It is important to realize that Healing was purchased at the Cross--the one-time sacrifice of Jesus. Isaiah 53, Hebrews 10-11.
So even though your experience is that it comes and goes or has not come, you must renew your mind that it has already been purchased for you, it is rightfully yours, and no liar has the authority to keep you from it.You are NOT waiting on God to GIVE it to you. You are dealing with lies and liars. "Let God's Word be true, and every man a liar!"
Why is it not automatic?
Men receive from God by faith. They must ask and receive by faith--which is contrast to man's thinking that he can receive through his works. God's goodness is the key, rather than man's obedience.
When it appears to come in a wave: AKA "God really moved tonight!"
Healing appears to come in waves--that 'God moves' at certain times. But this is not the best interpretation of what people are experiencing. When a person/minister takes a microphone and declares, "God wants to heal tonight," sure that is the way that speaker is "feeling" it, but since we know that healing was purchased a long time ago, then we know that it is God's will to heal for any man who would believe .... because he already HAS completed His portion the healing! Just like salvation/forgiveness of sins was/were offered one time and is/are (a) gift(s) offered to any who will believe, healing is the same. Available for any who believe. So at any particular event, if a minister knows this (or begins to know it), he may declare, "now is the time," but that is man's time, not God's time. God's time is any time, but ministers stop and start. God, in His foreknowledge, of course, knows the times and places of men, and is working all things to the good of those who love Him, but He is ever-present.
Well, then did The Spirit move?
The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS leading ALL MEN into ALL TRUTH as much as they will receive it. So technically, yes, the spirit is moving when healing is happening, but not because the spirit chose to move at that time on that person. God shows no partiality. Where's there's faith, His power flows, because what God has provided is received by faith, not by God's partial giving. (Remember the woman who touched Jesus in the crowd, and Jesus knew someone had touched him because he felt power move out of him? He says it was because of her faith. "Your faith has healed you.")
What about churches who swear God began healing during a particular season after they fasted and prayed, etc.
God "confirms His Word with signs and wonders." When His Word (Christ, the Word made flesh) is preached, meaning "grace and truth [which comes] through Jesus Christ," He will confirm that Word with signs and wonders for the benefit of the listeners to know that THIS IS HIS MESSAGE. The message of works righteousness and condemnation is not attended by signs and wonders. It is not his message.
The point is that the 'increase' comes from their reliance on the Word and preaching the Word of Grace. Otherwise, men would be getting credit for their spiritual work!
I once heard a Pentecostal preacher who had been praying for revival for years say that he had been studying the 'great moves of God' over the centries. He got very serious and turned to the preacher, "Now, if the spirit of God falls on your church, if you don't use the signs and wonders to preach the gospel, the spirit will leave." In other words, he had correlated in his study the presence of signs and wonders and the preaching of the (true) gospel! DUH! That's what the Word says! He was just off a little bit. In reality it was the preaching of the gospel that brought the signs and wonders! Needless to say, this man, yearning for revival did not realize that revival came with Jesus, and now lives in Him. His obvious message of works--of man trying to position himself in a worthy position to be used by God, changed by God, touched by God--needed to be flipped upside down. God has already offered what this man is looking for. He has already used, touched, and changed us in the death of Christ! That's the gospel...a topic for another blog.
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