Is Anyone Sick?

“They brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’”

—Matthew 8:16–17

“Is there anyone sick in this place?” This is what I ask when I go into a sickroom. Why? I will tell you a story that will explain.

My daughter is a missionary to Africa. I am interested in helping to support missionaries in Africa and all over. I love missionary work. 

We had a missionary out in China who by some means or other got rheumatism. I have no word for rheumatism; rheumatism, cancer, tumors, lumbago, neuralgia—all these things I give only one name: the power of the Devil working in humanity. All these things can be removed.

When Jesus went into Peter’s house, where his wife’s mother lay sick, what did He do? Did He cover her up with a blanket and put a hot water bottle on her feet? If He didn’t do that, why didn’t He? Because He knew that the demons had all the heat of hell in them. He did the right thing: He rebuked the fever, and it left. (See Luke 4:38–39.) We, too, ought to do the right thing with these diseases.

This missionary came home to Belfast from China, enraged against the work of God, enraged against God, enraged against everything. She was absolutely outside the plan of God. 

While she was in Belfast, God allowed her to fall down some steps and dislocate her backbone. Others had to lift her up and carry her to her bed. God allowed it.

Be careful about getting angry at God because of something wrong with your body. Get right with God.

On the day that I was to visit the sick, she asked me to come. When I went to her room, I looked at her and called out, “Is there anyone sick in this room?” No response. “Is there anyone sick in this room?” No response. “Well,” I said, “we will wait until somebody responds.”

By and by, she said, “Yes, I am sick.” I said, “All right, we have found you out then. You are in the room. Now the Word of God says that when you are sick, you are to pray. When you pray, I will anoint you and pray for you, but not before.”

It took her almost a quarter of an hour to yield, the Devil had such possession of her. But, thank God, she yielded. Then she cried and cried, and by the power of God her body was shaken loose, and she was set free. This happened when she repented, and not before. Her bitterness had been blocking her relationship with God and ultimately her healing. It was only after she yielded to God and received His forgiveness that her relationship with Him was restored and the healing occurred.

Oh, what would happen if everybody would repent! Talk about blessings! The glory would fall. God wants you to have a living faith; He wants you to possess a vital touch, shaking the foundation of all weakness. We need to see that God wants us to be blessed, but first of all He wants us to be ready for the blessing.

Thought for today: God’s Word can bring things to pass today as it did in the past.