Why do only some get healed by prayer? This is a question I’ve often asked. It seems like in the past, almost every time I pray or receive prayer, even with as much faith as I can muster, no one was healed. Many churches and believers claim that miraculous works stopped with Jesus’ generation. This is widely known as cessation. However, this seems like a fall-back assumption that is not supported in scriptures.
Being rooted in the word at Calvary Chapel for many years, I have been open, because the gospels are all about miracles, yet cautious, because Calvary doesn’t openly exhibit miracles. But by attending more of a “pentecostal” type of church (Assemblies of God) for the last couple years, exposing my self to different, biblically grounded teachers, I’ve seen many people healed in person, or in well-documented videos, tesitimonies, and have personally verified a few healings so as to be convinced most are real and authentic. I’ve also participated in “healing rooms” and prayed for a man who came in with a limp (from a long-ago gunshot wound) and walked out without his cane!
I’m now convinced God still operates in amazing works. So the question remains “why do only some get healed by prayer?” It might better be asked, why are only some ABLE to heal others?
So here is a summary (This is about the person who prays, not the recipient of the prayer):
1) We don’t believe/ aren’t fully convinced or decided about God’s Word concerning healing
2) We’re still operating in the flesh or attached to the world
3) We have too many old traditions that make the word ineffective
4) We don’t persist in our prayers
5) We don’t know God deeply enough, aren’t fully sold out to him
Jesus’ disciples basically asked this same question:
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Mathew 17
Prior to this verse, it’s interesting here that Jesus doesn’t rebuke only his disciples, but the whole age or “generation” for its unbelief. Commands directly to the demons in Jesus’ name usually work, but sometimes prayer to the Father is required… and sometimes fasting as well. So reasons # 1 and #2, we don’t truly believe in God and all His Word, and/or we’re still connected to the flesh or the world, thus the need for prayer (communion with Jesus) and fasting (separation from the fleshly world).
Also in Mark 7, we have this:
13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. Mark 7
So reason #3, we believe in His Word, but we don’t have confidence that the Word applies to our situation or the person we are praying for. We have too many exceptions or “traditions” or our own, old ways of doing and thinking about things, including healing, that are not biblical and get in the way. For example, we might assume that there is an exception to God’s Word, such as someone’s sin or lack of faith stands in the way of their healing, or that God’s use of the illness for some purpose. None of these are biblically sound ideas, and are therefore, man-made “traditions,” or devil-inspired obstacles. Unbelief of others limited Jesus’ opportunities to heal, but not His ability to heal. He had faith for them, just as we must have faith for others who don’t believe in healing. Jesus graciously healed unbelievers and their kin, anyone who would ask, no conditions, no obstacles!
Reason # 4, is that when people pray, we give up too easily. Faith is not something we should try to conjure up for a moment. It’s a continuous walking out. I think we go “Oh, that didn’t work!” and then we get into doubt. But we need to hold onto our faith independent of what we see prior to seeing the results we seek… We see it when we believe it, or when we truly believe Him. So when do we stop praying? Either when we see a result, or we rest when we’re sure we believe it our self, that the result we seek is already accomplished, and its manifestation is inevitable.
There were some great answers from a video, “Who Do Only Some Get Healed” I just checked out from a ministry called Power and Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MOJBxaKWXo&feature=endscreen&NR=1 Four panelists provided answers during a Q&A session at a Power & Love conference. They were focusing on the faith of the person doing the prayer than the recipient. One panelist answered with the “because of your unbelief” answer of Mathew 17. One of the panelist said, “It’s not that God makes it hard, but we make it hard.” But the most amazing answer came from Dan Mohler. Mr. Mohler said he once “got into it” with God with this same question one night in his bedroom, and God “shook him” with His answer.
So here is reason #5. “This (the gift of being able to heal others) is for the sold out, the surrendered, the completely dead…the pure in heart” God told him. Mr. Mohler passionately warned the audience “Don’t seek the gift (such as healing) without seeking His face, else the gift could become your identity….” He said it could “destroy your life because of a lack of character.” For example, you can become prideful, and you may get off track, for example preaching works, or perhaps you become an idol to others. “you don’t need everyone you pray for to be healed, you need to become a man of God and then grow from that place.” The emphasis was that God was more interested in your development in Him, than with you’re being able to heal everyone you pray for.
He said that prior to receiving a greater portion of the gift of healing we need to first:
- Know Him, and first be rooted and grounded in love (before getting a carte blanche of spiritual gifts)
- Have a deeper revelation of who God is…. faith is convinced, it’s knowing Him
- Be a true steward, being sold out in integrity to the gospels a true faithfulness of the covenant, and representing sonship well to the world
- Have a true Character, a man or woman of God first, and grow from there
- Establish Him in your heart, then you grow up to the full measure.
- Know who He is, so you don’t get whooped!
- Purify your heart (The gifts are for the pure in heart)
I just found his answers to ring true and his countenance full of joy. It’s true that we can sometimes question God when we don’t truly know Him yet. Then he offered some words about becoming all of these things, which were convicting as well as edifying:
- Believe that your heart is pure and growing in revelation
- Come to Jesus with boldness and confidence, unveiled, so he an clean you, grow you, and mature you
- Keep seeking Him
- Be identified with Jesus. “I’m a son.” Know “His kingdom is in me. Every gift is in me and I move out of an identity of sonship.”
- Knowing that it’s not about falling (or failing) anymore, its about knowing him more and manifesting Jesus.
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