We are human beings and we live in physical bodies that fail and decay over time. Throughout life we face all kinds of challenges to our health, be it a cold, myopia, hypertension or some other more serious illness.
What does the Bible tell us about healing? Is it right to go before God to present our illnesses to him and ask him to grant us health? Yes, God hears all of our prayers and wants to work in us bringing spiritual, emotional, and sometimes physical healing.
In the Bible we find biblical verses that speak on this subject. Let’s see some of them.
1. Exodus 15:26
He said to them, “I am the Lord your God. If you listen to my voice and do what I think is right, and if you keep my laws and commandments, I will not bring any of the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord, who restores them to health».
(Exodus 15:26)
God declared that he would give health to his people. He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and they knew well his power, his love and his care. God told them that he would deliver them from all the diseases or plagues they had seen in Egypt, but they, as God’s people, had to listen to his voice, act justly and live in obedience to his commands.
2. Exodus 23:25
Worship the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water. “I will take away from you all sickness”
(Exodus 23:25)
God reminded his people that they were to worship only him. God does not share his throne with anything or anyone, this is something we must remember. Obeying him in this we receive the blessing of having everything we need for our physical well-being (bread and water) and also the health that our bodies need.
3. Psalm 103:1-3
Praise, my soul, the Lord; Let my whole being praise his holy name. Praise, my soul, the Lord, and do not forget any of the benefits of him. He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
(Psalm 103:1-3)
Our soul is renewed when we focus on the goodness and blessings that God has granted us. It is good to remember all that God has given us and all that he has done for us, even in the midst of difficulties. God gave us eternal life, the forgiveness of our sins, and the healing of our physical and spiritual ailments. The power of God has no limits.
4. Psalm 107:19-20
In their distress they cried out to the Lord, and he saved them from their affliction. He sent his word to heal them, and thus rescued them from the grave.
(Psalm 107:19-20)
We must cry out to God in the midst of our illnesses and pains; he listens to us and is ready to act. In Psalm 107: 19-20 we see that the people of Israel remember a time when they had felt distressed. When they cried out to God, he gave them salvation and healing. God sent his word to heal them through someone (an angel?) And rescued them from death, because the situation was serious. But there is nothing impossible for God when the decision to heal is in your heart.
5. Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, listen to my advice; he listens carefully to what I say. Do not lose sight of my words; keep them deep inside your heart. They give life to those who find them; They are the health of the body.
(Proverbs 4:20-22)
There is wisdom and healing in the word of God! We must obey it and treasure it in our hearts. God wants the best for us. When we live as he pleases and obey what he tells us, we receive spiritual life and physical health. Many times, just by deciding to rest in him and surrender our worries to him, our body is renewed by being filled with his peace and enjoying his company.
6. Isaiah 53:4
Certainly he bore our sicknesses and endured our pains, but we consider him wounded, beaten by God, and humiliated.
He was pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities; on him fell the punishment, the price of our peace, and thanks to his wounds we were healed.
(Isaiah 53:4-5)
In these verses, Isaiah prophesies about the death of Jesus on the cross. He explains that Jesus carried our physical, emotional, and spiritual illnesses on his shoulders. What does that mean? That we are not alone in our moments of suffering: Jesus is with us. He understands what we feel and knows what our spirit, soul and body need.
Jesus carried all our sicknesses and pains on the cross. Thanks to him we have peace with God and peace in the midst of the difficult circumstances we face. Through his wounds we receive spiritual healing, we will not die eternally and that is the greatest work of Christ on the cross. God also wants to give us physical and emotional healing, although we must understand that it is he who decides how and when he gives it to us.
7. Matthew 10:7-8
Wherever you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy from their disease, cast out demons. What you have received, freely give.
(Matthew 10:7-8)
When Jesus sent his twelve disciples to take his message to the people of Israel, he gave them authority to deliver people from the power of the enemy and to heal every disease (Matthew 10:1). That was the ministry they were to carry out and healing was an important part of it.
When the kingdom of God manifests miracles, healings and deliverances occur. God is almighty and wants to bless those who come to him. For this, he trains his children to carry out his ministry. In 1 Corinthians 12:9 we read that one of the gifts that God gives to the church is the gift of healing, for even today he desires to bless, heal and restore all who seek him.
8. Psalm 147:3
(The Lord) restores the brokenhearted
and covers his wounds with bandages.
(Psalm 147:3)
When it is our heart that is broken, for whatever reason, God can and wants to work too. God, as the loving Father that he is, approaches us with his compassionate heart, and heals our emotions, renewing our spirits and filling our hearts with hope.
9. Mark 10:51-52
What do you want me to do for you? she asked him.
Rabbi, I want to see,” replied the blind man.
You can go, Jesus told him. Your faith has healed you.
Instantly his sight returned and he began to follow Jesus along the road.
(Mark 10:51-52)
In this passage from Mark 10 we find one of the many healing miracles that Jesus performed: the healing of blind Bartimaeus. This blind man was begging by the roadside in Jericho. He had heard about the miracles of Jesus and was on the alert waiting for his opportunity to ask him to heal him.
Verses 46-50 say that as soon as Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was near, he began to cry out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” He had no shame or qualms. He knew what he wanted, he knew that Jesus could heal him and he was willing to scream until he got what he longed for. Jesus heard him and called to him, so Bartimaeus jumped to his feet, took off his cloak, and came over to Jesus.
Why did Jesus ask him what he wanted? It was obvious that he wanted to be healed. But there are times when God wants us to tell him exactly what we want him to do, and in the case of Bartimaeus, Jesus granted the healing. He told him “your faith has healed you” and at that moment the blind man could see. Sometimes God is just waiting for a show of faith from us to perform the miracle that he has already decided to do.
3 biblical stories about diseases in which God was glorified
10. Psalm 146:8
The Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord sustains the burdened,
the Lord loves the righteous.
(Psalm 146:8)
God’s healing power can work in the midst of any need. There are physical blind and there are spiritual blind: God can heal them all. The Lord also supports those who feel overwhelmed, they do not need to live under the oppression of their problems or difficulties. The constant and faithful love of God sustains those who serve him.
Whatever circumstance we are experiencing, God can work. His Holy Spirit, who dwells in his children, will bring conviction of God’s presence, the certainty of his moving in us and the assurance of his infinite love.
11. James 5:14-15
Are any of you sick? Call the elders of the church to pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will heal the sick and the Lord will raise him up. And, if he has sinned, his sin will be forgiven.
(James 5:14-15)
The sick should call the elders of the church to pray for them and anoint them in the name of Jesus. The oil was widely used at that time to treat ailments and diseases. The mention of him seems to indicate that we should not rule out medicine, since it may be the means that God uses to give us health.
Oil is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The moving of the Holy Spirit in us can bring physical health and also a spiritual awakening that will lead us to recognize our sins.. There are diseases that come because of sin and by confessing them, we open the door for God to work.
It is important to live in obedience to God. But if we fail, God does not leave us with no way out. We can go before him, confess our mistakes, receive prayer, be anointed and restore our relationship with God, in addition to receiving the healing of our bodies.
12. Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
because you are my praise.
(Jeremiah 17:14)
The children of God can trust that his will is always the best for us. If God wants to heal us, he will, we can have that confidence. God has also saved us from spiritual death, but he can also save us from dangers or difficulties that can overwhelm us. When we live with the security of God’s presence and the certainty that he works in our favor, our lives are filled with praise. God deserves all the praise!
13. John 14:27
Peace I leave you; I give you my peace. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not be distressed or cowered.
(John 14:27)
The children of God can enjoy his peace at all times. The peace that God gives us is not conditional on our specific circumstances. It is a peace “that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). God’s peace gives us strength and courage in the midst of pain or illness and helps us see our situation from God’s perspective. With God everything has an eternal purpose.
14. 1 Peter 2:24
He himself, in his body, carried our sins to the tree, so that we die to sin and live for justice. By his wounds you have been healed.
(1 Peter 2:24)
Here the apostle Peter makes reference to Isaiah 53:4-5 and the prophecy about Jesus and his death. Jesus took all our sins and nailed them to the cross, suffering the punishment that each of us should have suffered. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive the eternal life that he has already obtained for us.
The wounds that Jesus suffered on the cross and the blood that he shed grant us spiritual healing or salvation. In Christ we can also receive all the physical healing we need. Nevertheless, God’s main desire is…