Introduction

I’ve been to many churches and have seen many people praying, and there is a lot of pleading, and begging for God to heal, bless and what not. Though begging to God itself is a bigger issue, let’s look at whether it’s Biblical to plead or ask God for healing. It sounds very humble, but it’s good to see if it’s the truth.

Below, we explore instances of healing in the old and the New Testament with a comprehensive list of healings in both, categorized by method, leading to the ultimate question: is asking/pleading God for healing Biblical? And the other side of the coin – is using authority towards sickness the right way of ministering?

1. Healings in the New Testament
   1. Healings by Touch
   2. Healings by Spoken Word
   3. Statistics
2. Old Testament healing ministry
   1. Healing by Prayer:
   2. Healing by Touch:
   3. Statistics
3. The right way to minister healing to yourself and others

Healings in the New Testament

The New Testament records numerous instances of healing performed by Jesus and His apostles, employing various methods such as touch, speech, and prayer. Below is a comprehensive list of these healings, categorized by the action taken by the healer.

Healings by Touch

• Peter’s Mother-in-Law
  • Action: Jesus touched her hand, and the fever left her. Reference: Matthew 8:14-15
• Man with Leprosy
  • Action: Jesus touched the man and said, “Be clean!” Reference: Matthew 8:2-3
• Two Blind Men
  • Action: Jesus touched their eyes, and they regained sight. Reference: Matthew 9:27-30
• Blind Man at Bethsaida
  • Action: Jesus spit on the man’s eyes and laid hands on him. Reference: Mark 8:22-25
• Deaf and Mute Man
  • Action: Jesus put fingers into the man’s ears, spit, and touched his tongue. Reference: Mark 7:32-35
• Woman with a Disabling Spirit
  • Action: Jesus laid hands on her, and she was made straight. Reference: Luke 13:11-13
• Malchus’ Ear
  • Action: Jesus touched his ear and healed him. Reference: Luke 22:50-51
• Healing of Multitudes
  • Action: All who touched Jesus’ cloak were healed. Reference: Mark 6:56
• Healing by Peter’s Shadow
  • Action: People were healed when Peter’s shadow fell on them. Reference: Acts 5:15-16
• Handkerchiefs and Aprons from Paul
  • Action: Diseases and evil spirits left people when they touched handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched Paul. Reference: Acts 19:11-12
• Healing of Publius’ father
  • Action: Paul prayed and laid hands on him. Reference: Acts 28:8

Healings by Spoken Word

• Centurion’s Servant
  • Action: Jesus spoke the word, and the servant was healed. Reference: Matthew 8:5-13
• Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof
  • Action: Jesus said, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Reference: Mark 2:1-12
• Man with a Withered Hand
  • Action: Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand.” Reference: Matthew 12:9-13
• Ten Lepers
  • Action: Jesus said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” Reference: Luke 17:11-19
• Bartimaeus, the Blind Beggar
  • Action: Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Reference: Mark 10:46-52
• Paralytic at Bethesda
  • Action: Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Reference: John 5:1-9
• Man Born Blind
  • Action: Jesus said, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.” Reference: John 9:1-7
• Crippled Man at Lystra
  • Action: Paul said, “Stand up on your feet!” Reference: Acts 14:8-10
• Father of Publius
  • Action: Paul prayed and laid hands on him. Reference: Acts 28:8
• Casting Out Spirits
  • Action: Jesus rebuked the evil spirits with a word. Reference: Matthew 8:16
• Healing of a Demon-Possessed Man
  • Action: Jesus said, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Reference: Mark 5:8
• Healing of a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
  • Action: Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit. Reference: Mark 9:25
• Healing of a Crippled Woman
  • Action: Jesus said, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity. Reference: Luke 13:12
• Healing of a Man with Dropsy
  • Action: Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, then healed the man. Reference: Luke 14:1-4
• Healing of the Official’s Son
  • Action: Jesus said, “Go; your son will live.”. Reference: John 4:46-53
• Healing of the Sick by the Elders
  • Action: Elders pray over the sick and anoint them with oil. Reference: James 5:14-15

Statistics

• Touch or Speech with authority: 100% instances.
• Praying to God asking for healing: 0%

This categorization highlights the diverse methods employed in New Testament healings, emphasizing the importance of touch, authority, and faith.

In fact you don’t see anyone pleading God, or saying “God, if it is your will,” or “Please heal him Lord”. In fact you will see that is the method of the Old Testament.

“All healings in the New Testament were through laying hands, rebuking, commanding, declaring life into the person, and all healings in the Old Testament was pleading, crying, requesting, praying for God to intervene. It is never a matter of whether God wants to heal you, as He already healed by His stripes 2000 years ago, gave His power to use, and authority for the Church. Rather, it is the shocking refusal of the church to walk in it, but rather continue pleading, fasting, and asking God to intervene in the name of sovereignty and humility. Even if you search for examples to do that you won’t find it in the New Testament. Christianity in the first century started with power and spread like wildfire expressing God’s love through faith-works, and life, but now traditions have relegated modern Christianity into everything from the vantage point of failure to trust and have faith in God. We live in times where if someone says “I find it hard to trust God”, we call that deep. But if someone says “I trust God will heal me from this sickness”, well, that’s arrogance. How would you feel if someone says they are finding it hard to trust you?”

Prince

Old Testament healing ministry

Here is a condensed, categorized list of Old Testament healings, each as a single line:

Healing by Prayer:

Healing by Touch:

• Restoration of the Man Raised from the Dead by Touching Elisha’s Bones.
  • Action: A man’s body touched Elisha’s bones, and he came back to life. Reference: 2 Kings 13:20-21

Statistics

• Praying or asking God for healing: 90% instances.
• By touch: 10%

The right way to minister healing to yourself and others

Do you know why? It’s because we are different from the Old Testament folks. Remember when Jesus said that the lowliest believer in the New Covenant is greater than John the Baptist? That’s because we are of a new kind.

2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “The old has passed away, and behold, the new has come.” In the Old Testament, people were pleading, asking God for healing, saying, “God, please heal this person.” Why? Because they were fallen people, not born again, and they didn’t have the authority we now have in Christ.

However, in the New Testament, you don’t see this kind of pleading. Instead, you see Jesus, Peter, Paul, and other disciples speaking with authority, rebuking sickness, and laying hands on the sick—just as Jesus said in Mark 16, “Believers will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” That’s exactly what happened in the New Testament.

Yet, if you go to many churches today, you’ll still hear people praying, “God, please heal this person.” And when you ask why, they’ll say, “It’s unto God.” You know what? They’re right. But here’s the key—they forget that you are the body of Christ, and as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). It’s your responsibility to minister healing, but unfortunately, traditions have gripped many.

Not all, but many don’t care that the Bible says otherwise. They stick with “God, please heal this person,” or “God, if it is your will, heal this person.” Why? Because if they admit the truth, it comes with a risk—a risk of stepping out into the unknown, leaving their comfort zone, their ministry benefits, or even facing rejection from their community. It’s comfortable to remain rooted in what their leaders say, but that’s what being yoked to tradition looks like.

However, I praise God for believers who don’t blindly accept what I or anyone else says, but instead go into the Word and search for themselves. I’ve shared before how my friends Eduard and Natalia Serediuc revealed the truth of New Creation realities to me. Another friend, Abhishek, challenged my mindset about healing when he asked me a simple question:

“How many times in the New Testament do you see healing ministered by asking God to heal? And how many times do you see it done by authority?”

I checked, and my eyes were opened. What I’d been taught about healing was religion, not the Word of God. I have the same question for you today: Will you check it for yourself?

And if you think God doesn’t care about physical health, thinking He’s only interested in spiritual matters, you can check that too. In the Old Testament, God consistently blessed His people with physical health. He’s the same God who said, “By His stripes, we are healed.” He has provided for your healing, and it’s available to you. If you don’t want it, don’t take it. Your salvation won’t be affected. But don’t say it was God who didn’t heal you.

So here’s the real question: Are you going to plead for healing, or are you going to command healing? In the Old Testament, they didn’t have the authority. But in the New Testament, the church—the body of Christ—has the authority. It’s time to walk in it.