Hear, Believe, Receive
We read in John 4:46-54 a remarkable account of courage, faith and healing. We are told the man in this account is a royal official or noblemen so no doubt in Herod’s employ. His son was extremely ill indeed close to death as the Scriptures tell us.
This official had clearly heard what Jesus had been doing in His travelling ministry around the district as he went to Him and begged Him to come and heal his son. Jesus’ response to him was quite remarkable:- “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders… you will by no means believe.” I love the man’s reply which virtually ignored Jesus’ comment about the Jews constantly demanding a sign. The man wasn’t seeking a sign, he sought healing for his dying son.
I believe Jesus was taken by the man’s persistence and lack of offence as He simply replied “go your way; your son lives” – literally your son is full of vigour! What followed is a key so vital to us appropriating our healing. We see it over and over at the Healing Rooms. The Bible says “the man believed the word Jesus spoke to him.” (v 50) The NIV translation says “the man took Jesus at His word…” There is a powerful lesson here for us. We must take Jesus at His word – or believe the word(s) He’s spoken about us – either directly from His written Word or those given to us in prayer. The man believed and went on his way. The Bible records the very time his son recovered was the exact time Jesus had told him his son was alive (and full of vigour).
The conclusion of this account in v53 reveals there was far more than physical healing for the man’s son. He and his entire household came to faith. Not only was his son brought back from the jaws of death, physical healing, but there was spiritual healing for the entire family!
The man heard about Jesus, believed what Jesus said to Him – no ifs, buts or ‘maybes’ just simple faith and received healing for his son and salvation for the whole family.
May I encourage you to take Jesus at His Word. If He said, it I believe it and that settles it!
There are so many promises in the Bible you can ‘put your name on’ and claim for yourself. Mark 11:24 says “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” This isn’t ‘name it and claim it’, these are the words and instructions to us from Jesus! If we desire answers to prayer, we must pray the way Jesus taught us.