Is it possible to not receive physical healing due to a lack of faith?

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Throughout the gospel passages, Jesus mentions expressions such as “it shall be done according to your faith” “your faith has made you whole” “did I not tell you if you believe you will see the glory of God”

Is is true that you need faith to be physically healed?
 
That’s a very good question. The Bible quotes Christ saying “Your faith has healed you.” Scripture does seem to indicate that faith is useful, if not absolutely necessary, to receive physical healing.

I think that we can say from experience that people with various faiths and levels of faith have been healed by the Holy Spirit.

My opinion is that nothing is impossible for God. He works His miracles for reasons that we don’t comprehend. My opinion is also that a person with very strong faith can help a person who has weak faith. After all, we are all part of the same Body.
 
Gut_Check said:
Throughout the gospel passages, Jesus mentions expressions such as “it shall be done according to your faith” “your faith has made you whole” “did I not tell you if you believe you will see the glory of God”

Is is true that you need faith to be physically healed?
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That’s a real loaded question. The answer is “No”, but it is more complicated than just that answer.
  1. You do not need faith to be healed…we can pray that a baby can be healed (my wife and I are doing that now for a newly-born grand-niece).
  2. Because you have faith…even strong faith…you may not be healed. We do not know the mind of G-d. Remember St. Paul, who prayed to be healed, and who was not healed, he realized, for a higher purpose.
  3. Sometimes the healing may not be physical, but the soul is healed and reconciled to the inevitability of death, or continued sickness, or continued pain.
Our prayer must always be for “G-d’s will to be done.” That is our Faith.
 
Gut_Check said:
Is is true that you need faith to be physically healed?
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Yes, I think generally that is true. You need some faith because asking God for healing requires faith to even ask. The more faith the more the result because God is clearly moved by faith as shown in the bible examples you quoted. And, the more persistent the more the result. Think of the parable of the corrupt judge and the persistent woman. The lesser the faith and persistence then the lesser of a result in general. Scripture says that in certain places that even Jesus could not perform any miracles there because of their lack of faith (Mt 13:58).

However, this does not limit God’s sovereign will. If it is God’s will to heal even an atheist then it would be done. Conversely if someone had faith to move mountains but what he was asking was against God’s will it would not happen.

For example, I could have faith to move mountains and ask God for it to rain for 40 days and 40 nights to flood the world in order to get rid of all wickedness on earth, like abortions. We know that such a flood is not going to happen because it would be against God’s will. God promised he would not bring another world wide flood as in the days of Noah. And, such a flood would mean many innocent lives would be killed including good Catholics. So it wouldn’t make much sense. Thus, despite having all kinds of faith it would not happen because it is not God’s will.

If God doesn’t move to heal us, it still may be his will to heal us. But, he is wanting you to mature in your faith or holiness before doing so. Suffering can be a tool for discipline to holiness (see Heb 12:10). Thus, if God was to magically take away all our suffering we could not be purged of our tendency to sin (1 Pt 4:1). And, we could never experience the consequences of our actions like a father disciplining his child would experience. In fact it says that God disciplines those he loves for our own good (Heb 12:6) . And, if we were not disciplined we are not sons but bastards (heb 12:8).

In Catholic teaching suffering is also redemptive. We can offer our suffering up to Christ to unite with his suffering on the cross for others salvation.
 
Somebody has to have faith enough to ask and believe, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the person needing the healing. There are accounts in the Gospels of people who were healed because of the faith of others.
 
DaveBj said:
Somebody has to have faith enough to ask and believe, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be the person needing the healing. There are accounts in the Gospels of people who were healed because of the faith of others.
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“Lord, just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
👍
 
fisherman_carl said:
Yes, I think generally that is true. You need some faith because asking God for healing requires faith to even ask. The more faith the more the result because God is clearly moved by faith as shown in the bible examples you quoted. And, the more persistent the more the result. Think of the parable of the corrupt judge and the persistent woman. The lesser the faith and persistence then the lesser of a result in general. Scripture says that in certain places that even Jesus could not perform any miracles there because of their lack of faith (Mt 13:58).

However, this does not limit God’s sovereign will. If it is God’s will to heal even an atheist then it would be done. Conversely if someone had faith to move mountains but what he was asking was against God’s will it would not happen.

For example, I could have faith to move mountains and ask God for it to rain for 40 days and 40 nights to flood the world in order to get rid of all wickedness on earth, like abortions. We know that such a flood is not going to happen because it would be against God’s will. God promised he would not bring another world wide flood as in the days of Noah. And, such a flood would mean many innocent lives would be killed including good Catholics. So it wouldn’t make much sense. Thus, despite having all kinds of faith it would not happen because it is not God’s will.

If God doesn’t move to heal us, it still may be his will to heal us. But, he is wanting you to mature in your faith or holiness before doing so. Suffering can be a tool for discipline to holiness (see Heb 12:10). Thus, if God was to magically take away all our suffering we could not be purged of our tendency to sin (1 Pt 4:1). And, we could never experience the consequences of our actions like a father disciplining his child would experience. In fact it says that God disciplines those he loves for our own good (Heb 12:6) . And, if we were not disciplined we are not sons but bastards (heb 12:8).

In Catholic teaching suffering is also redemptive. We can offer our suffering up to Christ to unite with his suffering on the cross for others salvation.
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Ah, does it take more faith to be healed or “be saved”?

If one does not have enough faith to be healed, then are they unsaved because they don’t have enough faith? Which is the greater outcome? healing or salvation?
 
how much faith did the dead man have who was tossed into a cave on a prophets bones?
 
Big_Dummy said:
Ah, does it take more faith to be healed or “be saved”?

If one does not have enough faith to be healed, then are they unsaved because they don’t have enough faith? Which is the greater outcome? healing or salvation?
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Salvation is a gift of grace. Supernatural faith is given as part of our salvation when we are given supernatural grace.

As far as having enough faith. Jesus said if you have the faith of a mustard seed you could say to a mountain throw yourself in the sea and it would do it. Jesus often uses hyperbole to make a point. He is not advocating throwing mountains into the sea. But, Jesus seems to think that if you have even a small amount of faith you can accomplish much. Not because we bring so much to the table, after all, all we have is a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed. No, it is because God takes our small act of faith and multiplys it many fold. We can humbly give ourselves to him for our salvation, trusting in him, and he produces much fruit. Those who hear the word and understand it produce much fruit.

So it does not require much faith if God is producing the results.
 
The answer is that HEALING is a MYSTERY that man will never understand. God Heals according to His will. As a minister of healing prayer, I write here today to testify and to bear witness to you that I have seen the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the captives set free. I have even experienced stage 4 cancers healed. Mission trips to Brazil and other countries experience thousands healed of inflictions. Over one thousand were recently healed at a Voice of the Apostles conference in Lancaster, Pa. The level of faith has something to do with it but the Lord heals sovereignly those of little faith. Through healing, God draws us closer to intimacy with his heart. No one can deny His existence after they receive healing and experience His love.
 
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