Healing" Witness Pt. 5 - May 10th, 2026 - Pastor Jono Zantingh

May 10, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Mud-Eyes and Second Touches

Jesus spat on the ground, mixed mud with His fingers, and pressed it onto a blind man’s eyes. “Go wash,” He said. The man obeyed, but returned half-healed, seeing people as walking trees. Jesus touched him again—this time, clarity. No formulas, no drama. Just persistence meeting imperfect progress. [01:11:13]

Healing isn’t a one-act miracle but a partnership. Jesus didn’t scold the man’s partial sight. He leaned into the process, showing that faith grows through repeated surrender. The Kingdom comes in layers—sometimes gradually, always purposefully.

How often do you quit after the first “unanswered” prayer? Jesus invites you to keep asking, keep trusting, even when results seem blurry. Where have you stopped praying because healing didn’t look like you expected?

“Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, He laid His hands on him and asked, ‘Can you see anything now?’ The man looked around. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I see people, but I can’t see them clearly. They look like trees walking.’ Then Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly.”
(Mark 8:23-25, NLT)

Prayer: Ask Jesus for courage to persist in prayer, even when healing unfolds slowly.
Challenge: Pray boldly today for one person’s healing—then circle back and pray again.

Day 2: Shadows and Sidewalk Miracles

Peter gripped John’s arm as they walked toward the temple. A lame beggar lifted his hands, expecting coins. Peter locked eyes with him: “Silver or gold I don’t have, but what I do have, I give you.” He yanked the man to his feet. Ankles strengthened. Sandals slapped stone as the man leaped. [57:15]

The disciples carried resurrection power in their ordinary steps. Peter didn’t wait for a prayer meeting or perfect conditions. He acted on raw obedience, turning a sidewalk into a sanctuary. Healing flows through available hands, not just “anointed” ones.

What excuses do you make to avoid praying for others? Jesus didn’t commission experts—He empowered witnesses. Who’s “begging” near you today, unaware they’re moments from a miracle?

“Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ The lame man looked at them eagerly. ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!’ Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened.”
(Acts 3:4-7, NLT)

Prayer: Confess hesitation to act on the Spirit’s nudge. Ask for Peter’s reckless faith.
Challenge: Initiate prayer for a stranger’s need within the next 24 hours.

Day 3: Thorns and Sufficient Grace

Paul hunched over parchment, quill scratching: “Three times I begged the Lord to remove this thorn.” Heaven stayed silent—until grace spoke louder than pain. Weakness became the altar where Christ’s strength burned brightest. [01:00:25]

God’s “no” to healing is never abandonment. Paul’s thorn anchored him to dependence, proving power thrives in surrendered places. The Kingdom advances through both healed bodies and sanctified suffering.

What thorn have you resented instead of leveraging for glory? How might your unmet prayer be a hidden invitation to lean harder on Jesus?

“Even though I have received wonderful revelations from God, a thorn was given me in my flesh to keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”
(2 Corinthians 12:7-9, NLT)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His nearness in unanswered prayers. Trade frustration for trust.
Challenge: Write down one ongoing “thorn”—then list three ways it’s deepened your reliance on God.

Day 4: Oil, Bandages, and Both-And

James dipped his finger in oil, tracing the cross on the fevered woman’s forehead. He sent for elders, then prescribed poultices of figs. Prayer and medicine mingled—no rivalry, just tools in the Healer’s hand. [01:14:05]

God heals through doctors and doses as surely as through divine touch. James’ instructions rebuke sacred-secular divides. Every remedy—spiritual or physical—flows from the same Creator’s ingenuity.

Do you limit God by demanding only supernatural solutions? Where might He be waiting to heal through the practical as much as the miraculous?

“Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.”
(James 5:14-15, NLT)

Prayer: Ask God to erase distrust of medical/science avenues He ordained.
Challenge: Text a healthcare worker today, thanking them for partnering with God’s healing work.

Day 5: Keys to the Piano Bench

A boy scowled at ivory keys, fists smashing discordant notes. His mother stood firm: “Practice.” Years later, those same hands played anthems that made whole rooms weep. Gifts aren’t found—they’re forged through faithful repetition. [45:02]

The Holy Spirit distributes gifts, but we cultivate them. Like muscle memory, healing prayers grow stronger through use. Every fumbled attempt schools your spirit for the next divine assignment.

What gift lies dormant because you’ve prioritized perfection over obedience? When will you sit at the bench and play your first halting notes?

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another, the power to heal.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4,8-9, NLT)

Prayer: Repent for neglecting your spiritual gifts. Ask for courage to practice them poorly at first.
Challenge: Test one spiritual gift this week (healing, encouragement, service) three separate times.

Sermon Summary

We belong to a family shaped by the Jesus who calls us out of isolation and into mission. We receive the Holy Spirit so that our lives become living witnesses, not by title or position but by obedience and practice. We practice giving firstfruits because money and resources belong to God and our generosity forms a habit that fuels gospel work. We celebrate the gift of community, honoring mothers, grandparents, foster and adoptive families, and we pray together for flourishing, hope, and supernatural fruit where hearts are longing.

We acknowledge that one of the Spirit’s gifts is healing. Healing serves as a signpost to the kingdom, pointing people to the greater reality of salvation while never replacing the substance of new life in Christ. The story of scripture and the early church shows healing emerging alongside proclamation, and the same Spirit who raised Jesus equips us to participate. That participation looks like regular practice, thoughtful preparation, and simple prayers modeled after Jesus’ commands.

We hold the tension of already and not yet. Some prayers see immediate restoration; other prayers invite endurance, mystery, and pastoral care. Suffering does not nullify God’s character, and miraculous signs do not exhaust the purposes of the cross. Better theology around suffering preserves faith in seasons when the visible sign seems delayed or absent.

We get practical about praying for healing. Six key ingredients—faith, preparation through prayer and fasting, simple prayer, persistence, sound theology about suffering, and wisdom that cooperates with medicine—shape faithful practice. We reject the idea that healing belongs only to experts; ordinary disciples who lay hands, pray simply, and persist can see God move. We commit to normalize spiritual gifts, to try and learn, and to bear witness for the glory of Jesus. As a family, we will step into obedience, pray for the sick, care for one another, and remain tethered to Jesus whether the outcome is immediate healing or faithful endurance.

Key Takeaways

1. Holy Spirit empowers our witness We carry the same Spirit who empowered the first witnesses to speak, heal, and serve. That power is not a résumé item but an invitation to ordinary obedience: try, practice, and allow the Spirit to work through our hands and words. When we embrace that power, witness becomes a lifestyle rather than an event. [46:41]
2. Healing points to God’s kingdom Physical restoration functions as a signpost that points beyond itself to the greater reality of salvation and God’s reign. Seeing a body healed should redirect worship to the one who heals, and not substitute the deeper work of redeeming the soul. Holding that distinction protects hope when signs are delayed and helps us steward miracles with gospel clarity. [55:08]
3. Practice gifts with faithful persistence Spiritual gifts develop like skills: they grow through coaching, repetition, and long seasons of prayer. Persistence often precedes breakthrough; faithful, repeated intercession shapes environments that invite the Spirit to act. Treating gifts as practices frees us from performance anxiety and opens room for community formation. [45:46]
4. Embrace suffering and the not-yet The Christian life contains both the triumph of Christ now and the ongoing reality of pain until his return. Both healing and suffering participate in redemption, and honest theology keeps trust anchored in God even when outcomes differ from hopes. Holding both truths prevents faith from being redefined by disappointment and cultivates endurance shaped by grace. [61:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:23] - Moms, giveaways, and celebration
[19:26] - Belonging and church vision
[21:24] - Tithing and firstfruits explained
[23:00] - Prayer for local church partners
[37:32] - Worship and declaration
[41:48] - Series introduction: Witness
[46:41] - Holy Spirit power and gifts
[49:15] - Introducing the gift of healing
[55:08] - Healing as a sign of the kingdom
[58:50] - Healing is complicated and theological
[66:16] - Six ingredients for healing prayers
[75:44] - Invitation to practice laying on hands
[80:13] - Prayer for parents and closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 1:8 (NLT)
“But 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.”

Mark 9:29 (NLT)
“Jesus replied, ‘This kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting.’”

Observation Questions

According to Acts 1:8, what is the relationship between receiving the Holy Spirit’s power and being a witness for Jesus?
In the sermon, healing is described as a “signpost” pointing to God’s kingdom. What examples of this metaphor were given? [55:08]
What does Mark 9:29 suggest about the role of prayer and fasting in situations where healing is sought?

Interpretation Questions

How does the tension of “already and not yet” (God’s kingdom being present but not fully realized) shape our understanding of unanswered prayers for healing? [01:01:14]
Why might ordinary believers hesitate to pray for healing, and how does the sermon challenge that mindset? [54:48]
The sermon emphasizes that healing and suffering are both “redemptive.” How can these two realities coexist in a Christian’s life? [01:12:07]

Application Questions

What is one practical step you could take this week to “practice” praying for healing, even if it feels uncomfortable? [45:46]
How can you cultivate persistence in prayer when facing a “not yet” season of waiting for healing or breakthrough? [01:10:54]
The sermon warns against separating medical care and spiritual healing. How might you integrate both wisdom and faith in caring for someone who is sick? [01:13:47]
Reflect on a time when suffering or unanswered prayer tested your view of God’s character. What practices or truths could anchor your faith in similar situations? [01:03:13]
Who in your life needs encouragement to step into their spiritual gifts? How could you affirm or “coach” them this week? [45:02]
The sermon challenges believers to “normalize” spiritual gifts like healing in everyday life. What would it look like for your small group to create a safe space for practicing these gifts together? [01:03:36]

Sermon Clips

46s

#PersistInFaith

“"Don't change your theology and redefine God just because you're in a not yet moment. Persist. Stay in faith. Ask and keep on asking. Decide today that regardless of outcome, good or bad, whatever you think that is, nothing will rattle and shake your love and trust in Jesus. The third idea is this healing is a part of the church's witness. Because you are a witness, I want to invite you to help normalize the practice of the gift of healing. I would love for all of you over the next seven days to say yes to taking a moment to putting your hand on somebody and praying in faith. That's your homework.”

35s

#FreedomFromFaithShame

“"And now here's what's important. The church has weaponized faith for years. Many of you feel like an answer to prayer hasn't happened because someone said, you don't have enough faith. And so shame and condemnation have riddled your heart, and you haven't asked God for anything for years because you just can't risk being disappointed. I want you to just step out of that today in freedom, with wholeness and courage. And remember that faith is just one of the pieces. And you get to choose where your belief lies. And you get to say, Lord, help my unbelief.”

31s

#TryTheGiftOfHealing

“"Why do I share that with you today? Because we're talking about spiritual gifts. And we're today, we're gonna talk about the gift of healing. And most of you already go, I don't have that gift. And I wanna say, how do you know? How do you know unless you give it a go? How do you know unless you practice it? How do you know unless you practice it for years? How do you know? God bless my mom for making me practice.”

38s

#HealingIsASign

“"But the sign is not the promise itself. Healing is a sign of the kingdom that points to salvation, the substance of the kingdom. Healing's a very biblical sign of Jesus' kingdom, and it's a display of the full work of salvation that Jesus paid for on the cross. Number two, healing is complicated. Who among you is sick today and in need of a miracle? Who here today would love to be a witness to the power of God by seeing the gift of healing make you or someone you know and love healed and made whole?”

45s

#DiverseHealingJourneys

“"And in the last thirty thirty years, man, I've I've laid hands on people in crisis and immediately seen the Holy Spirit heal supernaturally. And I've prayed for people for years and finally seen God heal them supernaturally. And I've prayed for people for months and seen the wisdom of science and medicine with the supernatural creative power of God heal people over time. And I, like you, have also experienced the weight of suffering where I have prayed for years and years. I've prayed for twelve years for my hip to be made whole, and I still walk with a limp. But that doesn't change my theology.”

45s

#AlreadyNotYet

“"Why? Because we live in a tension that theologians call the already not yet. Already not yet. Already not yet. Say it with me. Already. One more time. Good. Jesus has been victorious over sin. Already. And we can know that victory here and now. Already. But the full experience of that victory is still future. It's still down the road awaiting Jesus' return, not yet. And over a lifetime of apprenticeship to Jesus, you will experience the overwhelming joy of the already, and you will experience the pain of the not yet. Both and. This makes the gift of healing complicated.”

54s

#LayHandsPrayFaith

“"And then look for every opportunity to just lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Lay hands on the sick. Be healed in Jesus' name. Cancer, go in Jesus' name. Tumor, disappear in Jesus' name. Liver, be whole in Jesus' name. Heart, function in Jesus' name. Simple. You don't have to be, like, weird super spiritual about it. As in every one of the gifts, let's earnestly give to give it away more than we desire to keep it for ourselves. Look for any and every opportunity to prepare, to pray in faith, to persist in prayer, to keep your eyes on Jesus and not the outcome, and to walk in wisdom. In Jesus' name. Why don't you stand to your feet?”

26s

#KingdomHealingToday

“"And right through to this room, where with our own eyes, we've seen cancer annihilated. We've seen lame legs walk and continue to walk. We've seen sick bodies made supernaturally whole all because of Jesus. Healing is absolutely one of the gifts of the spirit that God uses still to demonstrate his kingdom today.”

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Healing" Witness Pt. 5 - May 10th, 2026 - Pastor Jono Zantingh

Devotional

Day 1: Mud-Eyes and Second Touches

Day 2: Shadows and Sidewalk Miracles

Day 3: Thorns and Sufficient Grace

Day 4: Oil, Bandages, and Both-And

Day 5: Keys to the Piano Bench

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Healing" Witness Pt. 5 - May 10th, 2026 - Pastor Jono Zantingh

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