Why Are Some Believers Never Healed?
1) Direct Answer
Some believers are not healed because healing works on promised grounds—faith, obedience, and a clear channel—yet God also deals as a Father, correcting, proving, and timing all things. Unbelief, unconfessed wrongs, bitterness, wrong approaches to the Lord’s Table, and the atmosphere around us can hinder. And remember, our bodies are not yet glorified; the full and final healing is guaranteed in the resurrection.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- Healing is provided:
- “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Jesus bore our sicknesses (Matthew 8:16-17). The Lord is our Healer (Exodus 15:26). The prayer of faith shall save the sick (James 5:14-16).
- Hindrances the Bible names:
- Unbelief shuts the door: In His own country “He could there do no mighty work” because of unbelief (Mark 6:5-6). A double‑minded man “let not that man think that he shall receive” (James 1:6-7).
- Unconfessed faults and broken fellowship: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16). If you’ve got something against your brother, first be reconciled (Matthew 5:23-24). Husbands, dwell rightly with your wives “that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).
- Dishonoring the Lord’s Table: “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you” for not discerning the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:29-30).
- Some conditions are direct bondage and must be driven out: a “spirit of infirmity” bound a daughter of Abraham (Luke 13:11,16). Some cases “goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).
- God’s fatherly purpose and timing:
- Sometimes it is for the works of God to be revealed (John 9:3).
- Paul’s “thorn” remained so that the Lord’s grace would be magnified (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
- The Lord chastens sons for our profit (Hebrews 12:6-11).
- Not all saints in Scripture were instantly healed:
- Trophimus was left at Miletum sick (2 Timothy 4:20).
- Timothy had “often infirmities” and stomach trouble (1 Timothy 5:23).
- The finality of healing awaits the resurrection:
- We “groan… waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). Until this mortal puts on immortality, we still fight corruption and death (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- The price is paid, but the promise is received by faith. Where unbelief or disobedience remains, the channel is clogged.
- Faith works by love; bitterness and broken relationships short‑circuit prayer.
- God has not withdrawn healing—James 5 still stands—but He reserves the right to prove us and perfect character.
- Not healed today does not mean not saved, and it does not make the promise void. Salvation is the greater gift; bodily healing is a benefit now and total at the resurrection.
4) Short Reinforcing Counsel
- Set the channel right: repent, forgive, make wrongs right (James 5:16; Matthew 5:23-24).
- Ask the elders; be anointed; expect God (James 5:14-15).
- Feed your faith on the Word; keep your confession aligned with the promise (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 10:23; Mark 11:24).
- Remove the atmosphere of unbelief; Jesus put out the scorners (Mark 5:40).
- Resist the devil; don’t watch the symptoms—hold the promise (James 4:7).
- If the answer tarries, don’t accuse God. His grace is sufficient, and the full healing of the body is certain in the resurrection.
Now notice, two errors must be rejected: saying “healing is not for today” contradicts James 5 and Hebrews 13:8; saying “if you’re not healed you lack salvation” contradicts Paul, Timothy, and Trophimus. The Bible keeps it straight: the promise stands, faith receives, sin and unbelief hinder, and God’s timing and fatherly purpose are perfect.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
What healing is
50-0808 §8
He said... That man said, "I do not believe it." I said, "It wasn't for you. It was for believers. That's who it is meant for, not for unbelievers, but to those who believe." These signs shall follow them that believe. And that's what Divine healing is based upon. Sometimes God does permit special things to happen... the faith of believer... We all believe in a measure. But maybe some have a little more faith than others. A few nights, while I'm in the preliminary part of the services while we're waiting for the cr...
Expectations
61-0308 §6
...much right to pray for the sick---or the laity---just as much as anyone else, because He said, "Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed, for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." I do believe that there's power in prayer. I've seen some very direct answers to prayer, but never healed anybody in my life. But I've seen God do a lot of it, so I believe that it's the individual's faith in a work that's already been completed. Now, you say, I'd say he...
Look away to Jesus
63-1229E §116
...ng perfectly healthy and well; sit there and criticize, and a day or two after that, be found totally blind, or stricken with a cancer, paralyzed (see), because they were unbelievers. I'm not responsible for them, only for the believers. Many of them went in the institutions many years ago, and still there. Some went to their grave. Just because of being arrogant, unbelieving. There's no place for an unbeliever now. It's a place for believers. Have faith in God!
Show us the Father and it'll satisfy us
53-0610 §91
...woman down in the city that had a--went to a Full Gospel Church. And she come up there and she said, "Lady," said, "do you believe in praying for the sick?" Said, "Well, I never heard nothing about it." Said, "Do you believe in Divine healing?" Said, "Well, our pastor never says nothing about it." Said, "Well, our pastor believes in Divine healing." Said, "Will you let him come up and pray?" She said, "Well, I don't know." Said, "Is it in the Bible?" So she turned over to Mark 16. She read it to her. "These signs...
Balm in Gilead
59-0707 §8
And now, before we turn back the pages on a little evangelistic text... And if there is many, which there is, ministers sitting here, and many listening in, no doubt... But I do not believe that divine healing is a major. And we could never major on a minor. I believe divine healing is like a man going fishing. He puts the bait on the hook. He doesn't show the fish the hook; he only shows the bait. And the fish takes the bait and gets the hook.