Have you ever found yourself praying for healing and wondered if God heard you?
Maybe you’ve been battling an illness for years. Maybe you’ve received a diagnosis that shook your faith. Maybe you’ve watched a loved one suffer and wondered why God hasn’t intervened.
If that’s where you are right now, this article is for you.
In our previous articles, we’ve covered why your prayers feel unanswered, 3 biblical truths about why God answers, and how to pray in God’s will. Now it’s time to apply everything you’ve learned to another critical area: praying for healing.
Let’s look at three powerful steps to receive your miracle, and then we’ll pray together.
Understanding Sickness and Healing
Before we begin praying for healing, it’s important to understand why we need to pray. The Bible makes it clear that not all sicknesses occur naturally. Some are caused by sin, some by demons.
- In Matthew 9:32, Jesus heals a mute man by casting out the demon possessing him.
- In Mark 7:32-35, He heals another mute person by putting His fingers in the man’s ears and touching his tongue.
- In John 9:2, Jesus came across a man born blind. His disciples asked Him who sinned—the man or his parents—that he was born blind. Jesus said neither of them sinned.
- Yet in John 5, after healing the man who had been crippled for 38 years, Jesus warned him not to sin again so that he would not suffer a worse fate.
The good news is this: it does not matter what caused the sickness or disease. Whether sin, nature, or demons, there is no sickness too big or too small for God to heal.
He is Jehovah Rapha—the LORD who heals you (Exodus 15:26).
Why Would God Heal You?
Praying for Healing easier when you understand why God heals us. Here are three powerful reasons why He does.
1. Because You Serve and Worship Him Alone
“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” — Exodus 15:26 (NKJV)
In Deuteronomy 7, Moses tells the Israelites that if they listen to these regulations and faithfully obey them, the Lord will protect them from all sickness. This means divine healing is tied to worshipping only God and obeying His commandments.
So if you are His child, you have access to divine healing. This is one of the reasons praying for healing works.
Hezekiah’s Healing
When Hezekiah was sick and told he was going to die, he prayed, asking Jehovah to remember “how he walked before Him in truth, with a loyal heart, and doing what was good in His sight.” God heard his prayer and not only healed him but added fifteen more years to his life (2 Kings 20).
Dorcas Resurrected
Dorcas was a faithful disciple of Christ. She followed His teachings and lived in love. When she died, the people sent for Peter and spoke of her good works. Peter prayed, and she was raised back to life (Acts 9:36-42).
Healing is the children’s bread.
It is one of the many benefits of serving Jehovah. But to enjoy divine healing, you must belong to Jehovah’s family.
2. Because Christ Already Paid the Price
“He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” — 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)
Sicknesses, diseases, and death were not part of God’s original plan. They are consequences of Adam’s sin. When Jesus was crucified, He carried our sins and their consequences on Himself. He died so that we could have life and have it to the full (John 10:10).
This fulfilled the prophecy Isaiah made about 700 years before Jesus was born:
“He was whipped so we could be healed.” — Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)
Jesus Demonstrated Healing Power
Before Jesus was whipped, He demonstrated His power to heal every illness and disease. He did this so well that crowds constantly sought to touch Him and be healed (Luke 6:19).
The woman with the issue of blood heard about this and decided to touch Him. Immediately, “power went out of Him” and healed her (Luke 8:43-44).
The Power Transferred to His Name
All the people Jesus healed before His death and resurrection were examples of the healing we would receive in His name after He died. Before His death, He had to be physically present to touch, be touched, or speak the word to heal. After He resurrected, God transferred that power into His name.
Before He died, Jesus showed the power in His name by sending the disciples out to heal the sick. They returned testifying that “even the demons were subject to them in His name” (Luke 10:17).
After His death and resurrection, Peter and John healed a lame man by saying:
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” — Acts 3:6 (NKJV)
When questioned by the Jewish leaders, Peter explained:
“And His name—Jesus—through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know.” — Acts 3:16 (NKJV)
There is healing power in the name of Jesus. And it is available to all who believe in Him. This is the foundation of praying for healing.
3. To Prove He Is God
“Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” — 2 Kings 5:15 (NLT)
Before Naaman was sent to Elisha, the king of Israel said something revealing. When he read the letter from the king of Aram asking him to cure Naaman of his leprosy, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God?” (2 Kings 5:7). He saw it as a trap. But God saw it as an opportunity to prove Himself.
Healing provides an opportunity for God to show that He is real, that He is powerful, and that He cares about your health.
The Man Born Blind
When Jesus’ disciples asked Him why a man was born blind, whether it was because of his own sin or his parents’ sin, Jesus answered:
“This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” — John 9:3 (NLT)
The man’s condition was not a punishment. It was a stage. God was about to display His glory through a miracle.
The Widow of Zarephath
After Elijah raised the son of the widow, she declared:
“Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.” — 1 Kings 17:24 (NLT)
Her faith was sealed not by a sermon, but by a healing.
The Paralysed Man
After Jesus healed the paralysed man who was lowered through the roof, the crowd’s reaction was unmistakable:
“When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and praised God for giving such authority to men.” — Matthew 9:8 (NLT)
Every healing is a signpost. It points not to the healer, but to the One who empowers the healing. This is what praying for healing is all about.
God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He still wants to prove Himself as Jehovah Rapha—the Lord who heals you—in your life.
Personal Testimony
For years I suffered from piles. By 2019, it had become so bad that I would sometimes stink from the discharge. It was a horrible time in my life and affected my self-esteem.
One day, after my wife pointed out that I needed to find a solution, I prayed to God to heal me. After praying, the Holy Spirit said: “Stop using tissue paper. Only use water.”
It has been over eight years since I received that instruction. I have never had piles since then. No itching. No swelling. No discharge. No smell.
If God can heal me, He can heal you too.
Prayer Points for Healing
Use these prayer points as a guide. Personalise them. Pray them in your own words, from your own heart.
Prayer Point 1: Stand on God’s Promise
Father, You said in Exodus 15:26 that if I will listen carefully and obey Your commands, then I will not suffer the diseases that afflicted Egypt, for You are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals me. You also promised in Deuteronomy 7:15 to protect me from all sickness. Father, heal me from _____ and I will truly be healed (Jeremiah 17:14). In Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point 2: Claim Christ’s Sacrifice
Father, You sent Your word—Jesus—and healed me (Psalm 107:20). He personally carried my sins in His body, and by His wounds I am healed (1 Peter 2:24). Father, stretch out Your hand with healing power. Let me be healed from _____ in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:16, 4:30). Just as You sent Your word to heal the centurion’s servant, send Your healing word to me, in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point 3: Ask for Mercy and Healing
Father, You said in Psalm 103:3 that You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases. Have mercy on me, O Lord, and forgive me. Heal me from _____ and I will truly be healed (Psalm 6:2, Jeremiah 17:14). Just as You forgave the sins of the paralyzed man and healed him, forgive me and heal me also. In Jesus’ name (Matthew 9:1-6).
I Pray With You
Father, You are Jehovah Rapha—the Lord who heals. You said in Your Word that by the stripes of Jesus, we are healed. Right now, I ask that You stretch out Your hand toward Your child. Let every sickness bow. Let every disease flee. Let every pain cease. Touch their body with Your healing power. Restore their health. Renew their strength. And let this healing be a testimony that points others to You. This is the heart of praying for healing. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
You now know how to pray for healing and receive your miracle.
But healing is just one area where you need God’s intervention. There are other areas—provision, favour, jobs, and more.
Next, we will learn how to pray for divine provision.
➡️ Read Next: Praying for Divine Provision – A Scriptural Prayer Guide
But here’s the thing: praying for healing is essential—but having a complete prayer guide for every situation makes all the difference. Everything you’ve learned in this series is exactly what I unpack in my book, Praying Right—from the foundation of prayer to a complete scriptural prayer guide for every situation you face.
Stop hoping your prayers work. Start knowing they do.
[Get your copy of Praying Right here and start praying with confidence today.]