If we need prudence to talk to our neighbor, how much more when talking to God.
It is true that when we speak we do not have to say everything we think, but we have to think everything we say first. The disciples did not know how to talk to the Father and that is why they asked Christ to teach them how to pray. At the moment of speaking with God we may not know exactly what to say or ask for (Ro 8:26), but we must have some clarity regarding what we should not say to the Father in prayer.
One thing the Bible shows is that it is not necessary to “declare healing” when praying for a sick person. This is because, as we shall see, the Bible teaches that to declare it is a matter that belongs only to God: “I, the LORD, speak righteousness Y I declare what is right” (Is 45:19b).
Even if we have all faith, if we pray “declaring healing” we are not clear about two essential biblical principles:
1) The only one who declares with authority is God
The absolute authority in the human being is tyranny, the absolute authority in God is sovereignty. That is why no one should ever presume to be the only representative of God in the church, where he could establish his own little empire. There is not a single human being who can declare things in a sense that he intends to force God to obey, in the name of faith.
God’s sovereignty is always above our faith: “All the inhabitants of the earth are considered as nothing, but He acts according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can stay his hand, nor say to him: ‘What have you done?’” (Dan 4:35).
The Bible shows that it is not necessary to declare healing when praying for a sick person, because to declare It is a matter that belongs only to God
To explain this principle we must understand what the Bible says and what use it makes of the word to declare.
In the Old Testament, the word translated “declare” in Isaiah 45:19, has a wide range of meanings. When used in relation to the human being or the servants of God, it has an indicative value. That is, it means to inform, announce, refer, warn. It also has a descriptive meaning, such as narrating, recounting, describing. In the didactic field, it is translated as explaining, solving, guessing a riddle; in the judicial field it means to denounce, betray, accuse. As we can see, none of these words involves an exercise of authority, but rather an account of a reality.
In the New Testament, on the contrary, there are 16 Greek words that are translated into Spanish as “declare.” Due to the richness of this word in Greek, there are also various meanings in Spanish translations: reveal, make known, expose, explain, indicate, show, clarify, interpret, testify, inform, etc. But none endorse declaratory prayers to command God to heal the sick.
What both the Old and New Testaments show is that the Bible never uses the verb “declare” to establish an order for God to obey humans in their demands or claims for prosperity or healing.
It is not a lack of faith that we avoid declaring healing, but it is a sign of an obedient and trusting heart that submits its will to God
If the Scriptures do not assume God’s action based on human declaration, then an obedient and submissive believer to God will understand and accept the place that corresponds to his request or affirmation when praying. The example of Christ when praying is extremely clear:
- “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be doneas on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10, italics added).
- “Withdrawing again, he prayed a second time, saying: ‘My Father, if this cup cannot pass without my drinking it, Thy will be done‘” (Mt 26:42, italics added).
What we see in Jesus Christ is a deep submission to the will of the Father, to which he fully adheres by making his prayer an unconditional surrender and not a mandatory demand to God.
Therefore, it is not a lack of faith that we avoid declaring healing, but it shows an obedient and trusting heart that submits its will to God. He loves us and we are sure that he hears us when we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He not only knows us deeply, but he also knows what will happen in the future and has already established in his eternal plan what it will be without anything or anyone altering it.
2) The gift of healing is from God, not from man
The point of this second principle is not to discuss the validity or otherwise of the healing mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:9. Rather, it seeks to explain that the word “gifts” can mean:
- A gift for the benefit of someone (Acts 2:38).
- A spiritual ability that operates as a ministry instrument (1 Cor 12:11).
Both usages are clearly established in the New Testament. We see an example of the former when Paul speaks of the gift or complete gift of salvation (2 Cor 1:10-11; Ro 5:15-16); the second takes the form of an instrumental gift in Romans 12:6 and in 1 Corinthians 12:11.
The Holy Spirit in the New Testament conferred gifts for the edification of the body of Christ, among them those of teaching or pastoring and also that of healing as instruments of blessing, but He always has control of that gift and the last word on how it operates in his servants. So, in this case, the gift of healing is not a magic formula like “hocus-pocus” for the believer to use as he pleases and whims to get what he wants.
In the Bible, the verb “declare” never establishes a command for God to obey humans in their demands for prosperity or healing.
James exhorts church leaders to pray for the sick, but does not point out that they have final authority over healing, rather, as Simon Kistemaker states:
“When the elders claim the words written by James and trust that God will hear their fervent prayer, the miracle of healing often occurs. However, it is well that we say two words of caution: First, the elders should not assume that they have permanently received a gift that enables them to heal any member of the church who is sick. Second, despite fervent prayers and faith, God may decide that he is not going to restore someone to the health and strength he once had.”
This Kistemaker teaching, plus the principles just listed, are reason enough to recognize that God does not owe us an affirmative answer whenever we “declare healing.” Taking this into account saves us from exposing ourselves to unnecessary shame.
Every Christian should pray humbly —just like Christ— asking for God’s mercy and for his sovereign will to be done, which is good, pleasing, and perfect. That is our greatest confidence, that the Lord hears us when we pray in the name of Jesus. He will respond to us in a loving way because we believe that, in his response, things to come will always be under his control, will work out for good, and especially for his glory (Jn 9:3).
Luis Alonso Schökel, “declare”, Hebrew-Spanish Biblical Dictionary (Madrid: Editorial Trotta, 1999) p. 475. WE Vine, “declare.” Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Nashville, Tennessee: Caribe Editorial, 1999) p. 324. Simon Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Challenge Books, 1998) p. 369.