God said to the Israelites soon after they came out of Egypt, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, Yahweh, am your healer”(Exodus 15:26). Interestingly, S. I. McMillen, a medical doctor, wrote a book entitled None of These Diseases, which came from this text. In it, he showed the wisdom of God’s instructions about many of the dietary and other healthy instructions given in the Old Testament that God revealed to Israel, even though God did not always explain why the instruction was healthy.

It is logical that God can heal all our illnesses since He made our body, mind, emotions, soul, and spirit. God is concerned about all that goes into making us function properly. There are numerous examples of God healing, both in the Old and New Testaments. In Numbers 21, because Israel sinned, God sent serpents to bite the people and they were dying, but God provided a way for them to be healed. He healed Naaman of his leprosy (II Kings 5). He announced to Hezekiah that he was going to die. Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh and He gave him fifteen more years to live (II Kings 20:1-7).

Jesus continued God’s healing ways while He lived on the earth. He casts out demons (Luke 4:33-37). He healed those who had fever (Luke 4:38-39). He healed a leper (Luke 5:12-15). He healed one who had a withered hand (Luke 6:6-10) and one who had an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48). Often, He did this because He had compassion on the people who were suffering (Matthew 14:14). Usually, the healings were to cause us to believe (John 20:30-31).

Jesus gave this healing power to the apostles who also healed (Acts 3:1-10; 5:12-16). They gave this ability to others who could then heal (Acts 8:4-18), but those on whom the apostles laid hands to give them this power, could not pass it on to others (Acts 8:18). But, even during the days when miracles were performed, not all people were healed. Paul was not healed of his “thorn in the flesh” (II Corinthians 12:7-9). Paul did not heal his friend Timothy of his stomach trouble but told him to treat it through natural means (I Timothy 5:23). Also, when Trophimus was traveling with Paul, he became sick and Paul did not heal him, but left him in Miletus (II Timothy 4:20).

We are told then when one is sick to call the elder and get them to pray for the sick (James 5:14-16). We are told to take all our concerns to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-8; Hebrews 4:14-16). All healing is divine, but not all healing is miraculous. Sometimes God thinks it best for us to continue with the ailments we have. Many people have taught greater lessons during their illness than when healthy. We simply must pray in faith with an attitude, “Not my will, but thine be done.” Evidently, Epaphroditus prayed because Paul said that God had mercy on him and healed him (Philippians 2:27). 

Guidelines for Healing

First, it doesn’t matter what our hurt or illness is, let’s talk to God about it. He can heal mental problems just like He can heal physical ailments. There is nothing too big or too small that we cannot take to God in prayer. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God”(Philippians 4:6). Notice the result that is promised. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”(Philippians 4:7).

Second, pray with faith that God is going to work. “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways”(James 1:6-8). When we pray in faith, we leave it with God and accept the answer we receive as an answer from God. Paul came to accept God’s answer of “No” to his request and used that answer to glorify God (II Corinthians 12:7-9).

Third, we should not enter prayer with a demanding attitude. We do not have the right to command God to do anything. We make our request. We do not tell God how He ought to work to solve our hurt.

Fourth, we might pray for strength to handle whatever ailment hurts us. We might pray that our struggle will make us better, not bitter. 

Fifth, we pray that whether we live or die we can be of service to God. That was Paul’s attitude when he faced a difficult situation. He said, “Yes, and I will rejoice for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ according to my earnest expectation and hope…For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”(Philippians 1:18-21).

Conclusion

Yahweh truly is our healer but, He also has the wisdom to know what is best in our situation. When we are hurting in any way, let’s approach God for healing, but let’s accept His decision as the best decision, even if we do not understand it. 

God especially wants to heal us of our sin. Peter echoed what Isaiah said long ago, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed”(I Peter 2:24). More important than healing of any physical wound you may have is have you been healed from the wound sin left? If not, why not? Yahweh is the healer.