Identification

• Different forms of healing are mentioned in the Bible. Jesus frequently healed people with physical ailments (Matthew 9:35). Jesus also healed people who were possessed by demons. Some demon situations sound like physical healing (possibly epilepsy), such as in Matthew 17:14-20. Other demon situations sound like emotional healing, such as in Mark 5:1-20. The Bible emphasizes God's desire to provide emotional healing in Isaiah 61, where God expresses His desire to "bind up the brokenhearted" (verse 1) and "comfort all who mourn" (verse 2).
  
  

Size

• According to the Bible, healing is not limited to individuals. Healing also takes place as a group or as a society. In Jeremiah 8:21-22, God asks why there is no healing for the wounds of His people. In Jeremiah 33:6-7, God says that He will heal His people, bring them back from captivity and rebuild them as they were before. Revelation 22:2 talks about the "healing of the nations." Healing can be much larger than meeting individual needs.
  
  

Significance

• The Bible identifies the gift of healing as one of the spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12. Jesus repeatedly healed people by laying his hands upon those in need (Luke 4:40). Jesus expects us to do the same. In John 14:12, the Bible records Jesus saying, "anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing." Jesus went on to say that we would do even greater things than he did, which implies that the spiritual gift of healing is one of those tasks (John 14:12).
  
  

Considerations

• The Bible mentions the healing power of the tongue several times. We can use our words to bring healing to others. In Proverbs, the Bible mentions the healing power of the tongue: "tongue of the wise brings healing" (12:18); "tongue that brings healing is a tree of life" (15:4); "pleasant words are ... healing to the bones" (16:24). While our words can bring healing to others, the Bible warns us in James 3 to be wary of the destruction that our words can bring as well.
  
  

Benefits

• According to the Bible, healing glorifies God and brings His people back to Him. In John 9, the Bible shares the account of Jesus healing a man who was born blind. In verse 3, Jesus said the man had been born blind so that "the work of God might be displayed in his life." In Isaiah 61:3, the Bible shares some of the benefits of healing, including "gladness" and praise. God's healing ultimately results in "everlasting joy" (Isaiah 61:7). Those who have been the most broken are the ones who can most appreciate the healing power of God.