If We’re Healed by Jesus’ Stripes, Why Are There Healing Ministries?

One could just as well ask, “If Jesus paid for everyone’s salvation from hell, why are there evangelists?”  After all, anyone could potentially read a Bible, learn the plan of salvation and get saved on his own.  But it’s easier for people when they get around someone with a special anointing to reach the lost.

Healing is available to everyone because Jesus’ stripes paid for everyone’s healing.  Therefore, it is never technically necessary to go to a service conducted by a healing minister to get healed.  You can believe and receive your healing anywhere at any time.  But it’s easier for people when they get around someone with a special anointing to heal the sick.

The Lord chose to put “miracles,” “gifts of healings” and the “gift of faith” into the earth.  In practice, some people don’t seem like they’ll ever get anything unless they go to a service where it’s made easier for them.  New believers, weak believers and unbelievers can be healed in healing meetings when they would not yet be in a position to just act on the Word to receive healing for themselves.  I know from being on the “other end” of things that some people who have been healed in my meetings were not ready to receive healing by faith.  But if the person at least got “into neutral” and didn’t fight things, the person was healed based on my faith and authority in Christ.  One couldn’t say that such people were in no faith at all, as they at least showed up at the meetings, which gave God something to work with.

If you willingly sat for a while in a meeting where witches were invoking evil spirits and pronouncing curses over you, do you suppose you would be worse for it?  If you put yourself on the devil’s home field, he has the home field advantage.  But that works the other way too.  Anyone attending a Christian healing service has put himself on God’s home field where He and the Church have the advantage.  Even if the person is not operating in much faith, his presence in the meeting gives the Holy Spirit tacit approval to move on him.

Many healing ministries are evangelists, though healing ministry is not restricted to evangelists.  The performing of miracles in His name gets people’s attention and proves that Jesus really did rise from the dead.  People can and do get saved in miracle services after getting a miracle themselves or watching God perform miracles on other people.

I was even in a condition where a staff minister at the church I belonged to urged me to go to the emergency room.  Instead, I went to a healing service conducted by an internationally-known healing evangelist – and I got healed!  I didn’t consider myself a faith weakling, but my body was sending me a lot of dire messages and it was very useful to get into an atmosphere of mass faith where the gifts of the Spirit were moving.  I knew from experience that this minister was going to “give me some help”
going down on the floor, if you know what I mean.  But I was desperate enough that I didn’t care– I just wanted to be healed!  And I was.  Thank God there are others who can give us a boost when we’re having a rough time.  We are part of a Body – we don’t have to go it alone.  I’ve also prayed for other ministers who preach healing themselves and they were glad I was there to contend with them for their covenant right to be healed.  There’s no shame in getting help if you’re feeling overwhelmed, no matter who you are.

Another blessing associated with certain healing ministries is that they major on healing and are able to teach pertinent truths from the Word on that subject.  Not all healing ministers are gifted teachers, though.  I remember thinking about one in particular, “Could you PLEASE give people the Word so that they have something to rely on after the meeting is over, rather than just flowing in the gifts of the Spirit?”  Then I heard the person start teaching, and I thought, “PLEASE stop trying to teach and just go back to flowing in the gifts of the Spirit!”  Some healing ministers are a total blessing when they teach, while others might not be able to teach their way out of a paper bag but they are really, really good at following the Holy Spirit and flowing in His gifts.  I’ve heard both kinds.  But you can’t expect any one person to be universally gifted.  If there were such a person, you wouldn’t need the other ministries in the Body of Christ!

God, in His great love, has provided multiple ways to get healed and healing ministries are one of them.