For decades I have believed in the hope, and even the promise, of divine healing based on many, many very definitive Scriptures that are so clear they are inescapable.  And for these same decades I have believed them, relied on them, spoken them, commanded with them, laid on hands with them just as Scripture and knowledgeable people have recommended.

But in all that time I have never seen any divine healing that I know of.  I have no doubt about the efficacy of the Blood of Christ to save, but Scriptures about healing seem so unobtainable to me that it calls into question the unquestionable – the very truth of the Word of God – or maybe, let’s say, its relevance to us personally.  (And, yes, I have done all that I possibly know to do to "receive the Holy Spirit" too.)

Ninety percent of Evangelical Christendom has no particular expectation of getting real healings and functionally counsels that you really should not either – and even defines faith as NOT really expecting it.  You know how that works – healings don’t come and they say faith is trusting that it is not God’s will for you to be healed.  And this against the preponderance of Scripture that promises healing and the provision for it.

Well, now I have an illness that is debilitating me and am very much in need of healing.  But it hasn’t come.

Likewise, having lost my job three years ago, and my financial situation going from bad to worse, I have relied on the many Scriptures that have promises such as “to restore the years the locust has eaten” and “to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so much that it overflows” (and this being specifically about finances.)  Similarly, I have not seen any help in this area – despite believing, speaking, commanding actual Scriptures.  (And like the woman with the flow my medical bills are crushing me.)

Well, I was recently acquainted with the idea of the Abrahamic Covenant extending to born-again Christians – most specifically through the magnificent and gracious website www.jaysnell.org.  This teaching says that God’s promises of healing, prosperity, and family well-being, made to Abraham, flow through to his seed today – his seed being we who are born again today.

I am very attracted to this teaching because it integrates all I have believed about the promises of healing and financial help into a tight coherent package and makes some sense of it all.  So perhaps this is a good systematic arrangement of so much in Scripture that promises real results in our lives.

This teaching goes on to make further analogy regarding how the Abrahamic blessings are received today.  God told the children of Israel to go into battles – real, hard, messy battles – for the Promised Land, but he promised the outcome – he promised that they would win – he would ensure it – even against apparently superior foes.  So, the teachings of the Abrahamic Covenant say that likewise we must go into spiritual battle to obtain our blessings of healing and prosperity – and goes on to tell how to do that.  But the teachings go on to say that the outcome has likewise been guaranteed by God and we WILL obtain the promised results if we persevere in the battle.

So you can see my despair and my hope.  I am so weary from fighting the fruitless battles it is hard to get up for the game again.  But I do wonder if this knowledge of God’s promises to Abraham, and our inheritance of them, and God’s guarantee of the outcome, would make a difference this time.

So, you who are knowledgeable about this – I hate to be crass but, does it work?  Did it work for you in some impossible circumstance?  Not in theory, but in actuality – will we see the victory in these things if we persevere?  Can I expect to really get healed and really get financial help?  I am so tired of being let down I want to see some actual reality this time.  The promises of God seem so abundant and clear – as summed up in “He is a very present help in time of need,” plus thousands of other Scriptures like it.  I need that help.  How, I long to see it.

Thank you if you have anything to say to help me with this.

PS I have a similar question in another post today that I would love your comments on too -- regarding Jesus's definition of faith.