Prayer & Hope: Does God Still Heal Today?

Yes. The Assemblies of God teaches that divine healing is biblical, included in Christ’s atoning work, and available to every believer as a privilege. We are encouraged to pray with faith, welcome God’s healing power, seek wise medical care, and trust Him compassionately when healing comes slowly, differently, or not in this present life.

This is the third article in a four-part series on the Assemblies of God Four Core Doctrines: Jesus Christ the Savior, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, divine healing, and the second coming of Christ. Here we will explore what Scripture teaches about healing while making room for honest questions, unanswered prayer, medicine, suffering, and hope.

Divine Healing Is Part of the Gospel

The Assemblies of God identifies divine healing as one of its four core doctrines. In the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, divine healing is described as “an integral part of the gospel,” with deliverance from sickness provided in Christ’s atonement and offered as a privilege to all believers.

This conviction begins with Jesus.

The Gospel reveals Jesus as Savior, Lord, Redeemer, healer, and soon-coming King. He does not stand far away from human suffering. He entered it. He touched the sick, welcomed the outcast, wept with those who grieved, and carried our sin and sorrow to the cross.

Divine healing is not a side issue detached from the Gospel. It reflects the compassionate heart of Christ and points toward the complete restoration God will bring when Jesus returns.

Still, biblical faith is not the same as demanding a particular outcome. We pray boldly because God is able. We pray humbly because God is wise. We pray persistently because God is good. And we remain compassionate because a person’s healing is never a measurement of their spiritual worth.

What Isaiah 53:4–5 Says About Healing

Isaiah 53 describes the suffering Servant who would bear the burdens of His people:

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering… and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4–5)

In its original setting, Isaiah is describing the Servant’s identification with human grief and suffering and His redemptive work on behalf of sinners. The passage reaches its fullness in Jesus Christ, whose suffering and death bring forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, and the hope of bodily renewal.

The phrase “by his wounds we are healed” should never be used to shame someone who remains sick. It should never become a weapon against a grieving family or a formula that suggests a person simply needed more faith.

Instead, this Scripture gives us a deep foundation for hope. Christ has entered the pain of the world and has overcome sin and death. His atonement is sufficient for the whole person, spirit, soul, and body. Healing may be experienced now through a miracle, through medical treatment, through gradual recovery, through emotional and spiritual restoration, or ultimately through resurrection life.

The cross assures us that sickness and death do not have the final word.

How Matthew 8:16–17 Connects Jesus to Isaiah’s Promise

Matthew records Jesus healing many people who were sick and oppressed. Then Matthew explains:

“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.’” (Matthew 8:16–17)

Matthew directly connects Jesus’ healing ministry with Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus’ compassion was not an occasional display of power. It was a visible expression of the kingdom of God breaking into a wounded world.

Jesus healed people with different conditions and from different backgrounds. He did not treat them as interruptions. He saw them as people.

This matters when you are praying for healing today. You are not presenting a case file to an indifferent God. You are bringing your pain to the same Jesus who welcomed the suffering, listened to desperate parents, touched the untouchable, and responded with mercy.

Yet Matthew 8 does not mean that every person in every generation will receive immediate physical healing. The Gospels show many healings, but they also show continuing suffering, death, and the need for resurrection. Jesus’ miracles were signs of His authority and previews of the coming kingdom. They were not a promise that believers would never experience weakness, illness, aging, or death before His return.

What James 5 Teaches the Church to Do

James gives the church a clear pattern for responding when someone is sick:

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:14)

James continues by emphasizing the prayer of faith, the Lord’s care, confession, forgiveness, and the righteous person’s prayer.

This passage gives us several important practices.

Ask for prayer

The sick person is invited to call for help. There is no shame in saying, “I need prayer.” You do not have to carry illness silently or pretend that everything is fine.

Invite mature Christian care

James speaks of the elders of the church. Healing ministry is not designed to elevate a celebrity healer or create a performance. It is a ministry of the local church, marked by humility, love, prayer, and accountability.

Receive anointing with oil

Anointing with oil is a biblical act of prayer and consecration. The oil itself is not magic. The power belongs to God. The church prays in Jesus’ name, trusting the Lord to act.

Pray with faith

Faith means trusting God’s character and power. It does not mean controlling God or pretending that pain is not real. A person can pray with strong faith and still cry, ask questions, receive care, and admit uncertainty.

Practice honesty and compassion

James connects prayer with confession and restored relationships, but the passage does not teach that every sickness is caused by a specific personal sin. Jesus rejected that kind of simplistic blame in John 9 when His disciples tried to connect a man’s blindness with sin.

When someone is sick, the church should not investigate their spiritual failures before offering love. The church should move toward them with prayer, presence, practical care, and hope.

What Mark 16:15–18 Means for Healing Ministry

In the longer ending of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus commissions His followers to proclaim the Gospel to all creation. The passage describes signs accompanying those who believe, including praying for the sick.

The emphasis is mission. The church is sent to announce Jesus, and God may confirm the message through His gracious power. Healing is not meant to draw attention away from Christ or become a test of spiritual superiority.

Mark 16:15–18 does not teach believers to test God, handle danger carelessly, reject wisdom, or refuse appropriate treatment. It presents the risen Christ as the Lord who works through His people as they proclaim the Gospel.

Healing ministry should therefore be Christ-centered, Scripture-shaped, humble, and compassionate. If a ministry environment pressures sick people to stop treatment, promises guaranteed results, or blames those who remain ill, it has departed from the tenderness of Jesus.

What 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 Says About Spiritual Gifts

Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts “for the common good.” Among these gifts are gifts of healing. But Paul also explains that the Spirit gives gifts “just as he determines.”

This protects the church from two opposite errors.

The first error is unbelief, the assumption that God no longer heals or that supernatural gifts have no place in the church today. Assemblies of God theology affirms the present work of the Holy Spirit and the reality of spiritual gifts.

The second error is control, the assumption that a particular person can guarantee healing whenever they choose. Scripture says the Spirit distributes gifts according to His wisdom. No minister owns the power of God. No believer can manufacture a miracle. No suffering person should be treated as spiritually inferior because healing has not yet occurred.

We seek the gifts because we love people and want Christ to be glorified. We also submit every gift to Scripture, humility, discernment, and the character of Jesus.

What If I Prayed and Nothing Changed?

This may be the most painful question in the entire conversation.

Perhaps you prayed for a child, spouse, parent, friend, or yourself. Perhaps others prayed too. Maybe oil was applied, hands were laid on you, and Scripture was spoken over your life. Yet the diagnosis remained, the pain continued, or someone you loved died.

If that is your story, please hear this clearly: unanswered prayer does not prove that you are forgotten by God.

It does not automatically mean you lacked faith.

It does not mean your family prayed incorrectly.

It does not mean your illness is a punishment.

It does not mean God loved someone else more.

The Bible gives us room to lament. The Psalms contain questions, tears, waiting, and cries for help. Jesus Himself prayed in Gethsemane with complete trust and deep anguish. Paul prayed repeatedly for his “thorn in the flesh,” yet the answer he received centered on God’s sufficient grace.

We should never minimize the mystery of suffering with easy explanations. Sometimes God heals suddenly. Sometimes healing unfolds over time. Sometimes God works through doctors, nurses, counselors, rest, community, and wise treatment. Sometimes a person remains sick until death. For the Christian, even death is not the end. The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that our final hope is not merely temporary symptom relief but complete life in God’s presence.

You are allowed to grieve and believe at the same time.

You are allowed to ask God for healing and admit that you are afraid.

You are allowed to trust God while seeking help.

You are allowed to say, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Is It Wrong to Receive Medical Care?

No. Trusting God and receiving medical care are not enemies.

God can work through an immediate miracle, a skilled physician, a treatment plan, a surgical procedure, a supportive community, or the slow strengthening of the body. Wisdom is not unbelief. Seeking help is not spiritual failure.

The Bible honors wise counsel and responsible care. Jesus’ healing ministry does not teach us to despise ordinary means of grace. In fact, rejecting all practical care can place unnecessary burdens on sick people and their families.

Pray before decisions. Ask God for wisdom. Seek trustworthy counsel. Be honest with healthcare professionals. Continue bringing your needs to the Lord. Do not let anyone pressure you into abandoning necessary care as proof of faith.

Christian faith does not require pretending that medicine is powerless. It recognizes that every good gift, every insight, every skill, and every act of compassionate care is under God’s providence.

How Romans 8:22–25 Gives Hope in Suffering

Paul writes that “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” He says believers groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption and “the redemption of our bodies.”

Romans 8 is honest about the brokenness of the present age. Christians still experience weakness, disease, grief, disability, aging, and death. We do not have to deny this groaning to prove that we have hope.

Our hope is stronger than denial.

We are waiting for the fullness of redemption. The Spirit is present with us now, but the complete renewal of all things is still ahead. That is why Christian hope can hold both prayer and patience, both expectation and lament.

When God heals in this life, we rejoice.

When healing is delayed, we continue to pray.

When someone dies in Christ, we grieve without grieving as those who have no hope.

When Jesus returns, every faithful believer will experience the complete restoration that sickness can never undo. Our bodies will be raised. Creation will be renewed. Death will be defeated openly and finally.

Divine healing points us toward that promised day.

How to Pray for Healing Without Blaming the Sick

When praying for someone who is ill, keep your words simple and centered on Jesus.

• Ask God to bring healing, strength, peace, and wisdom.

• Thank Him for His presence and compassion.

• Pray for doctors, caregivers, family members, and church communities.

• Leave room for the person to express fear, anger, grief, or uncertainty.

• Do not suggest that sickness proves spiritual failure.

• Do not promise a specific outcome God has not promised.

• Continue caring for the person after the prayer ends.

• Remember that presence is part of ministry.

A prayer of faith can sound like this:

“Jesus, we bring this need to You because You are compassionate and powerful. Please bring healing, strengthen this body, guide every decision, and surround this person with wise and loving care. Give peace in the waiting and grace for each day. We trust You, and we ask You to be glorified. Amen.”

Pastoral Prayer

Jesus, You are near to every person who is hurting today.

For those waiting on a diagnosis, bring peace. For those living with chronic pain, give strength for this moment. For those receiving treatment, provide wisdom and encouragement. For those grieving a loss, hold them close. For those who feel ashamed or forgotten, remind them that they are seen and loved.

Teach us to pray with faith without becoming harsh. Teach us to trust Your power without pretending we understand every outcome. Make Your church a safe place for the sick, the weary, the doubtful, and the grieving.

Thank You that Your wounds bring redemption and that suffering will not have the final word. Keep our hope anchored in Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.

Frequently Asked Questions About Divine Healing

Does the Assemblies of God believe God still heals today?

Yes. The Assemblies of God teaches that divine healing is biblical, is provided in Christ’s atonement, and remains a privilege available to believers. Christians are encouraged to pray for healing while trusting God’s wisdom and continuing to show compassion when healing is delayed or does not occur in this life.

Does unanswered prayer mean I do not have enough faith?

No. Unanswered prayer does not prove that a person lacks faith. Scripture includes faithful people who waited, suffered, lamented, and did not receive the outcome they desired. Faith means trusting God’s character and power, not controlling the result or blaming people who remain sick.

Can Christians use medicine and still believe in divine healing?

Yes. Prayer and medical care can be received together. God may bring healing through a miracle, treatment, skilled caregivers, gradual recovery, or other means. Seeking wise care is not a denial of faith. Christians should pray for wisdom and avoid pressure to reject appropriate treatment.

What should I do when I need prayer for healing?

Begin by bringing your need honestly to God. Ask trusted Christian leaders and believers to pray with you, and consider the biblical practice of being prayed for and anointed with oil. You can also share a request through the [Boundless Prayer Wall](https://www.boundlessonlinechurch.org/prayer-wall) and grow in Scripture with the [Bible Study Club](https://www.boundlessonlinechurch.org/group-page/bible-study-club).

What is the Christian hope when healing does not happen now?

Christian hope rests in Jesus’ resurrection and the promise of complete redemption. Romans 8 teaches that believers wait for the redemption of their bodies. Even when present suffering remains, God is with His people, and those who belong to Christ will share in resurrection life when He returns.

If you need prayer today, text our prayer line at **901-213-7341**. You can also find encouragement through [How Can Jesus Heal a Broken Heart?](https://www.boundlessonlinechurch.org/post/how-can-jesus-heal-a-broken-heart), [How Boundless Works](https://www.boundlessonlinechurch.org/how-boundless-works), and [Online Church: Struggling With Loneliness?](https://www.boundlessonlinechurch.org/post/online-church-struggling-with-loneliness-5-ways-boundless-online-church-is-building-community-in-m). Visit **www.boundlessonlinechurch.org** to keep taking one faithful step with Jesus.

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