Overcoming Obstacles to Healing

Divine healing belongs to every child of God! And receiving healing is actually not difficult. However, many people don’t realize that when it comes to divine healing, we have an enemy that will put obstacles in the way of our faith.

Satan doesn’t want anyone to receive healing or live in divine health. Therefore, we must become aware of his strategies, and we must learn how to step over any obstacles. There is almost always a fight to hold on to your faith for healing. For instance, look at the woman with the issue of blood. She had many obstacles to overcome before she received her healing.

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, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 5:25-34 NKJV

There are four particular obstacles that this woman had to overcome:

1.     She had to overcome religious or “church” teaching.

According to the book of Leviticus, a woman with continuous bleeding was in the same category as a leper. She was not supposed to be in public, mixing and mingling with other people. If anyone came close to her, she was to cry out, “Unclean, unclean!” But this woman in Mark’s account went against what she had always believed and pressed through the crowd, and overcame this obstacle.

2.     It was against the culture of the day for a woman to mix in public without a chaperone.

The people who surrounded Jesus that day would not have approved of this woman mingling through the crowd alone. But she went against the culture of her day and overcame this obstacle.

3.     There was a huge crowd surrounding Jesus, which made it difficult to access Him.

This woman literally got on her hands and knees and pressed through this crowd in order to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. She reached Jesus against all odds and overcame this obstacle.

4.     After 12 years of bleeding, extreme weakness and frailty would have made it almost impossible to press through a crowd.

This woman had enough faith to leave her house in her condition and make the grueling journey to reach Jesus. Today, many people will not leave their homes to get to church where their answers are, and then they wonder why they are not healed.

Just like this woman, you, too, will have to do something about the obstacles which confront you and stand in the way of receiving healing.

We are admonished in 1 Timothy 6:12 to,

 Fight the good fight of faith,

If there were no hindrances or obstacles, there would be no fight to faith. When everything is shouting at us that we are not going to be healed or that we are failing, we must hold fast to the Word of God. God’s Word is a never failing remedy for every disease or pain! But it will only work if you refuse to let go of it in the face of opposition.

James 4:7 teaches us,

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

We are to submit to God’s Word and act like it’s true. We are to place God’s Word above our symptoms and what the devil is saying. We resist the devil by speaking God’s Word only. When we know who we are in Christ, and what we have in Christ, just as well as we know 2 x 2 is 4, we will speak God’s Word and praise Him in the face of sickness and pain until it flees!

The woman with the issue of blood did this. She held fast to her faith. She said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made whole.”

The Greek implies that she KEPT SAYING. In the face of all her obstacles, SHE KEPT SAYING the outcome. That was her faith speaking! Notice that it was not Jesus’ faith, or someone else’s faith, but it was her own faith that made her whole. And just like the woman with the issue of blood, you, too, can overcome every obstacle and receive the healing that belongs to you!

If you're in the Aurora/Naperville area and are looking for a church that teaches the uncompromising Word of God, we invite you to visit Abundant Life Family Church. As a Word and Spirit church, we are committed to helping believers grow in faith, experience the power of God, and walk in His promises. Our services are filled with dynamic worship, Bible-based teaching, and an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit moves. Whether you’re searching for a church home or seeking a deeper relationship with God, we welcome you to join us and be part of a thriving community of faith!