At three this morning, I finished watching Munich: The Edge of War, a 2021 film based on a book that tells the story of college best friends, one British and another German, who are overlooked in their political roles as they try to convince the British not to sign a peace treaty with Hitler. The inside information these young men have proves Hitler’s plan for European conquest, and signing any peace treaty would only mute people’s need to be prepared for global war and would embolden Hitler to move forward with his deceptive destruction.
The British man, a bit more hesitant to ruffle feathers with the higher-ups, recommended that they not be so drastic with their declaration of Hitler’s true plans, stating that there would always be hope that things would resolve with less brass plans. The German man responded that hope is simply waiting for someone else to do what could have already been done.
This challenged my ideas of faith and hope, particularly in relation to my Christianity. Of course, we can use hope as an excuse if we wish to be lazy concerning our call to justice. We can sit around hoping someone else will say or do the hard thing, but that’s not the living, breathing hope that God has gifted us. Biblical hope in suffering is not avoidance; it is active trust in God while we pray, obey, endure, and seek what is good.
Remember, how we use or abuse hope doesn’t mitigate its beauty and necessity. Furthermore, our fallen nature and limited power can’t rewrite the definition of what God is, and He is certainly hope. He is also Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, which means our hope is rooted not in wishful thinking but in God’s revealed character. Psalm 71:5 says, "For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth." Christian hope is not passive waiting; it is active trust in the God who heals, sustains, restores, and teaches us to pray even when suffering remains.
Can Prayer Help with Pain, Anxiety, and Suffering?
This is particularly true concerning sickness, anxiety, and pain—real human suffering that can’t always be fixed, no matter how not-so-lazy we are concerning self-care and preservation. In fact, a recent study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine shows that practicing faith and hope are proactive ways to find relief from physical and mental suffering.
The study specifically examined Christian prayer for healing in a primary care setting, comparing in-person prayer with a music-only control group. Researchers divided their test subjects into two groups: prayer and music. Following each patient’s medical visit, they either received five minutes of Christian prayer from a volunteer trained in in-person prayer, or they received five minutes of music.
Though all participants from both groups reported moderate to severe pain and anxiety (or both) prior to the study, the study found that “prayer provided greater and more sustained relief for both symptoms.”
What Does This Say about Our Total Healing?
Christian hope allows us to pray for physical and mental healing now while still remembering that complete healing belongs to eternity with Christ. Scripture is clear that our total healing, of mind, body, and spirit, won’t be complete until we are in heaven with Jesus. Isaiah 24:8 says,
"He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth."
Likewise, Revelation 21:4 declares, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
If we have such beautiful hope on the other side of this life, how should we look at earthly healing? Is it worth wishing for? Is it godly to wish for earthly healing, or should our sole focus be the ultimate healing we receive on the other side of this life? The Bible allows for both desires: we may ask God for earthly healing while setting our deepest hope on eternal healing.
Is It Wrong to Long for Healing Here and Now?
As someone who grew up in an unhealthy fundamentalist church, where legalism dictated Christian living, my younger self would have felt shame for longing for earthly healing. I would’ve believed my love for the Lord was insufficient if I wanted healing here on earth. Wishing for healing in the here and now would’ve been idolatrous. But I’ve now learned that God truly longs to give His children good things, even on earth (Matthew 7:11). Did He not grant us His Son—the best gift of all—while we were still in these mortal bodies, navigating a fallen world? Did He not leave us with the promise that we could live in freedom, here and now, because He has already overcome the world? John 16:33 says,
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Peace in Christ does not deny trouble; it gives believers courage to seek healing while trusting the One who has already overcome. Friend, this calling to take heart includes the moments of sickness, heartache, and mental anguish. We get to ask for His healing right now. Does that mean it will come as we wish? Not always. But if our hearts are desperately seeking His will, we are being restored in the spirit, day by day. We are recovering the faith, hope, and joy that our sin-sick souls once kept from us.
We are healing, either way, on this earth, so long as Christ is our Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals.
Why Hope Is Active, Not Passive
Perhaps this is what those who received the prayer after their medical appointments understood, or certainly felt. They recognized that hope, unlike the hope described in the film I watched, is very much active, as it requires us to rebuke doubt and our finite perspective to believe that God is, indeed, very good, that He longs for our healing on earth and in heaven, and that we are constantly renewed and healed so long as we can humbly declare, “Not my will, but yours, Lord” (Luke 22:42).
Prayers for Physical and Mental Healing
A prayer for the ones who seek physical healing:
Lord,
In the beginning, our bodies were created to never know pain. Cancer, diabetes, lung problems, heart issues, and everything in between weren’t part of the first story you scripted for mankind. I pray that we never forget that you are only the author of good, glorious things. May we rebuke any bitterness that the enemy tries to root inside our hearts. Instead of looking to point fingers, blame ourselves, or wallow in cynicism, may we come to you for our physical healing.
Bless our doctors, nurses, and medical teams with your wisdom and compassion as they determine the best medical treatments. May your people surround us with love and support through this season. May the church rise up and take her place in offering prayers and tangible aid. May our families, friends, and loved ones feel your undeniable peace as they fight sickness alongside us. Endow them with patience and strength that can only come from you.
Meanwhile, let us remember that, above all, we are being healed day by day so long as we lean into your love. Come what may, grant us hearts that boldly and courageously say, “Not my will, Lord, but yours” (Luke 22:42).
In your holy name, Lord,
Amen.
A prayer for the ones who seek mental healing:
Lord,
Our world is plagued with suffering, but some of it is endured in silence. Mental pain doesn’t come with a visual warning sign or symptom, so it’s easy for sufferers to feel disregarded. A Christian view of mental health and faith should never minimize hidden suffering, but should help people seek prayer, support, wise counsel, and appropriate care. Grant those with mental anguish a deep, soulful knowledge that you see them and believe their stories. You sit with them and long to enter the darkest corners of their minds to bring light, freedom, and victory.
Place supportive, uplifting family, friends, believers, and medical staff in their paths so they are fully seen, known, and loved as they seek your healing for their minds.
No matter the thoughts and feelings that plague their headspace, may they lean into the power of your Spirit and boldly proclaim that you are good and that your mercy and grace will follow them all the days of their lives (Psalm 23).
In your loving name, Lord God,
Amen.
Whether healing comes quickly, slowly, or fully only in eternity, we can keep praying because our hope rests in the God who hears, heals, and holds us.
Frequently Asked Questions about Prayer, Healing, Pain, and Anxiety
- Can prayer help with pain and anxiety?
Prayer can help people bring pain and anxiety before God with hope, trust, and dependence. It should not replace medical care, but it can be part of how Christians seek comfort, peace, and healing. - Is it wrong for Christians to ask God for healing now?
No. Christians can ask God for healing now while still trusting His timing, wisdom, and ultimate promise to make all things new. - What is the difference between earthly healing and eternal healing?
Earthly healing may come in this life through prayer, medical care, support, or restoration, but eternal healing will be complete when believers are with Christ and there is no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. - What does Jehovah Rapha mean?
Jehovah Rapha means “the God who heals.” It reminds believers that healing is part of God’s character, even when His healing does not always come in the timing or form we expect. - How should Christians pray for mental healing?
Christians can pray honestly for mental healing, ask God for peace and strength, seek support from trusted believers, and pursue wise care from qualified mental health professionals when needed.
For Further Reading
- 35 Prayers for Healing to Bring Strength and Comfort
- How to Pray for Healing
- What Does it Mean That God Is Jehovah-Rapha?
- 10 Prayers for Anxiety to Calm Your Stress and Fear
- What Does the Bible Say about Healing?
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Esther Pueyo
