A: Simply believe the Word! It says, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my [Jesus’] name shall they cast out devils…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18). Yes, when we pray for the sick we can have faith to expect they will be healed, every time!
Notice that scripture says they shall recover. It is a very definite promise and our responsibility as believers is to believe it—no matter what our senses tell us.
That is very important because our physical senses—what we see, hear and feel—frequently give us an inaccurate picture of what is going on. They’re limited. They can’t relay to us what’s happening in the realm of the spirit.
Mark 9 tells us, for example, of a time when a father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus and asked for help. Jesus rebuked the spirit and commanded it to come out. What happened? From a purely natural perspective, it looked as though Jesus had just made the situation worse because verse 26 says, “the spirit…rent him sore…and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.”
Unlike many of us, however, Jesus had more faith in the Word of God than He had in His natural senses. He wasn’t moved by that boy’s physical appearance. He simply trusted that the demon had fled.
As a result, “Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose” (verse 27).
Here’s what you need to understand:
God always does His part. He said when we lay hands on the sick, they shall recover. Whether or not someone gets healed is not our judgment call. Our assignment is to lay our hands on them, believe the Word, pray, or whatever else we are instructed to do from the Word. We can rest assured that when we obey Him in faith, healing always comes.
Notice I didn’t say all get healed. Sometimes people won’t receive that healing. Sometimes they’re full of fear or doubt or unbelief, and they can’t take what God is giving them.
But when that happens, the last thing you want to do is withdraw your faith and say, “Well, I guess it didn’t work this time.” No, don’t do that! Your faith may be the only hope that person has! So just keep on believing God.
Say, “Lord, I did what Your Word said. I laid hands on the sick and as far as I’m concerned, every person I’ve laid hands on is recovering. I’m standing in faith for that recovery. God, open the eyes of their understanding. Send laborers across their path with the Word of God to encourage their faith so they can fully receive that healing, in Jesus’ Name.”
Once you do that, never back off again. Keep going forward in faith. Keep laying hands on the sick. And keep expecting God to do exactly what He promised.
