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.)
Original graphic by Bryan Arcebal
The healing that almost made me quit didn’t happen in a church.
It happened on a Zoom call with my friend Amanda.
A group of us had jumped on to pray for her rapidly deteriorating hearing.
It wasn't a dramatic affair.
No shouting.
No theatrics.
Just quiet, confident prayer.
And we saw progress.
Some of her hearing had returned.
Maybe ten… twenty percent.
It felt like a light at the end of the tunnel.
We wrapped up that call encouraged—expecting a testimony of complete healing the next day.
Then weeks passed.
Nothing.
Worse than nothing.
Her hearing was now worse than when we started.
Determined to help, I met with my friend Anne, and we spent a long call praying for Amanda over the phone again.
This time was different.
We listened intently for God’s instruction.
Responded to everything we felt God was leading us to do.
Pressed in harder.
No progress.
Anne and I looked at each other when it was over.
Neither of us spoke, but we both felt the weight of disappointment.
Over the next month, I stewed.
Every time Amanda’s deafness came to mind, the sting of failure followed.
I checked my motives with God.
Prayed for clarity.
Re-read scripture.
Still, no answer satisfied me.
Fed up, I called Amanda back, this time with a much simpler plan:
Attack, attack, attack.
No more waiting.
No more easing into the process.
No excuses.
Whatever had taken Amanda’s hearing was going to feel God’s wrath, I was sure of it.
After more than an hour of relentless prayer, not a single move. Not a single sign.
Somewhere in the middle of all the pressing, persistence, and
trying to make the problem submit to God’s truth, something in me started to give.
Disappointed and worn down from the strain, I thanked Amanda and tried to end the call on a high note.
Despite the chipper goodbye, I felt like a shriveled, deflated balloon
I didn't stop praying in the following months.
Whether it was out of habit or obligation, my enthusiasm was fading.
I had to force myself to do it.
And when I didn’t—when I hesitated or stayed quiet—the condemnation I thought I had left behind came back louder than ever.
The doubts got louder too.
About everything.
Until an inescapable one bubbled to the surface:
“What if I’m just wrong about this?”
What if I misunderstood something?
What if healing isn’t supposed to work the way I thought?
What if all those other people really weren’t healed and were just placating me?
What if I’m just a zealous kid who’s out of his depth?
A little while later I learned Amanda had surgery to put in a cochlear implant.
It was over.
And I didn’t know what to do.
Or what to believe anymore.
When Nothing Happens
When nothing changed, something still moved.
Not in Amanda’s ear canal.
But in me.
I replayed it.
The prayer. The word choices. My tone. The moment.
I started looking for what went wrong.
And since I didn’t see anything…
I started looking at what I believed.
Maybe I missed something critical.
Maybe I pushed too hard.
Maybe I read it wrong.
And then:
“Maybe I just don’t understand what God wants after all.”
God Hasn’t Changed
Jesus shows us exactly what God is like.
He made it clear.
I may not understand why something didn’t happen.
I may not understand why it got worse.
But that doesn’t change what He’s already shown.
Jesus didn’t heal people sometimes.
He didn’t pick and choose.
He healed them.
All of them.
Every time.
That is what God is like.
He didn’t just show us—
He told us to do the same.
The same Jesus who said whoever believes in Him has eternal life (John 3:16)
is the same Jesus who said those who believe will lay hands on the sick and see them recover. (Mark 16:17-18)
If I believe Him for salvation,
I’m not going to stop believing Him for this.
I’m not going to rewrite His words
to make my experience easier to explain.
I can live with not knowing why.
I’m not blaming Amanda.
I’m not blaming God.
And I’m not condemning myself.
I’ll keep learning.
I’ll keep trusting.
I’ll keep doing what He told me to do.
Because I have a good Father.
A Prayer for Trusting What God Said
Original graphic by Bryan Arcebal
“Dear Father,
Thank You for who You are.
You are good.
You are consistent.
And You have not changed.
Jesus, You are the perfect picture of the Father.
What You revealed is still true.
I believe what You said.
I believe that through You I am saved.
And I believe that through You I’ve been sent.
You didn’t speak in theory.
You made a promise.
You said those who believe would lay hands on the sick
and see them recover.
I trust You.
I’m not backing off of that.
I’m not redefining it.
And I’m not letting my experience rewrite what You said.
I don’t need to understand everything
to stick with what You’ve made clear.
Thank You that I am in You.
That Your Spirit lives in me.
My hands are not my own.
You work through me.
I will lay hands on the sick.
And I will expect them to recover.
Not because of me—
but because I trust You to keep Your word.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Until next time,
Addison
How To Command Healing
Here’s a simple guide to start healing in Jesus’ name today:
Ask what’s wrong and have the person gauge pain or severity.
Ask to pray for them.
In the prayer:
Declare that the Kingdom of God is here and sickness can’t stay
Directly command the problem to leave in Jesus‘ name
Directly command the body to heal in Jesus’ name
Have them test it and gauge improvement (if they can)
Listen for direction from God, then pray again if He tells you.
Stand in confidence once God says it’s done.
Witness and invite Holy Spirit to stay (if they’re not a believer already)
Take the experience to prayer to hear from God afterward.
If you want deeper answers including more detailed steps, I’ve put together a full training resource and FAQ here:
Have you tried laying hands on the sick?
Still Carrying Questions About Healing?
What do you do when nothing changes…
and you’re left trying to figure out what that means about God?
If you’ve ever walked away from a moment like that thinking,
“Maybe I misunderstood something,”
you’re not alone.
That’s exactly why I wrote In Jesus’ Name: A Divine Healing Guide.
This isn’t a quick answer or a feel-good devotional.
It’s a clear, Scripture-based foundation for understanding:
what Jesus revealed about God
what He actually promised
and how to move forward without rewriting Him to fit your experience
If you want clarity you can actually stand on—
this is where to start.
You Weren’t Meant to Work Through This Alone
Moments like this can get quiet.
You don’t always say it out loud—
but something starts shifting underneath:
“What do I actually believe now?”
Inside the Bigger Than Me Community,
you’ll find people walking through that same tension—
learning how to stay anchored in truth
while continuing to step out and pray with confidence.
We’re not here to explain everything away.
We’re here to learn, grow, and walk it out together.
If you don’t want to navigate this alone—
come join us.
