Your Healing Might Be Under Your Control

After many times praying to God to heal me, I learned that sometimes our healing could be under our control.

From my experience in religious environments, I noticed a tendency to make many issues a spiritual one. I have found that this is not necessarily the case. Every mental and physical illness does not require divine intervention. Some of these illnesses can be corrected by reducing stress, exercising and eating healthy. Let’s explore this topic further.

How My Healing Was Under My Control

The first time I thought of the idea that our healing could be under our control is when I had recurring nosebleeds. Just about every other night while I was asleep, I got the feeling that my nose was running. I would get out of bed to blow my nose only to discover that it was bleeding. Being a believer, I naturally prayed as I attempted to stop the bleeding. My prayer was simple; “Lord, stop this bleeding.” Although the bleeding would eventually stop, I found myself going through the same routine just about every other night.

Then one night, just before I began to pray to stop another nosebleed, the thought came to me to change my prayer. Instead of asking the Lord to stop the bleeding, I asked him to show me what was causing the nosebleed. That’s when it all changed. I did some research online and came across the answer. I had an iron deficiency. It turns out that a major source of iron is green vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cabbage), of which I avoided eating. Once I changed my diet, the nosebleed stopped, and I was good ever since. The issue I got spiritual about due to my lack of knowledge, was an issue that I was causing myself.

Now you may be thinking why I didn’t do research earlier or go to a doctor. That would be a good question. Well, I did do some research earlier but for some strange reason the answer didn’t stand out before. I believe my thinking changed, leading me to pray differently and seeing my search results in a new light. This changed thinking is the same thing that led me to my appreciation for the power of laws.

Laws

One of the greatest things I’ve learned since the nosebleed issue was that God created the world and seemingly everything in it to operate by laws. What are laws? Oxford defines it as:

“the system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties.”

Oxford Dictionary

In the case of the world, God created laws to regulate and enforce things. There are natural laws, laws of physics and spiritual laws. Therefore, as we should expect, our bodies also operate by laws.

Our Bodies Operate by Laws

We all need oxygen, water, and food to survive. Yes, we can all in varying amounts of time go without these things, but if for too long we will die. The thing to note about this is that it doesn’t matter who you are. Believer or unbeliever, rich or poor, black or white. Once you are a human being you must have those three things to survive.

Throughout the Bible, you can find examples of God providing for hungry people. For example, when he miraculously provided manna and quail for the Israelites (Exodus 16), and how the ravens brought food for Elijah (1 Kings 17:6). Does God have the power to make someone stay alive without food? Most definitely. But he would never do so because he doesn’t break his laws.

The Laws of Food

One thing you probably already know about food is that not all food is created equal. Some foods are healthier than others. Some provide certain nutrients or minerals that others do not, and nutrients and minerals support specific body functions. This was all designed and made law by God. If we disobey these laws, we only do so to our demise. There is an amazing example in the Bible that shows the power of eating well. It is found in 1 Kings 19 and it is about Elijah and a journey he was making. Verses 7-8 states:

“The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”  

1 Kings 19:7-8 NIV

Can you imagine eating one meal and having the strength to make a forty-day journey? That food must have been very nutritious. Another example is found in Daniel 1.

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,  “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.  At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.”

Daniel 1:11-15 NIV

As you can see, eating the right foods can even make you look better! So, if your currently ill and praying for God to heal you, could it be something you’re doing or not doing that’s making you sick? Stress, lack of exercise and bad eating habits can all make us sick. Throughout this article so far, I’ve expressed that our healing might be under our control, however, there are times when this is not the case.

Some Healings Are Not Under Our Control

Sometimes overcoming illnesses are not under our control. While science continues to make discoveries and knowledge increases, there are many things we still don’t understand. It may not be clear if it’s something we could do better or not.  We see this in the story of a blind man Jesus healed. The story goes:

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

John 9:1-3 NIV

There was an assumption that the man’s blindness was due to his or his parent’s sins. As it turns out, the issue was much deeper than that. He was born blind for a greater cause. To be a testament to God’s power. Another example is when Hezekiah was ill (2 Kings 20). Through the prophet Isaiah God told Hezekiah to “Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” So there seem to be illnesses that we may get that are designed to be our way into the next life. 

While we may never know the reasons for some of our illnesses, I encourage you to be wise by doing what you can to live a healthier life. Don’t assume every illness requires divine intervention. Obey God’s laws and have peace knowing that whatever is out of your control is in his control.