When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick. -- Matthew 14:13-14
What does God say about healing and who are some of the people that God used in healing?
The Bible has a great deal to say about healing, though it is mostly in the form of stories. God’s idea of healing is to restore us spiritually, mentally, and physically.
I hope that you are as strong in body, as I know you are in spirit. -- 3 John 2a
We sometimes err when we put our focus on physical healing ahead of spiritual health and healing, or when we see physical health as our primary goal. We also err, however, if we believe that God does not care about physical healing or cannot heal physically.
He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, He made us completely well. -- Isaiah 53:5
We should notice here that the key issue is our sins, the things that separate us from God. That is God’s first concern. Often, physical healing will follow spiritual and emotional healing.
Don’t let your agenda get in the way of God following His path to healing!
God placed healing above other activities. He was willing to heal on the Sabbath (John 7). Ultimately healing means the conquering of death (John 11), and all the glory goes to God.
God granted gifts of healing to the church (1 Corinthians 12:9), and this should be the key to our ministry. (See Acts 3 and the story of Peter healing the lame man.) Do we have less power in the church, especially for healing, because we have more silver and gold?
How do I know if I have a ‘gift of healing’?
Discovering your spiritual gifts is a process of listening to the Holy Spirit.
You listen for the Holy Spirit speaking to you personally, including speaking through dreams, visions, your Bible study, or even hearing a voice.
You can also hear the Holy Spirit speaking through other members of your church or community, especially the church leadership.
The Holy Spirit gives the gifts, and the Holy Spirit is the one best able to identify them.
(Energion Publications publishes a book, “Identifying your Gifts and Service,” ISBN: 1-893729-27-3, that suggests a process for discovering God’s gifts in a church.)
Why doesn’t everyone get healed when I pray?
There can be many reasons why physical healing does not take place. First we must consider God’s will. People prefer to think that God will heal everyone physically here and now, but sometimes God is ready to take people home.
For other possibilities, see our Energion Publications pamphlet, I Want to be Healed!
How can the ministry of healing work with the medical profession?
There should be no territorial wall between the medical profession and the healing ministry of the church. God chooses to work through multiple means, some of which we call “natural” and some we call “supernatural” but that is a distinction that God doesn’t make. It’s all just natural to him!
There is nothing about prayer, anointing, and laying hands on people that will prevent pursuing the best medical care possible. Seeking the best medical care is not a sign that you lack faith; rather, it is a sign that you are seeking healing through every means that God has made available.
Those who pray for the sick should encourage people to cooperate with God through healthy living and by following sound medical advice. God does not expect you to turn away any of the gifts he has given.
The angel showed me a river that was crystal clear, and its waters gave life…On each side of the river are trees that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit give life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations. -- Revelation 22:1,2
All scripture quotations taken from the Contemporary English Version, Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society.
Copyright © 2005, Henry E. Neufeld
Taken from the Participatory Study Series