Short answer

Yes. Jesus healed the sick, told His followers to do the same, and has not changed. We believe healing is provided for in what Jesus did on the cross, and we pray for the sick expecting God to act. We also trust Him when healing does not come in the way or time we hoped.

Jesus the healer

Healing was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. Matthew records that he healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: He took our illnesses and bore our diseases (Matthew 8:16-17). Healing was not a sideline; it was a sign that God’s kingdom had come and that Jesus cares for whole people, body and soul.

He sent His disciples out to heal (Luke 9:1-2), and the book of Acts shows the church continuing that ministry after His ascension (Acts 3:6-8). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Provided for in the cross

Isaiah wrote of the suffering servant that with his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). We believe that Jesus’ death dealt with the whole consequence of sin, including sickness, and that healing flows from the cross. That is why we pray for the sick with confidence, not as an experiment.

How we pray, and when healing does not come

James gives the pattern: Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up (James 5:14-15). We do this. We also thank God for doctors and medicine, which are His gifts too.

Not everyone we pray for is healed in this life, and we will not pretend otherwise. Paul himself lived with an unhealed thorn and heard God say, My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). Full healing for every believer is certain in the resurrection; some of it we see now, and we keep asking. If you are ill, let us pray with you.

How this connects across the Bible

The Bible is one story. Here is how this theme runs from the Old Testament to Jesus:

  • God revealed Himself to Israel as the LORD who heals (Exodus 15:26); David praises Him as the one who heals all our diseases (Psalm 103:3).
  • Isaiah promised the servant would bear our sicknesses and sorrows (Isaiah 53:4-5); Matthew says Jesus’ healings fulfil that promise (Matthew 8:17), and Peter links it to the cross (1 Peter 2:24).
  • Isaiah foresaw the day when the blind would see and the lame would leap (Isaiah 35:5-6); Jesus points John the Baptist to exactly those signs (Matthew 11:4-5).
  • The bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness brought healing to those who looked (Numbers 21:8-9); Jesus says He will be lifted up in the same way for eternal life (John 3:14-15).
  • The story ends with the tree of life whose leaves are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).

What we believe at Spring Valley

We believe that deliverance from sickness, by divine healing, is provided for in the atonement, and that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including gifts of healing, operate in the church today.

Our full Statement of Faith

Your next step

If you or someone you love is sick, send us a prayer request or ask for prayer on a Sunday; the elders will pray for you and anoint you with oil if you wish. Read Why does God allow suffering? for the bigger picture.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Read the Bible free in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English and many more languages at bible.com.