And we can pray as a testimony to others of our complete trust in God’s goodness and power. This means that when we pray for the sick, we can pray with boldness, asking God to work in the life of our sick brother or sister for their good and His glory. We don’t always get to know the reasons why, but we do “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)-in life and death, in sickness and in health. We may not understand why God sometimes chooses to heal a person in this life and other times decides to heal a person in glory, but we can be confident that everyone who trusts in the name of Jesus will be made well. When we pray for the sick, we are praying for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Have you lost a brother or sister in Christ after a long battle with illness? Rest assured, that person is in better health today in the presence of the Lord than you are, no matter how much you exercise and watch what you eat. As the old hymn “Amazing Grace” says, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years / Bright shining as the sun / We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise / Than when we’ve first begun.” Sometimes God chooses to heal in this life, and sometimes He chooses to heal in the life to come. God isn’t bound by time, and the life of a believer is unending. This may come as something of a shock, but I actually think He does.

You may be thinking, That’s all well and good, but then why doesn’t God always heal His people when they become sick? God tells us to pray for healing, because that’s what He wants for broken people. This is where we’re headed-a world without sickness or disease, a world just like the garden of Eden. Revelation 21, found in the New Testament books, offers us a preview: “‘There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (v. Ever since Adam and Eve fell in the garden, God has been working in this world to bring about a new age, a new creation in which there is no more death. The entire arch of redemptive history is pointed in that direction. So, by healing people, Jesus revealed God’s heart toward the sick: He wants people to be whole and well.īut there’s another reason to believe that God’s will is to see people healed. We’re also told by Jesus Himself, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). When Jesus walked the earth, He healed every person who came to Him with an injury, disability, or disease. But to understand God’s heart toward the sick, we are better served looking to Scripture, rather than our own limited experience. These episodes can make us wonder if perhaps God isn’t in the healing business anymore. Or perhaps you’re remembering someone beloved in your church who lost their battle with cancer, despite all the faith-filled prayers spoken on their behalf. Maybe you’re thinking of someone well-known who was lifted up in prayer by tens of thousands of people during a time of serious illness, and yet the Lord saw fit to take them home. We all know of someone who was sick and wasn’t healed. For still others, it’s that they don’t have a lot of experience praying for the sick and aren’t quite sure what words they ought to pray.Įven with all the questions we may have surrounding Christians praying for healing, there’s one important question we can answer right now: What is God’s heart toward the sick? Should Christians pray for the sick? For others, it’s a question of whether God still heals in this way today. Yet even with this clear command, many Christians are uncomfortable praying for their brothers and sisters when they come down with an illness.įor some, it’s because they aren’t sure God will answer their prayer. Jesus’ half-brother James wrote, “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” (James 5:14). The Bible tells us plainly to pray for the sick. In the life of any church, large or small, people get sick from time to time. Chances are, if you work in ministry, someone in your congregation has been sick with the coronavirus recently.

Short prayer for a sick friend