Why Christians Should Pray for Healing

I’ve been absent from the blog for the last couple of weeks because I came down with a high fever and then passed it on to my wife. Having sickness run through my family made me reflect again on what I truly believe about prayer for the sick.I have been absent from the blog the last couple weeks due to having high fever then passing it to my wife. Having sickness run through my family caused me to think again what I really believe about prayer for the sick.

Confidence in Prayer for Healing and Recovery

Several years ago I read the Transferable Concepts by Bill Bright. Throughout many of the concepts Dr. Bright uses the verse:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” – 1 John 5:14-15

His invitation is simple: read the Bible to discover the will of God. As you ask God for the things He has already revealed as His will, you can pray with confidence that He will answer.

If you need God’s help to love someone, you can pray boldly because God has already commanded us to love one another (John 13:34). If you’re praying for someone to come to Christ, you can pray with assurance because God desires that none perish but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

And when we read the Bible’s passages about healing, we can have confidence that it is God’s will to heal the sick.

Believe God, Not Your Circumstances

A few years after learning these truths, I was confronted with my beliefs about addiction. I had quietly accepted the idea that some sins would cling to Christians until heaven. This belief formed because certain addictive sins had followed me for years. No matter how hard I prayed, the struggle remained. Eventually, I concluded I would never be free.

But Scripture tells a different story.

• Sin shall no longer be your master. (Romans 6:14).
• You have been set free from sin. (Romans 6:18).

My experience tried to tell me one thing, but God’s Word told me another. I had to choose which voice to believe. I had to pray according to God’s will for my life, not according to my circumstances.

Why Christians Should Pray for Healing

Prayer for healing should follow the same pattern. I may pray for many people and not see immediate results. But that should never deter me. My faith is anchored in the unseen, not the seen (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Scripture is clear about healing. Jesus sent out the twelve and later the seventy‑two, commanding them to heal the sick (Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:9). It is the heart of Jesus for us pray for the sick and see them get well. We are told there is no sickness in heaven and Jesus bore every curse of sin on the cross (Galatians 3:13).

So if our prayer for a sick person doesn’t immediately result in healing, we shouldn’t assume it wasn’t God’s will. Any curse we now suffer is something that is hanging around past its time. We are to appropriate the works of the cross for our situation. Jesus went to the cross to show us that His will is always good toward us. Delayed healing does not mean denied healing.

Don’t get discouraged, but strengthen confidence. The Bible is clear that healing is God’s will and something we get to partner with God for. Pray for healing knowing God is on your side.

Additional Resources: Healing Reflections from King Asa   |   Bible Verses and Sample Prayer for Healing