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Christ, Healing, and the Power of Words

20 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in #HolySpirit, Armor of God, Christianity, God the Father, Healing, Healing and the Armor of God, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Law of First Mention, Leadership, Prayer, Prayer University, redemption, Sword of the Spirit, The Bible, the Spirit, Tracy Gatewood Prayer, Unity, Wisdom

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Abraham, AbrahamandSarah, Christianity, faith, FirstMentionofPrayerrelatedtoHealing, JehovahRapha, Old Testament, Power and Authority, Prayer, Praying against a virus, Spirit of Infirmity, the Cross, TracyLGatewoodPrayer

heritageofsaints

“In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.”   John 1:1-3 AMP 

Words have Power. With no access to devices, medications, or advanced technology equipment, while moving from city to city, Jesus as The Word used His words to communicate a release of healing into the infirmed, the possessed and the diseased. The Greek word “Logos’ (lo-gaas) is translated ‘word, speech, principle or thought’. In Greek philosophy it is also translated into ‘the mind of God’ or ‘divine reason’.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News (the Gospel) of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and every weakness and infirmity.”  Matthew 9:35 AMP

Christ came to earth to reveal the will of the Father. It is interesting to note that two thirds of Jesus’ ministry involved healing. It was the perfect will of God for His Son to heal. When praying for healing, that oft used qualifying prayer phrase, “If it be thy will” can only be met with an emphatic “Yes!”

When learning to pray like Jesus – it is imperative to know the Word of God. Aside from the blood of Jesus and the Name of Jesus – the Word of God is power packed and the required dunamis or dynamite needed to move out negative circumstances and redeem, deliver, and heal. To pray effectively for oneself or for other’s in healing – there must be agreement with the Word of God.

The first mention of the word “prayer” was in relationship to healing when Abraham prayed to God on behalf of Abimelech, King of the Philistines so that God would forgive Abimelech for taking Sarah. His words, spoken in faith to God, produced a powerful result.

Canva - Abraham praying

“So Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, and they bore children, For the Lord had closed fast the wombs of all in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”  Genesis 20: 17-18 AMP

We have no record of the actual words in Abraham’s prayer for Abimelech but Abraham operating as Priest released Abimelech of sin thereby restoring his entire household.

It is widely accepted by Christians that nothing occurs on the earth unless it is prayed into action by a Believer. God as Jehovah Rapha, is the God Who heals. It is in this knowledge of His desire and willingness to heal by covenant that we can pray boldly, and speak aloud with confident expectation. It is because of the eternal sacrifice of Jesus Christ Who defeated, death, hell and the grave – the One whom took lashes on His Body for our healing, and thereby allowing access to His Name. He has enabled us to take authority and dominion over every sickness, disease, infirmity, even accidents: “and with the stripes that wounded Him we are healed and made whole”.  Isaiah 54:5 AMP

There is power in every word of God.

“He sent forth His Word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. ” Psalm 107:20 AMP

It is important to note that there is a difference between power and authority. Power is the ability to exercise one’s will in the way needed to impact a situation and authority is exercised by someone holding a position or title. There is a legitimacy or at least perceived influence by a person that holds authority.  Because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, we have both power (dunamis) and authority to influence and alter negative behaviors, patterns and circumstances in order to bring heaven to earth. We use prayer and the Word of God to accomplish His will upon the earth.

Canva - Authority gavel

Lucas Pols, a contributor to Forbes, describes secular servant-led authority this way – “Authority is about who you are as a person, your character how you interact with others and the influence and empathy you build with people.”  While this is accurate, one has a God-given authority that comes with power; ratified by the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus who was raised from the dead by the very Spirit that now lives in you.

“
Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon snakes and scorpions, and (physical and mental strength and ability) over all the power that the enemy (possesses); and nothing shall in any way harm you.”  Luke 10:19 AMP

It is important to highlight that all confidence and power must be placed in the authority of God, Jesus and God’s Word and not in the actual pray-er. The Word of God is oiled with the Spirit of God and referred to as “the Sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17 AMP “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.”

Luke 10 continues – “Nevertheless do not rejoice at this that the spirits are subject to you but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.”  This confirms that we do have power over the spirits of the earth including virus’.  To be specific, the Covid-19 virus is a spirit of infirmity. Virus’ have an intelligence. Covid seeks to aggressively insert itself into cells in order to explode in growth and then mutate, thereby causing “infirmity”. In scripture “weakness and infirmity” are almost always used together. When praying for someone with Covid 19, pray in the authority that Christ has given you to dismantle and decree that this spirit of infirmity and all associated weakness must leave in Jesus’ Name.

Session 7
#PrayerUniversity

Tracy Gatewood
Sacred Ramblings
All Rights Reserved 2020

Related Article:  https://sacredramblings.com/2015/06/07/healing-and-the-armor-of-god-prayer

The Soul’s Response to Righteousness

07 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in America, Jerusalem, Nation, New Covenant, redemption, Sin, soul, Tracy Gatewood

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Christian, Christianity, Church, faith, Freedom, Old Testament, peace, Prayer, Purpose, Religion, righteousness, Spiritual, the Cross, works

Jerusalem
Luke 19:41 – 44 AMP

“And as He approached, He saw the city, and He wept [audibly] over it. Exclaiming, Would that you had known personally, even at least in this your day, the things that make for peace (for freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin and upon which your peace – your security, safety, prosperity, and happiness – depends)! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank (with pointed stakes) about you and surround you and shut you in on every side.
And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ.]”

In this passage of scripture, Jesus grieved openly knowing what would be forthcoming for the people of Jerusalem. Despite what the people had personally witnessed, Jesus the Prince of Peace, Who had been presented to them as the living Son of God, would not be received into the hearts of the Jewish people.

What He knew for them: Know Jesus-Know Peace, No Jesus-No Peace

All Christians are commanded by God to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (PS122:6). The passage continues,”May they prosper who love you, May peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces”  To be a Christ-follower is to love and pray fervently, frequently for the entire nation of Israel. Although the peace of Jerusalem was not accomplished in Jesus’ earthly life, it has been left for us to cover His people in prayer and other means until His return. I fully believe that America’s first responsibility is to cover and protect Israel.

The following scripture describes the Peace that will come with God’s Reign:
Isaiah 32:15-18
“Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is valued as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness will abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

 We can experience His Peace Prior to His Reign Through the Understanding of  Righteousness. Righteousness means in right-standing with God and in conformity to His will and purposes. We cannot be righteous, or in right standing with God without understanding and accepting the working power of the blood of Jesus. The Blood is Heaven’s Clorox, its only cleansing agent.

It is impossible to work or perform our way into right-standing with God. Churches may teach that by watching our words, making our vessels (our bodies) more holy [yet holiness is important to God], or praying lengthy prayers every.single.day, or confessing sin can put us in right standing. This is erroneous. True righteousness welcomed by God comes by complete acknowledgement that His Son’s sacrifice fully achieved everything necessary to remove the dividing wall between God and You. This puts the focus (and responsibility) totally on Jesus for this achievement, one that no mortal could ever accomplish. To assume that one could actually be made righteous by a person’s own merits, clearly illustrates a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the Cross. This positioning creates ‘self-righteousness’ There may be nothing more noxious to God.

The Book of Romans could easily be named ‘the Book of Righteousness’, providing more information on this subject than any other chapter in the Bible. Romans 4:3 refers to Abraham, the Father of our Faith –
“For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”

Have you ever exhibited ungodly behavior? Yes ____  No ____ Is it comforting to know that your behavior has already been justified by God through the blood of Jesus?  Yes_____ No _____Does this make you want to sin more? No ______  (of course not)

One cannot be justified by works – God imputes His righteousness ASIDE FROM OUR WORKS in exchange for our sin. This is called Grace – undeserved, unmerited favor which is freely given. We are only made righteous BY FAITH in Jesus and His sacrifice. His resurrection served as ratification for a New Covenant.  This is the only way pleasing to God. Does this soothe the soul (mind, will, emotions) bringing a quietness and a confident trust? (Isaiah 32:17).  That peace you may feel is the result of  Jesus’ righteousness and the acknowledgement, by resting in faith, that He (not you) has paid it all on your behalf.

Copyright 2019  All Rights Reserved Doorways of Grace

Tracy Gatewood
#TheWriterWhomJesusLoves

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Facebook: Tracy Gatewood Writer Teacher
Instagram: tgatewood1
Amazon: Doorways of Grace: My Uncommon Journey to Healing, Wholeness and Meeting Jesus  (2015)

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The City of Refuge

31 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by Sacred Ramblings in #HolySpirit, Armor of God, Blood of Jesus, Christianity, Jesus, Jesus, Blood of Jesus, New Covenant, redemption, Uncategorized

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Book of Joshua, Christianity, Holy Spirit, Immigrant, Israelites, Jesus, King David, Old Testament, Psalm 91, Refuge, Sanctuary Cities

Cityof RefugeHe who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, you are my Refuge and my Fortress, my God on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I {confidently} trust!  Psalm 91: 1-2 AMP

Each morning when sitting before God in my quiet time, I pray Psalm 91 AMP and also read a prayer based on the #ArmorofGod. Both of these are spoken aloud because I desire (and need) for my mind, the devil and my body to hear God’s words of protection and safety being spoken and to get into alignment and agreement with these words. In times of uncertainty, it is essential to understand where security, refuge and covering lies for each of us.

On the day the Lord delivered David from the hand of the Philistine army,  he wrote a 51 verse Psalm that began:

” The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge,
My Savior, You save me from violence.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. “ 2 Samuel 22:1-4

In old testament times, the Lord commanded that there be cities as places of refuge for the Israelites and people dwelling among them (Joshua 20:9) that would act as Embassies for His people being pursued or in trouble. (Joshua 20:2) Unlike the Sanctuary cities the United States has chosen to be places of refuge for immigrants, these ancient cities of Refuge were to be safe havens for any Israelite that accidentally or unintentionally killed someone.

Joshua 20 v 1-4: ” The Lord said to Joshua. Say to the Israelites, Appoint among you cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you and Moses, that the slayer who kills anyone accidentally and unintentionally may flee there; they shall be your refuge from the avenger [Numbers 35:10] He who flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city; they shall receive him to [ the protection of ] that city and give him a place to dwell among them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally, having had no hatred for him previously. And he shall dwell in that city until he has been tried before the congregation and until the death of him who is the High Priest in those days. Then the slayer shall return to his own city from which he fled and to his own house.” Each tribe of Israel chose one city in their territory to become a city of refuge (Sanctuary). This sounds like some Old Testament GRACE of God to me.

[ In the U.S. an immigrant arrives into a Sanctuary city as a safe haven, fleeing from religious or political persecution, where it is hoped that they do not have a criminal background or arrive with criminal intent. Repeatedly stories unfold of immigrants inflicting harm on the people within U.S. cities and more so around the world where they have been graciously allowed entrance. It is interesting that God designated cities of refuge with such different intent. If the pursuers of these present day immigrants showed up at these U.S. cities to capture them, would we hand them over ? Of course not. But some immigrants still bite the hands that save and protect.]

Now because of the sacrifice and finished work of Jesus, we ourselves are the temples where God’s Spirit dwells; the Spirit that provides comfort, counseling, guidance and teaching in needed times of refuge. We are led by His Spirit to places of refreshing and renewal, places of protection and security. The Lord who is our Fortress and our Refuge lives inside each of us who trust. We are a Kingdom filled with “temples” in the bodies of people living within cities who believe in Christ Jesus. Your body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit cleansed, redeemed and sanctified one time and for all time by the blood of Jesus for the purposes of work for His Kingdom. Genius.

#Refuge  #Immigrant  #Migrant  #HolySpirit  #Jesus

Tracy L Gatewood Sacred Ramblings

Twitter: @TracyLGatewood
Website: tracygatewood.com

 

 

 

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