Spiritual gifts
The Spiritual Gift of Healing
Praying for restoration with humility
The spiritual gift of healing describes times when God restores sick people through a believer's prayer or touch. Paul calls these "gifts of healing" (1 Corinthians 12:9), and Acts records many. Christians hold different convictions about whether this gift continues today.
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
What it is
Both words in Paul's phrase "gifts of healing" are plural in Greek, which may point to different kinds of healing or different occasions (1 Corinthians 12:9). In Acts, Peter told a man lame from birth, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" (Acts 3:6).
Healing is always God's work, and Peter made sure no one credited it to "our own power or godliness" (Acts 3:12). God doesn't heal every sickness in this life, either. Paul left Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20) and told Timothy to take a little wine for his "frequent ailments" (1 Timothy 5:23).
Where Scripture shows it
In Samaria, through Philip's ministry, "many of the paralyzed and lame were healed" (Acts 8:7). On Malta, Paul prayed for the father of Publius, laid hands on him, and healed him (Acts 28:8).
What it can look like
- Elders anoint a sick member with oil and pray, as James describes.
- A prayer team prays with people after the service, with no pressure.
- Where churches believe the gift continues, some believers see many answers to prayer for the sick.
- Prayer and medicine go together. Luke, "the beloved physician," was one of Paul's companions (Colossians 4:14).
What to watch for
- Promising healing. God is free to heal, and He is also free to say no.
- Blaming a sick person's weak faith when healing doesn't come.
- Discouraging anyone from seeing a doctor or taking their medicine.
- Seeking attention or money for your prayers.
Ways to serve with it
- Pray for sick friends by name.
- Join your church's prayer team or hospital visitation ministry.
- Bring practical care along with prayer, like meals or rides to treatment.
- Keep visiting people whose illness drags on for months.
Related gifts
Holy habits that fit this gift
These practices can help you steward this gift over time.
Frequently asked questions
Does God still heal today?
Christians across traditions believe God can heal, and they pray for the sick (James 5:14-16). They disagree about whether some believers today have a special gift of healing like those described in Acts.
Why doesn't God heal everyone we pray for?
Scripture doesn't give a full answer. Paul pleaded three times for his thorn in the flesh to be taken away, whatever it was, and the Lord gave him grace to bear it (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). One day God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4).
How do I know if I have the gift of healing?
Start by praying for sick people, as every Christian is asked to do (James 5:16). If God seems to answer your prayers for healing in unusual ways, tell your pastor or elders and let them help you weigh it.
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