How to Heal the Sick

(Provided You're a Christian)

Chapter 1

There have been some famous Healing Evangelists. One of them was Smith Wigglesworth. I wrote a book about him.

He was an Englishman who lived from about 1859 to about 1945.

He also spoke quite a lot in the United States. As a young woman, my Mother heard him speak at Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, California.

When Wigglesworth was old, he had been out somewhere, and returned home to be told by people there that his wife, Polly, had died.

Wigglesworth said, “Where is the body?”

They said, “Upstairs in the bedroom.”

Wigglesworth went up there, picked up his wife's dead body, stood her up against the wall, and commanded her to walk in Jesus' name.

And she walked. And then she talked. She said, “Smith, why have you done this?”

He said, “I need you in my ministry.”

She said, “My work on earth is finished.”

They argued some.

Then the Lord spoke to Wigglesworth, and said, “She's mine.”

So Wigglesworth let her die the second time.

He was, you see, a great man of faith.

There's a scripture where Jesus said we'd do greater things than he did.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he that believes on me, the works that I do, he shall do also. And greater works than these shall he do, because I go to my Father.” (John 14:12)

I think Wigglesworth probably did some of those greater things.

An excellent book was written about him titled, “Smith Wigglesworth, Apostle of Faith,” by Frodsham, published by Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO.

I've seen it in a paperback edition. Perhaps it's available as an ebook.

But now that Wigglesworth has gone to be with Jesus, what if there's someone near you that's sick and needs healing, (assuming you're a Christian)?

What should you do?

Look at Mark 16:17,18--

17 “And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages,

18 They shall pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover."

Notice that it says, “Those who believe.” That's you, if you're a Christian. Jesus wants you to lay hands on the sick, pray a prayer for their healing, put your faith with your prayer (Mark 11:24) and get them healed.

If you're not a Christian, read the gospel message in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible. Then obey Romans 10:9,10--

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation.”

Someone might say, “If someone is sick, shouldn't I call the Pastor?' I'm not against calling the Pastor. But the Pastor can't be everywhere at the same time.

Why don't you take care of it?

There's also a scripture in James 5:14,15--

14 “Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.”

That's good. But, unfortunately, it's not available at every church. Some churches just don't do that.

For a while, I was attending a certain church in Southern California. I guess it was during the early part of the service before the preaching, and the Pastor gave people opportunity to speak their prayer requests.

He didn't offer James 5:14,15, and I kept quiet about my prayer request.

At the end of the service, I went up to the Pastor, and requested that we do James 5:14,15.

He was agreeable, but I don't think they had any oil with which to do the anointing part of James 5:14,15.

But I took some olive oil along with me.

If you want to obey the Bible at your church and do James 5:14,15, better have some oil on hand.

When I was in Houston, I went to a church, and wanted to do James 5:14,15 for my body, but hadn't brought any oil.

But my car was parked near the church. I went out to the car, raised the hood, pulled out the oil dipstick, and wiped off a few drops of motor oil with my finger.

It's not the cleanest oil, but you can wash off your forehead and finger afterward.

If they do James 5:14,15 at your church, that's great.

But what if it's a week day, and those Elders are at their jobs, earning money for their families?

Well then, you still have Mark 16:17,18.

Chapter 2

When Dr. Norvel Hayes speaks, he sometimes gets quite pushy, quite aggressive.

I remember Hayes saying, “Do you know what your hands are? They're those things at the ends of your arms.”

Actually, I think most people know what their hands are, and how to locate them on their bodies.

So why did Hayes say it that way? Because he was trying to push people into actually obeying Mark 16:17,18, and lay their hands on sick people and get them healed.

Sometimes there are Christians, and even though they read the Bible, they don't think, “Oh, you mean me? You mean I should lay hands on the sick?”

But you're probably not one of those people. You probably know that what we read in the Bible, we're supposed to put into practice.

I did some work with another Christian. We were discussing how things should be done. I quoted a scripture on the subject.

The other Christian said, “You use the Bible like a hammer.” No I don't.

I use the Bible as something to live by, since I know that on Judgment Day, I'll be found righteous or found guilty based on whether I obeyed or disobeyed God's word, the Bible.

“For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:11,12)

Now in that scripture, Mark 16:17,18, who is doing the healing, the Pastor?

No, the person laying the hands on the sick person.

Someone might say, “But it's really God that does the healing.” Yes, of course. And I'm not trying to deprive the Lord of the glory that's due him.

But Jesus said, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, you have received for free, give for free.” (Matt 10:8)

Now in this sentence, “Heal the sick.” who is the subject of the sentence?

The subject is understood to be You.

In the English language, we sometimes omit words that are understood.

If I say to my dog, “Go, fetch the ball.” Who is the subject? The subject is You, even though You is not in the sentence.

Jesus said, “Heal the sick.” YOU heal the sick. So then, it is good Theology to say that a Christian healed someone, and we also know that they couldn't have done the healing without God's help.

But also, some of those who get healed wouldn't have gotten healed without that Christian who went and laid hands on, and prayed the prayer for healing.

God says, “I will not give my glory to another.”

If you lay hands on and heal, God gets the glory. But if God just automatically healed everyone who got sick, they would have no way of knowing that it was God that healed them, so God wouldn't get the glory if he did that.

But another appropriate thing to do, when you go to heal someone-- Sometimes, the sickness or illness or affliction can be demonic in origin.

Ask the Lord for His guidance. But sometimes it's appropriate to rebuke the devil and his demons, and command them to take their hands off the afflicted person.

And sometimes, the afflicted person may need to have a demon cast out of them.

But the same Mark 16:17,18 says that we Christians will cast out demons.

And in Luke 10:19, Jesus said, “See, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall in any way hurt you.”

Jesus gave us Christians power over all the power of the enemy.

And Ephesians chapter 6 shows us that our main enemy is the devil and his demons.

“For we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against princedoms, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in high places.”

These are the four categories of demons, says Teacher Kenneth E. Hagin.

Jesus did say, of course, that there's a kind of demon that doesn't come out except by prayer and fasting.

Smith Wigglesworth was apparently once afflicted with an inflamed appendix.

It seems the Lord sent Wigglesworth an older woman and a younger man to minister to him. Perhaps they were mother and son.

Wigglesworth said, “If I had known what they were going to do, I'd have tried to stop them, because at the time, I didn't believe that way.”

The young man got right up on the bed, and commanded the demon causing the appendix problem to go from Wigglesworth.

Wigglesworth made a full recovery.

But if Christians won't lay hands on the sick, then there will be people that could have been healed that won't be healed.

I wouldn't want that against me on Judgment Day that there was someone I should have laid hands on, and didn't.

And here's another thing. There is the possibility that sometime you'll need healing yourself. And if you've been healing others, it is more likely that you'll find people to pray for you. (Luke 6:38)

But when healing the sick, faith has a lot to do with it.

That's why we should be praying in unknown tongues to build up our faith. (Jude 20) Please see my book, “How to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.”

Romans 10:17 shows us another way to increase our faith--

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

I try to hear the word of God every day by listening to compact disks (CD's) with someone reading scriptures.

If I happen to miss listening to CD's one day, then I try to quote out loud a couple of Psalms.

The audio book, “The New Testament, Hoehn Version,” is available at Audiobooks.com for download to your IPOD or MP3 player if you have such a device.

I used to listen to Alexander Scourby reading the King James Bible on audio cassette tapes. But it seems that compact disks have pretty much replaced the old cassette tapes.

Audio Bibles and/or New Testaments are probably available at “itunes” for download to your device.

And some of the truck stops on Interstate Highways sell such devices, and audio books. But better go during the day rather than at night because people have been known to disappear from truck stops.

I'm not saying God won't protect you, but let's try to always use wisdom.

Department stores sell MP3 players. IPOD's are available at the Apple stores.

If you'll do Mark 16:17,18, and lay hands on the sick for healing, you'll have Mark 16:20, “the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.