Authority and Power

Healing needs both authority and power. The people saw this in Jesus.

All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” (Luke 4:36).

When Jesus sent out the apostles, he gave them authority and power.

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1).

Authority comes to us through what Jesus has done on the cross and by raising us with him to the right hand of the father. Power comes through the Holy Spirit.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1:8).

The power of the Spirit flows from the believer to the person being healed. We can see this happening with Jesus.

And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick (Luke 5:17).

All the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all (Luke 6:19).

This is how the gift of healing operates. A person exercising this gift of the Spirit allows the power of the spirit to flow out of them to the person who needs to be healed.

The Holy Spirit does not have a physical body. He needs people to carry him the where he needs to be in the physical world. To heal people, he must work through people who love him.

The Holy Spirit has immense power, but no authority. We have authority on the earth, but no power. When we use our authority to give the Holy Spirit permission to use his power, we can do great things together for the Father. Without him, we can do nothing. Without our permission to act, he is constrained. By joining his power with our authority, we allow the Holy Spirit to do great works on earth for the Father (Kingdom Authority p. 118).