PROPHETIC WORDS

THE HEALING MANDATE FOR OUR TIMES

by Nathan Shaw

November 2021

Recently God spoke to me, “Do not say it is hard to get people healed!,” and, “Do not say it is hard to get people saved!” Instead we need to look into the spirit realm and see what God has done, is doing, and is going to do. When God spoke to me I was amazed at the intense jealousy of His heart for people to be both healed and saved.

I found myself inquiring and crying out, “How can we position ourselves for this mandate?” In response God highlighted two prophets: Habakkuk and John the Baptist. Prophets both have a message and are a message. Habakkuk and John the Baptist prophesy to us today through their words and their lives. They are men of faith, cheering us on from the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1).

Habakkuk called forth God’s mandate for his generation by fixing his eyes on God’s past supernatural deliverance. Grieved at the lack of faith in Israel he cried out, “LORD, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2 NIV). Habakkuk chapter 3 goes on to recount God’s dramatic deliverance of Israel as they came out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Habakkuk’s description of God’s appearance and deliverance is so dramatic, it is as if he was there, watching the whole scene unfold. For Habakkuk the past deliverance out of Egypt prophesied future deliverance. Seeing and meditating on the past event ignited an intense intercessory cry within him. Let’s not forget that the deliverance from Egypt included a profound revelation of God as healer, and a profound demonstration of that healing (Exodus 15:26).

Habakkuk looked back to the deliverance from Egypt. We look back to Jesus’ supernatural ministry. Habakkuk looked back to Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. We look back to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. By the Spirit, Habakkuk was enabled to see the deliverance from Egypt. By the same Spirit we are enabled to see Jesus’ supernatural ministry. The seeing ignites an intense intercessory cry. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and Jesus’ supernatural ministry are not just historical events, they are prophetic promises for future generations.

Later, when John the Baptist was in prison, he inquired of Jesus, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another” (Matthew 11:3)? Jesus sent a message back to John the Baptist, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” (Matthew 11:4-6). Jesus’ dramatic healing ministry was truly awe-inspiring, but it wasn’t the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire that John the Baptist had seen. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire didn’t happen until after Jesus was glorified and seated on His heavenly throne. The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire had the dramatic result of empowering everyday believers to walk in the same authority that Jesus walked in! Through this army of baptized believers, Jesus’ healing ministry would be multiplied over and over again.

When Jesus heard John the Baptist’s inquiry He immediately reassured him. In essence He said, “John, I know you have seen the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. It truly is glorious. It’s not here in fullness yet, but in the meantime focus on that which I am doing right now. The way is being prepared and that which you have seen is definitely coming. Don’t be offended with Me, John. My ways and My timings are often quite different from what is expected.” In John the Baptist’s final days he was able to rejoice in Jesus’ supernatural ministry and call forth the fullness of the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. This focus ignited the same intercession within John the Baptist that Habakkuk had experienced when he looked back to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.

Let’s fast forward to our day. How can we position ourselves for God’s healing mandate for our times? There are three important keys:

1. Look back to that which God has done in the past. God’s past actions prophesy to future generations.

2. Look forward to that which God has promised for the days ahead.

3. Look into the spirit realm and see what God is doing right now.

Doing these three things will ignite a radical intercessory cry. Failing to do these three things inevitably leads to frustration, discouragement, and even becoming offended with God. Discouragement leads to doubt and unbelief. Faith, on the other hand, sees with spiritual eyes and calls forth God’s promises for today.

The healing mandate for our generation is radical beyond words. Let’s position ourselves for it right now!

PRAYER POINTS

Prayer is not just us coming to God with a list of requests. As part of our relationship with Him, it is us having a conversation with the Lord, which involves talking and listening on both sides. The following prayer points are some things you can talk to Him about in regards to this prophetic word.

• Ask the Lord for revelation of His will in regards to healing.

• Ask the Lord to show you His nature and the God who was, who is, and who is to come – the one who changes not.

• Scripture tells us that without a vision God’s people perish (Proverbs 29:18). That word vision means – the ability to see, prophetic sight and insight. Ask the Lord to give you vision, to give you a revelation of people being healed by Him. Ask Him to show you that happening through your life and your prayers for people.

• Take hold of God’s promises and begin to declare His intent over your life and the church.

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