Healing Stories in the Bible and What They Mean for You

Bible Promises on Healing

• God can heal us (Exodus 15:26; Exodus 23:25)
• God is willing to heal anyone who comes to Him in faith (Matthew 8:5-18)
• God offers us healing and relief even when our troubles are caused by our own poor choices (Psalms 107:19-21)
• God will restore our health and heal our wounds (Jeremiah 30:17; Psalms 41:3)
• God is close to the brokenhearted and heals those with crushed spirits (Psalms 34:17-22)
• God wants to heal you, forgive you of sin, and crown you with love (Psalms 103:2-4)
• God offers rest to the weary (Matthew 11:28-29)
• We can trust God to heal and uplift us (Psalm 42:11)
• When we feel weak, we can lean on God for strength (Psalms 73:26; Philippians 4:13)
• Though circumstances might be difficult, we can find hope in the fact that God will ultimately deliver us from our troubles (John 16:33)
• God will give us peace (Philippians 4:7)
• God’s people will be given immortal bodies that will never become sick or old (1 Corinthians 15:53-55)
• God’s people will one day live in a world free of sin, pain, sickness, and death (Revelation 21:4)

Before we jump into this topic, we want to note that this article is not intended to provide medical or mental health advice. It is also not meant to take the place of medical help or professional therapy.

In fact, God often works to provide healing through professionals who have the skills to meet our particular needs. He uses many different means to bring us strength or healing, so seeking help is not a lack of faith.

With that said, let’s start with an overview of this topic in the Bible.

What does the Bible say about health and healing?

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We often think of healing as the complete removal of physical illness or injury. But in the Scriptures, healing involves the restoration of physical, mental, and spiritual health. It covers everything that makes us human.

The reason for this is that the Bible recognizes the connection between our bodies, minds, and souls—or our spiritual condition (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23).

John also expresses his desire for us to have health in body and soul when he writes:

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul” (3 John 2: 2, ESV).

So, beyond spirituality, the Bible addresses our physical health because of how it impacts our spiritual and mental health, and vice versa.

Jesus said that part of His mission on earth is to help us have a full and satisfying life (John 10:10).

And a good description of a full life is thriving physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Let’s begin with physical healing.

Physical healing

Physical healing is the restoration of the different parts of our bodies to normal functioning. It involves recovering from diseases that cause us pain and suffering.

Many Bible stories tell of people being healed of diseases and disabilities.

Examples include:

• The blind seeing (John 9:1-38)
• The lame walking (Acts 3:1-9)
• The deaf hearing (Mark 7:31-37)
• The mute speaking (Matthew 9:32-33)
• The crippled regaining full function (Luke 13:10-17)
• The paralyzed being restored (Matthew 9:1-8)
• The lepers being healed (2 Kings 5:1–27; Matthew 8:2-4)

We’ll dig into some of these stories in a bit.

Mental healing

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It can be intriguing just how much the Bible has to say about mental health.

We find an example of depression in Elijah when he ran away from Jezebel.

Or in Jeremiah, when he felt the highly discouraging tension between God’s plans and the stubbornness of his own people.

Of anxiety in Martha when she was overwhelmed by hosting her guests.

Of mental distress in David, who was burdened with the responsibilities of leadership and constant threats from his enemies.¹

And just like physical healing, we have many examples of people being healed of mental burdens in the Bible:

• Jesus defended a woman who was being criticized by His disciples (Mark 14:3-9)

• Elisha helped a widow and her sons pay their debt and get out of a desperate situation (2 Kings 4:1-7)

• God helped Elijah find relief from his mental depression so he could move on (1 Kings 19:1-18)

• Jesus relieved a distressed father by healing his epileptic son (Matthew 17:14-18)

• After Peter denied knowing Jesus, he felt heavy with guilt and shame. But Jesus approached him after His resurrection, reaffirmed their bond, and sent Peter on with a powerful commission (John 21:15-19).

Jesus offers us this same mental healing today.

Many of us struggle with stress, depression, and anxiety. But God does not leave us to fight these battles alone.

His Word provides us with principles for comfort and healing we can follow to set out on a healthier path. He also offers to strengthen us and bring us through difficult situations with the encouragement that He has overcome the world, and will one day give us eternal life in which we will no longer experience fear, worry, sadness, or grief (John 16:33; Revelation 21:4).

Above all, He wants to draw us to His presence where we can experience “abundant joy” and “eternal pleasures” (Psalm 16:11, CSB).

It’s through learning to trust God that we’re able to experience a “joy of living” that boosts our sense of well-being and has a ripple effect on our overall health. The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, knew this when he wrote:

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22, NASB).

Most of us have experienced this reality—the more joyful we are, the healthier we feel. And the more sorrowful we are, the more likely we are to feel depleted or even become sick.

When the Bible talks of the “heart” here, it doesn’t mean our physical heart, but the inner person, mind, understanding, soul, memories, thinking, emotions, passions, and the seat of courage.²

So when we have a “broken spirit,” it means that the core of who we are is broken.

Yet, one of the reasons Jesus came to earth was “to heal the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18, NKJV).

The examples of healing we see in the Bible demonstrate that God isn’t just interested in our physical health. He cares about our mental health, too. He doesn’t just want to heal our bodies—He wants to repair our broken hearts and bring us joy and peace.

On top of that, He wants to restore us spiritually.

Spiritual healing

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Beyond healing of the body and the heart, the Bible points to an even deeper need—spiritual healing.

This gift, which comes through Christ, is mentioned in Isaiah 53. Talking of Christ, it says:

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, NASB).

The healing that Jesus secured for us through His physical pain and suffering is first of all healing of the soul.

It’s a cleansing from the things that cause our very core to ache.

Things like guilt, shame, and regret for rebellion against God’s ways. And the depression and anxiety that come as a result of living in a broken and sinful world, full of restlessness and evil.

Jesus paid for the evil in the world and for our offenses and selfishness—the very things that cause disease of the soul and can even lead to mental and physical illnesses.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we receive forgiveness and restoration while also finding peace and true rest that the world can’t give us.

And as we’ll see in the examples, every time Jesus healed people, He addressed this aspect of health.

Examples of healing in the Bible

Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible contain many stories of people being made well. While Jesus is the ultimate healer, His disciples, and even the Old Testament prophets, healed others through the power of God too.

Here are some of those stories.

Jesus’ healing miracles

A key part of Jesus’ ministry was healing. When He was on earth, He was ever-ready to heal and sympathize with the sick and diseased—no matter their circumstances.

And when He healed people, He was interested in their entire well-being—physical, mental, and spiritual.

1. Jesus restores the sight of a blind man (John 9:1-12)

Jesus met a man who had been born blind. He healed him by placing clay on his eyes and asking him to wash it off in the pool of Siloam.

Many people believed the man’s blindness was a punishment from God. It was a common belief in the Jewish culture at this time. Even Jesus’ disciples and the priests believed God inflicted people with diseases to punish them for their sins or the sins of their parents.

But Jesus corrected them and told them that the blindness wasn’t because of his or his parents’ sins. He made it clear that not every sickness or disability is the result of something someone has done.

2. Jesus heals a paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-15)

For 38 years, a paralyzed man lay near a pool named Bethesda in Jerusalem, with no one to help him. Jesus visited him and asked if he wanted to be healed, and when the man said yes, Jesus healed him.

Later on, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him:

“See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you” (John 5:14, ESV).

Jesus was interested in both his physical and spiritual restoration. He also wanted him to continue in a health-promoting lifestyle.

Jesus encouraged those He healed to do all they could to maintain good health. And for those who had diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles, He asked them to change their ways and stay away from the things that led to the disease.

3. A paralyzed man is made well (Luke 5:17-26)

One day, as Jesus taught in a packed house, a paralytic was carried by his group of friends to that house.

But the friends couldn’t find a way to get past the large crowd to Jesus, so they climbed to the roof and made a hole right above where Jesus was standing. Then, they gently lowered the paralytic…right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw the faith of these friends, He said to the man:

“Your sins are forgiven you” (Luke 5:20, NKJV).

The religious leaders started questioning why He had forgiven the man (Luke 5:21), but Jesus told them He has the authority to forgive sins.

Then He went on and said to the man:

“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home” (Luke 5:24, ESV).

Here again, Jesus demonstrated interest in both spiritual and physical restoration. He first dealt with the man’s greater burden of sin and then restored his physical health.

4. Jesus heals a leper (Matthew 8:1-3)

Leprosy in the Bible generally referred to a range of serious skin diseases that were hard to cure.³

In the Jewish culture, it was often used as a symbol to describe sin because of the way it was contracted and so easily spread. It was a horrible and highly infectious, degenerative disease.

In fact, lepers had to live as outcasts. They weren’t allowed to come close to healthy people, and no one was allowed to touch them either.

But going against these restrictions, a man with leprosy came to Jesus—who he felt was his only chance. The leper “knelt before Him, saying, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean’” (Matthew 8:2, CSB).

Jesus also went against the set “rules” and compassionately touched him to heal him.

But in order to get him accepted by the rest of the community, Jesus asked him to get an “examination.” The priests would examine him and verify that he was fully healed and safe to be around (Matthew 8:4).

By asking him to follow these procedures, Jesus helped restore the man to a position of acceptance in the community—essential to social healing as well.

5. Jesus cures a woman who bled for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34)

An unnamed woman had suffered from constant bleeding for 12 years. In Jewish society, she was an outcast. She had spent all her money going to doctors and trying to get help, but nothing worked.

Jesus was her last glimmer of hope. Despite her social standing, she made her way through the crowds, determined to reach Jesus. She told herself, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well” (Mark 5:28, NASB).

And when she did, she was cured instantly.

But when she tried to sneak away unnoticed, Jesus asked who had touched Him. So the woman came forward and told her story. Jesus reassured her:

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be cured of your disease” (Mark 5:34, NASB).

What a tender Healer!

We can be encouraged that when we come to God in faith with our needs, He will be compassionate, assuring us of His peace, too.

6. Jesus cures a demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-20)

In the country of the Gadarenes, Jesus met a fierce man with an “unclean spirit.” He lived at a cemetery, and no one could tie him up—even with chains. He cried all day and night and cut himself with stones.

When Jesus approached him, the legion of demons within him spoke and identified Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus then commanded them to leave him and enter into pigs that were feeding nearby.

After the demons were cast out, the man was “sitting and clothed and in his right mind” again (Mark 5:15, NKJV).

This story is an example of someone who was healed of a serious mental and spiritual disease. Jesus restored him completely, demonstrating His absolute power over demonic forces.

Healing by Jesus’ disciples and other New Testament apostles

The disciples of Jesus also performed healing miracles—both while Jesus was on earth and after He went back to heaven.

Let’s look at some examples.

1. Disciples healing while Jesus was still with them

There were two occasions when Jesus sent out His disciples to heal and cast out demons in His name. These instances are in Mark 6:7-13 and Luke 10:1-23.

In Mark 6: 7-13, Jesus sent out the 12 disciples. As part of their mission, they “cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13, NKJV).

In Luke 10:1-23, Jesus sent out 70 disciples as missionaries to neighboring cities. When they returned from the mission, they joyfully reported that “even the demons are subject to us in Your name!” (Luke 10:17, NKJV).

Both of these stories are evidence of the incredible healing that can take place in the name of Jesus. In this way, God is able to work through other human beings to bring us healing.

2. Peter and Paul healing after Jesus’ ascension

Believers, like Peter and Paul, healed people even after Jesus had ascended to heaven.

In Acts 3:1-10, Peter and John encountered a lame beggar who had never walked before. But Peter told him, “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6, NKJV). And to everyone’s amazement, the man stood up, “and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8, NKJV).

God healed people through Paul too. “God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11-12, NKJV).

Both of these stories reveal God’s limitless power to heal—through other people (or even the things other people touch!).

Besides appearing in the New Testament, stories of healing are also recorded in the Old Testament.

Healing stories of prophets in the Old Testament

Healings did not start in the time of Jesus. Before then, God worked through prophets who performed incredible miracles, even bringing the dead back to life.

We’ll look at some of these stories:

1. The prophet Elijah healing the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24)

During a famine in Israel, the prophet Elijah stayed with a widow and her son in a region called Zarephath. God provided food for them so that they didn’t starve.

While he was there, the widow’s son became sick and died, so Elijah cried out to God, and He brought the widow’s son back to life.

Through the miracle, God extended His love and care to this non-Israelite woman. She learned about the God of Israel and chose to put her faith in Him.

2. The prophet Elisha healing the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:8-37)

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During his travels, the prophet Elisha was hosted by a wealthy woman in Shunem. And since she was barren, Elisha prayed for her to conceive. God granted his request and gave the woman a baby boy.

However, when the boy grew older, he died suddenly while out working in the fields in the heat. The anguished mother saddled a donkey and rushed to find Elisha, who came and prayed for her son to come back to life.

Just like the widow of Zarephath, the Shunammite woman experienced God’s love and care for her through that miracle.

3. The prophet Isaiah healing King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38)

Hezekiah, the king of Judah, became very sick with a skin infection and was destined to die. Even the prophet Isaiah came to him and told him to prepare himself for death.

But Hezekiah turned to God and prayed to be spared. God, in His patient mercy, gave him 15 more years of life. Through Isaiah, He instructed the king to place a fig poultice on his skin, healing the infection.

4. The prophet Elisha healing the Syrian general, Naaman (2 Kings 5)

A Syrian general named Naaman went all the way to Israel for Elisha to heal him of his leprosy.

The prophet Elisha, giving glory to God, asked him to go bathe in the Jordan River seven times. And when he did, he was healed. In fact, his skin became even healthier than it was before he had leprosy!

From this story, we learn that God may sometimes use very simple things to restore health.

These examples of healing can encourage us that God still heals people even in dire circumstances. But the question may have come to your mind:

What about when God doesn’t heal?

When God doesn’t heal

Sometimes, we may feel like God doesn’t heal us or someone we love when we need Him to. But we can trust that God has our very best interest at heart, and we can be assured that healing will come—though, for various reasons, it may not come in our timing.

Notice this passage in the book of James about prayers for healing:

“Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15, CSB).

We’re assured that “the prayer of faith will save the sick.” God’s ultimate desire is to save us and give us eternal life.

But right now, we live in a sinful world—a world where good and evil exist together. Sickness and disease are part of that unfortunate reality.

Often, we won’t understand the reason we’re not being healed. And that’s hard!

But there’s one thing we can be sure of—God can take the most difficult situations and use them for good (Romans 8:28). He won’t leave you to go through pain or sickness alone (Hebrews 13:5-6).

Even in the Bible, we find situations in which people prayed for healing—and longed for it—but weren’t healed. Or the healing took longer than desired.

Paul was one of them.

He had a problem—what he called “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7, NKJV)—that some scholars believe had to do with his eyesight. He pleaded with God three times to take it away (verse 8).

But God didn’t take it away.

Instead, He told Paul that even as he struggled with it, God’s grace would be sufficient for him. Through weakness, Paul would find God’s strength revealed more perfectly through him (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Similarly, when our prayers for healing aren’t answered, it’s not necessarily because of what we’ve done or not done. It could be something God uses to make us stronger in Him.

Then, there’s the situation of Lazarus(John 11:1-44).

Lazarus, one of Jesus’ close friends, had a life-threatening sickness. His sisters sent a message to Jesus asking Him to come, no doubt hoping He would heal their brother.

But Jesus didn’t go for another four days. And by this time, Lazarus was dead.

When Jesus arrived, He showed the distressed sisters that He had a greater plan by resurrecting Lazarus.

He used this occasion to carry out His most remarkable miracle and teach an important lesson about the resurrection.

So, sometimes healing takes a long time. But even then, God still has a plan that reveals His glory (John 11:4) and brings about a favorable outcome.

So, as you pray for healing, comfort, and peace, claim His promises both for yourself and your friends who are sick. In one way or another, He will heal, restore, and strengthen!

Bible promises for healing

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The Bible contains many promises for restoration of health—physical, mental, and spiritual.

And these promises are for everyone, even if you are not a Christian. God is willing to heal anyone who comes to Him in faith (Matthew 8:5–13).

Just as God told the Israelites, He tells you, “I am the Lord, who heals you” (Exodus 15:26, NKJV).

He promised that if they remained faithful to Him, He would “take away sickness from among [them]” (Exodus 23:25, ESV).

And this is His promise to us, too.

If you are struggling with sickness, know that “the Lord will strengthen [you] on [your] bed of illness; [He] will sustain [you] on [your] sickbed.” (Psalm 41:3, NKJV).

If your heart is broken, you can be comforted that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18–22, NASB).

And if you are struggling with regret and guilt, you can praise the Lord “who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Psalm 103:3–4, NKJV).

Whatever your situation, He says:

“come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28–29, CSB).

God wants you to find healing

Sickness—whether a mystery autoimmune disease, an ongoing struggle with cancer, or a long-term disability—is never easy. And God understands that. He is there to walk with you, encourage you, and strengthen you.

You can trust God even in these hard times because one day, God will fulfill His ultimate promise to us—the promise of saving us from this world of sin and suffering. And the promise of giving us a body that will never again become sick or grow old (1 Corinthians 15:53–55).

And when God brings an end to all sin, He will comfort us forever for all we’ve been through:

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4, NKJV).

The Bible paints a picture of a God who wants your healing more than you do.

On top of healing us, He gives us promises to encourage our hearts. He even gives us wisdom to seek out the right kind of care and live out simple principles for a healthy lifestyle.

To learn more about these evidence-based principles,

1. 1 Kings 19; Luke 10:38–42; Psalm 35; 86; Jeremiah 20:14-18 and Lamentations 3:1-8 [↵]
2. “Heart,” Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009). [↵]
3. Francis D. Nichol, The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1, pp. 758-763 (Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1953). [↵]

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