A survey conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians shows that ninety-nine percent of doctors believe a relationship exists between faith and physical healing. Recently, more than one thousand health care professionals met at Harvard Medical School to examine the connection between spirituality and healing.
The doctors’ faith in faith was bolstered by a California study on the effect of prayer for recovery from heart problems. About two hundred heart patients were assigned to Christians who prayed for them, while an equal number, a control group, received no known prayers. Neither group knew about the prayers, yet those who received prayer developed only half the complications that were experienced by those in the control group.
A similar study by the Dartmouth Medical School examined the effect of prayer on healing when the patients prayed for themselves. The death rate six months after bypass surgery was 9 percent for the general population, but 5 percent for those who prayed for their own healing. And none of the deeply religious patients died during the period of the study. (The Associated Press, quoted in “Religion in the News,” Signs of the Times, March 1997, p. 4)
For centuries, people have exercised their faith and seen God do the miraculous. The list is endless: Healings, restored families, provisions coming just when they are needed, and lives genuinely changed by Holy Spirit.
I have heard before, “Well, what if I do this faith thing and nothing happens?? “
My response is usually, “What if you do this faith thing and something DOES happen? I mean what have you got to lose? Your reputation for trusting God??”
In the Bible, there is a chapter often called ‘Faith’s Hall of Fame’. It is a list of men and women who exercised faith and were rewarded for it.
Hebrews 11:33-35a (NKJV) ….who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again….
God is not a respecter of persons, but is a respecter of a person’s faith. He gives to those who exercise their faith. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes.” Quite an amazing statement.! What is the criterion? “To him who believes .“ Yes, there is a reward for faith.
I have personally seen God heal people, provide for them financially, and bring young people back from a life of rebellion.
Often I have seen a teenager give their life to Christ and experience the life change only the Holy Spirit can provide, and then later seen that young person’s mother and father come to God because of what they saw in their son or daughter! I have seen at least three couples pray and believe God for a child when they had been married for over 10 years without one. God provided. It is true. Faith produces results.
Again and again, Jesus would tell someone who had just been healed or freed from some oppression, ”Your faith has made you well!”
When we hit a crisis in our lives, God wants us to turn to Him with faith. He promises to answer us (the way He chooses), but with a real answer. When He does that, and real help does come from God, He gets glory.
Psalm 50:15 (NIV)…..call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
At your next bout of trouble, call upon God in faith, and when He answers, you too will be a part of Faith’s Hall of Fame.