Excerpts from Greg Mohr: Your Healing Door, Chapter 1: “According to Your Faith”
In July 1977, doctors removed a cancerous growth from my neck. The primary surgeon was certain more surgery would be required, including the removal of my thyroid and possibly my voice box, depending on how far the cancer had spread. Obviously, the diagnosis struck fear in my wife, Janice, and me and caused us to seek the Lord earnestly. While we were in prayer, the Lord gave us specific instructions to have three individuals pray for me so that I would be healed. After following these instructions, I went to a hospital in Houston, Texas, for tests to determine how far the cancer had spread and how extensive my surgery would be. After three days of testing, the doctors could find no trace of cancer in my body. Needless to say, they were very puzzled. The Lord had healed me supernaturally, and I have been cancer free ever since. Praise God!
One year later, our 15-month-old son, Michael, was afflicted with a juvenile muscular/arthritic condition. He was unable to crawl or turn his head. Most of his joints were swollen twice their normal size, leaving him in tremendous pain. The doctors gave us no hope that Michael would ever improve. Instead, they said if this condition continued to progress our son would never walk and probably would not live past 10 years of age. This time, as we sought the Lord, He directed us to saturate ourselves in His Word and to speak the Word daily over Michael. After three months, Michael crawled. Three months later, he walked for the first time!
Over the years, we have seen similar results in many lives that have been attacked by some form of sickness or disease. In each case, as the opportunity permitted, we encouraged individuals to take time to seek the Lord and follow His instruction for them. And scores have found healing—just as Janice and I did for myself and our young son. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He does the same for anyone who will trust Him and believe His Word.
Many Christians generally believe in healing, but they do not understand how to activate it or walk it out in their own lives on a consistent basis.
Never attempt to act on the faith of others. That is a recipe for failure and spiritual disaster. The first wisdom key for healing is that it has to be real and genuine with you. It must be according to your faith, not that of someone you perceive has faith. Jesus responded to two blind men who came to Him for healing in the following way:
“Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.’ And their eyes were opened.
(Matthew 9:28-30)
Over the years I have watched a number of people try to mimic what they saw someone else do according to that person’s faith, and they ended up shipwrecked in their own faith walk. In one instance, an acquaintance in the church we attended gave his car away because he had heard someone else testify that God led him to give his car away and now he had a brand new car. Unfortunately, our acquaintance did not end up with a new car. In fact, he ended up “bumming” rides from friends until he could save up enough money for another car. The Bible encourages us to have unfeigned faith (1 Timothy 1:5) or, in other words, sincere and genuine faith. Someone else’s belief that has not yet become real or genuine in our own heart is not real Bible faith to us. And God does not expect us to act on it.
It is very important that whatever we do in the name of faith is based on God’s Word and is real to us before we act on it.
When it comes to the area of having faith for healing, it does not violate our faith to go to doctors and take medicine. I have actually heard some people condemn others and tell them they were not in faith if they used medical science. As far as I can see, God and medical science are working together for the same end result: restoring health to the sick. They are not in opposition to each other. Some men, like me, are hesitant to go to the doctor unless they are close to dying. (Shhh! Don’t let the secret out. That is pride). However, the Lord has dealt strongly with me in the past to go to the doctor, take the medicine, or have the surgery—and that was faith for me at the time. The issue isn’t whether or not to have surgery or to take medication, but it is an issue of obedience to God and living a healthy life.
During a ministers’ conference at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, in 1987, John Osteen made the following comments: Some people have asked me about my doctrine on faith and healing since I chose to have open heart surgery last year, when several years earlier I was led by the Holy Ghost not to have the same surgery. Well, I want everyone to understand clearly, my doctrine is living! Hallelujah!
For my Kids out there 