Dear Friend,
It is such a privilege to write to you. I’m so thankful for you, and I’m thankful that you are taking the time to read these words of hope and encouragement. I’m writing a new book entitled Jesus Wants To Heal You that is to be released in early 2024, and I’d like to share a few words from its pages with you. I believe these words are timely and can strengthen you today if you will receive them.
In Matthew 8:2 and 3, we see that it is the will of God to have compassion on us. He wants to heal our bodies; He wants us whole in every area. This scripture speaks of a leprous man who knew that Jesus could heal him, but he didn’t know if Jesus wanted to heal him.
And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
We need to know what the will of God is regarding healing, and we see it in this verse. We see what Jesus’ will was for this leprous man.
Just consider the realities of this leprous man in the hours right before he met Jesus. When this man first opened his eyes that morning, it was just like any other morning. He didn’t know this was going to be his miracle morning. He got out of bed in his same old routine — carrying the same familiar burden of pain, shame, and fear and the same horrible identity as a leper that he had carried for years.
But this man had a burning question in his heart. He had heard about Jesus’ healing the sick; he knew that Jesus was able to heal. But one thing he didn’t know — would Jesus want to heal him?
So this leprous man was set up to experience a second reality that day. At some point, he decided to push past his fear and risk going out in public to make the effort to find Jesus and ask Him the question he didn’t know the answer to: “Are You willing to heal me?”
Can’t you just imagine this disease-ridden, leprous man pushing through the crowds as they were screaming in fear and backing away from him, yelling out to each other, “Unclean! Unclean!” They were protecting themselves from this horrible stench and dreaded, contagious disease.
But, finally, the man reached Jesus. And when Jesus said to him, “I am willing,” Jesus’ words became this man’s place of faith. From that moment on, his faith was his reality — and the next reality that manifested was his answer.
That morning this man got out of bed still leprous, and that evening he went to bed healed and whole!
The truth is, we can get so caught up in the physical realm and think, I need to be real about this problem. It’s true that symptoms present us with one version of reality. But what about our place of faith? Is that not a greater reality? It absolutely is! And it leads to our answer becoming our new reality!
You may be facing a challenge, and perhaps you’ve been feeling trapped in the reality of the problem. But Jesus is inviting you to another place, the place called faith — because that is the reality that comes before the miracle! In that place of faith, Jesus is your Healer. You’re not an over-reacting believer who doesn’t face reality; you’re simply walking in the place of faith. That place is where you abide before your answer becomes your new reality.
When somebody believes, that’s the reality of faith. Yes, the problem is one reality, but the answer to that problem is another reality. And between the two is the reality of faith that doesn’t give up — faith that says, “I’m going to receive from God, no question about it!”
The man didn’t know that this was to be his life-altering miracle day. He just made a decision to get out of bed, get dressed, and leave his home to go look for Jesus. But God was working a plan.
This man knew Jesus could heal, no problem. The man had probably thought a lot about it before this moment: I’ve heard of this Jesus performing miracles. I believe He can heal me — but does He want to heal me? Then Jesus spoke three words to this man that settled that question once and for all: “I am willing.”
So for this amazing miracle to happen, there were only two questions this man had to settle in his own mind: Can Jesus do it? Yes, He can. And does He want to do it? Now I know — yes, He does.
Those same two questions we still ask today. Can Jesus heal me? And does He want to heal me?
Friend, I’m writing this to you. If you have sickness, pain, or disease — anything that’s trying to attach itself to your body — the will of God absolutely is to heal you. Can He heal you? Yes, He is the God of the impossible! He most assuredly can heal you. And He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so you can also know beyond a shadow of a doubt that today He wants to heal you, just as He healed the leprous man that day almost 2,000 years ago!
If a sickness goes on for a long time, sometimes we start to believe religious statements like, Well, maybe God doesn’t really want to heal me. Maybe I’m giving glory to God through my patient suffering. Or maybe He wants to teach me something through this sickness. But the answer to all three of those “maybes” is no, no, and no. None of those statements reflect the true nature or the will of our Father God!
God doesn’t want His children sick in order to teach them something. Sickness is ultimately from the devil and originates in this fallen world. So why would He use something from the devil to teach us anything? That doesn’t make any sense, because the Bible says that the devil is under our feet (see Ephesians 1:20-22; 2:6)!
Jesus defeated Satan through His death, burial, and resurrection, and that includes every sickness that he brings! Jesus doesn’t use Satan or his evil ways to teach us anything.
Does it bring glory to God when we suffer with sickness? No, Jesus took all of our sicknesses and diseases on Himself as He hung on that Cross.
I’m telling you right now, any sickness or disease that is afflicting your body or tormenting your soul for any reason is not giving glory to God. This is such good news. Jesus took that physical or mental affliction to hell, and He punished it — destroyed its power and its right to remain on you forever!
The truth is, Jesus hates sickness and disease. There is nothing in Him that loves seeing people being tormented or in pain or that enjoys watching people lose all their money because they have to pay doctors for medical care. That brings Him no joy. In fact, Jesus hates it — so much so that He offered Himself as a Sacrifice and suffered a horrifying death on that Cross to purchase our redemption and healing.
And even before Jesus was nailed to that Cross, He took that beating with a whip that had multiple cords with pieces of metal and glass tied on the ends. When those pieces of metal and glass came whipping around His body, they tore His flesh. The pain and torture Jesus endured during that cruel lashing of His skin is unimaginable. Yet the Word says it was that very whipping that purchased your healing and my healing: “…By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Psalm 103:2 and 3 confirm to us what the Father’s compassions and benefits include for us. He not only forgives all our sin; He also promises to heal our bodies from all sickness and disease.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.
It is absolutely God’s will for you to be healed. It’s as much God’s will to heal you as it is to save you. His compassions are available right now for you. It’s as if there were a basket in front of you labeled “The Father’s Compassions,” and you could decide, I’m going to reach in that basket and take out the compassion called healing because Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that healing is mine.
I personally have been touched by Jesus’ healing power so many times in my life. That’s why I minister on this truth that He bore our sicknesses and diseases with so much passion and gratitude.
Friend, there is nothing in the will of God that wants you sick or in pain — nothing.
The Father’s compassions have already been poured out. They are yours for the taking! The will of God was to heal the leper, and the will of God is to heal you.
When Jesus said on the Cross, “It is finished,” He was saying, “I have just paid for cancer, for arthritis, for mental illness, for lung problems, for skin disease, for blood problems, for kidney disease. I have just paid for anything wrong with your sinuses, your throat, or your ears. I have just paid for blindness. I have just paid for it all. IT IS FINISHED.”
The Bible says in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus endured, despising the shame for the joy set before Him. That joy was a demonstration of everything He was paying a price for to free us from sin and sickness.
Yes, it is Jesus’ joy to heal you. Always remember this, for it is your amazing, wonderful, and great salvation!
Do you need healing in your body today? Do you have an unmet need in your life or in the life of a loved one? Our team would be honored to join our faith with yours for the manifestation of what He has already paid for. Call us at 1.800.742.5593, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT weekdays, or email prayer@deniserenner.org. A faith-filled prayer warrior is waiting to hear from you.
I would also like to invite you to join me on my program, TIME With Denise Renner. It airs on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on Facebook and YouTube and Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruth.tv. You can also listen to my podcast on Spotify, Google, and Apple, with new episodes every Monday at 5:00 a.m. CT. Let’s continue to soak in His Word and saturate ourselves in His presence.
We are receiving our healing together,
Denise Renner