The Word of God is the most binding power in all of Creation. God, even God, will not break or contradict His Word even in the tiniest detail. In a strange way, human beings are the only thing in all of creation that can actually break God’s Word and boundaries. We are truly unique in this. Why is this? I think it goes back to the garden.
God gave Adam and Eve dominion over His Creation. Without going into tremendous depth (which this topic truly warrants but I think puts us ahead of where we are at the moment) the short answer is that God gave us all free will. He has delegated certain parts of His plan to us and is bound by His Word and His absolute respect of our free will to not cross the boundaries He Himself has put up in his infinite wisdom.
Literally, God is waiting on us to fulfill our part – complete surrender and faith in Him – because then He is free to do His good and perfect will. You could think of it like a tap in your house. You can have a tap and water, but unless you turn on the fawcett, the water will not flow and you will benefit from having it in your home. Our part gives us access to all that God has provided in His Word.
God, through Jesus, has already done His part, but our part opens the door wide for what He has already done to flood into our lives. Everything in God’s creation follows the order He has established. We are not simply asking for the sick to be healed, we are plundering what the enemy considers to be his goods. Very often, Satan has legal rights to those he is preying upon. This is why we need to know our Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, so very intimately when we go about the work of setting the captives free for His Kingdom and His glory.
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Berean Study Bible
Genesis 1:26 [Full Chapter] … And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth …
Genesis 1:27-29 King James Version (KJV) 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Exodus 23:29-31 (KJV) 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. 31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
Psalm 8:4-6 (NKJ) 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.
Matthew 12:28-30 The Passion Translation (TPT) 28 On the other hand, if I drive out demons by the power of the Spirit of God, then the end of Satan’s kingdom has come![a]29 Who would dare enter the house of a mighty man and steal his property? First he must be overpowered and tied up by one who is stronger than he. Then his entire house can be plundered and every possession stolen. 30 “So join with me,[b]for if you’re not on my side you are against me. And if you refuse to help me gather the spoils, you are making things worse.[c]”
Isaiah 49:24-25 “24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contends with thee, and I will save thy children.”
Revelation 1:4-6 (NIV) 4John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
There are many promises that I would call “promise land promises”. They are reserved for those who truly cross the Jordan river, are willing and able in Christ to see the Giants be driven out of the Promised Land (see the story of the fall of Jericho and marvel at how the people part was totally doable and how God did all the big impossible parts), AND choose to leave Egypt fully behind themselves ( physically and in their thinking, habits and identity). I believe that being in radiant health is such a promise for most people. Thankfully, being healed is actually a separate issue. Anyone and everyone who can find a righteous man such as the one described in the book of James is guaranteed healing. The challenge today is finding such a man. But that is not a shortfall on God’s end, that is a shortfall on man’s part, which means that it is also something that we can see restored to the community through prayer and seeking God as He instructs us to do.
The capacity to see everyone we pray for healed, I personally believe, based on that same chapter (James 5) is something that God intended for every church to have but that in this present day we clearly don’t see. The clues that we are given in James define such a person as being:
- An elder (see the verses in the comments to understand what type of person scripture is referring to when it speaks of an elder)
- Capable of praying the biblical prayer of faith. This is radically different than the emotional prayer of faith that we are capable of praying as young believers. One is the prayer of faith of a carnal fleshly mind. This mind does not know THE Truth, nor cannot it (see 1 Corinthians 2) and therefore it cannot truly comprehend scripture and is incapable of overcoming it’s own nature to pray in Spirit and in Truth.
- a Righteous man… “the prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
- Power??? Of course, we must always consider Jesus first and foremost as the role model that we set before our eyes. We see that Jesus was/is filled with the Spirit without limit and that of course, being the Word of God made flesh, that His knowledge and understanding of the Bible was/is of course perfect. Scripture records that He felt power leave Him when the sick touched Him and were healed. Truly Jesus was overflowing with the Truth of the Word and the power of Spirit. We can say at least in some cases that there needs to be power to heal the sick. Even He was limited though when operating here on Earth. Scripture records that in an environment of unbelief, healing happened through physical contact as well, via the laying on of hands . We do see this element also echoed in James 5, with the contact in the form of annointing with oil.
Scripture plainly says THE prayer of faith WILL heal the sick. So if someone is still sick after prayer, the humbling reality is that it means the biblical prayer of faith has not yet been prayed for the person.
God’s Word never contradicts itself but builds on itself. No verse stands alone, they work together perfectly with all the other verses and when we consider the full counsel of God on any topic, the tough questions that come up are very often answered plainly.
There are typically few in a community who rise up to this level of walking with the Lord and dying to themselves etc. We can plainly see throughout the whole History of the Word, that Our Heavenly Father, raised up spiritual heroes for the whole body to benefit from. They followed Moses out of Egypt. They sort of followed Joshua into the promised land. They followed Gideon. Abraham was the one faithful man who paved the way for all. The prophets Elijah and Elisha were leaders as well. Noah was the only one that stood between the annihilation of all mankind. In each case, it was a man who said YES wholly, 100%, with his whole life that stood in the gap and intervened for the whole community. One common element (I am sure we could find several more) in all these men is that they rose above their state of being just a natural man, to being a man annointed with the Holy Spirit who was able to walk by faith and not by sight.
I believe this capacity is available to us all, but the cost is all, so few are willing to truly pay it. It is the righteous man who can plunder the strong man’s goods and rescue the lawful captives from their prisons. It is the righteous man whose hedge of protection is solid and whose defenses and offenses are established, who rests utterly on the Lord and His Might and His authority. It is the righteous man who is willing to look at the giants and the fortifications of Jericho and say with 100% confidence, “It’s a piece of cake, God is with us, we can take them”.
Someone who can act completely and immediately to the facts and truths they see int he Word and hear plainly from the Lord how to apply these in any and every situation:
Luke 7:26-29 New Living Translation (NLT) “26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John (the Baptist) is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’[a] 28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”
Luke 10:19 (NLT) “Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.”
1 John 4:1-4 Berean Study Bible “1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is already in the world at this time. 4 You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
Someone who can believe God’s Word above all the input of their five physical senses. Someone who has a revelation of absolute authority over these things that Jesus’ death and resurrection has re-established in us. Someone who understands the legal elements of setting the legal captives free and how to lawfully release them from their prison cells. Someone who has moved beyond my personal present understanding of these things to be sure. Thankfully, my job is not to become that person, although truly that is part of my prayer life. My assigned job from scripture is to pray for the needed workers to be raised up and give my life to the Lord to shape and lead me as He wills.
I believe it is necessary because we are not defending our territory, we are taking back the land that the enemy has occupied, sometimes for generations. We need wisdom, we need God, we need His knowledge, His strength, etc., to overcome the enemy’s defenses and knowledge and strongholds.
Sometimes we have to act as priest – the one that has the ability to see the sins of another atoned for as they are lawfully captive to the enemy and/or sickness due to sin; sometimes as king – the one that overcomes by might. We are plundering the enemy’s goods, we are storming his castles and ramparts and he does not choose to vacate if given any choice whatsoever to remain. But, praise God, for the battle belongs to the Lord! The victory has been won by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, God’s gift of grace to us. God is faithful, and He has promised to lead us into all truth and into the fullness of His Kingdom.
God’s Word stands waiting for us daily, beckoning us with this simple and yet beyond believable promise, “If you seek my Kingdom and my righteouness first (OUR PART), I will give you everything else you need”.
Healing and Discipleship 
The verses that describe the elders in the book of James. these are the workers we need to pray to be restored to the church. Also to be considered is the life of Elijah and minsitry of Elijah and of course most importantly, Jesus Himself.
Titus TPT 1: 2 + 6-9 ” I’m writing you to further the faith[c] of God’s chosen ones and lead them to the full knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, 2 which rests on the hope of eternal life. Each of them must be above reproach, devoted solely to his wife,[h] whose children are believers and not rebellious or out of control. 7 The overseer, since he serves God’s household,[i] must be someone of blameless character and not be opinionated or short-tempered. He must not be a drunkard or violent or greedy. 8 Instead he should be one who is known for his hospitality and a lover of goodness.[j] He should be recognized as one who is fair-minded, pure-hearted, and self-controlled. 9 He must have a firm grasp of the trustworthy message that he has been taught. This will enable him to both encourage others with healthy teachings and provide convincing answers to those who oppose his message.”
Titus 2:1-3 TPT 2 Your duty is to teach them to embrace a lifestyle that is consistent with sound doctrine. 2 Lead the male elders[a] into disciplined lives full of dignity and self-control. Urge them to have a solid faith, generous love, and patient endurance. 3 Likewise with the female elders,[b] lead them into lives free from gossip and drunkenness and to be teachers of beautiful things.[c]
! Peter 5 TPT “I urge my fellow elders among you 2 to be compassionate shepherds who tenderly care for God’s flock and who feed them well, for you have the responsibility to guide, protect, and oversee. Consider it a joyous pleasure[b] and not merely a religious duty. Lead from the heart under God’s leadership—not as a way to gain finances dishonestly but as a way to eagerly and cheerfully serve. 3 Don’t be controlling tyrants[c] but lead others by your beautiful examples to the flock.[d] 4 And when the Shepherd-King[e] appears, you will win the victor’s crown of glory that never fades away.[f]
5 In the same way, the younger ones should willingly support[g] the leadership of the elders. In every relationship, each of you must wrap around yourself the apron of a humble servant. Because:
God resists you when you are proud but multiplies grace and favor when you are humble.[h]
6 If you bow low in God’s awesome presence,[i] he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands. 7 Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.[j] 8 Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy,[k] the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour.[l] 9 Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure.[m] 10 And then, after your brief suffering,[n] the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ,[o] will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up.[p] 11 And he has all the power needed to do this[q]—forever![r] Amen.”
Ezekiel 34 NASB “Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to [a]those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord [b]God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been [c]feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds [d]feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without [e]feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the [f]diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”
7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My [g]sheep [h]from them and make them cease from feeding [i]sheep. So the shepherds will not [j]feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”
The Restoration of Israel
11 For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd [k]cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered [l]sheep, so I will [m]care for My [n]sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in [o]rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock and I will [p]lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. 16 “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.
17 “As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will judge between one [q]sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. 18 Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must [r]foul the rest with your feet? 19 As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you [s]foul with your feet!’”
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them, “Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the [t]weak with your horns until you have scattered them [u]abroad, 22 therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another.
23 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.
25 “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. 27 Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be [v]victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people,” declares the Lord God. 31 “As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God.”