When Tammy and I first stepped into ministry as youth pastors, we carried a conviction deep in our hearts: our students needed to know how to pray for the sick. Not just hear about it, not just study it in theory but practice it. We wanted them to experience the power of God with their own hands, not just their ears.
So we started teaching them, encouraging them, and most importantly letting them step out in faith. Again and again, we saw God move in powerful ways. Teenagers, who just months earlier had been timid and unsure of themselves, began to pray bold prayers and people were healed. It was a reminder that God doesn’t wait for perfect vessels; He uses willing ones.
One principle I’ve learned again and again is this: if you have a need in your life, don’t just wait for someone else to pray for you start praying for others! Often, the breakthrough you’re longing for begins when you become a vessel for someone else’s miracle.
Luke 9:1–2 tells us: “Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (NLT)
That same power and authority Jesus gave His disciples is still available today through the Holy Spirit.
I’ll never forget one young man in our youth ministry. He was very short for his age, and everyone often prayed that he would grow taller. But instead of letting him only receive prayer, I started pulling him forward to pray for others.
One night after preaching on healing, I asked him to help me pray for people at the altar. A tall, distinguished man stepped forward and quietly said, “I’m having trouble with my bowels.”
The picture is almost comical: a small boy standing before a towering man. Yet with all the boldness in the world, that boy placed his hand right where the man pointed and shouted: “Demon of the bowels, come out!”
The room broke into laughter, but the man insisted he felt better. Awkward? Yes. But here’s the truth: even in that childlike moment, God honored faith.
Years later, I arrived in Portugal for ministry and was stunned to see a headline in the local paper: “American Healing Evangelist Visits.”
I chuckled nervously and whispered, “Lord, what am I going to do? I’m not the healer you are.”
And I sensed the Lord reply: “You build their faith, and I’ll do the rest.”
So I preached on faith with all I had. At the end, I invited people forward and began laying hands on the sick. The first man in line had open sores across his face. In a broken accent, he uttered one word: “AIDS.”
My heart raced. This was no easy start. But I remembered: it wasn’t about me it was about Jesus. So I laid hands on him and prayed in the authority of Christ.
The next night he returned. The sores were closing, and fresh, baby-like skin was forming. The congregation erupted in praise. God was showing us again: when we obey His Word, His power meets our faith.
Tammy and I also believed strongly in involving our children, Daniel and Bethany, in ministry from a young age. On a mission trip to Veracruz, Mexico, they witnessed a miracle that marked them for life.
After a service, a woman came forward with a massive tumor bulging on her neck. I asked Daniel and Bethany to lay their hands directly on it as I prayed.
To their amazement, as they touched it, the tumor began shrinking beneath their hands. The woman had been told she was dying of cancer. But twelve years later, her brother found me on another trip to Mexico with tears of joy.
“Do you remember my sister?” he asked. “She’s alive, perfectly healthy, and now the mother of three children.”
That one moment gave my children a lesson no sermon alone could ever teach: the power of God is real, and He still heals today.
So how do we pray for the sick in a way that builds faith? I was taught that effective healing prayer weaves together three strands:
1. The Authority of God’s Word
“Your problem is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29, NLT)
Our prayers don’t rest on feelings they rest on the unshakable promises of God’s Word. Jesus Himself defeated Satan with, “It is written…”
2. The Power of Agreement
“If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it.” (Matthew 18:19–20, NLT)
Healing prayer is not meant to be a solo mission. Unity multiplies faith and draws heaven’s attention.
3. The Prayer of Faith
“Their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well.” (James 5:14–15, NLT)
Faith is not denial it’s declaring that Jesus’ reality is greater than sickness.
When these three strands are woven together, they form a cord that cannot easily be broken.
I’ve seen this truth play out with teenagers in a youth group.
I’ve seen it in Portugal as AIDS sores disappeared.
I’ve seen it in Mexico when my children touched a tumor and it vanished.
And I believe you can see it too.
Maybe today you’re facing a physical need. Or maybe you’re like that young man in our youth group longing for God’s touch, but God is inviting you to step out and pray for someone else.
Remember this: healing isn’t about who you are. It’s about who Jesus is.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
If He healed then, He heals now.
So take hold of His Word. Stand in agreement. Pray the prayer of faith. And watch God move.
Because the God who opened blind eyes, who cleansed lepers, who raised the dead is still the God who heals today.