Just when you think you figured out how God’s going to do something—think again, because He often changes things up. Two incidents recorded in the Old Testament tell of how God’s Anointing came on two men, Sampson and Daniel, who each had a lion problem.

With Samson, the Holy Spirit’s power manifested as supernatural strength to tear apart a fierce, young lion with his bare hands when it suddenly attacked him (Judges 14). For Daniel, who had been thrown into a lion’s den as punishment for worshiping God, the Holy Spirit’s power simply kept all the lions at bay allowing Daniel to get a good night’s sleep (Daniel 6).

Same problem, same God, same results—but, two very different approaches.

Perhaps it was the apostle Paul who said it best (Romans 11:33, TPT):

“Who could ever wrap their minds around the riches of God, the depth of his wisdom, and the marvel of his perfect knowledge? Who could ever explain the wonder of his decisions or search out the mysterious way he carries out his plan?”

If there’s one thing Paul did understand about God, it was that He’s never limited in the way He does things, or the reason for which He does them.

Take the gift of healing: In the same passage where Paul describes different kinds of gifts, different kinds of ministries and different kinds of workings, he also mentions “gifts of healings…” (1 Corinthians 12:9 NJKV).

Notice, Paul didn’t say “gifts of healing” (singular). No, the Greek word he uses is the plural form, healings. The idea being that there are multiple applications for God’s power when it manifests as healing. Multiple applications for multiple reasons.

Short version: God’s got healing coming at you from all different directions—and for all kinds of reasons (some being obvious, others not so much).

So if you want to tap solidly into the “gifts of healings”—for your benefit, as well as the benefit of people around you who are in need—study up on these six reasons divine healing is more than a miracle. They will broaden your understanding of God’s ways and deepen your faith in Him and the reality of the access you have to healing.

1. Divine Healing Delivers the Sick

“In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.’ Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened…. But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases.” (Luke 5:12-15, NLT)

When you’ve GOT IT, you’ve got it—and Jesus had it…and plenty of it!

As you’d probably expect, the primary reason for divine healing—as manifested in the various gifts of healings—is to heal sick people. Divine healing delivers us from every attempt of the devil to steal, kill and destroy our lives where our health is concerned (John 10:10).

King David’s writings in the Book of Psalms are full of prophecy about the coming Messiah (Jesus), and His healing power:

“Sick and feeble, unable to stand the sight of food, we drew near to the gates of death. Then we cried out, ‘Lord, help us! Rescue us!’ And he did! God spoke the words ‘Be healed,’ and we were healed, delivered from death’s door!” (Psalm 107:18-20, TPT).

Other translations of this passage say, “[God] sent His word and healed them” (verse 20, NASB).

God “sent His word” in the person of Jesus, who showed up at His hometown of Nazareth one day—right after going into full-time ministry—announcing, “[God] has sent Me to heal…” (see Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1).

God’s assignment for Jesus was simple: Preach, teach, heal (repeat). And it was Jesus’ diligence to fulfill that assignment that sealed our deliverance from sickness and disease, once and for all.

With the preaching and teaching of God’s Word—which builds faith—comes healing. Doing what it takes to stay in that Word guarantees a steady flow of divine healing in our lives.

2. Divine Healing Confirms Jesus’ Power To Forgive Sins

“Jesus, aware of their thoughts, responded and said…‘Which is easier, to say: “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.’ And immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. And they were all struck with astonishment.” (Luke 5:22-26, NASB)

The Bible makes a clear connection between forgiveness and healing:

• “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight…. When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away.” (Psalm 32:1, 3, NLT)
• “‘If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)
• “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and…the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well…If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:14-15, NIV)

Healing begins with forgiveness.

Jesus’ blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. His blood sealed His agreement with God, allowing Him to take our sins in exchange for His righteousness (Matthew 26:28). The stripes Jesus suffered from the beatings before He was crucified allowed Him to take our sickness in exchange for His peace and wellbeing (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

Every time we confess and repent of sin, every time we forgive an offense committed against us—that’s another step closer we are to God’s healing power flowing through our lives.

3. Divine Healing Authorizes the Message Preached by Jesus’ Servants

“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him. Standing there with them was the healed man, and there was nothing further they could say.” (Acts 4:13-14, TPT)

Early on in His three-plus years of ministry on this earth, Jesus called many disciples to “follow” Him, so they could see and experience the plans and power of God firsthand. Then, when the time was right, He sent groups of them out to minister as He stayed behind and watched over them from a distance.

What did they do out there on the road without the Master around?

Simple: Preach, teach, heal (repeat)—which is what they continued to do after Jesus ascended back into heaven. And it continued to produce the same results…

“Believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria…Crowds listened intently to [him] because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did” (Acts 8:4-6, NLT).

Simply by spending time with [Jesus]—through the Word and His Spirit—that same boldness, courage and faith (And divine healing!) can rub off on you, as it did His disciples.

4. Divine Healing Establishes the Resurrection of Jesus

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.” (Acts 4: 8-10, NLT)

Just as there’s a clear connection between forgiveness and divine healing, there’s also a strong correlation between divine healing and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

By all accounts in the Gospels, Jesus became famous for all the divine healing He ministered to people while He was on this earth:

“When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill” (Matthew 8:16, NASB).

But then, Matthew goes on to point out: “This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: ‘He Himself took our illnesses and [removed] our diseases’” (Matthew 8:17, NASB).

So, again, while Jesus ministered divine healing so powerfully and extensively during His earthly ministry, He established and secured for all eternity our right to healing—whole, healthy lives—by His resurrection.

Divine healing begins with forgiveness, but it’s sealed by the resurrection (John 11:25).

5. Divine Healing Draws People to the Sound of the Gospel

“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting….At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running….” (Acts 2:1-2, 5-6 NLT)

Kenneth Copeland quotes Brother Kenneth E. Hagin as having said years ago, “Healing is the dinner bell of the gospel—people come running when they hear it.”

Obviously, that was the case when the Holy Spirit arrived on the day of Pentecost, as promised by Jesus to His disciples:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NLT).

Imagine all the questions they had as soon as they heard those instructions.

“When will He come?” “How will we know He’s here?” “What will the power be like?”

Well, all God had to do was ring the “dinner bell,” and all those questions got answered!

Acts 2:11, NLT, goes on to tell us that as the crowd started gathering, they were stunned by what they heard:

“We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”

Eventually, Peter stood up and preached the Gospel—and at the end of the day 3,000 people from around the world believed and were baptized.

Whether it’s “the roaring of a mighty windstorm,” tongues, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, or dead being raised (Matthew 11:4-6), we’re all drawn to the sound of God’s power.

6. Divine Healing Can Be Imparted by the Laying on of Hands

“Then [Jesus] told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved…. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe…. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.’” (Mark 16:15-18, NLT)

Again, it was James who asked:

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:14-15, NIV).

Brother Copeland tells how a small spot once appeared on the top of his left hand. It was a growth about the size and color of a grain of white rice. It wasn’t really painful as it was a nuisance. A doctor examined it and diagnosed it as cancer.

As soon as Brother Copeland heard the report, he took James’ advice and called the elders of his church. He set up a time with his pastor, George Pearsons, so he could lay hands on him, anoint him and pray for healing.

Brother Copeland says, “The moment Pastor George touched that spot with the oil on his finger, it was like an electric shock hit my hand…and no more cancer!” This report was confirmed by his doctor on a subsequent visit.

Remember, Jesus said, “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe….” He didn’t say, “Divine healing will only accompany those who are called to pastor.”

Are you a believer?

Then like Jesus’ disciples—the 12, the 72 and all the others who followed Him—you are sent by Him to minister His Word and His power to the sick, hurting, dying world around you. To do that you can begin by becoming more grounded in the breadth and depth of divine healing. Divine healing truly is a miracle of God—but its eternal impact is far beyond the healing of our temporal bodies. Divine healing is more than a miracle—it’s God’s calling card to reach deep into the heart of all mankind and transform lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Related Articles:

Psalm 91: 15 Steps to a Long and Satisfying Life

© 1997 – 2022 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

There’s a phrase Kenneth Copeland doesn’t like.

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard it too, usually in drawn-out, religious-sounding tones when circumstances seem to fall short of what God has promised us in His Word.

“Well…God is sovereign.”

Of course, without question, God is sovereign. But what people are really saying behind that statement is, “You never know what God is going to do.”

The problem with that view of sovereignty is it releases us of all responsibility. After all, if God is sovereign, He will do what He wants to anyway, so we might as well go watch television and forget about it, right? Wrong.

According to Psalm 8:6, God Himself put mankind in charge, gave us dominion, and put all things under our feet. He doesn’t intervene in the affairs of the Earth whenever He wants. He respects the dominion and authority He has given us.

Are all things under your feet today?

If not, it’s time to take a closer look at what dominion really means.

 

1. Dominion Means Operating In the Anointing

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, for he has anointed Me.” –Luke 4:18

Dominion is a God-given gift to His people that requires His supernatural Anointing. It belongs to you, but it isn’t automatic. It takes faith, walking in love, and operating in the anointing.

The word anoint means “to pour out on, put on or smear on.” That’s why we anoint with oil—it represents the pouring on of the Spirit of God.

Operating in the anointing is what gives you the ability to take dominion over every area of your life—to do things you’d never be able to do otherwise. The anointing is what gave Samson supernatural strength and the ability to overcome his enemies. The anointing is what enabled David to kill Goliath. And the anointing is what allowed Joseph the knowledge to run a major estate for Potiphar with notable success.

That same anointing is available to you today. Expect to operate in the anointing if you want to take dominion!

(Find 15 Scriptures About Dominion HERE.)

 

2. Dominion Means Prospering Financially

“The LORD will open for you His good treasure house, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.” –Deuteronomy 28:12 (AMP)

Dominion is what sets you apart from the rest of the world—especially financially. As a believer, you should always be the head of every situation—not the tail. That means you have money in abundance to take care of your own needs and to be a blessing to those around you. It means you’re the lender, NOT the borrower.

People should be able to see THE BLESSING of the Lord on you. They should see that you prosper in every situation, no matter what your job is or the state of the economy. It’s a testimony of the goodness of God!

What about you? Do you feel like you have financial dominion and authority over your finances? Or do bills, debt and work-related troubles seem to rule you instead?

Start seeing yourself as having dominion in the area of finances. When an unexpected financial situation comes your way, take your seat in the place of authority instead of falling into a victim mentality. When you start with the right mindset, you’ll respond with the right actions.

The right actions are believing for victory, speaking victory, and reaching out and taking what belongs to you. They involve resisting the devil, putting him under your feet, and refusing to accept anything less than God’s best.

 

3. Dominion Means Excelling to the Highest Place Possible

“And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down.”—Deuteronomy 28:13 (ESV)

To excel in the spirit of the Word is to prosper financially, physically and relationally. That’s the result of THE BLESSING.

Physically, that means you don’t settle for aches and pains, allergies, sickness, disease, or age-related setbacks. You excel to the highest place possible, which is a long life in a strong, healthy body.

Relationally, it means you don’t settle for strife in your home, a broken marriage, an unfulfilled desire for family, or rebellious children. You excel to the highest place possible, which is a family most people only dream of. Dominion looks different from the world. Our families should look different, as a result.

Financially, it means you don’t settle for lack, low pay, being stuck in the same job year after year, taking out loans, or living paycheck to paycheck. You excel to the highest place possible by continually INCREASING in your pay, your savings, your investments and your giving.

The very first thing a human ear ever heard was, “Be blessed!” That’s a mandate. It’s time to fulfill it.

 

4. Dominion Means Expecting to Be Blessed In Famine

“Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year [during a famine] reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.” –Genesis 26:12 (NIV)

Maybe you’re good at expecting dominion and blessing…unless something like COVID-19 or an economic downturn show up. Then, you’re afraid of losing your job or watching the stock market fall like everyone else.

But dominion means you expect to be blessed even in famine.

The story of Joseph prospering in prison and during a famine isn’t just a nice story that is supposed to entertain us. No! It’s an example of how we are to expect to live ourselves—a call to live in dominion.

Watch Gloria Copeland and Pastor George Pearsons teach you how to thrive in famine.

Dominion means expecting to be blessed in famine. It means when layoffs are happening all around you—you’re expecting to increase anyway. When the stock market is fluctuating, you have peace, and you trust in the anointing to guide you and protect you.

Dominion means you aren’t subject to the times—the times are subject to you. And you know it!

 

5. Dominion Means Expecting to Be Healed

“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.” –Luke 10:19 (NLT)

You have dominion over the devil. The devil is the author of sickness and disease. Therefore, you should EXPECT to live in divine health all the days of your life because you have dominion!

Take dominion over symptoms and negative doctors’ reports. Don’t for a minute let yourself feel like a victim. You have authority. Take it in the Name of Jesus. Speak it by the power of the blood of Jesus. You’re redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony.

Every sickness and disease is under your feet. Expect healing to come to you, and then expect to live in divine healing all the days of your life.

 

6. Dominion Means Destroying Every Yoke

“…when thou shalt have the dominion…thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.”
—Genesis 27:40 (KJV)

Enemies, depression, the weight of sin, oppressive attempts of the devil. These are all yokes that must be destroyed. The devil wants to hinder your promotion, growth and increase. He wants to STOP what God has already set in motion in your life.

Dominion means destroying every yoke by tapping into the yoke-destroying anointing that is at your fingertips.

It’s time to get tough and break loose from bondage. Command failure, poverty, addiction or any other yoke to leave you NOW in Jesus’ Name. You have dominion.

Now that you know what dominion really means, it’s time to exercise and demonstrate it so others can witness it and become citizens of God’s kingdom themselves. Break off every yoke, get out from under every burden, and take your seat in THE BLESSING. Live a life of dominion!

Watch Kenneth Copeland teach you about walking in deliverance and dominion.

Related Articles:

15 Scriptures About Dominion

How to Use Your Spiritual Authority in Any Situation

© 1997 – 2022 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. All Rights Reserved.