every situation you are facing. Remember, He is no respecter of persons. He wants to be involved in your life TODAY! Let’s come into agreement for His will to be done in your life and for His blessings to flow to you.

I also want to stand with you in agreement for healing in our lands… Invite your family and friends and coworkers to tune in to The Place for Miracles on Thursday, May 31 for our Day of Prayer for the Healing of Our Nations. We can make a difference and be a godly influence on the direction that our leaders take as we humble ourselves, pray, and seek the Lord’s will for our lands.

Let’s turn this time of prayer and seeking God’s face into a black eye for the devil! Ask the Lord how to sow the very best seed you can sow right now… First,  plan to pray with Lindsay and me on May 31…and take time to pray before and after May 31 too.

Ask the Lord how you can sow seeds of unity in your family, on your job, in your community, and in your nation. Look for ways to bless others and encourage peace instead of strife, everywhere you go.

And finally, I am asking you for a very special seed-faith offering into this healing ministry this month… This is good ground, and I believe it WILL produce a harvest for you! I will use the seed you sow for God’s glory, expecting blessings and answers to prayer as we reach out to the world with God’s Word and healing power… And I am expecting God to multiply your seed back to YOU in the way you need it.

As you sow your seed this month, use it as a point of contact to release your faith to God and expect His unlimited healing power to come into your life and your nation. Join with me in believing Him to turn around a down economy and reverse the unemployment rates. Let’s stand together expecting Him to bring godly leaders to the forefront and give them favor. Release your faith for the needs of your nation as you sow your seed in faith to the Lord!

And KEEP EXPECTING YOUR HARVEST, because God is the Lord of the Harvest. As you sow to Him, He multiplies it back to you! Sowing your seed puts you into unity with this ministry and our outreaches. It brings you into one accord with Lindsay, me, and the Lord. And remember… When we are in one accord, the power of God comes into your life! Your seed is going to produce a harvest for you.

I want you to know that I am standing in faith with you for abundant harvests of healing, deliverance, ideas, concepts, insights, godly relationships, jobs, finances, and everything else that you need… In Jesus’ name, may your every seed sown in faith come back to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (Luke 6:38).

You are a great blessing to Lindsay and me, and I thank God for you daily. I look forward to hearing from you very, very soon!

Your partner for miracles,

PS. Don’t forget to tune in to The Place for Miracles on Thursday, May 31 to be a part of our Day of Prayer for the Healing of Our Nations. Together, let’s stand in faith for you, your loved ones, and our nations. I’m expecting to see signs, wonders, miracles, and answers to prayer, and I encourage you to be expecting too! Invite your loved ones to join in, so we can make a UNITED stand in faith for the Lord’s healing and restoring power to be poured into every area where it is needed.

Mid-April 2012 Partner Letter

Dear Partner,

I have been praying for you…

There is so much on my heart to share with you today… We are facing serious challenges in America, Canada, and the other nations of the world… There is a great need in every nation for the power of God to save, heal, deliver, prosper, and bring restoration into people’s lives.

If you and I aren’t careful, we could be overwhelmed by the needs we’re facing… But the truth is, you and I aren’t helpless, because we serve the Lord Jesus Christ—the One who came to rescue us. He paid the price for our sin, and through faith in Him, we have both eternal life and His help in our earthly existence. If you have received Him as Lord and Savior, then He is present with you right now, in the midst of any circumstances that you may be dealing with.

His power to work on your behalf and bring about good for you is limitless! Nothing is impossible for Him. And that is very Good News, because if there has ever been a day when you and I need to see the impossible come to pass, it is today.

In these last days, we seem to be in a spiritual battle like no other. Many demonic forces are coming against us… We’re confronted daily by beliefs that go against our Christian foundation. We’re seeing immorality in our governments and corporations, leading to excess, greed, and economic stress. There is a lack of godliness in every arena of life, and our nations are paying the price!

If we are going to fight this spiritual battle effectively, we must remember where our troubles are coming from. The Bible says, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).

In other words, our true battle as Christians is not against people, governments, corporations, or earthly things… Our true enemy is the devil, whose only plan is still the same as what he did in the Garden of Eden… He is a liar and a thief who tries to steal, kill, and destroy everything that is good and godly in this world, because he hates God!

The spiritual forces of wickedness are working overtime in every nation of the world to steal, kill, and destroy all they can before Jesus comes back to permanently put them under His feet. But you don’t have to give in to fear… For God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Think about that for a moment. As a born-again believer in Jesus, you have the love of God inside you—the love that never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). You have sound thinking and the ability to choose what is godly because you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

And you have access to His unlimited power, because through Christ, you have authority and influence in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 1:19–23)… When you received Him into your life, He gave you the Holy Spirit… And you received power when the Holy Spirit came upon you (Acts 1:8). Through your relationship with Jesus, your faith in His Word, and your obedience to His will for your life, you can make a significant difference in your family, your company, your community, your country, and the world.

No matter what you may face, God’s blessings will come to you as you live out the truth in Matthew 6:31–33, which says… Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’… For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things shall be ADDED TO YOU. 

When you put God’s kingdom and His righteousness first in your life, it opens the way for you to receive the many blessings He has for you. I believe that’s why America has been a blessed nation over the years. We were founded on Christian principles and led by many people who served the Lord. The seeds they sowed into the development of this nation have caused us to prosper in many ways. And I believe this is true for any nation that is willing to follow God’s will… As we submit to Him, He can bless us.

I believe the key to turning our nations around today…the key to bringing deliverance to any nation that is suffering right now…is to turn to Jesus and put Him first, obeying His Word, which reveals His will and His principles for how to live. He is the only One who can truly heal the things that are wrong in our societies, in our governments, in our world, and in our lives. Without Him, we can do nothing. But… Through Him, we can experience healing and wholeness—spirit, soul, and body.

How do you seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness? I believe that first and foremost, you must make Him the Lord of your life. If you haven’t officially given your life to Him, today is the day to do it! Don’t wait… Invite Jesus into your heart right now and confess Him as Lord and Savior, the One who died for your sins and was raised from the dead to sit at God’s right hand… Righteousness and the blessings that come from it begin with a right relationship with God.

Once our relationship with Him is right, then we are called to live as Jesus lived and do the works that He did during His earthly ministry. We are to be His voice, His hands, and His feet to our loved ones, our nations, and our world. As we do this, we’ll be able to share His righteousness with those in need of it.

What works did Jesus do, and how did He live? Jesus declared His mission in Luke 4:18…“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

Partner, Jesus Christ ministered to people whose hearts and lives were broken. He was always at the point of their need. He was on the docks. He was in the marketplaces. He was in people’s homes. Wherever people were hurting, he was there to minister to them in their circumstances of brokenness, frailty, failure, sickness, and poverty.

And there are so many people hurting today… There are so many needs in our families, our nations, and our world. There are so many things that have been broken as a result of sin… We are broken in our ability to live in peace with other nations… We are broken in our governments and among our corporations, where leaders make mistakes, behave immorally, and fail to do what is godly…

We also see brokenness in our relationships with one another… It takes on many forms…racial prejudice, political division, conflict between the so-called haves and have-nots… We see it in the large number of divorces these days… and in the many relationships that have been damaged because of unforgiveness. And many of us are broken in our relationship with God…

There is something broken in every person, because we live in a fallen world. I’ve never met anybody who, if they were being honest, would not admit to having problems and needs. We’re all in that condition. Sin breaks us. The evil that the devil does can crush people’s hearts, minds, relationships, bodies, and finances.

But even in the midst of a fallen world… even in the midst of bad news, sickness, unemployment, and other troubles, there is Good News. There is always Good News, because there is always a good God that you can turn to in your time of need.

The Good News is that no matter how bad things get in your nation, the world, and your individual life, God is for you and not against you. He is your Healer—Jesus came to make you whole in spirit, soul, and body! This is the Good News that you help me to share with the world through the outreaches of this healing ministry—television, magazines, the Internet, School of the Spirit classes, and the Abundant Life Prayer Group.

And it’s a message from God that is sorely needed today. You and I have been called by the Lord to share this message with people around us… Now, I know this divine calling flies in the face of our human nature… The world in which we live often glorifies the pursuit of our own happiness, rather than the pursuit of righteousness—which is God’s way of being and doing.

But as Christians, we are called to put aside our selfish desires in order to do good, be a blessing, and promote peace with God and with others. If we want to see healing in our land and in our world, it’s time to set aside our selfish desires and pursue God’s plan for our lives and for the nations. And we have the privilege and the calling to invite the Lord to change things in our nation and the world through the power of prayer.

James 5:16 says, The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. As a believer in Jesus Christ, your prayers WORK! As you pray in faith according to God’s Word, you open a way for Him to come into your life. Your prayers of faith connect to His unlimited power—and His power then begins to change the situation you are praying about.

We are told in 1 Timothy 2:1–3, Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. You and I are called specifically to pray for all our leaders, giving thanks for any goodness that comes to us through them, and interceding so that they will make godly decisions.

Now… I believe that as we obey the Lord, God can stretch out His hand to heal America, Canada, and all the nations of the world… He wants to bring His healing power into our prisons, our militaries, our governments, our churches, our families, our marriages, our finances, our bodies, our minds, and our spirits… He wants to heal us completely, as individuals and as nations.

But we have to give Him something to work with… We must give our time to praying for the needs we see around us… We must seek God’s righteousness in our lives and on behalf of our loved ones and our lands… We must do the work of His kingdom by sharing the Good News with others!

And we must act by giving our time, our prayers, and our finances to the work of God in our land and around the world. It is time to sow a financial seed for the salvation and healing of the nations. The Word says that what we sow is what we will reap (Galatians 6:7). If we want to reap righteousness in our nations, we need to sow toward it and reach out to Him in faith for it. That part is up to us!

I believe this healing ministry is good ground for planting seed toward healing in our nations. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to pray, believe God, preach the Word, and share Jesus with the world. Your seed sown into this ministry helps us broadcast the healing Word of Jesus Christ on the television airwaves, where it can reach people who need to hear it. Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

As we speak God’s Word over America, Canada, and all the nations of the world through our prayers and on the airwaves, we are giving people an opportunity to come to faith in the Lord… And their right relationship with Him will help bring about righteousness in our lands. Your financial seeds matter… You are making a difference!

Now, I believe it’s also time for you to get seed in the ground for your own needs too… Some experts are predicting a gallon of gas will cost five dollars in the U.S. before the summer is over… And there are other economic challenges expected to arise around the world…

But as a child of God, YOU don’t have to fear the bad news and the negative predictions… YOU can tap into the unlimited supply of heaven’s resources! So, plant a seed in faith to God for your provision NOW… And expect the abundance, provision, plans, ideas, concepts, and insights into your finances that He has especially for YOU.

Remember, giving connects you to God’s eternal principle of seedtime and harvest! And consistent seed-sowing brings about consistent health and wellness in your finances. Make it your plan to sow seed to the Lord as often as you have the opportunity, so that you can have harvests growing and coming in for you all the time.

As you sow your seed, don’t forget to let me know about your specific prayer needs, so I can pray and agree with you in faith for your needs to be met and for God to work in the lives of your loved ones. Nothing is impossible with the Lord…and He has real answers for the needs you have!

It’s so important for us to stand together in faith, to pray, and to sow seed toward the righteousness of our nation. Let’s join together for a Day of Prayer for the Healing of Our Nations on Thursday, May 31. We’ll gather together through that day’s broadcast of The Place for Miracles, and we will pray over your prayer requests as well as for the healing and restoration of righteousness in our lands.

Remember, your prayers are powerful and effective, even more so when we pray together in agreement for your needs and for the needs of our nations. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Together, we are accomplishing great things for God’s kingdom and promoting His righteousness in our world…and because of it, you will receive the blessing that comes from God according to Matthew 6:33.

I thank God for you, and for every opportunity we have in partnership to further the work of God’s kingdom through this healing ministry. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Your partner for miracles,

PS. Be sure to send in your prayer requests, sow your seed, and join me for a Day of Prayer for the Healing of Our Nations on Thursday, May 31. Together, we will stand in faith for your needs and the needs of our nations to be met, and for God’s healing and restoration power to flow into every area where it is so greatly needed. I’m expecting God to move in our lives in response to our obedience and faith in Him!

Download your copy of the "Prayers for Healing and Restoration of the Nations" pamphlet

Healing

Oral Roberts has said, “During my ministry, I have personally laid hands on over a million people in prayer, thousands of whom had been given up because there was no known medical cure. And I am convinced that no disease is hopeless—none is incurable—for God can heal all sickness. His power has no limits or barriers when we center our faith in Him.”

Does sickness come from God or the devil? Does God sometimes send sickness to punish us for some sin or wrongdoing?

Sickness is not placed in your body by a loving and good God. Jesus never told anyone that sickness was God’s punishment or God’s will. God wants to heal your body, not afflict it, a truth backed up by many Scriptures. (See the list of healing Scriptures.) The author of both sickness and sin is the devil, and Jesus rebuked both sickness and sin whenever he confronted them. The Apostle Peter made this plain when he preached the Gospel to Cornelius and his household. He said, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38 NKJV). God does not send sin or oppression. He delivers. He does not send sickness or disease. He heals.

Should we exhaust all other resources before going to the Lord for healing? Is it okay to use doctors and medicines?

There is nothing in the Bible that indicates a Christian can’t use doctors and medicine in order to be healed. James 1:17 NKJV says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” All healing power is of God. The ability of doctors and medicines to help us is a God-given ability, and much healing is brought about through medical skill. God’s power doesn’t diminish when we use medical science. His ability to do miracles doesn’t negate the power He has given to doctors and medicine. But God is always the final authority for anything in our lives. We always have the privilege of going to God first, last, and always. The important thing is the right use of our faith. Whether we receive healing through medical science or through a miracle, we should give the glory to God, who is our Healer.

What is the best way to pray for my own healing or someone else’s healing?

The effectiveness of our prayers does not depend on the words we use or how often we repeat them, but rather on meeting God and the conditions set out for us in the Scriptures. To receive healing, we must have faith in God’s power and in His desire to heal us. Once we are ready to release our faith to God, we can pray for healing according to the Word of God. John 14:14 NKJV says, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” When we release our faith for healing and pray in Jesus’ name, we know that God has heard us, and we know we have the answer. At this point, we can stop asking God and begin thanking Him for the answer.

Do I need to go to a special healing service or have someone lay hands on me and pray for me in order to be healed?

No, you do not have to go to any special place or have anyone lay hands on you for you to be healed. It is Christ who heals, and Christ is everywhere present at the same time. It is not important whether you are first in the prayer line at a healing crusade or last in line. It doesn’t matter whether you are sitting at church, driving your car, or resting at home. To receive healing, the important thing is to make contact with your Healer, Jesus Christ, who is everywhere. Healing comes when you have faith for healing and when you reach out to God with that faith. You can believe God and receive healing right where you are.

What is the significance of anointing a person with oil or using a prayer cloth?

The anointing oil is used as a point of contact to help a person release his or her faith. This is taught in James 5:14–15 NKJV: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” Use of the oil is symbolic of our dependence on God. The important thing when you are anointed with oil is to release your faith to God for your healing.

Like anointing oil, a prayer cloth can be used as a point of contact to release faith for healing. The Apostle Paul sometimes made use of prayer cloths. This is described in Acts 19:12 NKJV: “Even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” The thing that counts is not the prayer cloth itself, but rather our faith in Jesus Christ. Anointing oil and prayer cloths simply help some people to release their faith for healing.

What do I do if my healing seems slow in coming?

Many times, healing is a gradual process. It doesn’t always come instantly. When healing seems slow in coming, you may be tempted to get discouraged or to think you don’t have the faith for healing. Perhaps it is simply taking time for your body to heal. Or perhaps there’s still something you must do before God’s healing power can be fully released to work in your life. If your healing seems slow in coming, these suggestions may help you to receive your healing.

1. Let the Word of God become real to you. Sometimes, we hear the Word and know it’s true in our heads, but it hasn’t become real in our hearts yet. If that is your struggle, you can build faith in your heart by reading, listening to, and meditating on God’s Word about healing. Faith comes by hearing and receiving the truth in God’s Word. You may need to spend more time with God’s Word than you usually do. You can also be encouraged in your faith by reading and listening to stories of people who have been healed.
2. Don’t become discouraged when you don’t see immediate results to your prayers. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your faith if an answer doesn’t come instantly. Continue to pray, continue to thank God, and ask others to pray and agree with you.
3. Ask yourself if there is a spiritual or emotional issue that could be affecting your physical health. It’s important to open up every area of your life to God so He can heal your entire being. Ask God if there is something blocking your healing. If He reveals an issue to you, deal with it through repentance and whatever else you need to do to make it right.
4. Continue to resist the devil. He is the source of sickness, not God. And he will try to deceive you into doubting God’s healing power. So put the devil in his place. Refuse to accept negative thoughts or doubts, and replace them with God’s Word.
5. Let God direct you about how to receive your healing. Many times, when we are sick, we get it in our minds that God will heal us in a certain way, and we get disappointed when it does not happen as we thought it would. Often, we block God’s healing power simply because we are not open to the many means God uses for healing. Your healing may come to you by prayer, by medicine, or by both. Be open to all of God’s healing methods.
6. You may need to see a physician. It is not wrong for a Christian to seek medical care. Medicine is a gift God has given us. Doctors are a means through which God can bring you your healing, so be open to it and visit a doctor if you haven’t already done so.
7. You may need to simply receive. Many Christians have not learned how to receive from God through simple faith. If you believe this is an area where you are struggling, ask God to help you learn how to receive from Him.

What should I do when I’m tempted to doubt my healing? How do I keep my healing?

The devil comes to all of us to try to steal whatever blessings we receive from God. He attempts to introduce doubts into our minds. If we are experiencing doubts about a healing we have received, we must recognize that the source of the doubt is the devil. It’s also important to realize that healing is something we receive and keep by faith. You can combat doubts by reminding yourself of the moment you released faith for healing. Surround yourself with people who believe in the power of God. Read the Bible and encourage yourself with God’s promises of healing. Pray daily to stay close to God, and keep your mind fixed on Jesus. All these things can help you push doubt out of your life so that you can hold on to your healing.

Why isn’t everyone healed?

Romans 12:3 says, “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” According to this Scripture, everyone has faith. The capacity to believe is under the control of each individual. But not everyone directs his or her believing toward God. For instance, one person may put his faith in himself and his own ability. Another person may direct her faith toward money and what it will get her. Many people who need healing believe that their sickness is more than a match for them and that they are going to suffer defeat. This is fear—a belief that God’s power is not enough to beat sickness. If a person believes in the power of sickness more than the power of God, it will be hard for that person to receive God’s healing.

50 Years of Powerful Prayer—The Abundant Life Prayer Group

In 1958, a prayer partner said that she considered her telephone an instrument used for God’s glory. And that’s just as true today, in 2008. In fact, more than once, Oral Roberts has said, “The Abundant Life Prayer Group is the heartbeat of this ministry.”

On January 1, 1958, Oral Roberts set aside a special room in the headquarters of his ministry office building in Tulsa, OK. Oral organized prayer chains where ministry employees would pray in 15-minute increments throughout the day for the prayer requests that came in to the ministry. From these very special prayer chains grew the Abundant Life Prayer Group.

The first Abundant Life Prayer Group went on duty March 31, 1958. During the first six months of service, the prayer group received 7,000 telephone calls. Today, we receive over 3,000 calls for prayer each day from callers in every state and all over the world.

The impact of the Abundant Life Prayer Group cannot be overstated. For many people, the ALPG is their spiritual life line. Many people call the prayer group who feel like they can’t talk to anyone else. Callers receive an understanding ear, the comforting promises of the Word of God, and an instant, faith-filled prayer. Every hour of every day, anointed prayer partners listen to the stories of people in trouble—the sick, the oppressed, the distressed—and offer them hope and strength through prayer. And of the thousands and thousands of people who have called the ALPG through the years, many have called back to report that those very prayers were miraculously answered.

Working in eight hour shifts, the Abundant Life Prayer Group’s prayer partners are on duty and ready to help you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need prayer for any reason or at any time, please call us at 918-495-7777. We’re here for you with the power of faith-filled prayers.