So How Come Some Don’t Get Healed?

Since so many people were raised to believe different things about divine healing, many times it isn’t an issue of whether or not God can heal them, but rather their difficulty in receiving based on wrong teaching they have received (or simply the absence of it). I have found that if you can spend some time with people and locate where they are on the subject of healing—with a little teaching—you can find out what their hangup is and help them to receive their healing right where they are and in a way that their faith can receive from God instead of trying to get everyone to receive the same way.

Did everyone in the book of Acts or in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) get healed the same way? No, they did not—the same healing power was given, but each received differently. That is an entirely different subject altogether that would require quite a bit of teaching, so I’ll get back to the subject at hand.

Let me be clear: I believe and practice divine healing and pray for the sick by the laying on of hands according to Mark 16:17-18, and James 5:14-16. I believe God wants us to be healthy and I believe that His written Word is very clear about His ability and willingness to heal.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2 NKJV)

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7, 8 NKJV)

My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV)

If God Heals, is it Wrong to See a Doctor?

I have a close friend whose parents are in the ministry. They condemn her when she visits a doctor by telling her that either she doesn’t have enough faith, or that she needs to pray more. It has caused her to stumble on many occasions and even resent her parents at times to the point that she won’t call them for prayer when she needs it…and her parents are ministers! In this case, according to Scripture in Romans 14, her parents have sinned by forcing their own personal beliefs and convictions onto her, causing her to stumble.

Regarding going to the doctor and taking medication, etc…I don’t find much in Scripture except for when Paul told Timothy to not only drink water, but also a little wine for his stomach and the infirmities that he often experienced:

No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomachs sake and your frequent infirmities. (1 Timothy 5:23 NKJV)

If seeking a natural or medical remedy is wrong as opposed to just praying more or “getting more faith,” then why didn’t Paul instruct Timothy along that line when Timothy experienced infirmities that were clearly physical ones? Something to think about, isn’t it?

Romans 14

I believe in my friend’s situation, the principle Paul taught in Romans 14 can be applied here. If you feel led to visit the doctor to find out what is wrong, I say you are smart. Otherwise, how do you know what to pray and believe God for? Why would you rely on your ability to hear from God about what is wrong with you so you know how to pray? How foolish! What if you miss it?

I think it is wisdom to have all the facts so that God’s TRUTH can be applied to the situation accurately and there is less room for error. I would also say that the only time getting a doctor’s report would be a bad idea is if the doctor’s report is bigger to you and carries more weight than what God has promised you in His Word.

On the flip side of that coin, if someone my friend cares about has a deep conviction to skip the doctor visit and instead call an elder from the church to pray the prayer of faith (James 5:14-16) then she shouldn’t impose her belief or conviction on them to first see a doctor. I’m NOT saying DON’T mention going to the doctor, but she should not judge or condemn that person if they reject her counsel. If she forced her own personal belief about incorporating a doctor’s visit and it causes the other person to stumble in their walk of faith, then she (my friend) has sinned.

The Goal: Giving God the Credit

The primary goal is to get healed and give glory to God. What does it matter if my faith is in a place to take some DayQuil and some antibiotics and pray that God would use them to affect a healing and a cure in my body and another obtains their healing through the laying on of hands and the prayer of faith? If we both praise God for the healing, then it makes no difference. 

We are all on different levels of spiritual growth, and you would do well to remember that. The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us as we are able to receive it and walk in the light He gives us. My encouragement to you is to place a higher importance on the written Word of God and let it be the measuring stick on now every situation is dealt with. If what you are doing or believing contradicts Scripture, then YOU are wrong. It’s not about being right or perfect all the time; it’s about being perfect-able and retaining always the ability to receive correction from His Word even when you “think” you are right.