FAQ

Q: Do you believe that healing is for today?

A. The very short answer is yes, I do believe healing is for today.

Now I will explain from Scripture why.

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Healing in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, we also see people healed when they cried out to the Lord.  Numbers 21 tells of a time when fiery serpents were biting the Israelites because of their constant complaining against God. People were dying. The God told Moses to create a bronze serpent on a pole, which represented Christ. When people were bitten, they just had to look at the bronze serpent to be healed.

Naaman, a Syrian military commander, sought healing from leprosy by going to the prophet Elisha.  God instructed Naaman through Elisha, to dip in the Jordan seven times to receive healing.  Naaman was cleansed as he obeyed God (2 Kings 5).

King Hezekiah was sick and near death. God sent Isaiah the prophet to tell the King he was going to die.  But Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord.  God heard his prayer and sent Isaiah back with this message, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: ‘I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. ⁶ And I will add to your days fifteen years’” (2 Kings 20:5b-6a).

Healing in the New Testament

While Jesus walked the earth, “people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24).  Time and again, “many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick” (Matthew 8: 16).

Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus tells His disciples, “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14: 12).  Then, shortly after Jesus’ Ascension to heaven, He healed a lame man through Peter and John as they were on the way to the Temple (Acts 3). 

Acts 5: 12-16 tells us, “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people…. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” 

Speaking of Jesus, Peter wrote, ‘“He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed’” (I Peter 2:24).   While the Apostle James instructs,” 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. 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” (James 5:14-15).

Healing In Our Day

It is clear that God heals.  Romans 8:32 says,” He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  Since He is the same yesterday, today and forever, we can be confident that He still heals today.

I have personally experienced miraculous healing.  When I was 8 or 9 years old, I broke my thumb playing soccer. Everyone could see it was crooked, terrible swollen, and black and blue.  I could not bend it.  My parents were ready to whisk me to the doctor, but we stopped and prayed for healing first.  Before our eyes, the swelling went down and I was able to move my thumb again!

I have also witnessed other healings.  So yes, I believe healing is for today.

I also understand that not everyone in every case receives earthly healing.  We live in a fallen world, and sometimes God allows sin and its’ consequences to play out so the world understands that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a), to show His great love in “the gift is God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord: (Romans 6:23b).   Some may not receive healing because of unbelief (Matt 13:58).   But in every situation, we can be confident that God is working for our good (Romans 8:28), and for His glory (2 Cor. 1:20). So, pray for healing. Obey God if He prompts action.  And have faith in our great Healer, Deliverer and Loving Father.