Among the spiritual gifts Paul identifies in his first letter to the church in Corinth is “gifts of healing by that one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:9). The gift of healing is the Spirit-enabled ability to become an instrument through whom God brings healing and restoration to another person. While we often think first of physical healing, the Bible presents healing as something much broader. God heals bodies, minds, hearts, relationships, and souls.
As a young father, a number of serious symptoms led a doctor to send me to a hospital for a variety of tests for what looked like leukemia. I was weak and weary and could hardly get out of my hospital bed to go to the toilet.
Multiple doctors poked and prodded with little success identifying a known disease. My doctor notified my employer that I would not likely be able to return to work for many months. Arrangements were being made to put me on long-term disability. Numerous friends came and prayed with me and for me.
One night in the hospital I had a vision of a glowing person at the foot of my bed touching me. I felt different in the morning. I was sent home and returned to work before the long-term disability papers were processed. My doctor did not believe in miracles but said he could not explain how all my blood work had returned to normal and my symptoms disappeared.
In the 50+ years since I left the hospital, I have never had a recurrence of the strange illness that threatened my life.
Healing has always been part of God’s work among his people. In the Old Testament, Naaman was healed of leprosy after following the prophet Elisha’s instructions (2 Kings 5). David celebrated God’s healing in the Psalms, declaring, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). These examples remind us that healing is not simply the removal of a disease. It restores what has been broken.
Jesus made healing a prominent part of his ministry. He gave sight to the blind, enabled the lame to walk, cleansed lepers, and healed people suffering from many different diseases. But Jesus also healed in ways that went beyond the physical. He forgave sins, restored people who had been rejected by society, comforted the grieving, and gave hope to those burdened by guilt and shame.
The early church continued this ministry. In Acts 3, Peter encountered a man who had been unable to walk since birth. Peter took him by the hand and said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” The man was healed, and his first response was to walk, jump, and praise God. James later instructed Christians to pray for those who were sick, demonstrating that healing prayer was an important part of the early church (James 5:14–16).
Throughout the Church Age, Christians have continued to pray for healing. Sometimes healing, as with me, has been dramatic and immediate. At other times, God has worked through doctors, medicine, counseling, rehabilitation, friendship, and the faithful care of other believers. These approaches need not compete with one another. God can use both miraculous intervention and ordinary means to accomplish his purposes.
Christian writer and teacher Dallas Willard often emphasized that following Christ involves the transformation of the whole person. That perspective helps us understand healing more broadly. God may use someone with the gift of healing not only to bring physical relief but also to help people become spiritually and emotionally whole. A listening ear, a word of encouragement, prayer, forgiveness, or a relationship of genuine Christian love may become part of God’s healing work.
This broader understanding of healing is especially important in a world where many people carry invisible wounds. Someone may be physically healthy while suffering from grief, loneliness, shame, anxiety, resentment, or a damaged relationship. The Spirit may use another believer to bring comfort, hope, reconciliation, or renewed faith.
Ultimately, the gift of healing is not about the person who possesses the gift. It is about the God who heals. We are called to pray with faith, serve with compassion, and trust God with the outcome. Sometimes healing comes immediately. Sometimes it comes gradually or through unexpected means. And sometimes we must wait for the complete healing promised in God’s kingdom.
The gift of healing points toward that ultimate hope: a day when God will wipe every tear from our eyes and “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
Perhaps the most important question is not simply, “Can God heal?” but “How might God use me to bring healing to someone who is hurting?”
Living Dialog Ministries takes the gift of healing seriously. We want to see sick people made well. We want to equip Christians to use their gifts to strengthen the Church and encourage others in their daily walk. We also want to help those who do not yet know how to enter into a personal relationship with God to discover the joy and freedom of becoming a child of God. If you would like to enter into this relationship, we encourage you to visit our post: How Can I Become a Christian?.
_______________________
If you would like to learn more about the gifts of the Spirit, we encourage you to pick up our 32-page booklet, Reflections on the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
