Kathryn Kuhlman tells in her book “God Can Do It Again” of a man who once came into her meeting and experienced a dramatic healing in one of his ears. He explained that he was an atheist, that his deafness had instantly left him, but that he could not believe it. He refused to recant his atheism. I once had a similar experience with a friend who did not believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He came to church with me and was struck to the floor by the power of God, but told me after it was over, “We do not believe in that kind of stuff at my church.” Situations like these show that man's own ability to believe for a touch from God has little to do with whether or not he will receive one.

     People sometimes have a mind-set that if they could only have purer motives, if they could only pray a bit more wisely, or if they could only show their faith in a bolder fashion – maybe they would see God meet their need. The Lord does not move though based merely on our own actions. He is the one who is in control, not us.

     Kathryn Kuhlman explains, “Often we lose sight of the fact that not one of us can claim any righteousness on our own, not one is worthy to receive the smallest blessing, but we are receivers of His blessing because of His mercy and compassion. Healing is the sovereign act of God.”

     In other words, we should be thankful for every single dab of grace the Lord gives us, and not question Him for what he has not given. We do not deserve anything based on our own merit, so the fact that God has given us any gifts shows His great kindness.

     The point in all of this is not that there is no importance in seeking to have a clean heart, learning new ways to pray, or committing one's willpower to trust in God through all circumstances. These things certainly have their place. Yet, if we want to advance in the healing anointing and experience greater glory in our own bodies, we must not look too much at what we are lacking. We must rejoice in the awesome favor God has already poured out on us.

     Jesus said in Matthew 13:12, “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” The Lord desires us to worship Him and to be genuinely grateful for the manifestations of His power that we have already experienced. However, if we get focused on what He seemingly has not done, we can get off track and lose all faith. In doing so we lose all hope of future encouragements.

     Even more important, Christ desires that we focus on who He is – not what He does. He is the anointed one – the Messiah. He is Yahweh Raphah, the Lord Our Health. As we love Him for who He is, and look at His rewards as secondary motivations, then we will see how little our circumstances matter. And that may be exactly when God works the greatest signs and wonders, and our breakthroughs finally come.