When I started Bible college in 2013, my dad gave me the best piece of advice on hearing from God. He told me to have a special colored highlighter just for the Holy Ghost, and when a verse would jump out at me or an instructor would say something that stuck in my mind, to use that particular highlighter to set it apart from everything else. Then, when I was at home studying, those were the things I should focus on, because those were the things that God wanted me to get. I employed that strategy for three years of Bible college, and I continue to do that to this day.
When I say God highlights something, let me give you an example. For me, that means that I’ll read a verse and I just keep coming back to it. I’ll try to read past it, and I may not understand why, but I keep coming back to it. Later on, I may hear the words to that verse in a song or in a teaching I’m listening to. This is God’s number one way of communicating with me.
For a long time, I recognized that God was trying to get something through to me, but I never knew how to draw it out, so I’d just move on to the next thing. I can’t even imagine how much I missed out on because of that. I don’t want it to be the same for you. I want you to get everything God is trying to get to you!
What do you do with those highlights?
I’m going to walk you through what to do with those things God highlights to you by sharing with you the first verse God gave me when I started my healing journey: Romans 8:11. Through meditation and study, this scripture became mine. I took ownership of it, and I knew it would lead to my healing.
Romans 8:11
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
I had been sick for 13 years when this verse leapt out at me. My thyroid was dead and my own immune system was slowly killing me. I had quoted this very Scripture over myself dozens of times in the past with no effect. I had the act of memorizing and quoting it down, but I was missing a vital element: Applying it.
This is how I applied it then, and how I still apply it now: First things first, I removed all distractions, I asked God to lead me down the path of revelation for this verse (James 1:5), I prayed in the Spirit with this verse in mind, and I kept it constantly in the forefront of my mind. Those are four practical principles that I apply to everything God highlights to me. (Read more about those four principles in our article “Receiving Revelation.”)
The How-To of a Word Study
As I prayed and meditated on Romans 8:11, Father led me to do a word study on that verse. A word study is not as difficult and advanced as it may sound. There are several online programs that you can use, but I do my word studies using Blue Letter Bible. On that website, after you type in the verse and click on the Tools button, it will give you the associated Greek or Hebrew word and the meaning for each word in the verse.
I recommend reading the meanings of each word, even the simple ones, because you never know which one will awaken something on the inside of you. A word study brings a verse alive for me. Using the meanings provided, I’ll rewrite the verse in a way that connects with me.
Putting It Into Practice
Let’s look at Romans 8:11 and we’ll walk through a word study together.
We’ll start with the word “dwell,” which is the Greek word oikeō. According to the Strong’s Concordance, this word means to inhabit or to occupy a house; but the definition that hit home for me comes from the Thayer’s Greek Lexicon. It defines dwell as “to be fixed and operative in one’s soul.” (From our “Your Decision Maker” teaching, you know that your soul is your mind, will, and emotions.)
Let’s take it one step deeper. “Fixed” means to be fastened securely in position. If you are fixed in position, you are not changing. You are unmovable, unshakeable. “Operative” means effective. If the Holy Spirit is operative, it means He’s running the show and hard at work. It means your mind, will, and emotions are being led and driven by the Holy Spirit.
The “If”
Just looking at the first part of that verse, let’s plug those meanings in:
If the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is fastened securely in position and having an effect on your mind, will, and emotions, then the second part of the verse is what you can expect to happen. Romans 8:11 is an if-then verse. Without the “if,” there is no “then.”
The “Then”
The word “quickened” is the Greek word zōopoieō, and it means to revitalize, make alive, and give life (Strong’s Concordance). It also means by spiritual power to arouse, invigorate, and give an increase of life (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). Before I start shouting “Hallelujah!” let’s look at the phrase “mortal body.” This phrase, Greek words thnētos and soma, is referring to your physical body.
Let’s plug those meanings into the second half of the verse, and then we’ll get to the good part and look at the complete promise: If … then the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will also revitalize and bring your physical body back to life by His supernatural power!
All Together Now
Putting the two parts together, you get: If the same Holy Spirit that breathed life into Christ’s lifeless body is fastened securely in position and having an effect on your mind, will, and emotions, then the same Holy Spirit that breathed the life back into Christ will bring your physical body back to life by His supernatural power!
Tell me that doesn’t pack a punch. If you’ve ever wondered what Romans 12:2 was talking about – “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” – then Romans 8:11 is your answer. As you renew your mind to the truth in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit becomes the driving force in your mind and he’s then able to get to work transforming your body, bringing it to life, reviving it! This is God’s promise to you!
The End Results
Romans 8:11 started out as just a verse that God had brought to my attention, but it turned into a verse that brought healing to my body. It was, and forever will be, my promise. By the way, it can be your promise, too. Every verse in all sixty-six books in the Bible can be yours. Take them. Apply them. Possess them. It doesn’t even have to be a verse on healing that can bring healing to your body. If God highlights it to you, grab onto it and don’t let go until you get it!
In this article and previous ones, I’ve given you all the tools you’ll need to receive every single promise that’s in God’s Word. It’s up to you now to get those tools working for you. Employing those tools will lead to revelation, which in turn will lead to a manifestation of healing in your body. It worked for me and it can work for you. Fix Him in your mind today and watch Him work!