What to Do When Things Get Worse

Many people have said, “I’ve prayed and taken a stand for my healing, but things got worse instead of better!” I want to share with you how to handle a situation like this.

The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. If your experience is that things got worse after believing, I want you to know you’re not alone.

Going all the way back to the children of Israel in Egypt, we see they faced the same dilemma. They had been slaves in Egypt for about 400 years. Slavery was not the will of God for them. So God raised up a deliverer named Moses and sent him back to Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. So the people believed.

Exodus 4:29-31 NKJV

Notice that the people BELIEVED. Four hundred years is a long time for a negative condition. But they heard good news and saw the signs, and they believed.

If you’ve been suffering from a disease for an extended period, you can still believe and receive your healing!

Now, I want you to see that anytime God gives us a good word and we receive it with joy, the devil will be sure to try to hinder that word from coming to pass! He knows that God’s word alone will not get the job done. It will always require our FAITH in order to come to pass. So Satan seeks to get us into fear, doubt, and unbelief before we see the answer!

After Moses and Aaron visited Pharaoh and gave him the Word of God, Pharaoh was simply delighted to let them go free!? NOT HARDLY.

No, here is what happened:

So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”

Exodus 5:6-9 NKJV

So the people complained to Moses. And Moses complained to God.

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

Exodus 5:22-23 NKJV

These people did not have any written word of God to build and develop their faith. They had no strong revelation with which to stand their ground. So the Lord continued to give them words of faith and reassurance to see them through.

As many of you know the story, it took some time before Israel was finally released from bondage. Although things got much worse at first, it ultimately came to pass as the Lord had spoken.

Another example in the Bible of things getting worse as a result of standing on the Word of God is in Daniel chapter three. King Nebuchadnezzer built a gold image and commanded the people to bow down and worship it every time a certain song was played.

Three Jews who were in charge of different provinces refused to bow down to the image. Of course, they had accusers. These individuals reported their refusal to bow to the king. The devil is always trying to either weaken or remove the saints from a place of victory.

We see the king’s response to the accusations against the Jews in Daniel 3:13 & 15:

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. . . . “But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”

Here was the response of the three Jews:

“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.”

Daniel 3:17 NKJV

They refused to budge! They refused to give in. They refused to doubt, even in the face of terrible threats. The end of the story is that they were not touched by the fire and came out victorious, not even smelling like smoke!

Satan still works through people to falsely accuse the saints. He will also speak accusations to your mind.

Revelation 12:10 says:

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”

Don’t be surprised when threats come against your mind as you take a stand against symptoms of disease and pain. The devil will try to turn the heat up to get you to quit believing and throw in the towel. He will say things like, “You know you won’t be healed this time.” Or “Your faith must not be working because things are getting worse!”

Always remember that Satan is the father of lies. He authored the first lie and has been lying ever since.

So, what do we do if things get worse:

1.     Refuse to fear or doubt. (2 Tim. 1:7)

2.     Double up on God’s medicine. (Download our free booklet, “What the Bible Says About Healing”.)

3.     Rejoice and praise God continually for the answer.

4.     Refuse to quit!

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!