Faith Comes by Love: Jesus’ Compassion as Key to Healing

Why do we pray for the sick? Because it reflects the heart of our God, who has compassion for the sick and desires to save the lost. Throughout Scripture, we see Jesus moved with compassion for the hurting. If Jesus had compassion, then the Father has compassion, because He is the exact image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

Some argue that Jesus healed only to prove His divinity, but that’s not entirely true. Many times, He healed out of compassion, even performing miracles away from the public eye and instructing people not to tell anyone. This is not what you would do if your goal was to publicize your miracle ministry.

Once, when confronted by the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath, Jesus compared it to rescuing a sheep that had fallen into a well. Everyone knew that saving a life takes precedence over religious rituals. He didn’t justify His actions by saying, “It’s important for everyone to know I’m the Messiah.” Instead, He pointed out that if it’s right to help an animal on the Sabbath, how much more appropriate it is to help a human being?

Repeatedly, Jesus rebuked the hardness of human hearts, showing how far they had drifted from God’s heart. Healing is an expression of God’s character and nature, who suffered immeasurably to make us whole. By embodying that same heart of compassion, we represent our Lord in the right way.

On one mission trip, I had a moving dream. I was praying for the sick in a healing line at a church. I came to a man holding his 2-year-old son with Down syndrome. The boy’s eyes were misaligned. I prayed for him, but nothing happened. Feeling discouraged, I began to leave, but the boy grabbed my shirt and hugged me. I hugged him—without praying—and God’s love flowed through me. When I looked into his eyes, they were perfectly straight, and he was completely healed.

I woke up and heard God say, “Faith comes by love.” That day, I witnessed more healings than I had ever seen before, sensing God’s love for the lost.

Let me ask you: Will God’s heart motivate you to pray for the sick in His name, representing His heart of compassion?