Over a period of time our experiences can begin to shape our expectations and even our doctrines if we are not careful, rather than continuing to let the Word of God and the Spirit shape us and our expectations.  If we leave off of letting the Word shape us, we begin to shape our life view through rational reasoning.  And it is amazing how easily this can happen. For instance, how does our outlook on how healing get shaped? 

Many people who identify themselves with Christian life styles through faith in Jesus Christ have a problem with the concept of immediate, miraculous healing.  When they pray they are often expecting God to start a healing process which will result someday, in health. In fact we have built up a rather strong case for this.  And where did this come from?  Why is it that we believe that the primary way folks will be healed is through some kind of process?  I think it comes from natural understanding, not spiritual understanding.  We have learned to assume that healing is a process because in the natural it is. The medical remedies and interventions that are available to us are built on this premise.  Stay in bed for 3 days, take this prescription, do this restoration therapy, get this interventive operation, expect recovery time, expect to stay on these meds for the rest of your life as part of the process to keep you functioning in some level of health, all can convince us that this is the way healing will take place even when we pray.  So we pray for the medications to work, the doctors to act wisely on our behalf, we get in bed and we wait for the natural process to take place.  It is certainly something God can bless, so we believe for Him to bless the process so that healing will take place.  And often times it works enough that we keep on adjusting our life view into the concept that healing is process and lower our expectations of God's powerful and immediate intervention.   But have we wandered off into a mind set that no longer expecting immediate healing to take place?  What can we do to recover and be re-aligned with what God can really do - without the doctors help, without the meds, without the therapy, and without the process?  And maybe a better question is "Do we even want to bother with changing our expectations?"  After all, this system works pretty well.  

It never ceases to amaze me how many of my Christian friends first response to our sharing our health issues will immediately respond with, "Have you been to the doctor?"  or "You need to get a prescription drug to beat this."   We are pointed to the process, even by folks who consider themselves full of faith.  This is why I believe we have to get back to what the Word of God says about these things, so that we can be renewed in our minds and let faith arise in us to see the power of God working mightily in bringing and releasing healing for all our sicknesses, diseases and injuries. Why put up with or accept the process when God can do so much more than that? He is not dependent on the process, and neither do we need to be.

So let me ask you a question.  Where have we seen Jesus heal through process?  Well, a couple of times there were blind men who didn't see completely after the first prayer Jesus prayed, but shortly after (very shortly) through more ministry, they did.  (Mark 8:22-25; John 9:6, 11)   The other places where we might think in terms of process had to do with faith processes, not natural processes.  Things like:  stretch out you hand, stand up and take your bed and walk, etc.  But these all had immediate results in a short time span.  No where do we find Jesus saying, go to bed for three days, take this herbal remedy, or have you been to the doctor? as prerequisites for healing.  

Why is it then we must put these kinds of disclaimers into the midst of our faith when we are believing for healing?  Well, before this turns into a book, we do have New Testament references where people were sick nigh unto death, and we have Paul's reference to some kind of infirmity that didn't get healed,  but my point is that we need to be careful that we don't use these as the standards of our faith.  These references show the need to fight the good fight of faith, but there is no indication that they are building a case for processing healing through natural and rational thinking. When Jesus said in Mark 16:18 that when they that believe shall lay hands on the sick and they will recover, there was no implication that the recovery was a process, but a fact of health being restored.  We tend to think of recovery as a process because of our natural rational understanding but Jesus was stating what would happen, not how it would happen.

There is no condemnation in going to the doctor, taking meds or any of the other process healing disciplines known to us, but we need to be careful that we don't build up our faith expectations by these things, but rather by the Word of God.  I can only hope that you will let the Holy Spirit examine your hearts in this matter.  I know I am.  

Let me finish with these scriptures (just a few of many) to help us expect the immediate when we pray, and not just the process.  

Matthew 8:3  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Matthew 20:32-34  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and the followed Him.

Mark 1:30-31  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.

Mark 2:10-12  ...- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose took up the bed and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorifying God, saying, "We never say anything like this!"

John 14:12-14  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who blieves in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Faither.   And whatever ou ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."