Matt Richards
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
You know Jesus asked the real questions. Do you want to be healed? The man had been there years and Jesus knew that; wasn't it obvious what he wanted? So why did Jesus ask? Not everyone wants to be healed. I remember Gypsy Lee telling this story that he offered to pray for someone on crutches at a petrol station, and they flat right refused saying they wanted to keep their DLA, as it was called at the time. Now please hear me right in this as this is an exception to the rule and I am not accusing anyone or everyone of wanting to remain the same, remain sick. Absolutely not. But Jesus asks this guy do you want to be healed? Because not everyone does want to be healed. Some have just given up and are used to being unwell. Some have too much to lose if they got healed. Some have such an ownership of their sickness it becomes their identity. And others just don't know that Jesus can, and is willing to heal. Jesus is asking me, Jesus is asking you do you want to be healed? Often than not we don't answer the question, but we answer rather with the reason we are not healed. [but the church is closed, I've got no one to pray for me, I am learning great lessons in my sickness etc. etc.] But you know the real answer should be: "Yes Jesus, I want to be healed." "Absolutely, emphatically yes." And Jesus said to him, "get up, take up your bed and walk." Time for you to get up and walk. Time for me to rise from a place of dependence, from being unable to mobilise or function properly, to walk, to run, to sing, to dance, and be all I'm called to be. First thing is you've got to do is get up. You might have been knocked down, let down, sat down, fell down. But right now just don't stay down...GET UP in Jesus name!
Prayer:
Father thank You that it is all in Jesus. I want to be healed. Thank You for Your healing, thank You for touching my body and making me whole, I choose today to hear Your voice and get up, in Jesus' name, amen.
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