I’m currently reading a book by F.F. Bosworth written in 1924. It is entitled, Christ the Healer. The interesting thing about old books that open up the scriptures is that they still speak to us because God’s truth does not change. Bosworth had a phenomenal healing ministry and has some great insights into praying for healing and how to receive healing. I found one analogy really interesting and insightful.

I will quote a bit from the book. His grammar is dated but not his understanding. “We will now endeavor to make plain how to appropriate healing. Getting things from God is like playing checkers. After one person moves, he has nothing to do until the other player moves. Each man moves in his own turn. So when God has provided healing, or any other blessing, and sent us his Word, it is our move before he will move again. Our move is to expect what he promises when we pray. This will cause us to act our faith before we see the healing. The healing comes in the next move, which is God’s move…. By expectation I do not mean hope. One writer has well said, ‘We hope for what may be possible, but we expect what must be possible…with the expectancy that shuts out doubt or fear of failure, and shows unshakeable confidence. Faith never waits to see before it believes…all that a man of faith needs to know is that God has spoken’” (F.F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer, p.103, Baker Publishing Group).

Bosworth is very clear that God has promised healing for all believers through the sacrifice of his Son. In fact, Jehovah Rapha is one of seven covenant names of God in scripture and means, “ I am the God who heals you.” The present tense “am” reveals that the nature of God is unchanging. It is always present tense. Therefore, God was, is, and shall always be the God who heals you. Once God has provided healing through the cross and established in his word that it is always his will to heal, then our move is to take him at his word with a rock-solid conviction that God does not lie and his word is true. He will do what he says he will do. So, when we pray, we pray with the firm expectation that God is going to heal or meet any other need and then, having prayed, wait expectantly to see God move.

That sounds simple, but most of us know that faith resides in the heart not in the head and that we often have an intellectual conviction about some biblical truth or promise but, deep in our hearts, the expectation is still more of a hope than a certainty. The key, then, to receiving from God is to grow in our expectation that God will always do what he said he will do regardless of the circumstances or what we see with our eyes. But how do we grow in that expectation? Here are a few approaches to that growth that I am employing now in my effort to increase the expectation in my heart for healing and several other things.

First, all the men who had amazing healing ministries in the past insist that getting God’s truth in us about the thing we want to fully believe for is essential. The idea is that you cannot have faith for something until you have studied it and know that the Bible absolutely teaches that not only is God able but he is willing to do what you ask. You begin with an intellectual certainty based on the Word of God that what you are praying for is God’s will.

Secondly, if there are conditions attached to the blessing, you will need to be clear about the conditions. God’s love is unconditional, but his blessings often have conditions attached such as repentance, confession, forgiveness, generosity, etc. For instance, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” Healing is an expression of God’s mercy and the condition is that we must extend mercy to receive mercy. “Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed.” Confession is a condition for healing. “Judge not, or you will be judged.” Illness can be a judgment, so if we want the judgment lifted, we must repent of our judgmental attitudes.

Thirdly, we can ask the Holy Spirit to increase our faith and expectation for whatever promise we are seeking. Faith is a spiritual gift that comes from the Spirit. We have permission to ask for more. At the same time, the Word of God is living and active and does its work in us when we activate it. We activate it by speaking it or declaring it. As you find confirmation of the promise you desire in the scriptures, you should list the most compelling scriptures you find and speak them daily because doing so helps to write them on your heart. When the Word gets down in our hearts, it produces faith.

Fourthly, put yourself in places or around people where you see the promise of God you are looking for being fulfilled. For instance, if you want to believe God for healing, go on an evangelism mission in a third world country with a ministry that preaches the gospel, heals the sick, and casts out demons – New Testament stuff. God heals more people in third world nations because they run to God rather than running to doctors. Seeing miracles of healing will increase your expectation. You can also find God moving in healing in the U.S. You may need to go where God is moving to increase your expectation. Whatever you are praying for, find a place or some people where God is making good on that promise. Jesus didn’t expect the apostles to have faith for healing until they had seen him heal on numerous occasions.

Each of those actions constitutes a move that you can make, so that God can move next. Perhaps, you have been believing God for someone’s salvation. It may be that it is your move, and that move would be sharing the gospel with them. Perhaps, you have been praying for financial blessing and your move would be to begin to tithe, believing that God will give the increase. If you have been praying for a healing gift, your next move might be to begin to pray for strangers at Wal-Mart, choosing to believe that God will heal just as he has said.

Whatever you have been hoping for, it may be time to convert hope to expectation. Ask God if it is your move. If it is, then make it. Blessings in Him.