Praying For Healing
Speaker: Steve Little (Pastor)
Date: May 10, 2026
Introduction
Our scripture this morning comes from James’ letter to believers. The book of James is packed with wisdom.
James 5:13-16 (NKJV)
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
What to do when we're sick is part of a list of “life hacks”. It's tempting to look at these as over-simplifications, but what if we took them at face value and acted on them?
James' overall thesis that claimed faith is made credible by action. So, if we claim we believe these things, we’ll do them.
I think we’d all agree that God heals people. And I think most of us feel comfortable asking our church or our Bible study friends to pray for us when we have physical ailments. But I think we’d also say that we’re not sure how to pray for healing for others or ourselves, and this sometimes causes us to hold back from praying publicly or asking for prayer.
I have three objectives for this lesson:
● Stir up our faith that Jesus wants to heal sickness.
● Demystify praying for healing so that we are more comfortable praying for others and asking for prayer.
● Encourage praying for healing to become part of our regular practice.
We’re going to look at three accounts from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus healed people and draw some conclusions from them that will be helpful.
Mark 1:40-44: Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy
This account is also documented in Luke 5:12-16.
Mark 1:40-45 (NKJV)
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Notice the following things from this account:
● This man believed enough that he humbled himself, pushed past the social rules and even the Mosaic law (Lev. 13:45-46), governing those with his disease, and pleaded with Jesus.
● “If you are willing…” the man was confident Jesus could heal, he was not confident that it was Jesus’ will to heal him.
● Jesus was “moved with compassion”. He is our compassionate high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Mark 2:1-12: Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man
This account is also documented in Luke 5:17–26.
Mark 2:1-12 (NKJV)
And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son
of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Based on the archaeological understanding of 1st-century Galilean homes, the friends of the paralytic would have needed to break through a roof constructed of wooden beams, branches, brushwood, and a thick layer of packed clay or mud plaster.
Notice the following things from this account:
● These four, unnamed friends cared enough for the man to bring Him to Jesus.
● They didn't turn around and go home when they encountered difficulty. They pushed through.
● Jesus saw their faith.
● Jesus first addressed the most important wound. Our first and most important need is to be made right with God.
● Jesus told the man to get up and he was healed. His act of faith was to attempt to stand.
Mark 5:25-34: Jesus Heals a Desperate Woman
This account is also documented in Luke 8:40-56.
Mark 5:25-34 (NKJV)
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Notice the following things from this account:
● This lady had suffered from her illness for 12 years and the physicians had been unable to help her. They had only made it worse.
● She believed that if she could just touch Jesus’ clothes, she would be made well.
● She pressed through the crowd, overcame both her internal reservations and the physical interference to touch Jesus.
● Immediately, she was healed.
● Jesus, in His compassion, stopped to reassure her.
The accounts of Jesus healing people are still more diverse than these. He healed in person, and He healed from a distance. He laid His hands on people, He smeared mud made from His spit on one man’s eyes, and He simply commanded some to get up.
While there are cases where people confessed or demonstrated their faith, there were cases where Jesus took action without the person's request. The healings demonstrated that He was the Messiah promised by the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 53, Isaiah 61).
James 5:16: Praying for Healing is Part of Church Life
So, what part does healing play in the new testament church, of which we are a part? James addresses this question in the last chapter of his letter.
James 5:13-16 (NKJV)
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Notice the following things from James’ instruction:
● Make your needs known. There are those that would be delighted to pray for you, but we need you to tell us your needs.
● Details are not necessary. Share only what you're comfortable with.
● Press through the discomfort associated with asking for help.
● Prayer can be private.
● If you need to confess something, do so.
At times, there will be urgent and critical needs that we as a church family need to stop and address together. This is a way for us to express our collective need, concern, and
faith. We will benefit from this as a body. Acts 12 comes to mind. When Amara was so sick, Jeff Solbrack called for a special prayer meeting. Let's not be slow to do so.
In Exodus 15:26, God told the children of Israel that His name is Jehovah Rapha: “The God who heals you”. Jehovah Rapha is one of God’s seven redemptive names. He is telling us, His people, that we can know, and call on Him, as our healer.
How to Pray
Next time a health need becomes known to you, offer to pray. Pray with confidence because you know Jesus heals and He loves the person you're praying for so much He went to the cross for them.
● Keep it simple. God knows what's needed and doesn't need our help with the diagnosis or the treatment.
● Pray with love and compassion.
● Pray believing.
● Pray like a child: don’t be bashful about asking for what you want, be persistent and full of hope.
● Pray for spiritual needs that are always present but not always apparent.
● Anoint with oil when available because James said to. In scripture, anointing with oil is often a symbol of consecration and the Holy Spirit.
