“…for I am the Lord who heals you.” – Exodus 15:26 (NRSVCE)
God Is the One Who Heals
Jesus healed many people then, and He still heals many today. Although it is not right to expect it from Him at all times, we should not live as though the time for His miracles are over.
Jesus can still heal us today, in body and in spirit. And although the healing of our spirit should always be the priority, it isn’t wrong to seek relief from our bodily diseases.
If you or your loved one is suffering from illness today, entrust everything to God’s wisdom, love and power. In humility, let us accept His perfect will. And if He ever wills our healing, let us not confine or limit Him to the time or method we expect him to perform it.
God can heal us in many ways. And here are just some of the ways He can heal us today:
1. Through the prayer of those dear to us
God can heal us through the prayer of our loved ones. Your family and friends could be the ones who can lift up their pleas to God and He will heal you through their prayers.
In the Bible, we hear the story of the Roman centurion who had a sick servant. Although He was not a Jew, He approached Jesus with faith and asked for his servant’s healing.
“When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.’ He said to him, ‘I will come and cure him.’” – Matthew 8:5-7 (NABRE)
2. Through the help of our friends bringing us to Jesus
There are many ways our loved ones can bring us closer to Jesus. It can be through their prayers. But it can also be through their words and the testimony of their holy lives.
It could be that a friend may come to someone who is sick, reminding Him that healing is still possible and that one should not fear drawing near to God.
This friend is like those who have brought their sick friend to Jesus even if they had to go on the roof of the house where Jesus was.
“And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus.” – Luke 5:18-19 (NABRE)
3. By asking us what we want
Jesus heals and He wants us to be healed. But He will not force His healing on anyone. He asks us with respect just like He asked the blind man what he wanted. Would you like Jesus to heal you today? Do you believe that He could heal you?
“Jesus said to him in reply, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man replied to him, ‘Master, I want to see.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.” – Mark 10:51-52 (NABRE)
4. By asking us to obey in humility
We need humility to receive healing. We must have a humble awareness of our weakness and an openness to receive healing from God.
In the Old Testament, King Naaman was instructed by the prophet Elisha to wash seven times in the Jordan river. At first, King Naaman was even angry because he was expecting to do something extraordinary and not something as simple and humbling as washing in the river. But his servants convinced him to follow Elisha. He would not have been healed had he not obeyed in humility the prophet’s words.
“Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent him the message: ‘Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.’” – 2 Kings 5:9-10 (NABRE)
5. Through the prayer of Mary
If our dear friends could pray for our healing, then why not Mary, the Mother of God? Jesus performed His first public miracle in Cana all because His mother requested Him to do so.
“When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ [And] Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servers, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’” – John 2:3-5 (NABRE)
They followed Jesus who ordered them to fill the jars with water, and the water turned into wine!
6. Through His own will even without our asking
Sometimes God heals us even without our asking. We do not know the depths of His wisdom and love, but all we could offer back is our faith and sincere gratitude to God.
“As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” – Luke 7:12-15 (NRSVCE)
7. By making us wait for a greater reward
One of the most difficult trials of our faith is when God makes us wait. When we or our loved ones are sick and suffering and He does not come, how do we continue to believe?
But God’s silence does not mean He doesn’t care. How could He not care when He sacrificed His own life at the cross for our salvation?
Jesus may allow us to wait just like Martha and Mary, but He does not do this without a reason. If He ever makes us wait, it is only so that He could bestow upon us greater blessings in the end.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” – John 11:40-44 (NRSVCE)
Final Thoughts on God’s Healing
God’s healing may not happen in the exact way that we want to. It may not happen at the time we expect. But let us continue to trust God’s goodness, wisdom and power.
When Mary wept because of the death of Lazarus, Jesus also wept. He wept even though He knew He could raise him back from the dead.
Our God is not One who is cold and untouched by our suffering. He is Someone who came down from heaven to suffer for us, out of great love for us. Our healing could take time, it may even seem delayed. And He may keep us waiting to the very end.
But we can be certain that we are not alone in our suffering. God is with us. For God is not only a God who heals. Our God is a God who weeps.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live[a] so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
– Psalm 103:2-5 (NRSVCE)
You may also want to read “Why Do We Hold Back When We Pray to God?”
Jocelyn Soriano is the author of Mend My Broken Heart, Defending My Catholic Faith and 366 Days of Compassion.
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