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God’s Will for Healing

In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” LUKE 5:12-14 NLT

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. EPHESIANS 5:17 ESV

I will discover God’s will for healing by:

Personally asking Jesus for a miracle

When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” LUKE 5:12 NLT

Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. LUKE 22:42 ESV

Searching for God’s will while I wait

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 1 PETER 4:19 ESV

Spending time with the healer

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” JOHN 8:31-32 ESV

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” MATTHEW 4:5-7 ESV

Spending time praying with my church family

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. MATTHEW 18:20 ESV

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. GALATIANS 6:10 NLT

When you pray for someone:

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding… COLOSSIANS 1:9 ESV

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… JOHN 16:13 ESV

Do not quench the Spirit. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:19 ESV

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. HEBREWS 5:7 NLT

Embracing the mystery of God’s will on some things

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” JAMES 4:13-15 ESV

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Spend a few minutes laying down any burdens from your day, inviting God into this time. As you think about God’s will for your healing, what feelings surface? Spend a minute or two writing these down in the space below. What do these feelings reveal about what you trust to be true about God? As you consider this, confess those times when you have asked (or even demanded) God to provide an explanation for any suffering you may have experienced while waiting for him. Ask him to reveal his presence during those times; ask him, also, for a greater awareness of his presence in any current suffering you may be experiencing. Write down your reflections in the space below, sharing with your group if you feel comfortable.

Discussion Questions

  1. PERSONAL REFLECTION: Begin group time by completing the Personal Reflection Guide, found on the sermon notes. Use this time to process your own experiences in waiting on God. (Tip: playing some soft background music is helpful here!)
  2. REAL WITH SELF: It is always appropriate to ask God for a miracle, but we can often be afraid to ask. What fears get in the way of asking God for a miracle?
  3. REAL WITH GOD: Read John 8:31-32 ESV. How could your life be different if you spent more time abiding in God’s word? What would the freedom Jesus refers to look like for you?
  4. REAL WITH OTHERS: Read 1 Peter 4:19 ESV. We work hard to avoid suffering, but it can often be the very thing that brings us to Jesus. Talk about a time when you experienced a hardship that brought you closer to Jesus.
  5. REAL WITH OTHERS: God is not usually in the business of fixing the things we’ve chosen to break. Are we living lives that are putting God to the test? What would it look like to take more personal responsibility for your decisions?
  6. TAKE ACTION: Spend some time praying together as a group; bring your specific requests before God, seeking his will together. Don’t be afraid to provide space for quiet, allowing room for the Holy Spirit to speak. If you feel like he has spoken, test this against scripture—he will never contradict what he’s revealed to us in the Bible. Have someone close the time in prayer asking for God’s will to be known in your lives. Encourage each other to establish a regular Bible reading discipline—there are several Bible Reading Plans available in the Library section of the Sandals Church app to help you in this.