Once you’ve made your request, thank God for the answer, forgive anyone you need to forgive, and start listening down in your spirit for direction from The LORD.
No More Coffee, No More Pain
I remember one time back in my early years in ministry, I was dealing with pain in my elbow joints. I’d pray to receive healing for it, and for a while it would get a little better. But then it would get worse again. Finally, it really began to bother me, so I decided to spend a few days at a friend’s house on the lake and seek The LORD about the situation.
I spent the first day going over the verses I just quoted from James 1 and 1 Corinthians, and verses like these from Proverbs:
• Wisdom cries aloud in the street…. (Proverbs 1:20, "Amplified Bible, Classic Edition")
• Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
(Proverbs 4:7)
• Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
After meditating on those scriptures and praying in the spirit, I pleaded my case before God. “LORD,” I said, “I know healing is part of my inheritance in Christ. I know that when He went to the Cross, He bore all my sicknesses and pains. So, the fact that this pain keeps coming back must mean I’m missing it somewhere. What is the problem?”
At the time, I was a coffee addict. I’d gotten hooked on it back when I was flying for a living, and I’d developed a habit of drinking 16 to 18 cups a day. I knew it was bad for me, and I’d tried to quit. But whenever I did, I’d always get a nasty caffeine-withdrawal headache and wind up drinking a cup of coffee to shut it down.
I kept thinking about that as I was seeking The LORD about my elbows. But I wasn’t sure why. Then, on the evening of the second day, The LORD started talking to me about it.
'You’re going to have to quit drinking coffee, He said. It’s made out of a bean that has certain acids and tars in it. You’ve abused it so, it’s begun to build up in your joints, particularly your elbow joints.'
I didn’t want to hear that. But I’d asked for wisdom, so I said, “All right, LORD, show me what to do.”
8 : BVOV
