The Woman with the Issue of Blood (Women’s Bible Study)

The woman with the issue of blood is a powerful women’s Bible study about Jesus’ divine powers at work in one woman’s life (see Luke 8:42-48). A few years back, I went to my first football game live and it reminded me of how this woman demonstrated simple faith in action. 

the woman with the issue of blood
If you want something badly enough, you will pursue it.

A friend of ours gave us free tickets to a college football game in which her son was playing. This young man is a linebacker on his team. His job is to pursue the man with the ball on the other team.

Although the opponent would try to outmaneuver him, our young man did not stop pursuing until he got his prey.

His pursuit illustrated an important point for me:

“Pursuit is proof of desire.”

If you want something badly enough, you will pursue it.

Even if your pursuit takes you longer than you thought, your desire will drive you on.

You will not stop pursuing until you get what you want.

The woman with the continual bleeding in the Bible had a serious medical condition. But she pursued her healing in simple faith.

Because she did not give up, she got it. She knew about the power of pursuit.

Her story is told in Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, and Luke 8:43-48. This woman experienced a discharge of blood for 12 years.

Here are some things we can learn from her story of perfect faith and how she got the healing that she was pursuing:

1. She recognized that she had issues.

The woman accepted that a continuous blood issue from her body was not normal.

She faced the reality of her losses, not downplaying them.

She not only had health issues from the blood loss but financial issues. Luke’s gospel says that the woman had spent all of her money on physicians to heal her.

But instead of getting better, her problem got worse.

Lastly, the woman had relationship issues.

Because of her continual bleeding, she was considered unclean according to Levitical law, which meant isolation from others.

We can agree she was experiencing bad times!

2. She was ready and willing to change.

This woman was unwilling to stay a bloody mess.

Other women in that time may have had similar chronic conditions too. However, they likely had settled in their bloody mess.

But not this woman.

She decided that she did not want her life to be about her bloody mess. She demonstrated the virtue of faith – enough to take action.

3. She believed that change was possible for her.

Rather than self-pity and saying, “I guess I am just meant to be this way,” the woman saw a better future for herself.

She saw a true image herself healthy, healed, and whole with Jesus’ intervention.

4. She recognized her solution.

The woman had heard about Jesus’ ability to heal. By the virtue of faith, she believed that Jesus had what she needed and was determined to pursue Him.

5. She had to overcome obstacles to reach her solution.

In the book of Luke, we are told that the woman had to press through a crowd to get to Jesus (see Luke 8:43-44). That was not easy.

However, rather than letting the crowd discourage her and deciding to go back home in defeat, the woman decided to stay in the pursuit.

I once saw a bicyclist saying on a T-shirt that I love. To me, it illustrates what must have been this woman’s mindset:

“It is a hill. Get over it.”

6. She spoke to herself to encourage herself.

But she did not use that as an excuse to give up:

“For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well (Mark 5:28, New King James Version).’”

7. She received her healing in faith.

The woman could have gotten close to Jesus, but that would not have mattered unless she reached out and touched Him.

When she touched Him, the power and healing virtue within Him flowed to her. The bleeding stops, the issue of blood stanched (see Luke 8:47).

In order to touch Jesus and receive His power and virtue to help you overcome the challenges of your life, you cannot have a long-distance or superficial relationship with Him.

You have to expose your heart to Him, getting intimate enough to touch Him.

But you can’t touch Him unless you pursue Him first.

What do you desire in life?

It is not enough to talk about it, dream about it, wish about it, hope about it, or even plan it.

For that desire to be yours, you must pursue it:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).”

Asking, seeking, knocking, and prayer are all forms of pursuit.

Know this: Your better future wants you to catch it. But it is not going to be caught easily.

Even the Promised Land that God promised His people had enemies to overcome and wild beasts to deal with. After overcoming, the people could then occupy.

When you overcome challenges to get a prize, you appreciate it more. You will then cherish it enough to hold on to it.

What are you waiting for? Gear up and get going.

Pursue!

Be Blessed with Health, Healing, and Wholeness,

Kimberly Taylor

Author of the Take Back Your Temple program

P.S. Do you struggle with overeating sugar? If so, you are not alone!

Overcoming sugar addiction was a key factor on my weight loss journey; I lost 85 pounds and dropped from a size 22 to an 8.

In our 14-day Sugar Detox Challenge online course (inside the Take Back Your Temple program), you’ll get the same success strategies and support to gain peace in your eating habits and achieve lasting weight loss.

Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program.

“Prayer for Weight Loss”

About the author 

Kimberly Taylor

Kimberly Taylor is a certified Christian life coach and has a heart to help others struggling with emotional eating and weight loss. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify of God’s goodness and healing power to overcome. She lost 85 pounds as a result of implementing techniques to overcome emotional eating and binge eating disorder.

Kim is the author of "The Take Back Your Temple Program," which teaches Christians how to take control of their weight God's way and the books "The Weight Loss Scriptures" and "The Weight Loss Prayers."

Kim has been featured in Prevention Magazine, Charisma Magazine and on CBN’s 'The 700 Club' television program.

  • Well said! Thank you for blessing me with EXACTLY what I needed to hear today! I absolutely love your “Living Fit, Healthy, and Empowered in Christ” which positively says it all. Thank you for always sharing God’s message in the way you live, teach, mentor, and love us all.

  • The confidence and beauty of it all is that once we have yielded to our Lord, His resurrection power can become our resurrection power, not just for heaven, but to persevere here, now, to accomplish the works He ordained before the world began! Can you believe that? How great is His love that He would gift us, His beloved, with the grace of our salvation. “What? know ye not that you are the Temple of the Holy Spirit which is IN YOU, which you have of God, and you are not your own, you are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s”. We don’t have to conjure up perseverance, we can’t if we wanted to to, but we can learn to walk in what the Father has given us…see I Peter 1:5-7. It’s promised! And, God does not lie. This is the day that the Lord has made…

  • This is exactly what o.j ve been needing to hear!! Thank you Kimberly! I know you hear the voice of the Lord!! And I am so thankful for that!! I’ve been struggling for quite some time with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. I’ve been feeling like my weight and my heart about the “issue” will never change, that I’m so what doomed in a way to stay this weight and size the rest of my life. Thank you, this gives me hope. I will be studying this scripture today!

  • What an encouraging post this morning…this quote nailed it for me. “Pursuit is proof of desire.” We go after what we want hard, and really don’t give a thought about what others may say or think. Absolutely, appreciate the spiritual connection to the woman with the issue of blood. She pressed in hard and really didn’t give a thought about what others said or thought. Her pursuit, was touching the hem of Jesus’ garmet; therefore getting what she desired most, her healing , which was the proof of her pursuit!

    Thank you!
    Please keep writing and encouraging our hearts. “…I got issues, I can’t even lie” song lyrics from “Alone” by Hollyn

  • WOW! If I were at a football game I would be shouting ‘touchdown’! And screaming YES!!!

    Once again, you just nailed it. Your ability to take a situation and turn it into a Jesus moment that makes an eternal difference is unbelievable. To say it inspired me would be an understatement. It touched my heart and my soul.

    THANK YOU!

  • My t shirt would read: Wake up and pray to wake up for God’s day. Thank you, Kimberly for allowing God to speak through you. These messages give me direction to surrender to God and allow healing to begin.

  • I’m thankful I found you, your wisdom, and your program. I have a weight problem, yes. That is what motivated me to join. But, I also had a spirit problem. Your words shine a light on my soul and bring a warming spirit I’ve sought for a long time. Thank you for your ministry!

  • I really needed to see this tonight. Especially where you said “ when you overcome challenges you appreciate the prize more. You will then cherish it enough to hold on to it.” God requires many of us to take an active role in our healing. I just needed to see this again. Thank you and God bless you.

  • I love your quote “In order to touch Jesus and receive His power and virtue to help you overcome the challenges of your life, you cannot have a long-distance or superficial relationship with Him; you have to expose your heart to Him, getting intimate enough to touch Him. But you can’t touch Him unless you pursue Him first.” and wonder if I may quote you on social media? Please let me know and I will be sure to give full credit to you and the TBYT website/program!

  • WOW!!! WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY!! It really hits home for me and also serves as a reminder to NEVER EVER GIVE UP!! Thanks Kimberly for such am powerful post!,,

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