In the past I’ve been accused of “gift projecting” when teaching on the believer’s authority to heal the sick. It usually sounds something like this “Oh Rodger, you have the gift of healing, when you tell others they can pray and see the sick healed you are projecting your gift on them and just setting them up for failure and disappointment.” To me that sounds crazy and contrary to what Christ teaches me in the New Testament. He clearly says his followers will be able to heal the sick among a list of other supernatural things.
However it wasn’t that long ago when I thought most supernatural healing had ended with the early Church. My logic was God could do anything, but he usually didn’t, especially when I was the one praying. Previously I had prayed for the sick and seen little in the area of results, but I also expected little. I didn’t just wake up one day and start healing the sick. I had renew my mind on the Scriptures in order to give up a lot comfortable thinking and safe beliefs about God, His sovereignty, healing, and the supernatural. Believe me, it was not an easy transition but a needed one for me to begin walking as Christ has intended.
Then through a series of events my paradigm began to shift. What if Jesus really meant what he said in Mark 11:23 that we should speak to the mountain? One day I actually commanded pain and sickness to leave a person’s body in the name Jesus and it did. They were shocked and so was I. I was shocked because I didn’t think it was going to happen but was willing to try it anyway. It was really more of an experiment then a great act of faith.
Since then I have not stopped stepping out in faith to release healing in the name of Jesus and seen many people supernaturally healed of all kinds of things from broken bones to cancer. I’ve also had the opportunity to train and activate many of my brothers and sisters in Christ in the area of healing. Time and time again I have seen the sick healed by a newly equipped and activated believer who had no previous experience in effective prayer for healing.
I do believe there is a specific gift of healing but I also believe that every follower of Christ has the authority to heal the sick. Jesus said it, so I believe it. Have I seen every sick person healed? No. Do I pretend to know why? No. I no longer limit God or the supernatural to my experience or my ability to understand. But rather I have learned to take Him at His Word and help others do likewise. On this journey I have seen and experienced more of God’s supernatural power than I ever imagined. Do I suffer from gift projection? I don’t think so. But don’t take my word for it, take His.