What You Believe Affects Your Health
Blocks to Healing Part 2
The Bible indicates that what we believe affects our health. That’s why it is so important that our understanding comes from the right source. When the truth is misrepresented or misunderstood it can actually be a block to our healing.
Our point of reference affects what we believe.
We all come from various backgrounds and points of reference. We may hear the same word and interpret it differently from the person next to us based on our own personal point of view.
Let’s use the word ‘Father’ as an example: For a person who grew up with a loving, caring father, that word would have a positive association for them. If, however, a person grew up with a high tempered, strong-willed, domineering father, that word might instill a negative response.
How we see Father God
This is what Father God faces regularly with His children. For some of us, recognizing Him as our Father provides a positive point of reference and an easy jumping off point into relationship. But for many of us, this association causes us to build up walls of self-protection or drivenness and performance in order to win His approval. At the same time, we imagine that He can never be pleased with us and that we cannot measure up.
This is why the Word says that we must trust in the Lord with all of our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding. Our understanding may be skewed by our point of reference.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 KJV
It’s okay to admit it!
Part of growing up spiritually is coming to terms with our humanness. It is being able to admit that we don’t have it all figured out or together. We need to recognize that we are humans and He is God. We need to recognize our need for Him. He does not expect perfection or performance from us, but He does want us to have a desire to grow up to be more like Him. There is no unreasonable standard that He’s set up for us that we cannot possibly attain. In fact, the Word says that He knows that we are just dust and has pity and mercy for us.
Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust. Psalm 103:13-14 KJV
Psalm 103 also says that He makes His ways clear to us, there is no ambiguity. He offers a firm foundation for us to stand on.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. Psalm 103:7 KJV
He has made all of this available to us. It is up to us whether we will search it out or not.
Two major blocks
There are two major blocks to healing that tie into this. They are ignorance or lack of knowledge and no relationship with God according to knowledge.
Let’s face it, none of us know that we are ignorant until we are faced with something that we just don’t understand or we receive knowledge that throws our previous ideas out the window. Ignorance is actually a form of knowledge. But the Word says clearly that God’s people are destroyed and are in bondage for lack of knowledge. Our lack of understanding is dangerous to our health!
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because [they have] no knowledge: and their honourable men [are] famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Isaiah 5:13 KJV
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hosea 4:6 KJV
We need to have a point of reference that is higher than our own.
We need to have a desire to search out knowledge and grow that up into wisdom. Knowledge is what we know about something and wisdom is understanding how to apply that to our lives and walk in it. Knowledge ties the past to the present and wisdom ties our present to our future.
We need to be willing to keep on growing
We need to develop a hunger for God’s Word and His truth in order to overcome this. It can be so easy to just keep on walking in our own way of understanding. However, that may be a dangerous trap for us because we may be programmed from the iniquity of our generations to a path that can lead to break down, in our spirit, soul, and body. This is where sickness and disease can gain its foothold.
What’s the difference?
These two blocks to healing are very similar. Yet they have specific differences. Ignorance or lack of knowledge applies to anything that we think or relate to or act upon that is based on our understanding from our carnal point of reference. What God wants us to do is grow up in this and reach out to see His perspective about the things of life that we are faced with on a daily basis. This can involve a willingness to search out the root issues behind our diseases, to make adjustments in obedience to God, to be an overcomer and to understand the spiritual reality of our existence according to the Word of God.
Does it line up with scripture?
It can be very easy for us to try to develop a relationship with God according to what we think we know about Him or what another man has told us about Him, but that is not necessarily according to scripture.
We may have a view of God based on the failure of man in our lives. Perhaps there was someone in our life who claimed they were representing God or were supposed to represent Him but did not. Or maybe we’ve been exposed to false doctrine that was presented as the truth about God but was subtly deceptive.
Lay it down
There is a place where we need to come to lay down pride in what we think we know and humbly pursue the heart of God. To seek to know Him for who He is, not for who we think He is. This could mean the difference between disease and health, bondage and freedom for many of us.
God’s sovereignty
We need to preface this by saying that God is greater yet than us and our understanding. The Word says that He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. He can heal an unsaved person and He can heal a saved person while they are still in ignorance. Whatever He does, it is according to His sovereignty and understanding of each person and situation in order to draw them to Himself and to bring the glory back to Himself.
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Romans 9:15 KJV
If you have sought healing and it hasn’t come…
However, if a person has prayed for and sought healing and has not received it, then it’s time to dig deeper. The spiritual roots of their disease and the possible blocks to their healing need to be sought out and assessed.
Many of us have a lot of head knowledge. Maybe we’ve grown up in the church and know all of the Bible stories and the fruits of the spirit. We may think we know what to do, but there could be an element that is missing.
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. Isaiah 29:13 KJV
The questions that may be key to your healing are:
Where is your heart at; is it really towards God to know Him more?
Whose ways are you really seeking?
Whose understanding are you really leaning on; your own or God’s?
We need to talk to the Father about these things and get our hearts on track with Him.
Are we really so wrong?
We may be led to think that our own understanding has gotten us this far, how can it be so wrong? It’s not that it’s necessarily so wrong. After all, there are a lot of good things that we have picked up over the years that should not be discredited. What we may need is a bit of a course change. So we may have some knowledge, is that enough or should we press on further into more understanding of who God is?
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 KJV
The vending machine
Some of us approach Him like He is a vending machine. We have a petition that we bring to Him and expect an immediate response. This is an excellent example of a person approaching God, but not according to knowledge.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. James 4:3 KJV
Many of us come straight to God with a petition. We figure that if He gives us what we want, then we’ll worship Him. Some of us don’t really have a desire for or even understand what relationship with Him means.
How do we seek God according to knowledge?
Seeking God should actually start with a relationship. Relationship is fellowship with the Creator. A Good example of a relationship with God is found in the Psalms in King David’s conversations with God.
We may be surprised to realized just how interested and invested that our Father God is in each one of us! He cares about every little detail. Often times we feel like we can only come to Him with the big important things, but we don’t realize that He wants to be a part of every little part of our lives.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7 KJV
Getting to know Him
If we think of relationship and fellowship from a human standpoint, how do you get to know someone? You ask them questions, you spend time with them, you listen to them and you observe them. Relationship with God works much the same. When we really want to get to know Him we begin to ask Him questions about Himself. Then we can search His Word to come to a better understanding of who He is and how He thinks. There are all kinds of stories and testimonies in the Bible about how He thinks and deals with mankind. We need to ask Him to show us His heart in each one of those.
You can even ask for His perspective on the common, everyday things of your life. You may be amazed at what He shows you.
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. James 4:8 KJV
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 KJV
The next step is worship
As you build this fellowship with Him and begin to seek His heart, you can begin to worship Him. This is the second part of relationship. Worship is an expression of who God is in your life and in the world. It establishes Him as the Lord of your life and is a powerful declaration of where your hope and your faith lie. It is a huge part of overcoming because so often we get so caught up in the ick of our lives that we forget the greatness of the almighty God that we serve. Worship can actually be a faith builder and a source of strength.
Finally, petition
The final step is petition. This is where we come to God according to knowledge, because we now understand His heart and how He thinks and we have lined ourselves up with that. Now we can ask God according to our faith which is rooted and grounded in relationship with Him. This is where we will begin to see real and lasting results. But there is a condition to petition: are you willing to receive God’s answer the way He designed it, not necessarily according to the way you want it?
Develop patience in the journey
Sometimes we are looking for a specific and abrupt answer, but don’t realize that He is trying to lead us on a journey so that He can bring our hearts to a place to receive that answer. This is where meekness and humility and patience are so important. Having a heart open to hear and receive direction from our Father so that He can lead us to the plain paths and bring us to lasting and complete healing and deliverance.
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:16-21 KJV
A starting point
He is such a good Father and He loves you like crazy! That is a good place to start. Learn to receive His love, find your peace and safety in Him and all of these other things will flow so much more profoundly in your life. Be open to His direction and maybe even course changes. He wants to direct your heart so that you will have a solid foundation of truth to stand on.
What we believe affects your health – we might as well agree with what our creator says so that our body may line up with His original, “very good” design.
Blessings,
The Be in Health® Team
This article is part 2 of the Blocks to Healing Series click the links below to read the rest of the series:
1. The #1 Block to Healing
3. Sin and Iniquity Block Our Healing
A More Excellent Way:
If you are new to our ministry, Dr. Henry W. Wright’s book, A More Excellent Way, is a great place to start. It supplies profound knowledge about the secrets of healing and the prevention of disease. Using sound scripture and scientific observation, Dr. Henry Wright leads the reader on a journey of personal responsibility, identifying root causes to specific diseases and offering pathways of healing and wholeness that were never meant to remain dormant in the body of Christ. Here, you will understand why mankind has disease, identify specific blocks to healing, and discover spiritual pathways to health.
Resources and For My Life®:
Be in Health® offers the For My Life® Retreat in addition to reading materials and teachings. The For My Life Retreat® is a one-week getaway where participants can come and receive the insights and instruction that they need in order to be recovered in their spirit, soul, and body. The fruits of this retreat have been profound; tens of thousands of people have experienced healing not only in their bodies and hearts but also in their relationships. Our team members are excited to come alongside you in your overcoming journey to discovering God’s true heart and plans for your life and for your health.
