Expert: Brian Thompson - 11/30/2009

Question
QUESTION: I saw an expose' in which some people were supposedly healed of their terminal diseases, yet, they still died when the doctors had originally said they would. Afterward, the press questioned the "healer" as to how this could have happened. He said that these had not had enough faith.

Do you believe in faith healing through the laying on of hands? If yes, does the healer scripturally have the ability to know in advance whether a person has faith to be healed?

ANSWER: Hi John

I do believe in healing by the power of God and that can occur by the laying on of hands, anointing with oil or prayer. I have both observed and been healed in this manner. I have observed prophesy or word of knowledge present in cases of divine healing but not knowledge as to a person's faith. In healing we will often read or cite healing Scriptures to lift the faith of a person before praying for healing

It is always of great concern to us believers whenever a person we have prayed for for healing fails to recover. Questions such as did the person not believe or was our faith not great enough trouble us but we must remember the will of God plays a greater part. God has appointed a time for all of us and our faith must include that, so a person can be healed but die anyway

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It seems from scripture that Paul had this power to see whether others had faith to be healed.

In Acts 14:8-11 (8)And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

Imagine the setbacks to the early church if they tried to heal someone and the healing did not happen? It would have been the same for them as it is today when false healers exploit the desperate and needy and then the "press" gets latched onto the story. What results? Another black eye for Christianity results. For this reason they had the ability to perceive whether someone had the faith to be made well.

Since they had that ability back then, to see that people had faith to be healed, why does that same ability not occur today when people are trying to heal?

Answer
Hi John

I think we need to realise that these days we are in are different days from the days of the Apostles. Different in the level of faith in those ministering and different in the faith of those being ministered to. Healing in the days of the Apostles was a necessity, the possibility of being healed through medical science did not exist and the news of miracle healings spread quickly. When was the last time you were told of a miracle healing, even when it happens the media do not report it.

When I pray for healing I rely on my faith, and on God. I don't wait under success is certain, until I am imbured with knowledge from God of the persons condition, spiritual or otherwise. If healing doesn't take place, it is neither my failure or the failure of God. We mustn't be over spiritual about these things, healing is one of the gifts of the Spirit and therefore those who have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit should exercise these gifts freely