Do you believe John 3:16? Then why isn’t Mark 16:17–18 your daily life?
Hi, I’m Addison. You’re reading (or listening to) Bigger Than Me—a weekly guide devoted to removing the fears, doubts, and misconceptions that keep believers from healing the sick in everyday life.
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(Unsure if modern healing is something the Bible actually teaches? Start here.)
I woke up expecting a text…
nothing.
I checked my phone again a little later.
Still nothing.
The night before, some friends had called me about a man from their church who had just died in the hospital.
On the surface, his situation had gone well.
The surgery was successful.
Recovery looked normal.
Then, within 10 minutes, he was gone.
All hope wasn’t lost though.
We’d seen miracles before.
A year earlier, these same friends prayed for another man with no detectable brain activity.
The next day he woke up.
We believed this would be no different.
We prayed for nearly an hour, commanding the man to wake up in Jesus’ name.
By the end of the call, everything felt settled.
Then morning came.
Nothing.
I texted my friends for an update.
No news from the hospital.
Crickets from the church.
He really was gone.
I got in my car, drove to a quiet park, then paced.
Back and forth.
Confused and angry.
I paced and prayed and prayed and paced.
I argued out loud,
until my scowl softened.
My thoughts slowed.
And I could breathe again.
“I Need An Answer”
When our expectations aren’t met, the pressure to explain mounts.
Especially with healing.
You pray.
You believe.
You step out.
Then sometimes,
Nothing changes.
No miraculous healing,
no sudden waking,
no witnessing, praise or elation,
just uneasy questions.
There is tension as we wait for answers.
“Why didn’t it work?” feels vulnerable.
Unfinished.
So we fill in the blanks with our own explanations:
“God was teaching something to them”
“Healing isn’t always His will.”
“Expecting miracles too confidently is dangerous.”
Our questions get all their awkward, jagged edges sanded off.
Until we’re left with a digestible answer that lets us move on.
I Don’t Know
There are plenty of things I don’t understand.
I don’t know why some people's healing seems straightforward while others struggle.
I don’t know why certain people wake up and others don’t.
The questions come back often.
In those moments I try to reflect on what I do know.
I know God is love.
I know Jesus has given us authority to heal.
And I know I’ve seen too much to believe Holy Spirit won’t heal when we act.
I recall all God has done,
then I dive right back in.
It keeps disappointment from becoming doctrine.
And it keeps His love at the center.
And that’s good enough for me.
A Prayer for Staying Softhearted
Original graphic by Bryan Arcebal
“Dear Father,
Thank You that You are good.
Thank You that You have not changed.
Thank You that You are still Jehovah Rapha.
Jesus, thank You for Your heart.
For being my life,
my voice,
and my hands for healing.
The compassion You revealed is still true.
Holy Spirit, thank You that You still lead me in Your will.
I won’t let disappointment make me retreat.
I won’t build new theology around disappointment.
And I won’t treat unanswered questions
like they cancel out what You’ve said.
I will trust You and keep going, Lord.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.”
Until next time,
Addison
