DIVINE HEALING

Questions and Answers Volume 1

‘My son, attend to My Words; incline thine ear unto My

sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them
in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that
find them, and health to all their flesh.’ (Proverbs 4:20-22)

DR PETER GAMMONS
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Peter Gammons Ministries International

Divine Healing
©1986 First edition
©2011 Second edition
Dr. Peter Gammons
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Unless otherwise indicated Biblical quotations are from the King James Bible.
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 01

CONTENTS
1. Isn’t sickness sent by God?
2. Is sickness redemptive?
3. Didn’t Jesus say that believers would suffer?
4. Is it God’s will to heal all?
5. How do you account for the fact that all are not healed?
6. Why is believing God wants to heal all so important?
7. I heard a preacher say that St. Paul was sick. Was that true?
8. What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh?
9. I heard it preached that St. Paul had bad eyesight. Is this true?
10. How do you explain Timothy’s stomach problems?
11. What about Trophimus’ sickness and Epaphroditus’ near death
experience?
12. When I asked my minister to anoint me with oil and pray for my
healing according to James 5:14, 15, he told me that the book of
James was written to the Jews and not to the Church. Is that true?
13. What is a ‘Healing Evangelist’?
14. Why don’t more pastors welcome healing evangelists in their
church?
15. Why don’t we in the West see the same type of miracles as our
brothers and sisters see in Africa and Asia?
02 Questions and Answers Volume 1
DIVINE HEALING

QUESTION 1:
Isn’t sickness sent by God?
Some people quote Exodus 15:26 to support this claim: ‘If thou wilt
diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that
which is right in His sight and wilt give ear to His commandments and
keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I
have brought upon the Egyptian: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.’
At first reading this may appear to be the case. However, the outstanding
Hebrew and Greek scholar Dr Robert Young, author of Young’s Analytical
Concordance to the Bible, states in his book, ‘Hints and Helps to Biblical
Interpretation’ that the literal Hebrew of Exodus 15:26 reads:
‘I will permit to be put upon thee none of the diseases which I have
permitted to be brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that
healeth thee.’
There is a big difference between what God permits and what He actively
does. We must not confuse permission and commission. God permits
people to steal and kill but He certainly does not commission it.
A further example of this principle is seen in Isaiah 45:7 where we read:
‘I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil.
I, the Lord, do all these things.’ We know that God did not create evil. He
permits it, because He has given mankind free will, but He certainly does
not initiate it, in the same way that He does not cause sickness.
If you have any doubt as to whether God ‘put’ diseases on the Egyptians or
‘permitted’ it, look at Exodus 12:23, a record of the occasion referred to.
‘For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He
seeth the blood upon the lintels and on the two side posts, the LORD will
pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your
houses to smite you.’ (Exodus 12:23).
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Two different ‘persons’ are clearly identified here: ‘the Lord’ and ‘the
destroyer.’ The Lord is seen protecting those under the blood not
destroying their enemies. Those who were not protected were open for
the destroyer to come in and to take their life. So, notice that it was ‘the
destroyer’ (the devil) who put the diseases on them, for he is the one who
kills, steals and destroys (John 10:10).
Zealous but misinformed preachers rant, ‘God struck down the Egyptian’s
firstborn.’ But did He? A very different picture is seen in Exodus 12:23.
Far from ‘striking down,’ the Lord is presented as The Protector of His
people, stopping ‘the destroyer’ from harming them. The only way in
which it could be said that He ‘put’ sickness on Israel’s enemies, was that
He did not go to their defence. When you get over onto the devil’s territory
(disobedience, fear, doubt, unbelief, resentment, negative speaking,
touching the Lord’s anointed etc) you risk forfeiting His protection. Had
an Egyptian applied the blood to their doorposts they too would have been
protected. As the old song puts it, ‘I’m gonna stay right under the blood,
where the devil can do me no harm.’
Throughout the Scriptures satan is clearly and consistently identified
as the author of sickness (Job 2:7; Luke 13:16). Christ is The Healer
and satan the defiler!
Another angle on the translators attributing acts of judgment to God
is in the sense that He established the Law of Sowing and Reaping and
angels are instructed to indiscriminately deliver the harvest, God’s angels
delivering the good while the devil’s angels gladly delivering the bad.

QUESTION 2:
Is sickness redemptive? I heard it preached that when we suffer
pain we are joined to Christ in His suffering for the salvation of
the world. Is this true?
No, not at all; Jesus’ death on the cross was all-sufficient.
He said, ‘It is finished,’ not ‘to be continued.’
Our own suffering can add nothing to the wonderful work of Calvary and
neither is anything required!
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QUESTION 3:
Didn’t Jesus say that believers would suffer?
When Jesus talked about suffering He was referring to persecution for the
Gospel’s sake. He was not talking about sickness and disease. Nowhere in
the Gospels did Jesus encourage anyone to just accept their sickness or to
see it as a gift from God. Sickness is an attack of the enemy to be resisted.
It is an enemy to be defeated – not a friend to be welcomed. Whenever our
Lord encountered sickness and disease He regarded them as enemies and
set people free. Whilst our Lord warned that those who would live a godly
life would suffer persecution, nowhere in God’s Word is it even implied
that He might want us to be sick. Sickness is never God’s will. He created
a world free from sickness, disease and death. All these things entered the
world through the fall. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit it somehow
altered his DNA which God had written to enjoy immortality, resulting
in sickness, death and disease being passed down from generation to
generation. Thank God, Christ came to redeem us from all of the effects
of the fall.

QUESTION 4:
Is it God’s will to heal all?
Jesus demonstrated God’s will by healing ALL who came to Him in faith.
Not once did He say, ‘Sorry, but it is not God’s will to heal you.’
‘Great multitudes followed Him, and He HEALED THEM ALL.’ (Matthew
12:15).
‘And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing
EVERY SICKNESS and EVERY DISEASE among the people.’ (Matthew
9:35).
‘Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers
diseases brought them unto Him; and HE LAID HIS HANDS ON EVERY
ONE OF THEM AND HEALED THEM.’ (Luke 4:40).
God says ‘All’ and the devil says ‘some,’ because he knows that if you
believe God only wants to heal some, you will probably be one of the ones
he does not want to heal. That way you cannot have faith for healing.
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‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing ALL manner of
sickness and ALL manner of disease among the people.’ (Matthew 4:23).
‘When the even was come they brought unto Him many that were
possessed with devils and He cast out the spirits with His word and
HEALED ALL that were sick.’ (Matthew 8:16).
‘And the whole multitude sought to touch Him: for there went virtue out
of Him, and HEALED THEM ALL.’ (Luke 6:19).
‘And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto Him all
sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those
that were possessed with devils, and those that were lunatic, and those
that had the palsy and He HEALED THEM.’ (Matthew 4:24).
‘And when the men of that place had knowledge of Him, they sent out
into all the country round about, and brought unto Him all that were
diseased; And besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His
garment: and AS MANY AS TOUCHED were made perfectly whole.’
(Matthew 14:35, 36).
‘And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were
lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down
at Jesus’ feet; and HE HEALED THEM. In so much that the multitude
wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole,
the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.’
(Matthew 15:30-31).
‘And whithersoever He entered into villages, or cities, or country, they
laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch if it
were but the border of His garment: and AS MANY AS TOUCHED HIM
WERE made whole.’ (Mark 6:56).
The Bible assures us that, ‘Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord
shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Do you believe God wants to
save everyone? Well, the same Bible says, ‘As many as touched Him were
made whole.’ (Matthew 14:36; Mark 6:56). It is inconsistent to believe one
without the other.
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‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth
ALL thine iniquities, who healeth ALL thy diseases.’ (Psalm 103:2, 3).
The same verse that says God ‘forgives all our iniquities’ also states that
He ‘heals all our diseases.’ You cannot, with integrity, preach one without
preaching the other. I would be contradicting and compromising God’s
Word if I preached that God will forgive ‘all’ but He will only heal ‘some.’
The same word ‘all’ is used in both the context of forgiveness and healing.
‘He forgiveth ALL your iniquities. He healeth ALL your diseases.’

QUESTION 5:
How do you account for the fact that all who are prayed for are
not healed?
Let me quote from my book ‘Six Steps to Healing’:
‘The fact that not all who are prayed for today receive their healing does
not alter the fact that God wants everyone healed. The disciples were
unable to set free the boy bought to them by his desperate father (Matthew
17:14-18). Yet, Jesus immediately healed the child. This shows that failure
to receive healing was not an indication that it was not God’s will to heal
the boy. It obviously was God’s will, because Jesus healed the young
man. The fact that not everyone is saved that we preach to does not alter
the fact that God wants everybody saved. The same is true concerning
healing. The most important lesson to learn here is this; I do not discover
God’s will from the results, I discover His will from His Word. Then I stand
in faith until my experience matches God’s Word.’

QUESTION 6:
Why is believing God wants to heal all, so important?
It is not possible to pray for healing in faith, until you first know, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, that God wants you well. That is why the Bible
says, ‘He healed them all.’ If you know that God wants to heal ‘all,’ then
you know that He wants to heal you and you can pray in faith, expecting
a miracle. If He does not want to heal all, then it is not possible to pray
expectantly, for how would you know if you were one of those ones He
wanted to heal? It is this misunderstanding which gives rise to such doubt
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 07

filled prayers as ‘If it be thy will heal me.’ You must know God’s will before
you pray. Unbelief is the child of ignorance, for when you know that God
wants you well you will have faith for it. Faith is simply the absence
of doubt. I share much more on this subject in my book ‘Six Steps to
Healing.’

QUESTION 7:
I heard a preacher say that the Apostle Paul was sick. Was that
true?
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that St. Paul was sick. This false teaching
results from preachers taking the Scriptures out of context. This lie of
the devil has been one of his cleverest tricks to hinder people’s faith for
healing and to stop them receiving a miracle. The old argument goes: ‘The
Apostle Paul was sick, so obviously God doesn’t want everyone healed.’
I’ve met so many sincere, but sincerely deluded Christians, who endure
sickness and even decline prayer for healing, because they believe it is
their ‘Thorn in the flesh,’ given to them by God. How often over the years
have I offered to pray for people for healing only to be told, ‘God must have
a purpose for my suffering’? It is my ‘thorn in the flesh.’ I believe it is God’s
will that I am sick.’ Yet, those same people think nothing of taking tablets
or going to the doctor (one assumes to try to get out of what they believe is
‘God’s will’). My dear friend, sickness is not God’s will for you or for anyone
else! It is an attack of the enemy.

QUESTION 8:
What was St. Paul’s thorn in the flesh?
You would be amazed at the different interpretations I have heard over
the years. I have heard it preached that his ‘thorn’ was everything from
a hunch-back and malaria, to an opthalmia and an unconverted mother-
in-law!
Such bizarre interpretations arise from a lack of knowledge of the biblical
metaphor, ‘a thorn in the flesh’ or ‘a thorn in the side.’ This metaphor was
not unique to St. Paul. In fact, as a man saturated in the Old Testament
writings, it was a term he would have been very familiar with.
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In Numbers 33:55 Moses uses the term to refer to those who were
harassing God’s people. Joshua also described Israel’s enemies as a ‘thorn’
(Joshua 23:13). In Judges 2:3, the Lord warned Israel that He would drive
their enemies out, but that they would be ‘thorns in their side,’ because of
Israel’s disobedience.
It is worth noting that in Scripture the term is always used of those who
create difficulties for, and oppose God’s people. It is always used of people
and never of things like sickness.
Is Paul therefore using this term consistently and referring to people as his
‘thorn in the flesh’? I believe that if you read the passage in context you will
see that this is the case. So often these verses have been quoted out of context
and as a result can be used to promote any bizarre theory. We must read
them in context. If you read the preceding verses, the meaning becomes clear
that he is referring to persecution, to those who opposed him and rejected
his message. I am sure that you are aware that Paul did not write his letters
in chapters. These were added many centuries later. Much of the confusion
surrounding this passage arises from reading chapter twelve of Second
Corinthians and failing to understand that it immediately flows on from
chapter eleven. So, let us look at the passage in context:
Chapter 11
24
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25
Thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I stoned; thrice I suffered
shipwreck; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils
by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false
brethren;
27
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings (sleeplessness) often, in
hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28
Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily:
the care of all the churches.
29
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?
30
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine
infirmities.
31
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for
evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
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32
In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, kept the city of the
Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;
33
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and
escaped his hands.
Chapter 12
1
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory (boast). I will come to visions
and revelations of the Lord.
2
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago,(whether in the body, I
cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth;) such
an one caught up to the third heaven.
3
And I knew such a man (whether in the body or out of the body I cannot
tell: God knoweth;)
4
How that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5
Of such an one will I glory; yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine
infirmities.
6
For though I might desire to glory (boast), I shall not be a fool; for I will
say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above
that which he seeth me to be or that he heareth of me.
7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of
the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger
of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice (three times) that it might
depart from me.
9
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities (weaknesses) that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
It should not surprise us that the great apostle was weak! He was
shipwrecked, without food, a night and a day floating in the ocean,
whipped, beaten, stoned and left for dead! No wonder he prayed that God
would take this thorn away!
Not only had Paul been mightily used by the Lord in reaching the lost
and in church planting, but he had also received some powerful visions
and revelations (12:1) and even been caught up into paradise. ‘And lest
I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelations a
thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me,
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lest I be exalted above measure’ (1 Corinthians 12:7). If you think that

you have a ‘thorn in the flesh,’ it is worth asking where your abundance
of revelation is.
So, not only do we have the Old Testament use of the word, the context of
Paul’s writings and the purpose of his ‘thorn’ given, but notice the source –
Satan. This was no blessing from heaven, it was an attack from hell.
One Bible commentator referred to Paul’s thorn as partial blindness
caused by the brightness of Divine light as the Lord appeared to him at his
conversion. But is it not blasphemy to refer to partial blindness caused by
a glimpse of the glorified Christ as ‘a messenger of Satan’? (1 Corinthians
12:7).
The Greek word translated ‘messenger’ is ‘angelos.’ Of the 188 times this
word appears in the New Testament, it is translated ‘angel’ 181 times and
‘messenger’ the other 7 times. On every occasion it is a reference to a
person or being and never to an inanimate thing. So, St. Paul literally calls
his ‘thorn in the flesh,’ – ‘an angel of satan’ or ‘The devil’s angel.’
Notice too that this ‘messenger of Satan’ was sent to ‘buffet’ Paul. The
word ‘buffet’ means ‘blow after blow,’ an example being when the waves
buffet a boat. This is no static disease like opthalmia, but a recurrent
beating, blow after blow. One only has to read the Book of Acts to see that
from the moment of his conversion, the Jews continually attacked him,
trying to take his life (Acts 9:2, 23, 29). He was persecuted and expelled
at Antioch (Acts 13:44-50) and mobbed and almost stoned at Iconium
(14:1-5). From there he fled to Lystra where despite the wonderful healing
of the man who had been crippled, he was stoned by the multitudes and
left for dead (14:16-19). He rose up and continued on his journey, only to
be whipped, beaten and jailed at Philippi (16:16-40). From there he was
mobbed so he had to escape from Thessalonica (17:1-10). Once more he
was mobbed and made to flee from Berea (17:10-14), opposed at Corinth
(18:1-17) and the cause of a riot at Ephesus (19:23-31). From start to finish
he faced constant plots to take his life (20:3).
‘Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten
with rods; once was I stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day
I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils
of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen,
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in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in

perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings
(sleeplessness) often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon
me daily: the care of all the churches.’ (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).
Notice that Paul mentions just about everything in his list except sickness.
Why therefore do some preachers substitute sickness as an explanation
for his thorn in the flesh, the one thing he does not mention among his
buffetings?
Paul had once persecuted the Church and now he was beginning to
experience the same and even greater persecution.
Nowhere does Paul even imply that his ‘thorn in the flesh’ was a sickness
or disease. Yet this has been one of the most prevalent objections to the
ministry of healing.
In closing let me say that even if Paul’s thorn had been a physical disorder,
it did not hinder the faith of the people in Ephesus (Acts 19:11, 12), Melita
(Acts 28:8, 9) and Lystra (Acts 14:8) from receiving their healing. So, do
not let any spurious interpretation of this passage hinder your faith to
receive healing either! It is amazing how eagerly some Christians will
set aside all the positive teachings and powerful promises concerning
healing in the Scriptures and misquote this ‘thorn in the flesh’ passage to
discount them! The weight of Scripture is overwhelming; healing is God’s
will for you.

QUESTION 9:
I heard it preached that St. Paul had bad eyesight. Is this true?
This is another common misunderstanding. Some quote Galatians 6:11
to suggest that Paul had defective eyesight. ‘You see how large a letter I
have written unto you with mine own hand’ (Galatians 6:11). The idea is
presented of Paul (in the days before spectacles) writing with giant letters.
Now, let us get real. Have you seen how long The Book of Galatians is? If
he wrote it all in giant letters the manuscript would be over a mile long!
The word ‘letter’ used here is translated from the same Greek word as used
in 2 Corinthians 3:6 and refers to the length of his Epistle and not to a
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letter of the alphabet. The Greek word used here refers to the quantitative
size. You try copying Galatians on papyrus with a quill that you need to
keep dipping in ink and I am sure you will agree it is a long letter! As I
said before, ‘One Bible commentator referred to Paul’s thorn as partial
blindness caused by the brightness of Divine light as the Lord appeared to
him at his conversion. But is it not blasphemy to refer to partial blindness
caused by a glimpse of the glorified Christ as ‘a messenger of Satan’? (1
Corinthians 12:7).’ Above all of this, it is inconsistent with God’s Word to
suggest that Paul had defective eyesight when we read in Acts 9:18 that
God healed him.

QUESTION 10:
How do you explain Timothy’s stomach problems?
Some love to point out that Timothy had stomach problems (1 Timothy
5:23) as though this proves God does not want to heal all. The devil will
attack and tries to put sickness on everyone. Timothy seems especially
vulnerable being a timid, stressed out young man, as seen from the words
of St. Paul’s letters to him. Added to this, the great apostle’s instructions
to ‘Take a little wine for your stomach’s sake,’ are telling him to do all that
he could to get better.
The bottom line is: God is on the side of health. You may receive your
healing through the prayer of faith, through medical treatment or just by
changing your diet – but do all you can to get well! Paul did not say ‘Just
endure your sickness’ or ‘Maybe God does not want to heal you.’ Rather,
he encouraged his young protégé to do all that he could to get better. Paul
obviously believed that it was God’s will to restore Timothy to health as he
would not have encouraged his friend to get out of God’s will. Many believe
this instruction was because the water where they were was polluted. Any
who travel on missions trips need to take care about such things. If you
drink contaminated water, you can die.
We see from St. Paul’s instruction that faith is not enough, you need
wisdom too. Even in Europe and USA I will only drink bottled mineral
water. Of course, in St. Paul’s time such things were not available, so,
the fruit of the vine was a wise alternative, which we now know is full of
vitamins and healthful anti-oxidants.
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QUESTION 11:
What about Trophimus sickness and Epaphroditus near death
experience?
Epaphroditus nearly died in the work of the Lord (Philippians 2:27), but we
do not need to speculate as to what went wrong. He was not sick because
God had a ‘higher purpose,’ Paul gives us the reason: ‘For the work of
Christ he was near unto death, not regarding his life.’ Epaphroditus had
been overdoing it.
Our call may be supernatural, our zeal consuming, but our bodies are
only human. If you fail to take care of your body, your spirit will have to
go home to heaven. Paul also had to leave Trophimus at Miletus to recover
(2 Timothy 4:20). There is a warning here that our health will suffer if we
do not regard God’s guidelines for rest and take care of our bodies.

QUESTION 12:
When I asked my minister to anoint me with oil and pray for
my healing according to James 5:14-15, he told me that the
book of James was written to the Jews and not to the Church.
Is that true?
No, the New Testament is God’s eternal and unchanging Word for
every believer – Jew or Gentile. The claim that James was not written
for Christians comes from his reference to ‘the twelve tribes scattered
abroad’ (1:1), a reference to Jewish believers who had become a part of
the Church (ekklesia). We need to realise that each of the epistles was
initially addressed to someone or to some group, but that does not limit
their message or make them any less God’s Word for us today. If it did, the
Book of Romans would only be relevant to Italians! One preacher even
went as far as saying that this Epistle was written only for the Jews of the
tribulation Period. He falsely taught that the word translated ‘Church’ in
James 5:14 should read ‘synagogue,’ which is clearly not so. The Greek
word used is ‘ekklésia,’ consistently translated ‘Church’ throughout the
New Testament and not ‘sunagógé’ the Greek word translated synagogue.
In addition, James addresses his epistle to ‘my beloved (agapetoi)
brethren’ (1:16, 19; 2:5), a term used in the New Testament in reference
to Christians.
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Finally, there is one other important issue: I would not want to be a part
of a church that did not believe in healing. God gave clear instructions in
James 5:14-15 to ensure that anointing with oil and the prayer of faith are
freely available to every believer.

QUESTION 13:
What is a ‘healing evangelist’?
Just as God has given pastors and teachers to the church, so He has given
healing ministries. First Corinthians chapter twelve explains how God has
distributed different gifts to each believer, so that together we can fully
represent Jesus to the world.
No individual alone can do so. We need one another. The pastor for
example, demonstrates Jesus care. The teacher brings ‘reasonable’
answers to the world’s questions and dilemmas. The healing evangelist
brings ‘supernatural’ answers. If we didn’t need these gifts God would not
have given them.
Paul wrote: ‘Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing?’
(1 Corinthians 12:29-30). Asking this question, shows that not all have this
gift, but it also confirms that some do. Paul clarifies this point, ‘And God
hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings…’ (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Whereas every believer can pray for the sick and see them healed, there
are some who have a special anointing to see the sick healed. This
is my primary gift. As a result, I frequently line up the sick (especially
the deaf and mute) in my crusades and see them all instantly healed, to
demonstrate to the unbeliever that Jesus is alive. The healing ministry is
a special gift that we desperately need, as there are so many sick in the
church and in the world.
We use the term ‘healing evangelist’ because:
❦ They are also evangelists/soul winners (or certainly should be).
❦ The Greek word ‘evangel’ means good news and it is good news that
God wants His people well.
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 15

❦ The emphasis is on proclamation – Jesus does the healing. St. Paul

said, ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto
salvation (a word incorporating forgiveness, healing and deliverance).’
The Gospel is the power. So, when we proclaim the Gospel we release
the power.
❦ We are not ‘faith healers’ or ‘healers’ – Jesus is the healer. Ours is just
to proclaim the good news that Jesus is the healer and is the same
today! If someone claims themselves to be the healer – run a mile! They
are not from God! All healing from God is in Jesus’ Name.

QUESTION 14:
Why don’t more pastors welcome healing evangelists in their
church?
I think there are three main reasons, though fear is at the root of them all.

1. S
 ome preachers have in the past behaved unwisely, dishonestly
and dishonourably.
This has damaged things for everyone else. I do understand the pastor’s
concerns, having been both an evangelist and a pastor. When I pastored
in Orlando, Florida, one well known evangelist offered to come and
hold a crusade in my church. He handed out his own offering envelopes
which had a section for people to write down their names and addresses,
which I did not object to.
What shocked me was when he mailed all of my members (except for
me) about a week later announcing that he was starting a church in
Orlando and inviting everyone to leave my church and to join him!
He even met secretly with some of my assistant pastors, offering them
positions if they would join him. Fortunately, he only got a few cranky
people and the work soon folded up. Nevertheless, I was very hurt.
So, I understand the fears and genuine concerns of pastors. But trust
the Lord; it is His church not yours. The answer, is not to close the door,
but to choose wisely who you invite.
This is the age of transparency; you can check a ministry on the web
site and with other pastors where he has been before.
16 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1

I have no fears of people checking; by God’s grace, in more than forty

years of ministry around the world we have never had a lawsuit or a
scandal. I made the commitment many years ago that this would be a
ministry of integrity in everything we do. When I first went to Orlando
many pastors knew of this ministry and asked me to preach for them.
I politely declined, saying, ‘I’m here to pastor in the city. I don’t want any
of your members joining me and you accusing me of sheep stealing.’
I hate dishonesty and deception.
So, in summary of this point: Pastors must be wise in who they
welcome, nevertheless, every church should have the input of Godly
evangelistic-healing ministries each year.

2. Secondly, evangelists are often more dramatic and demonstrative.

This can be freaky for someone dedicated to protecting the sheep! Once
again, this should not hold the leader back; it is this difference that will
draw in lots of new people which the pastor might never attract. From
much experience, the good news is that if the leader will overcome his
concerns, many of those brought in by the guest preacher will stay.

3. T
 hirdly, and very realistically, many pastors are afraid of
losing financial support.
Once again, with the right ministries, there is great blessing awaiting if
the leader can overcome this concern. While the visiting preacher may
stir up the congregation to support his work while he is there; once he
is gone, it is the pastor who will be the main benefactor of the new spirit
of generosity generated.
On average pastors tell me that their weekly offerings triple after I have
held a crusade for them. For one, most of the non-tithers all become
committed tithers. Those who are awakened to the joys and blessings of
sowing, will continue long after the visiting preacher has gone.
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 17

Once again we must not allow the devil to use fear to keep our doors
closed, our cities and churches are full of sick people who need this
anointing. The blessings far outweigh the risks. For example, almost every
crusade we hold the pastors say the same thing: ‘More people were saved
during this week’s crusade than in all the city’s churches combined over
the past twelve months.’

QUESTION 15:
Why don’t we in the West see the same type of miracles as our
brothers and sisters see in Africa and Asia?
Most of these great healings take place in large Miracle Crusades, where
faith is so high. We miss so much in the West by not organising more
of these events. Let me start by saying that we do see the same type of
miracles in our European and American Miracle Crusades. The tragedy
is it is so hard to find pastors and ministers in the West who will support
and help organise such events.
Having said that, ten other reasons immediately come to mind:

1. Doubt
I have met few believers in the West who have the simple, sincere, child-
like faith in God’s Word than our African and Asian brothers and sisters
have.
Sadly, most of the Bible colleges in the West actually train students
to question God’s Word rather than to believe it and to ‘interpret’ it
rather than to take it at face value. As a result, they churn out ministers
who are full of doubt, sowing these same seeds of unbelief in their
congregation.
If we want to experience a life of miracles, we must be unwavering in
our faith and take God at His Word. The Bible warns: ‘But let him ask
in faith nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the
sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he
shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in
all of his ways.’ (James 1:6-8). Faith is simply the absence of doubt.
18 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1

2. Distraction
Our precious brothers and sisters in foreign lands have a dependence
on God that few in the West know of. As one Asian man said to me,
‘When your people are sick they go straight to the doctor. It would cost
me eight years’ wages to be treated for my condition. If God does not
heal me, I am dead.’
The free availability of doctors and hospitals is wonderful, but it has
meant that few in the West even think of looking to the Lord for healing
until the doctor fails to resolve their problems. By then their prayers
are usually motivated by fear and desperation rather than faith. They
pray ‘hoping’ something will happen; but hope is not faith. We must be
realistic; if someone does not have faith for healing at the first signs of
being unwell, how do they expect to have faith when they are told they
are dying?

3. Rationalism
From childhood we in the west are taught to be rational. This is good
in some things, but it is bad if it hinders our faith.
Most of what I call the ‘Scooby Doo Generation’ have been taught to
categorize the devil and the spirit world along with fairies and elves. I
use this term for those raised in the 1960s/70s/80s and 90s who grew up
watching the cute cartoon – detective dog. Now do not misunderstand
me, I loved Scooby Doo, but subliminally we were being sent the same
message each week: what at first appears supernatural always has a
natural explanation.
In the West we have been taught that ‘Seeing is believing.’ But God’s
Kingdom works on a different order. He says ‘Believing is seeing.’ (title
of my third book ©1986). We are taught ‘If you can see it, then it exists.
If you cannot, then it does not.’ We, of course, make a few exceptions for
things like television signals and radio waves. Why? Because scientists
tell us that they exist and explain that this is where the picture on our
screen and the music on our radio come from.
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 19

In reality, most westerners will far more readily accept the word of
scientists than the Word of God. As a result, receiving healing by faith,
before we can see any evidence goes against the rational mind-set. This
is the reason we miss so much of God’s blessing.

5. A gnosticism
In the West from childhood we are taught life without room for God.
The teaching of Biblical Creationism even as an alternative explanation
is banned in schools, while the evolution of man is taught as though
it were proven facts, rather than an unsubstantiated theory (the
religious belief of atheists), launched by a series of deceptive hoaxes
and sustained by a tiny collection of spurious bones.
The fact that thousands of respected scientists do not believe in the
evolution of man is another fact deliberately suppressed. All of this has
been part of satan’s sinister plan over the past century to destroy faith
in the Western world.

6. Confusion
Most of our African and Asian brethren are first generation believers.
They have not had the years of false teaching like ‘sickness is sent by
God to teach us lessons.’ Almost all of the believers have come to Christ
through Charismatic/Pentecostal preachers, who have taught them
from day one that God wants them well and to expect a miracle. Most
of them have known nothing other than faith teaching; so their faith
is high. In contrast, most believers in the West have their heads full of
false teaching which they need to discard before they can believe for a
miracle. Before I can teach most Western believers I have to first do lots
of un-teaching.

7. Humanism
Most Western believers are so humanistic, believing that human
accomplishment is the solution to all problems. Even some preachers
teach that with the advancement of medical science miracles are no
longer required.
20 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1

As a result, when Western believers encounter sickness, they think of

doctors and medicine before prayer. God is there when medicine fails!
Now do not misunderstand me; I thank God for doctors, nurses and
hospitals, they are committed to saving lives. They are on God’s side,
because He wants people well. I rejoice at the great strides that medical
science has made in its efforts to alleviate human suffering. But man is
not the answer. With all our achievements we have still not even found
a cure for the common cold! Man is not God and never will be.

8. Disrespect
Jesus could do no miracles in His home town of Nazareth, because of
their unbelief. However, that unbelief manifests in the form of disrespect.
They saw him as one of them. Even worse, they said ‘Is not this the
carpenter’s son?’ In other words they believed the lies and rumours that
he was illegitimate. They saw Him in the natural and as a result could
not receive from Him spiritually.
For some reason there is always untrue gossip spread about healing
ministries – the devil hates them. While some have been charlatans,
most that I have known have been genuine, sincere servants of God.
I’ve heard so many stories about different preachers, but 99% of the
time the stories were not true. They were usually lies spread by ex-staff
members who had been dismissed by the ministry for theft or other
dishonest actions.
Sadly, many Christians love gossip. The problem is, once you disrespect
the man of God, you cannot receive and draw from his anointing.
‘Touch not mine anointed’ (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15), is not
only a commandment, it is wise advice. Now, if there is no anointing,
that is a different matter, but where you see the power of God flowing
through one of His servants and God blessing and using them wisdom
will keep silent.
One thing I have seen in Africa and Asia is the great respect they have
for true servants of God. They see beyond the man to the man of God.
That is why they are blessed. Peter is the man – but the man cannot
bless or heal you.
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 21

You must see beyond the man. As St. Paul put it, ‘We know no man
after the flesh.’ (2 Corinthians 5:16). Respect is important, especially
when it comes to drawing from their anointing.
Now, redemptionally we are all on the same level. As part of the human
race we are all equal. But gifting-wise we are not. Putting someone
on the same level is fine if you want a golf partner, but don’t expect
anything spiritual to flow.
The way respect is shown varies from culture to culture. When I
pastored in America all of my church members called me Pastor or
Dr Gammons, as a term of endearment and respect. The moment
they felt they were a friend and started calling me Peter, they
found they could no longer draw on the anointing to receive
healing. People were laid in the street so that even the shadow of
St. Peter passing over them caused them to be healed. They saw beyond
the man to the man of God. Yet his shadow probably passed over his
friends daily with no supernatural outcome.
We must never idolise man, this is one of the counter problems in the
USA that preachers are treated like they are movie stars. There is a big
difference between that and respect for the anointing. The Bible says,
‘The lesser is blessed by the greater.’ (Hebrews 7:7). We must honour
God’s Generals if we want to draw from their anointing.

9. Laziness
I wonder how many believers will arrive in heaven prematurely and
say, ‘Lord why didn’t you heal me?’ and He will reply, ‘I sent a healing
ministry to your home town, but you stayed home and watched
television.’ We must respect the gifts God has given to the church. If we
didn’t need them God would have not given them.
Another area where many believers miss blessing is they are too lazy
to go to God’s Word to find His promises of healing and wholeness.
‘Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.’ They are too
lazy to read faith building books to develop strong faith. They spend
thousands a year on food to feed their body and nothing on inspiring
books, DVDs and CDs to feed their soul.
22 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1

10. Selfishness
I have noticed: God doesn’t bless selfish people. There is power when
you put prayer and giving together. Now don’t misunderstand me, you
cannot buy a miracle, but you can show God that you care about the
things He cares about by your giving. I do believe sincere, generous
giving to the causes He cares about gets God’s attention and brings
favour into your life.
Why is giving so important? We talk about good and bad, light and
darkness, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of satan. I believe
there are two dominant forces in the universe: giving and taking.
‘God is love’ and giving is the fruit of love. You can give without loving
but you cannot love without giving. Agape, divine love, is constant,
selfless giving.
In this life there are two types of people: there are ‘givers’ and there
are ‘takers.’ Do you know any ‘takers’? They always want you to do
things for them, but they never think of doing anything for you. They
are selfish, self-centred people. Self-centred people will always have
problems, because the world was not made to revolve around them.
I said there are two primary forces in the universe: giving and taking.
God is the Giver and the devil is the taker. Satan comes to ‘kill, steal
and to destroy.’ (John 10:10). When you just come to take, you are
manifesting the ‘satan nature.’ When you give you are manifesting
the ‘God nature.’
Thousands contact this ministry each week asking for prayer. I
personally receive and pray over every prayer request. Yet few include
a financial gift. They are so engrossed in their need they do not
think who will pay for the secretary or stamp for the letter to reply to
them. They are self-centred. That is why so many prayer requests go
unanswered.
To get blessed you must start looking out instead of in. When you
become a giver, you will find blessings follow you everywhere you go.
 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1 23

Many in the Bible did not get their miracle until they added giving to
their praying (see my book 200 Secrets of Financial Blessing). The widow
woman’s meal was not multiplied until first she fed the prophet. Hannah
did not get a child until she promised to give. God said to Cornelius, ‘your
prayers and your giving have come up before Me as a memorial’ (Acts
10:4). When the Roman Centurion added giving to his praying, he got
God’s attention.
I often say that prayer and giving are like the two sides of an arrow. When
he added giving to His praying, his prayer shot past all of the other selfish
prayers, straight to the throne of God. I have seen over and over that great
miracle breakthroughs follow a great out pouring of generosity to the
work of God.
How we need to learn from the simple faith of our precious African and
Asian brothers and sisters. These things must be dealt with before we will
see a breakthrough of the miraculous.
Having said all of that, the good news is things are changing. More and
more, as we stand on the Word of God, we are seeing miracles taking place
in our land. I was recently speaking to a gathering of over 3,000 Christians
in London and asked how many had ever received a miracle of healing
from the Lord. Over three-quarters of the people raised their hand to say
that they had. Forty years ago, when I first started preaching healing, it
would have only been one or two. When I pastored in Orlando, Florida I
once asked my congregation how many had been healed by the Lord in
answer to the prayer of faith and 100% raised their hand.
In summary, as I often say:
We are not where we want to be.
We are not where we should be.
But thank God, we are not where we used to be.
And … we are not where we are going to be.
24 DIVINE HEALING  Questions and Answers Volume 1

Let me close this first volume by praying for you:

‘Father, we thank You for Your goodness. We thank You that You are a
God who hears and answers our prayers. You are a miracle working God.
I am believing for miracles for my friend. Let Your healing power flow
right now into their life. Let faith rise in their heart that You want them
well, You want them whole. At the cross you bore their sicknesses and
carried their diseases. Let a miracle happen right now in the Name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I command every sickness and every disease to
leave their body and for them to be totally healed, right now. Receive your
miracle. Be healed NOW, in Jesus’ Name Amen.’
Precious friend, write to me today and share your prayer requests with me.
I care about you and want to see you enter into the fullness of God’s
blessing! Let me close by sharing with you my ‘Destiny Breakthrough
Prayer.’ I feel such an anointing on me as I share this prayer with you!
I believe as you pray this every day you are going to see things rapidly
start changing!
Dr Peter Gammons
 My destiny breakthrough prayer 25
Thank You Father that I am Your beloved child, created in Your own
image. I love You Lord and marvel at Your great love for me.
I thank You that I am clothed in Your righteous and redeemed by the
blood of Jesus. The curse is broken and I am free.
You clothe me with dignity, honour and favour. My gifts will make a way
for me and bring me to prominence.
The purpose of God for my life shall come to pass.
Thank You that You have a unique purpose and destiny for my life.
I believe that this is my season of divine visitation and manifestation.
By the blood of Jesus, I break every vicious circle of failure and rejection
in my life.
I command every obstacle standing in my way to be removed now in
Jesus’ Name.
By the blood of Jesus I break and cancel every evil covenant,
pronouncement, confession and incantation made against me, in Jesus’
Name. No weapon formed against me will prosper.
I cancel every satanic assignment set against me. Every satanically-
inspired conspiracy against me is defeated. I break the power of evil
manipulators. Let every satanic power working against me be frustrated.
Every obstacle to receiving my breakthrough be removed and every Korah
assigned to delay and stop my destiny be exposed and swallowed up.
Every unprofitable and unwise oath made consciously or unconsciously
is broken now in Jesus’ Name. Every bondage seeking to hinder my
success be destroyed in Jesus’ Name.
By the blood of Jesus, I cancel every form of tragedy.
Let every seed and root of failure be uprooted and removed and every
area of loss be restored.
26 My destiny breakthrough prayer

Let every spiritual barrier and limitation to my success and victory be

broken.
Every spirit of delay, postponement and hindrance must go now in Jesus’
Name. Let every obstacle in my way be removed and every force working
against my destiny be subdued.
Every demonic force encaging and hindering the helpers of my destiny
must go and release their hold in Jesus’ Name. Every veil of confusion
troubling the supporters of my destiny be removed. By faith I release
to come forth and take their place every person who is involved in my
destiny.
I command every captivity binding me to be broken. I turn loose my
mind from every captivity, spiritual blindness and bondage. I command
every stronghold designed to keep me in frustration, disappointment and
failure to be broken.
I receive revelation and understanding of Your plans.
Devil take your hands off my finances. I declare every evil force working
against my prosperity cancelled in Jesus’ Name!’ Release divine
abundance into every area of my life. Send forth Your angels now to
bring me my inheritance.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 MY PARTNER RESPONSE
Take the Gospel to the world
I trust this book has been a blessing to you. Now, my dear friend, I need
your help. Currently we are broadcasting the Gospel by television in
more than 200 nations into more than 2.1 billion homes. This is no
small expense. Added to this we are holding Gospel Crusades across
the globe. Will you become a Covenant Partner today and help me to
take the Gospel to the world? There is no greater investment you will
ever make and God promises both a heavenly and earthly reward.

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each month into your World- an Executive Partner
changing Ministry (Bankers and will sow £60 or
Order completed over). more a month.

Agree with me in prayer for the following needs:

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PO Box 4, Ramsey, Cambs PE26 1SW, UK
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 THE GOSPEL

G  od loved you so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son to be your
Saviour (John 3:16). On the cross, Jesus died bearing your sins, so you
could be forgiven and have eternal life.

O  nly Jesus can save you. You cannot save yourself. Our sins caused a
separation between us and God. But Jesus died in our place on the
Cross and was raised from the dead, taking the punishment that we
deserved, so that we could be forgiven (Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Corinthians
15:3-4).

S  a lvation is God’s free gift. It is yours for the asking. Do not put it off any
longer. The past is gone forever. The future is uncertain. Now is the day
of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2; 1 John 1:9).

P  eace with God is freely available to you right now if you will receive
Jesus Christ (John 1:12).

E veryone will one day stand before God and give an account of whether
they received or rejected Jesus Christ.
Pray this prayer right now and receive His eternal love and forgiveness:

L ord Jesus Christ, thank You that You love me, Thank You that You died
for me and then rose again to give me new life. I believe that You took
the punishment for my sin so that I could be forgiven. Forgive me
right now. I invite You to come into my life to be my Saviour and my
Lord. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe
with my heart that God has raised Him from the dead. I thank You
that You have heard my prayer. I am forgiven! I am saved! You are
mine! I am Yours… for all eternity! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!’
©1976  D r. Peter Gammons
 Biography
As a young man Peter Gammons received
a dramatic call from God to ‘TAKE MY
HEALING MESSAGE AND MY HEALING
POWER TO THE WORLD.’
From that moment onwards, incredible miracles began to take place.
Reports of the miracles have shaken whole cities and impacted whole
nations, resulting in incredible revivals, packing some of the world’s
largest venues.
Respected around the world as an evangelist, statesman and Bible scholar,
it is historically documented that he has spoken to the largest crowds in
history, with up to four million people in a single service. His life is an
inspiring story from obscurity in a small British farming community to
become a personal friend and advisor to Presidents, Prime Ministers and
World Leaders. For more than 40 years he has ministered to more than
100 million people in over 100 nations of the world.
Lives are being changed by God in over 200 nations of the world through
his television broadcasts, which are carried by more than 2,000 stations,
with global satellite coverage.
A Best Selling author, Dr. Gammons has published more than 100 books
and teaching manuals, his works translated into many other languages.
His books capture the warmth, compassion and devotion, which drive
him to encircle the globe each year, ministering on every continent.

PETER GAMMONS MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

PO Box 605000 Orlando FL 32860-5000, USA
PO Box 4, Ramsey, Cambs PE26 1SW, UK PG-MB112