Seek God for Healing

God Wanted More From the King

Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. – 2 Chronicles 16:12

Many believers today search for guidance on how to trust God in sickness, Christian perspectives on healing, or what the Bible says about relying on doctors. King Asa’s story speaks directly to these questions. Asa began his reign with remarkable devotion. Scripture remembers him as one of Judah’s better kings. He was the man who tore down idols, repaired the altar of the Lord, and led the nation in a covenant to seek God wholeheartedly. Under Asa’s leadership, Judah experienced a season of spiritual renewal. The people sought God with their whole hearts, and God responded with peace and prosperity.

But twenty years later, something shifted. Asa developed a severe disease in his feet. It was painful, persistent, and disruptive. Yet the tragedy of Asa’s story is not the illness itself… it’s his response. Scripture tells us plainly that even in his illness, he did not seek help from the Lord. He relied solely on physicians.

You may wonder; “Should Christians pray for healing before going to the doctor?” The text doesn’t condemn physicians. It doesn’t say Asa sinned by consulting them. The issue is that Asa only sought human help. God intended the illness to draw Asa back into dependence, to remind him that the God who delivered him in battle was also the God who heals.

Maybe Asa thought the disease was too small to bother God with. Maybe he assumed that since he wasn’t turning to idols, he was doing fine. But the point remains: God wanted Asa to seek Him, and Asa didn’t.

If God wanted Asa to turn toward Him in his illness, what things in our lives are we not turning over to God?

Delayed Healing

Most of us respond to sickness the same way Asa did… we go straight to the doctor, accept whatever diagnosis we’re given, and move forward without ever asking God what He thinks. Doctors are a gift, and their wisdom is valuable, but they are not the ultimate source of healing. God is. I learned this the hard way.

When I was a child, I developed painful sores on my feet. Doctors diagnosed me with atopic eczema. Their conclusion led to ten years of nightly creams, ointments, and treatments. Some seasons were better, some worse, but the problem never truly went away. I simply accepted the diagnosis because it came from professionals. I never thought to ask God whether something else was going on.

Then, in college, I had what I can only describe as a “God encounter.” While watching a Micatin commercial, a simple thought crossed my mind: Maybe I have athlete’s foot.

It was almost laughable. But I tried the spray anyway. Two weeks later, the problem was gone. Completely.

I had taken the word of trained professionals and lived with unnecessary pain for a decade. Not because doctors were wrong or malicious, but because I never asked God for His perspective. I never invited Him into the process.

I took the word of a learned professional and lived in unnecessary pain for 10 years.

Can God Bring Better Healing?

Years later, I faced another physical issue, though not as problematic. I was just snoring, but it was affecting my wife’s sleep and our quality of rest. This time, we approached it differently. We prayed first. We asked God for insight, direction, or even a simple nudge. When we didn’t sense anything specific, I went ahead with a sleep study.

The results came back: sleep apnea. The recommended solution was surgery to enlarge my airway.

Before scheduling anything, we prayed again. We wanted to give God room to speak, to redirect, or to provide another option. We tried a CPAP machine. No change. We tried a mouthpiece. Still no change. Surgery was all that was left.

Then God gave my wife a random thought. “Maybe it was ice cream.”

I love ice cream and would eat it most nights for dessert. However, it was worth a shot, so I gave it up. Almost immediately the snoring stopped.

No surgery. No machines. No complicated treatments. Just a small adjustment prompted by God’s gentle insight.

Did God heal my sleep apnea? It may not have been in a power encounter. But, in partnership with our prayers, God gave us a natural way to stop snoring that was right for me.

This experience didn’t make us anti-doctor. It made us pro-God. It reminded us that physicians can offer wisdom, but God offers truth. Doctors can diagnose, but God can reveal. Doctors can treat, but God can heal.

The issue is not whether we use medical help. The issue is where we place our ultimate trust.

Where Does Your Trust Rest?

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. – Proverbs 21:31

Preparation is good. Wisdom is good. Using resources is good. But the outcome (victory, healing, direction, clarity) rests with God alone.

Asa prepared well in his early years. He sought God wholeheartedly. But somewhere along the way, he stopped turning to God for the small things. His illness became a mirror revealing a deeper issue: he trusted human help more than divine help.

We face the same temptation. We pray about big decisions but ignore God in daily ones. We seek Him in crises but not in inconveniences. We trust Him with our souls but not our bodies.

But God wants more. He wants to be invited into every part of our lives. He has thoughts about our health, our habits, our decisions, our diagnoses. Not because He is controlling, but because He is loving.

A Gentle Invitation

Asa’s story is not a warning meant to shame us. It’s an invitation meant to awaken us.

If God wanted Asa to turn toward Him in his illness, what might God be inviting you to turn toward Him in today? A lingering health issue? A recurring habit? A diagnosis you’ve accepted without prayer? A small discomfort you’ve never thought to bring before Him?

God is not bothered by your questions. He is not annoyed by your needs. He is not indifferent to your pain. He simply wants to be sought.

And when we seek Him, even in the small things, He is found.

Additional Resources: Why Christians Should Pray for Healing   |   Bible Verses and Sample Prayer for Healing