10 Ways to Receive Health and Healing - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 25

10 Ways to Receive Health and Healing
By Lynette Kittle

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the one I praise” - Jeremiah 17:14

Countless individuals are tuned into keeping their bodies healthy through the food they eat, exercise, rest, and taking nutritional supplements.

Like 1 Corinthians 6:19 explains, our bodies are important to take care of. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

Still, too much focus on our physical bodies often takes away from our spiritual well-being and, too easily, takes the forefront and focus in our lives.

1 Timothy 4:8 urges the importance of pursuing godliness as our top priority. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Although we often try to separate spiritual and physical health, God’s Word teaches us that our spiritual health is vital to our physical health. The two are not separate aspects of us but are intertwined and affect each other.

Biblical Pathways to Receiving Health and Healing

Following are ten biblical pathways to receiving health and healing that keep godliness at the forefront of our efforts and focus.

1. Fear of the Lord brings health. Fearing the Lord in a reverent way is healthy for us. It comes through respecting, honoring, and living out God’s commands in our lives. “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:7-8).

2. Gracious words bring healing. The words we speak, along with the ones spoken to us, have the ability to cultivate healing within us. Proverbs 16:24 describes how “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

3. Cheerfulness assists in health and healing. A cheerful attitude has the ability to affect our health as much, or maybe more, than medical prescriptions. As Proverbs 17:22 explains, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

4. Health comes through good news. Nowadays, most of the news we hear in the media and on social media is negative, which overall wears people down. Proverbs 15:30 describes how good news has the ability to cultivate health in us. “Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.”

5. God’s Word brings life and health to us. Proverbs 4:20-22 describes the life that comes through studying, knowing, and living by God’s Word:

“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”

6. Faith in God heals. In Mark 5:34, Jesus confirms to the woman with the issue of blood, that her faith is what led to her healing. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

7. By Jesus’ stripes comes healing. Isaiah 53:5 describes how healing comes to us through the wounds Jesus suffered through being whipped and crucified. “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

8. Church elders’ prayers bring healing. James 5:14 directs us to seek church elders to pray for our healing. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.”

9. God’s messengers deliver healing. God sends angels at times to bring healing to individuals. At the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, John 5:4 describes, “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”

10. Heaven guarantees healing. Revelation 21:4 describes a life after death on earth that is free from sickness and disease. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Are you in need of health and healing? If so, in the coming days, ask God to lead and guide you in studying and putting into practice the pathways He’s given us to receive them.

Further Reading:
Best Prayers for Healing - Pray for Health, Love and Faith

Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.