"When they went they were healed" Luke 17:14,15

     In our tweeted,emailed,Googled, texted, cellphone instantaneous generation, even our faith and spiritual life has been condition to only expect and desire a split second response from an omnipotent God as the only acceptable answer to prayer.  Now may I say that I too, do believe, strive for, and expect this same God to indeed provide His loving care and grace in a moments notice just like you. Because I know that He can and will.  I have seen it with my own eyes!
     Yet, may I also say that any healing is from God.  Because you see we have an enemy, also.  His job description, if you want to call it that, is to steal, to kill and destroy.  How hideous.  He hates you, with a passion.  He would not want you to be healed.  So, you see, logically, healing comes from God.
    I know that in some sense I may have simplified this too much for some, and not enough for others.  But, the point that I want to get across is that God is your healer.  Jesus Christ paid the price for your victory, no matter how and when it is manifested.  And because it may not be seen in that first split second, doesn't make it any less a gift of love from a caring Father's heart.
     There is a scripture that goes along with the following true testimony.  It's  from  Luke 17:14,15.   It says,"

Luke 17:12-15

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

¹² As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
¹⁴ When He saw them, He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed.^[a]
15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 
   
     The point that I would like to emphasize is that Jesus in effect prayed for them to be healed, and while they were going.....they were healed.  What we must remember is that this was Jesus himself, and in this case it was a healing/miracle in process.
     

Now for our true testimony from a good friend.
     Last week, I grabbed a box that happened to weigh around 40 - 45 lbs., and thought nothing of it.  About 20 minutes later though, I found  that I had some pain in my arm and wrist, and it was getting progressively worse.  As it progressed from discomforting to excruciating, I found myself going to the Hospital Emergency room.
     It took several hours for X-rays to be taken, and a diagnosis to be given.  As I waited for all of this to take place, I was literally pacing the floor.  You see the only position for my arm to be comfortable in was to be held up right, and the only safe available place to be, was to walk the floor of the room.  The ER doctor after reviewing all of the information and X-rays, was pretty certain that I had ruptured a tendon. Due to the fact that there were no breaks, yet the pain was so severe.  Now, I don't normally like to take medications.  But, this time the pain was just too much so I took the doctor's prescription this time.
     On the way to the pharmacy, I was wholeheartedly praying to God.  I was in pain and needed His help.  I can honestly say it was one of the most painful conditions that I have ever experienced.  I know that the Lord has experienced pain too just like mankind, just look at what He went through on the cross.
     While at the pharmacy waiting for them to make up my prescription, I saw a woman who is a mighty prayer warrior at our church.  I wondered to myself, if this was just chance or was it something more?  I had been a Christian long enough to know that in the Kingdom of God that nothing occurs by happenstance.

 So, I thought just  maybe this was a divine appointment. 
     I went over to the lady.  She could tell immediately that something was wrong because I was pale and sweating.  I asked her if she would please pray for me because of my arm and the pain.  She got right to work.  Here we were right there in front of the Express line in the store praying up a storm.  She was rebuking the enemy's plans for me, asking for God' relief, and healing touch.  It may not be your everyday "normal" Express lane checkout experience...but then again, "Why not"?  I think that at times we don't receive simply because we don't ask?   
     I did end up taking a half of one of the pain pills that day.  I also slept later with the wrist iced and elevated. The next morning the pain was all but gone.  It was a little tender, so as a precaution I kept a brace on it.  I had a referral to a specialist a couple of days later.  I went to the appointment.  He examined the wrist.  He said that he could find no evidence of a rupture or tear, and that there was no permanent damage.  He said, that maybe it must have been just a severe strain based on the reports.
     I know that my wrist was healed through prayer, and the loving touch of my Heavenly Father.  The overall experience encouraged and challenged me as a whole.  I found out personally that  people in need of prayer don't really care if it is in the middle of the store, in public, or what others around them might be thinking.  People in need, just want to know that God loves them and want His comfort and His healing touch.
     As with the scripture from Luke that I shared above, my friend got his healing so to speak as he went on his way.  He was trusting that God was already working on his behalf, he was in process.  And that process did not take long at all.  I think that the bigger lesson was that he experienced first hand that the Kingdom of God is everywhere; so we can call on God to show His wonders, anywhere!