Faith And Healing

Q

Thank you for your website. You are gifted in scripture and help us who are not in a greater understanding of God’s Word. I praise God for your service.

I am interested in a better understanding of your position on prayer and healing. I am understanding you to say that for physical healing to happen all that is needed is prayer given in full faith of that healing. While I believe that God is willing to heal and the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16), I also believe that there are consequences to our actions. A lifetime of bad habits such as alcohol, smoking, overeating, excessive sports (wearing out the body) come with consequences. Even the genetics passed through our family determine our physical health.

These things are all characteristic of a fallen world, and while God is perfectly capable of healing them and he does on occasion for His glory, I don’t see were great faith will wipe out the consequences of our actions. Salvation yes, sanctification yes, peace with God yes, but not always complete physical healing. His grace is sufficient whether I’m healed of physical ailment or not. I’m not being antagonistic to your belief, just trying to better understand it.

A

Well, this is your opinion and you’re entitled to it, but the Bible doesn’t support it. There are consequences to sin too, but the Lord reverses them. The weight of Scriptural evidence makes it clear that the consequences of our physical behavior can be reversed as well. Jesus never performed a partial healing, nor did He refuse to heal someone on the basis of their past behavior. When they asked in faith to be healed, He healed them.