How to Pray for the Sick - Practical Steps

We learned from the scriptures that God still heals, has provided healing for us, wants to use us to bring healing, and has given us authority, especially to be a powerful witness for Him. But how do I pray for the sick? The answer might surprise you because if you only use the scriptures, you’ll get a different answer than church tradition. Jesus warned in Matthew 15 that by the traditions of men, the word of God is of no effect.

Growing up in church, the only way I knew to pray was to ask and beg God, if it is His will, to stretch out His healing hand and guide the doctors. We left it in God’s hands, and whatever happened next was His will. But is this biblical? No. I studied the New Testament to find the answer, and I was surprised. They actually took Jesus' command to pray with authority literally! They spoke to the mountains they faced, not to God about the mountain. Exactly as Jesus instructed in Matthew 17:20 and other scriptures. They also laid hands on the sick as Jesus did, as mentioned in Mark 16:18.

A great example is in Acts 3, where Peter healed the lame man at the gate called Beautiful. The man didn’t ask for healing but for alms. Peter knew his authority and said he had no money, but something else—he knew he had received freely, and freely he could give. He didn’t ask God if it was His will or pray. He commanded healing in Jesus’ name! The man didn’t even express faith to be healed, but Peter didn’t care about his faith or background. He didn’t inquire about past sins or unforgiveness. He spoke with authority, took the man’s hand, and lifted him up. The man was healed.

Peter literally did as Jesus commanded: pray with authority. But honestly, this way of praying would get Peter kicked out of most churches today. When analyzing how Jesus and the disciples prayed for the sick, it was always the same—laying hands and speaking with authority to sickness or evil spirits in Jesus' name. To my surprise, when I followed Jesus' and the disciples' example, I began to see far more results than ever before!