Jesus Is Your HealerNäide

The Power of Your Testimony
As believers, we know that “...by His stripes we are healed” (see Isaiah 53:3). But many don’t truly know Jesus as their Healer. Over the next four days, I’ll dive deeper into this subject in this devotional series developed from my new book Jesus Is Your Healer. Today I want to start with a topic that is near and dear to my heart — the power of your testimony!

Sharing your testimony is a powerful thing. Why? Because when God does something in your life, His power breaks through into the earthly realm, bringing the power of Heaven into your body, your life, and your story. And that power will never fade away because it came from Heaven! The Bible tells us in Revelation 12:11, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” When you share your testimony, you glorify God and remind yourself of the powerful works He has done in your life. Sharing your testimony helps you remember what God did and what He can do in the future because we know from the Bible that He does not change.

Many years ago, when I was 12 or 13 years old, I began to struggle with a horrible disease on my face. It was on my cheeks, forehead, and neck. It was horrible! It affected all three layers of my skin. It was like poison in my skin that caused painful scars and bruising. I went to several doctors over and over again. I took their medicine, and participated in their treatments, yet still my skin did not get any better. I was a lot like the woman with the issue of blood. It says in the Bible that this woman spent all her money searching for a cure, but she only got worse. Can you imagine dealing with such a disease for 12 years? After 12 years, you might think, Well, if I’ve had this for 12 years of my life, I don’t think I will ever be healed! It’s part of my life and I just need to accept it and get used to it. But that kind of thinking does not align with our Savior’s power to deliver and heal us.

I had this horrible disease that really affected my life. I had been made fun of and turned down from jobs and singing opportunities all because of my face. One day, I heard a preacher on the radio say, “By His stripes, you are healed!” At that time, I had probably heard that scripture from Isaiah 53 before. I loved Jesus with all my heart, but I did not know Him as my Healer. When I heard that scripture, hope flooded my heart! Before, I was hopeless, but when I heard that scripture, hope immediately came into my heart and I said to the Lord, “Lord, does this mean I can be healed?” I didn’t know anything about confessing the Word, but I began confessing God’s Word just like the radio preacher said. I would often look into the mirror and say or sing, “By His stripes, I’m healed!”

Later, I was listening to another radio preacher who said, “Do you really want to be healed?” When he asked that question, it revealed to me that because of the attention I got from my mother when we would ride to my appointments in the car together, I had embraced the sickness in my soul because I was enjoying the attention I got from her. So, when the Holy Spirit said, “Do you really want to be healed?”, I understood how I had opened myself up for that sickness to remain in my body. I said, “No, Lord! I do not want this sickness anymore! I absolutely want to be healed, and I do not want any more attention.”

A few months later, I went to bed one night and when I woke the next morning, the disease I had dealt with for 13 years had completely disappeared! I looked in the mirror and there was nothing on my face! I was completely healed! Every scar, bruise, and mark were gone, and they have been gone ever since! On that day, Jesus became my Healer — not just the Healer of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — but my Healer! I share my testimony because it gives hope to other people who have been hopeless, and that is a powerful thing!

What about you? If you have a testimony, you need to share it with others to encourage them to rise up and defeat the devil! That is the power of your testimony.

Looking back at the woman with the issue of blood, the Bible says in Mark 5:28 that as she approached Jesus she began to confess, “...If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” But before her encounter with Jesus, Mark 5:25-27 says, “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus….” Well, what did she hear? We can imagine she heard about the blind man whose eyes were opened, the crippled man Jesus healed so he could walk, how Jesus fed a multitude of people with only two loaves of bread and some fish, or how Jesus delivered the demon possessed. When she heard about the miraculous ministry of Jesus, hope and faith flooded her heart, and she longed to receive healing from Him for herself. That is the power of your testimony! When you give your testimony, it can open someone’s heart to be filled with hope and faith that Jesus could also be their Healer.

Practical Application:

1. Read Revelation 12:11 (NKJV).
2. Read Mark 5:25-34 with the story of the woman with the issue of blood. After reading, spend five minutes meditating on the incredible faith she had to see her miracle manifested in her life. Are there areas in your life that you need to stand in unwavering faith over such things as relationships or symptoms in your body? What can you learn from the woman’s determination to push through her discouraging circumstances to obtain her healing?
3. Take some time to write out your personal testimony to prepare and practice sharing your story with others!