David Diga Hernandez - How to Heal the Sick - Part I: A Prayer Life

So, Jesus really is the ultimate example that we look to; you know, that ultimate standard that we seek to model. What we see in Scripture through Jesus is the one that we should try to emulate. There are dangers that come when trying to model our ministries and our lives after those of men and women who have preceded us. Now, I believe in honoring men and women of God; I believe that they can be anointed. I can name many great healing evangelists: I think of Oral Roberts, I think of Catherine Coleman, and I think of Pastor Benny Hinn. While these are great men and women of God, we should ultimately always look to Jesus himself. He is the flawless, perfect example of how ministry should be carried out and how the sick should be ministered to. When we look at Jesus himself, we avoid the dangers that come with modeling after people. Now, I believe in impartation; I believe in receiving from those who have gone before us. I believe in honoring those who have paved the way. However, there is a benefit to modeling after Christ himself. You see, if we create a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy, eventually that final copy will be corrupt and nothing like the original image. These men and women of God who have gone before us are themselves copies of Jesus. So instead of becoming a copy of a copy of a copy, we should become a copy of Jesus; we should look to emulate his image. When we do this, we find the benefits of Christ’s likeness in our own ministries. I want to encourage you, and this is what we’re going to do throughout the series: always look to Jesus when it comes to matters of ministry. In looking to Jesus, this is what I want to address in this first part of the series on how to heal the sick. Really, this is a series on keys to the healing ministry, and I’m excited because later in this series, I do want to address some questions concerning the healing ministry. So maybe you can let me know—message me; let me know what you think about the healing ministry and some questions you would like to see answered. But I want to talk to you about the prayer life of Jesus because really, having a prayer life is the foundation of the healing ministry. The more often you pray, the deeper you go in prayer, and the more intense the healing power of God becomes manifested in your life. The potency of that power is directly proportionate to your time in prayer. You cannot neglect prayer and be in the healing ministry because it truly is just the power of God. When Catherine Coleman was being interviewed by a secular news outlet about how the people were healed in her meetings, she said, «First of all, I’m not the healer. Don’t call me a faith healer; don’t call me a healer of any kind. I do not heal the sick.» I agree with that, and I would tell you the same thing: I can heal no one outside the power of God. Catherine Coleman stated it really is just the power of God—it’s the healing power of God. I tell you it truly is just the healing presence of Jesus that cannot be duplicated, counterfeited, or manufactured by our own efforts. The true healing ministry comes about through prayer. Now, you cannot train people to have gifts. I’ve seen a lot of training in spiritual gifts, and while I don’t necessarily critique the idea of training someone in their spiritual gifts, I do want to mention that it’s not about formulas, systems, or how-tos per se; it’s about the Spirit. «Not by power nor by might, but by my Spirit, ” says the Lord. Jesus modeled this perfectly because he had a prayer life. Your prayer life is the foundation of your ministry. Your prayer life will determine what level of miracles you see. You can say you want to see greater miracles, but are you paying the price by spending time in prayer? Are you paying the price for the anointing on your life by devoting yourself to the secret places of prayer? Jesus indeed had a prayer life, and in fact, prayer is as powerful as God. Prayer can do all that the Father can. The one who prays is not forcing God to do something outside of His will; the one who prays is aligning themselves to become a conduit of the power and the will of God on earth. So I’m not praying to get God to do something He’s reluctant to do; I’m praying to align myself with His will, and in doing so, the power of God flows through me. Jesus had a prayer life. I read this verse last week, but it applies to this lesson as well: John 5:19 says, „So Jesus explained, ‘I tell you the truth; the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.’“ Jesus followed the direction of His Father and received that direction in times of prayer. Jesus prayed alone. Matthew 14:23 says, „After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.“ So note that He prayed alone; He prayed at night, and He instructs us to do the same. Matthew 6:5-6 says, „When you pray, you are not like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray.“