I am not here to convince you that miracles exist. If I try to convince you to believe in miracles, then that defeats the point. Miracles are built on the foundation of faith. If you do not believe that miracles are possible, I cannot convince you otherwise.
If a miracle or healing occurs and you don’t believe in it, you will find a way to discredit it. Today, I will not try to convince you. Instead, I will share my thoughts on healing and what the Bible says about healing prayer. But first, I fully disclose that I do believe in miracle healing.
Faith Is A Non-Negotiable With God
Miracles and healing are built on the foundation of faith. If you want to see a miracle, you must have faith to ask for one. Jesus did not “beat around the bush” regarding faith. It is the most important part of your relationship with Him. Faith in Jesus alone is what gets you eternity in heaven.
In Mark 11:22-24 (WEB), Jesus says:
Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
In John 3:14-15 (WEB) Jesus says:
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Finally, in Matthew 14:30-33 (ESV)
“But when he saw the wind,he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Not only are we saved for all eternity because of Jesus, but belief and trust in the Holy Spirit allow you to be set free, sanctified, and live a holy life set apart to do the good works God had planned for your life before you were born.
I believe revival begins with faith and believing in everything Christ died for, including the opportunity to be healed right now.
Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 (WEB)
I Was Surprised To Learn Not All Christians Believe In The Gift Of Healing
As I started to walk this path of Christianity, I was surprised to learn that not all Christians believe in the gift of healing or miracles. Some Christians do not believe in miracle healing, and those who do have differing opinions on the definition of miracle healing and what they look like.
Got Questions defines the spiritual gift of healing as the “supernatural manifestation of the Spirit of God that miraculously brings healing and deliverance from disease and/or infirmity.”
Belief in miracles, healing, and the miracle gift of healing exist on a spectrum. Not everyone will believe what you believe, and other Christians will strongly disagree. But your faith is your faith. You need to decide what you believe about miracles and healing, and this should always be based on what the Bible says about healing prayer and God’s truth.
Have You Ever Prayed For Healing?
If we are all honest, as Christians, we have hoped for a miracle or healing at some point in our lives, whether for ourselves or a loved one.
People might ask you to pray for them and their situations to change and be healed in Jesus’ name. So, it’s understandable that as Christians, we wrestle and work to figure out where we stand on this subject.
It is difficult to define what we believe or why we do or don’t believe in miracles. Many people will attribute breakthrough medical care and chance interactions with people around them as miracles and possibly the gift of healing. While others might say this is impossible. But the fact is, we all have to wrestle with the topic of healing because there is no doubt that Jesus performed many miracles.
What If The Miracle Doesn’t Happen? Doesn’t That Prove Healing Has Ceased?
One of the hardest questions we all have is whether healing exists. If we have believed and did not receive our miracle, then we might think this is proof healing is not possible.
The truth is that sometimes we have faith in a miracle, which does not happen right away or as we had hoped. I will be the first to tell you I have experienced this and am still going through it. However, this does not stop me from believing that a miracle is possible or will eventually happen.
The lack of a miracle does not affect my faith in God. I do not see this as proof miracles don’t happen because there have been times I have seen miracles happen in my life and the lives of those around me.
Do I wrestle with God when the miracle does not happen? Of course, I do.
That is one thing I love about having a relationship with Him. I can go to Him with anything and everything.
I know God does not expect me to have all the answers or get everything right every moment. God is the Creator of the Universe, and He knows we will have questions and wrestle with the hard things we have to go through in this life.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)
God does not expect us to be our own god. He wants us to turn and worship Him!
Miracles Are Humbling
However, when I set aside the idea that some people do not believe in miracles and others are struggling with believing in a miracle and not seeing it, in all transparency, the most difficult part about writing this article is knowing the tension that comes from a miracle happening for one person and not the other.
One thing I have noticed is miracles and healing are humbling. In times of sickness, it is difficult to understand the greatest question, “Why?”
When someone is sick and praying for physical healing and sees another person who may be struggling with the same ailment walking in full health, they may feel crushed and defeated. Sometimes, they might even feel jealous or envious of the other person’s good health.
I have learned that if healing comes and a miracle happens in your life, it is humbling because many people are still struggling, praying, and hoping for a miracle.
Healing is not a competition; a miracle in your life is not proof that you are a better Christian.
The opposite is also true; just because you pray for healing and it doesn’t happen does NOT mean you lack faith or are lacking in your walk with Christ. This solidifies that healing and miracles are incredibly humbling—no one deserves a healing miracle more than the next; miracles and healing happen according to God’s will and sovereignty over our lives.
When healing happens in my life, I am still hurting for those who are hurting. I want miracles not only for myself but also for other people. I also pray for others whenever I struggle to pray for a miracle. My prayers are for those asking for the same healing prayer as me.
Experiencing A Miracle In Your Life Will Bring Spiritual Healing
It will humble you and make you see the pain others are going through. The greatest gift of experiencing healing and a miracle in your life is that your compassion for others grows, and you pray more for others to be healed, too.
Whatever miracle or healing you have experienced in your life or are currently praying and believing for—you can choose to believe and pray for those miracles worldwide. Please use these instances to pray for those experiencing what you are struggling with right now or what you have struggled with in the past and have found deliverance.
So, What Does The Bible Say About Healing Prayer?
God’s Word mentions healing in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Healing is also mentioned in the Bible after Jesus is gone and ascended into heaven; healing in the New Testament is not just found in the Gospels when Jesus was walking on this earth.
Trust And Reliance On God’s Truth
“Heal me, O Yahweh, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved; for you are my praise.” – Jeremiah 17:14 (WEB)
The Prophet Jeremiah knew turning to God for His salvation and healing was important. God has been the source of our salvation and healing since the beginning of creation. Jeremiah expresses his trust and reliance on God’s truth and power in this verse.
A Key Verse For When To Request Healing Prayer
Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. – James 5:13-15 (CSB)
This is an instance where James instructs us on what to do when experiencing an abundance of prosperity or when we are struggling with the painful trials we all end up experiencing at some point in our lives.
In this verse, we are called to ask for the elders of the church and have them pray over the sick person and anoint them with oil.
This verse also states FAITH—the faith for healing—will save the sick person. It also instructs us in the power of repentance and the prayer of a righteous person.
James 5:13-15 is about healing prayer in the New Testament and is not tied to Jesus or one of His original twelve disciples. James was not an initial disciple of Christ; the James who wrote this book in the Bible was Jesus’ brother and was skeptical of Jesus until after the resurrection.
People Have Been Praying For Healing For A Long Time
“Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,” – Psalm 103:2-3 (WEB)
God does not change, and in this verse, it is clear that the writer knows where he needs to turn to find healing. This concept of asking God to heal our diseases did not arise with Jesus and His disciples. People also turned to God for miracles and healing in the Old Testament, too.
Jesus Did Nothing By Himself
“Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.” – Matthew 4:23-24 (WEB)
Jesus was a true reflection of His Father and His Will. He often mentioned that He was doing God’s Will and stated, “The Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what His Father is doing.” If you want to know God’s Will regarding our sins and healing, look to Jesus!
“Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:4-5 (WEB)
In this verse, the Prophet Isaiah refers to what Jesus would do for all humanity. See the next verse.
“When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”Isaiah 53:4 – Matthew 8:16-17 (WEB)
Jesus was fulfilling the Will of His Father, and prophecies foretold about Him. God does not lie, and He will keep His promises.
The Power Of Faith In Healing Prayer
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.” – 1 Peter 2:24 (WEB)
In this verse, Peter talks about healing as if it had already happened. He states that we have already been healed by His (Jesus’) wounds. You can’t undo what Jesus did—praise God for that!
So, what will activate that healing in our lives if we are already healed? Faith and belief in Him!
Do You Need A Healing Miracle In Your Life?
If you long to see a miracle in your life, see a sick person healed, have abundant peace, experience a joyful heart, and have a whole body that is strong and serving The Lord—if you want to heal in your life, then my best advice would be to start believing God’s Word and that healing is possible.
There is great power in trusting and surrendering to God’s unfailing love for you and those around you, and it all starts with prayer.
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” – John 11:40 (ESV)
I think it’s time we believe in God even if things don’t go as we hope.
It is scary to pray for healing and know it may not happen. However, one of the beautiful gifts of being a Christian is having faith in miracles. This means we can believe in Jesus and the beautiful healing moments that take place even now through the spirit of the Lord.
If life isn’t going your way—you have a broken heart and are praying for a miracle—remember, no matter what, you can always say, BUT GOD.
My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. – Psalm 73:26 (WEB)
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