There is a tangled mess in my mind regarding praying for physical healing. I know I’m not the only one. As Christians we believe God has the power to heal any injury or disease. Yet, why some receive healing and some do not, remains controversial. Is it our lack of faith? Is it not God’s will? Are we experiencing the consequences of our sins? Is God teaching us something through our suffering? Are we under attack from Satan? Is it this broken world?

There are so many questions!

The results of our prayers may vary, but our charge is still the same, we pray full of faith.

Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

James 5:13-16 (AMP)

Look at all the praying in this verse. The one who is suffering is praying, the church elders are praying, the congregation are praying, the heartfelt are praying, the persistent are praying, and the righteous are praying.

In the famous scripture about moving mountains, in the verse that proceeds it, Jesus tells us to have faith in God. If we twist that into putting our faith in our ability to pray the “right” way, we miss the mark.

My conclusion? Keep praying for one another, but don’t stop there. Keep learning about God, read the Bible, spend time with him and his people. The more you do, the more you will trust him, and the more he will do through you. And don’t be afraid of having questions. We may not understand it all until we’re face to face with God, but the more we ask the clearer our understanding will be.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy