Does miraculous healing still happen? Does God still heal? What comes to mind when you think of healing? Does the image in your head include doctors, nurses, surgery, and medicine? What about pastors, elders, and anointing oil?
If the first image, of medical personnel, comes to mind, you’re not wrong. Doctors are frequently used by God to bring healing to those who are sick and hurting. If your image of healing includes faith workers and anointing oil, you’re not wrong, either.
Does Miraculous Healing Still Happen:What Scripture says
A few years ago, our pastor taught from Mark 1:29-39 about divine healing. Peter’s mother-in-law was seriously ill. Jesus arrived and Peter’s family immediately told Him about her illness. He healed her and she went straight to work, serving Him.
Pastor Noland asked, “Does God still heal?” and left a long pause for us to ponder our beliefs. We might answer his question with a “yes, but…” When the question becomes more specific, “Will God heal me?” we hesitate. We’re less certain.
Does miraculous healing still happen when the need is personal?
An unexpected eye problem opened my eyes to the reality of God’s healing power. In mid-December some years ago, my bathroom scales developed a problem. The light barely illuminated and the numbers were no longer visible. I changed the batteries. No better. Bought new batteries. Still no better. A vague image of the numbers was visible only if I stood on the scales until the weight was ready, hopped off, and lay on the floor.
On a foggy day in early January, I realized something terrifying. The fog outside was in my left eye, too. My vision was seriously blurred.
I saw my ophthalmologist immediately. Corneal edema (or swelling) caused the blurred vision but he didn’t know what caused the edema. Was it trauma, virus, or an as-yet-unknown cause? He prescribed anti-virals and steroid drops. My eye improved.
Soon, I developed a different corneal problem in my right eye. More eye drops. The right eye problem quickly resolved, but the left eye didn’t heal as steadily. It improved with medication but, when the steroids were tapered, it worsened again and the possibility of a vision-losing problem was mentioned.
Most of my days were spent reading a book or on a computer and they still are. Eyesight is my primary tool, but the problem made work difficult. Early morning pain in my left eye worsened with light and my vision was blurred. Symptoms gradually improved as the day went on. I took breaks every 30 minutes or so to keep the blurriness at bay. Life felt slowed down, and it was. By the end of each day, I was exhausted by the struggle and I wondered…is better good enough? Does miraculous healing still happen?
Does miraculous healing still happen? When medical care fails
I did everything my doctors told me to do, but it didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. I began to ask, “Does miraculous healing still happen?” The answer was yes, as I knew from previous experience. According to James 5, if we, as disciples of Jesus, are sick, we should call the elders and have them pray over us. Since Scripture clearly indicates God heals through the laying on of hands, I thought He might heal me. Before I asked, though, I had to confront a serious problem of faith.
Could I deal with it God said no to my request for miraculous healing? What if the vision loss didn’t resolve, but worsened instead? I pondered it, explored options for working blind, and considered the lives of two friends, both of whom are blind physicians and still actively working. God will make a way through, I realized, no matter what happens with my eyes.
I prayed the prayer that never fails. “Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done. Even with my eyes.” Restoration of my vision was my goal, but I was willing to accept whatever God allowed. After I reached that hard place, I contacted my pastor and asked the elders to pray for my healing.
The place of surrender is the perfect place to begin prayers for miraculous healing.
The following Wednesday night after Bible study, Pastor Noland called the elders to the back to discuss a matter of prayer. Then, to my surprise, he called me to the back. This wasn’t what I expected to happen, but my expectations didn’t really matter. Elders and our pastor gathered around me, anointed me with oil, and prayed over me. The earth didn’t shake and I didn’t get hit with a lightning bolt of healing heat. I didn’t feel different at all.
As I drove home that night, I wondered…does miraculous healing still happen? If so, why didn’t I “feel” healed? My uncertainty was another opportunity to choose whatever God wanted and surrender again to His will.
The next morning, I awakened and turned on the light. It didn’t hurt. I opened my Bible and could see the pages. The laptop screen wasn’t blurred. I could see. My vision was back to normal.
It was already improving from the treatment, but my vision took a big leap forward after the elders prayed for me, and hasn’t regressed. I continued to taper to steroid drops because that’s what must be done with steroids. My visions and my discomfort were better, but I didn’t know what my cornea looked like. As a physician, healing, in this situation, didn’t simply mean better sight. It also means a normal cornea. Or so I thought. Was I healed? I don’t have a good answer to that question. The pain and blurriness resolved and my vision returned to normal (20/20 with glasses) but the virus left a scar on my cornea. It’s miraculous healing enough for me.
Does miraculous healing still happen? Why me?
Do miraculous healings still happen? Yes. Why did God intervene on my behalf? God’s intervention was not because I’m such a good person, have superior faith, or because I belong to an amazing church. My job was to ask, believe, and obey and that’s exactly what I did Healing didn’t come, however, because of what I did, but because of what God did. He intervened because He is good and He chose what was best for me at this time. It’s that simple.
Does God heal everyone who asks for a miraculous healing?
I don’t know if everyone gets healed on earth or not. For example, Paul clearly was not healed of his thorn in the flesh, but God made a way through it. His suffering wasn’t wasted. Scripture tells us everyone is healed in heaven.
If God heals me, can I stop taking my medication?
Not necessarily. I continued with the treatment as prescribed and finished the course. I trusted our Heavenly Father to give my physician wisdom concerning further care.
Can I continue doing the same old things if I receive miraculous healing? No. If our choices are sinful, they need to stop.
Healthy choices will still be necessary. We have a responsibility to care for the temple of God within us, and that includes what we eat, drink, and how we live. We need to eat a balanced diet, exercise, drink plenty of water, and lower stress, as well as take our medication, but we should not ask God to heal us in order to indulge our lusts, our gluttony, or our cravings. That’s not the kind of God we serve. He does not bless sin.
Are you sick? Do you need miraculous healing?
Miraculous healing still happens, but before you think about how to ask for and receive healing, take the time to read James 5:13-19. Don’t miss the verses about confession. It’s a part of the healing process, too.
The steps to healing:
- Humble yourself.
- Confess your sin.
- Call your elders. Ask them to pray for your healing.
- Then, wait with expectation to see what God does.
Does God still heal? Yes, my friends. He certainly does.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” James 5:13-14
This blog post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link to make a purchase, I may make a small amount of money from your purchase. It will not increase the price you pay in any way.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your time with us today. If you enjoyed this content, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, sign up for the twice-monthly mailing list to receive exclusive stories and more, click here to get a 5-day free Bible study and the twice-monthly newsletter.
Before you leave, would you mind taking a moment to pin to Pinterest and share on social media? It helps extend our digital reach in ways we can’t do ourselves. Thanks again! See you soon.
If you enjoyed Does Miraculous Healing Still Happen? check out these posts:
Here are links to a few other posts:
Will We Make Room for God in Our Lives?
How to Trust God in Hard Times
Repentance and the Benefits Package
Choosing Suffering Rags Instead of Healing
If We’ve Been Liberated Why Don’t We Live Free?
How to Wrestle With God When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed
If Nothing is Impossible for God Why Can’t I See It?
Seven Truths You Need to Thrive in Hard Times
What Happened to the Power of Our Faith?
Here’s an in-depth, life-changing digital Bible study to help you grow in your Christian faith:
Oh I needed this today!! Thank you leanna!
Praying for you and your family and your dad today, Tammy! Thanks.
What a testimony to your faith! I have always believed that if your faith is strong enough that God will heal you, if that is his will. I live with chronic pain and have several health issues. I have never even thought about having our Pastor and Deacons pray over me. I would be embarrassed and feel unworthy, I would say that there are others so much worse than me who need it more than I do. Thank you for this beautiful testimony of how BIG our God is when we have BIG faith!
I said all that, too, but God doesn’t ask us to come worthy, just to come. I’m praying for you today!
I was there yesterday and heard your great testimony, Praise the Lord for your healing! He healed me also, at the age of 9 years old at Children’s Lebonheur Hospital, very sick and wasn’t supposed to live to the next morning, sick with chicken pox and double phenomena ! The dr’s said it was the worst case they had ever seen, my body couldn’t fight it! Our pastor came with oil and prayed over me! I began breathing on my own the next morning, I was taken off the respirator! Dr’s put in my medical records, unexplained healing!
(This is the short version )
God is still in the business of healing!!
I love this story, Julie! Thank you for sharing! What a mighty God we serve!
Thak you all for sharing your testimonies.Amen.
It’s amazing how many people have experienced the healing of God. We don’t talk about healing near enough.
Thank you Leanna. But this seems pretty limiting. It seems that people who don’t belong to a church, who don’t have elders, who are sick in a foreign country with no family and friends can’t get the healing they desire.
Who will lay hands on them?
Surely, pls someone tell me, that God’s healing power over His children isn’t only manifested when elders lay hands on them.