“When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby,
He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’
Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’
From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”
(John 19:26?27) ...
In Mark 2, a paralytic man who was carried by his friends on a pallet couldn’t get into the house where Jesus was because of the crowd. So, his friends opened the roof of the house and let down the pallet. They firmly believed that Jesus could heal him, so they were able to come before Jesus even by tearing down the roof. Likewise, in order to receive answers from God, we have to show faith from our side, which is to set up a ‘prop of faith’. We don’t just have to pray earnestly, but also if urged by the Spirit, we have to fast or offer all-night prayers. Depending on each one’s measure of faith, we might also have to do good deeds such as evangelism, voluntary service, or charitable work by the urging of the Spirit. When we show our faith with actions, which is to set up the prop of faith from our side, spiritual faith can be given from above.
If the sick person has not yet accepted the Lord, he must listen to basic messages and at least has faith as knowledge. And he has to come using that faith as his foothold so that divine healing can take place. By the way, there are some believers who get involved in accidents or who get serious diseases. They, they have to check whether they kept two most basic commandments, that is, to keep the Lord’s Day holy and to give tithes. It is difficult to receive the answer because, as James 2:26 says, faith without works is dead.
We must not have any barrier of sin.
Even if we prepare the prop of faith from our side, it will not work if we have a barrier of sin between God and us(Isaiah 59:1-2). Also, even if we try to set up the prop of faith, the wall of sin will shake the prop. That is why Jesus lets us know that we have to receive forgiveness of sin before healing, by saying to the paralytic who came with faith, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)
Satan can make sinful people have thoughts of doubts and other fleshly thoughts. Then, it can cause doubts blocking the possible answer, and then they may even lose their faith as knowledge. With a barrier of sin, Satan can cause negative thoughts so that the prop of faith can’t be set up firmly. Eventually, it’ll be difficult to receive the answer. Therefore, in order to receive the answer with faith, we must not have a barrier of sin before God. However, you should not lose heart thinking that God will not give you an answer because you committed sins. If you honestly confess your sins before God, turn from sins, and walk in the Light, we can be forgiven of all sins by the blood of Jesus. God will remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west(1 John 1:7-9).
We have to receive the gift of spiritual faith from God.
Jesus said to the paralytic man who was on a pallet and let down from the roof, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” (Mark 2:11) This was profession of faith of Jesus. The paralytic man and his friends set up the prop of faith, and Jesus put spiritual faith on it. Then, the paralytic man stood up on his own, picked up his pallet and walked back home. If spiritual faith, with which we can believe from heart, comes down from above, the change can take place instantly. Worries, concerns, anxiety, nervousness, and despair will disappear. We will have conviction of the answer by the fact that we feel peace in mind.
However, what we should keep in mind is that we have to wait until we receive the answer. We should not just act recklessly or presumptuously according to our own ways and thoughts saying that we prayed and fasted. And when difficulties come our way, we should not say things are not working out even though we prayed and fasted. If we really believed in God the Father with our heart, we should also wait until spiritual faith is given from above. The answer is given at the time when God gives us the gift of spiritual faith.
Manmin News 
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