Faith
Jesus made it clear many times that people needed faith to be healed.
For instance, he told a woman suffering from internal bleeding: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering’ (Mark 5. 34).
In contrast, Matthew 13:58 says he did not do many miracles in his home town because of their lack of faith.
Many Christians struggle with the idea of faith, but God makes it as easy as possible. That’s why Jesus said we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains.
In Matthew15:30, huge crowds of sick and disabled people came to Jesus and they were all healed.
So, they must have had faith, otherwise they would have gone home sick. And most of them were ordinary people, the same as us.
They had heard Jesus’ reputation and believed he would heal them, because he healed everyone else. It was simple.
I find the word faith is easier to grasp if I swap it with the word EXPECT. I expect Jesus to heal me because the Bible promises that he will.
So, we can ask him to heal us, and he will. It’s up to him how he does it. Sometimes he heals people instantly, other times healing involves a recovery. Occasionally, it is conditional on repentance.
But Jesus has a personal treatment plan for everyone who expectantly asks him.
Cleland Thom helps to lead Freedom Church, a praying community based in England.