The Bible has a lot to say about prayer for the sick. Throughout Scripture, we see examples of godly men and women crying out to God for healing from illness and disease. The Bible makes it clear that God hears and cares about our physical suffering and wants us to bring our needs to Him in prayer.
Here are some key things the Bible teaches about praying for healing:
Prayer for Healing is Encouraged
The Bible encourages us to pray for healing for ourselves and for others. James 5:13-15 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”
This passage makes it clear that God wants us to bring our sickness and suffering to Him in prayer. He can heal us and wants us to have faith when we pray for healing.
Praying for Healing Demonstrates Faith
Praying boldly for healing demonstrates our faith in God’s ability to heal. James 5:15 says “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” When we pray for healing for someone, we are showing that we believe God has the power to heal them if it is His will.
Mark 5 tells the story of a woman who had constant bleeding for 12 years. She pressed through the crowd just to touch Jesus’ cloak, believing that if she could just touch Him, she would be healed. Jesus honored her faith and immediately healed her.
God Sometimes Heals Instantly, Sometimes Gradually
God sometimes chooses to heal instantly and completely in response to prayer. There are examples in the Bible where Jesus or the apostles prayed for the sick and they were healed immediately (Matthew 8:14-15, Acts 3:1-10). However, at other times healing comes gradually, after persisting in prayer (Mark 8:22-25). God heals according to His divine wisdom and timing.
God May Have Other Purposes for Sickness
While God can and does heal, sometimes He has other purposes for permitting sickness and suffering in our lives. The apostle Paul experienced a “thorn in the flesh” that God did not remove despite his prayers for healing, in order to keep Paul humble and dependent on divine grace (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Sickness may be allowed as discipline (1 Corinthians 11:30), to teach endurance and build character (Romans 5:3-5) or to bring glory to God (John 9:1-3).
Pray in Jesus’ Name
Jesus instructed His disciples to pray in His name: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). Praying for healing in Jesus’ name means coming to God on the basis of Jesus’ saving work, trusting that He hears and answers our prayers.
Pray With Faith, But Submit to God’s Will
When we pray for healing for ourselves or others, we should pray with faith, believing God can heal. However, we must submit to God’s sovereign will and acknowledge that complete physical healing may not be His plan. As 1 John 5:14-15 reminds us, we have confidence that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. God may have a purpose we don’t understand, but we can trust Him in His infinite wisdom and love.
God Comforts Even When He Does Not Heal
Isaiah 53:4 reminds us that Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Even when God does not remove the affliction He gives wisdom, comfort, and strength to endure. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God’s grace is enough to help us through the pain and uncertainty.
Psalm 23:4 affirms this as well: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” We are not alone in our suffering.
Sickness Can Be an Opportunity to Glorify God
When God does not heal immediately in response to our prayers, sickness can actually become an opportunity for the glory of God to be displayed in our lives. As others observe our faithfulness and endurance, they see God’s sustaining grace at work (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). God can use illness to refine our faith and help us better minister to others who suffer.
Pray for God’s Will Above Healing
When praying for the sick, we need humility to acknowledge that we do not always know what is best. Instead of demanding our desired outcome, we can pray for God’s ideal will to be done, not ours. As Jesus prayed in Luke 22:42, “not my will, but yours be done.” We can ask for healing while trusting God’s greater wisdom and plan.
Sickness Will Be Fully Healed in Eternity
While physical healing may not come in this life, we can find hope knowing every sickness and infirmity will be healed in heaven. There will be no more pain, crying or sickness in the perfection of God’s kingdom (Revelation 21:4). As believers, we can look forward to the day when Christ “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). The suffering of this world is temporary.
Pray for Strength and Grace
When going through prolonged illness and suffering, praying for strength and grace is as important as praying for physical healing. We need God’s daily empowering to endure pain, continue hoping and avoid discouragement. Paul’s prayer in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is a great model: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Asking God for grace to sustain us through suffering is a biblical prayer that God delights to answer.
The Prayers of Righteous People Accomplish Much
The passionate, persistent prayers of godly believers can accomplish much. James 5:16 reminds us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” If someone is sick, asking Christians known for their righteous character and prayer lives to intercede for them is wise. When the whole church joins together in prayers for the afflicted, God hears and acts.
In Acts 12, Peter was imprisoned awaiting likely execution, but the church prayed fervently for his release. God miraculously freed Peter from jail in response to the corporate intercession of the believers. The passionate prayers of the righteous are effective and move God’s hand.
Pray with Anointing Oil
The Bible teaches anointing the sick with oil as part of the prayer process. James 5:14 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” The oil does not have any magical power, but represents the Holy Spirit and the healing presence of God.
The verse continues, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” Praying while anointing with oil demonstrates faith and obedience to Scripture.
Pray Perseveringly
We should persistently pray for healing, even when the situation looks hopeless. The blind man Bartimaeus in Mark 10 shouted for Jesus’ attention despite the crowd telling him to be quiet. Jesus rewarded his persistent faith by healing him. Epaphras was also commended for “wrestling in prayer” for others (Colossians 4:12-13). We should persevere in prayer, believing God hears us.
Prayer Joined with Fasting
In Matthew 17:14-21, Jesus implied that prayer joined with fasting could help drive out resistant illnesses. While prayer alone has power, combining fasting with focused intercession can help intensify and multiply prayer’s effectiveness. Throughout Scripture, fasting helped people focus intently on prayer.
Prayer for healing, deliverance and breakthrough should be accompanied with fasting to gain spiritual breakthrough against stubborn sicknesses. As Isaiah 58:8 promises, “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily.”
Pray for Wisdom Concerning Medicine
While God certainly can heal supernaturally, He has also gifted mankind with medical knowledge to treat illness and disease. In 2 Chronicles 16:12 it is noted that King Asa sought help from physicians. We can ask God to guide us and grant wisdom to make the best medical decisions for treating our condition. Prayer and medicine should go hand in hand.
We can also pray for wisdom for our doctors and nurses to make the right diagnoses and choose the best treatments. God cares about our physical bodies and wants us to steward them wisely while looking to Him as our ultimate healer.
The Holy Spirit Intercedes for Us
When we don’t know how to pray in our sickness and weakness, the Holy Spirit intercedes powerfully for us. Romans 8:26-27 says the Spirit intercedes with “groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Even when we can’t find the right words, the Spirit lifts up our needs to the Father.
We can be comforted knowing the Spirit is praying for us when we feel too exhausted or overwhelmed to pray for healing ourselves. The Spirit understands our sufferings and needs more than we do, and He lifts them up directly to the throne of grace.
All Prayer is Heard by God
God hears each one of our cries for help and healing, even if healing does not manifest immediately. David wrote in Psalm 6:8-9, “Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.” We can be confident that God listens compassionately to every prayer, collecting each of our tears.
Isaiah 65:24 also promises, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Bringing our petitions and tears before God matters deeply, even if we do not see the outcome we hope for yet. He hears and is at work in every situation to accomplish His loving purposes in His perfect timing.
Keep Asking, Keep Seeking, Keep Knocking
Luke 11:9-10 encourages persistence in prayer when it does not seem to be answered right away: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” God invites us to keep asking, seeking and knocking in persistent prayer.
While God does not always answer exactly as we desire or on our preferred timeline, He will honor persistent prayer that aligns with His will. We simply need to keep praying and trusting that breakthrough could be just around the corner.
Prayer Opens the Door for God’s Power
Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Through heartfelt prayer for healing, we open the door for Christ to come into our situation with His healing love and power. Surrendering a situation to God in prayer gives Him permission to move mightily. Consistent prayer keeps the door wide open for God’s life-changing power to flow freely.
God Can Use Sickness and Healing for His Glory
Whether God chooses to heal or not, we can ultimately trust Him knowing He wants to use both sickness and healing to glorify His name. As John 9:3 says of the man born blind, his impairment was allowed “that the works of God might be displayed in him.” And when Christ healed Him it brought even more glory to God.
We can rest knowing that in response to our prayers, God will choose the outcome that most magnifies His incredible compassion and power – whether through physical restoration here on earth, or our ultimate healing in eternity.
Christ Has Ultimate Power Over Sickness
While sickness enters the world because of sin and the fall, Jesus Christ conquered sin and death forever through His resurrection. One day sickness and suffering will be no more. Even now, though God’s reasons for permitting illness are complex, Christ’s power and authority over sickness cannot be stopped. We can take hope knowing every illness is subject to the name of Jesus.
Philippians 2:9-10 affirms, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” No sickness can ultimately stand against the authority of Christ when exercised in faith.
God Can Use Medical Means or Miracles to Heal
We see multiple examples in Scripture of Jesus and the apostles healingInstantly and completely through supernatural miracles – a human touch, speaking words of life, even Peter’s shadow passing over the sick (Acts 5:15). Yet we also see the use of medical means like wine for Timothy’s stomach problems (1 Timothy 5:23) or the leaves used to heal the nations (Revelation 22:2).
God can work equally powerfully through miracles or medicine in response to our prayers. He created both natural and supernatural means of healing. What matters most is that He receives glory as the true Divine Healer.
Protection and Healing Come from Abiding in God
As Psalm 91:9-10 promises, “If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.” When we continually abide in God’s presence through prayer and obeying His Word, He promises supernatural protection and freedom from disease.
Walking closely with God does not guarantee immunity from sickness or suffering. But obeying God’s health principles and looking to Him daily for protection provides strong defense. As we abide in Him, healing power flows freely from the Spirit within.
Jesus Understands Our Weakness and Pain
Because Jesus took on human flesh, He personally understands what it feels like to suffer in a frail mortal body. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
We can take comfort that all our cries for relief enter the ears of a Savior who understands suffering firsthand. He is ready to extend mercy and grace to us in our affliction.
Entrust Your Suffering to Your Faithful Creator
When the why of suffering seems unclear, we can simply entrust ourselves to the faithful Creator, just as Jesus did. 1 Peter 4:19 encourages, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” As we bring our pain to God, we can trust that He will work all things for our good according to His wise plan.
Even without clear answers now, we believe that one day we will understand and see God’s purposes fulfilled. He promises to walk closely with us through the valley of the shadow of death, bringing comfort, hope and ultimate deliverance.
Final Healing and Restoration is Coming
For every believer, while healing may or may not come on earth, an eternity of perfect health awaits all who trust in Christ. The Bible promises life everlasting in the glorious presence of God, free from all sickness, pain and suffering. Revelation 21:4 declares, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” What an incredible hope!
As we pray for healing now, we can look forward confidently to that day of wholeness and restoration. Until then, we ask God for strength, comfort and grace as we walk this journey in hope.