Does God Still Heal Today? | Jason Strand

Years-old anecdotes open a reflection on the hidden supernatural realm and how modern life often looks entirely natural, even when spiritual realities press beneath the surface. The Gospel account of Jairus and the woman with a twelve-year hemorrhage anchors the exploration: Jairus, a respected synagogue leader, pleads for his dying daughter, while an anonymous outcast woman risks a tentative touch in a crowded street, believing a contact with Jesus will heal her. The woman experiences immediate restoration and publicly confesses what happened; Jesus declares, “Your faith has healed you.” Jairus receives a different miracle—what he requested as a cure becomes a resurrection—when Jesus enters the home, dismisses the commotion, takes the child by the hand and speaks, “Talitha kum,” restoring life.

Three practical truths shape the theological framework around healing. First, God often completes healing over time: some recoveries come instantly, others unfold through lifestyle changes, wise counsel, or medical means; ultimately, God promises final, perfect restoration in the new heavens and new earth. Second, trusting God with present pain matters: persistent faith does not guarantee immediate results, but it sustains worship and trust even when prayers seem unanswered, and suffering will one day enhance eternal joy rather than negate it. Third, the name of Jesus carries power, and faith frequently accompanies encounters with divine healing, but lack of immediate healing never proves spiritual failure—scripture records faithful prayers left unanswered in the present while still holding to God’s goodness.

Practical application invites confession, community prayer, and persistence. James’s instruction to call elders, anoint with oil, and offer the prayer of faith undergirds a corporate practice of intercession and pastoral care. The invitation to come forward for prayer recognizes that some will receive instant miracles, others will feel a beginning of a shift, and many will leave with renewed peace and strengthened trust in God’s faithfulness. The narrative urges readiness to reach, to believe even amid doubt, and to hold to the hope that God heals entirely—either now, progressively, or finally in eternity.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Faith can unlock God's healing Jesus links healing and faith without making faith a rigid formula. Faith here functions as trust that reaches beyond visible evidence and risks vulnerability in public space. That reaching often prompts a moment of personal acknowledgment and communal blessing, opening a door for restoration to begin. [22:33]
• 2. Believe even when answers delay Belief holds steady when outcomes differ from expectations and when prayers stretch across seasons. Trusting God in the gap prevents despair from defining experience and preserves posture toward divine goodness. Persistent faith sustains prayer, reshapes longing, and refines hope into endurance. [25:07]
• 3. Eternal healing surpasses present suffering Present pain will not be the final word; scripture promises complete restoration in the new heavens and new earth. The scars and sorrows of this life will, paradoxically, amplify eternal joy rather than cancel it. That future consummation reframes current suffering as transient and purposive. [32:03]
• 4. Invite prayer; confess and persist Healing often emerges within honest confession, communal prayer, and long-term persistence rather than instant fixes alone. James instructs believers to call the elders, anoint with oil, and pray in faith—practices that mix vulnerability with corporate intercession. Such spiritual rhythms prepare the heart to receive peace, shift, or tangible restoration over time. [45:16]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [14:56] - Bathroom story about the unseen
• [15:53] - Wrestling with natural doubt
• [18:04] - Jairus pleads for his daughter
• [19:55] - Woman with twelve-year bleeding
• [21:42] - Power released by a touch
• [23:43] - Report: daughter is dead
• [26:50] - Talitha kum: girl raised
• [29:01] - Three truths about healing
• [32:03] - Hope of eternal restoration
• [45:16] - Invitation: prayer, anointing, confessing

Based on the sermon summary and transcript, the primary biblical text is Mark 5:21-43. Additional passages that support the sermon's themes are also included.

Bible Reading
* Mark 5:21-43 (ESV): And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
* James 5:14-16 (ESV): 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. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
* Hebrews 11:6 (ESV): And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Observation questions

1. In the story from Mark 5, what were the two very different situations that caused Jairus and the unnamed woman to seek out Jesus?
2. What was the immediate result when the woman touched Jesus' cloak, and what did Jesus say was the reason for her healing? [22:33]
3. What instruction did Jesus give to Jairus when he received the news that his daughter had died? [25:07]
4. According to the teaching from James, what are the specific actions a sick person is instructed to take, and what is the role of the church elders? [45:16]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus told Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe," right after his situation appeared to become hopeless. What does this command reveal about the nature of faith when circumstances seem to contradict what we are believing God for?
2. The woman was healed the moment she touched Jesus, but he still stopped to have her publicly confess. Why was this public acknowledgment an important part of the process for her, even after she had already received her healing?
3. The sermon mentioned that God completes healing in different ways: sometimes instantly, sometimes through a process, and always completely in eternity. [32:03] How does this perspective help us understand prayers for healing that are not answered immediately or in the way we expect?
4. James 5:16 links confession of sins to prayer for healing. What might be the connection between spiritual honesty and receiving physical or emotional wholeness?

Application questions

1. The kind of faith that pleases God is the kind that keeps trusting even when an answer is delayed. [41:58] Is there a specific area in your life where you have been tempted to stop praying or believing because you haven't seen an answer? What would it look like to choose trust over despair in that situation this week?
2. Confession to God and others is presented as a step that can prepare the heart for healing. [48:44] Is there a hidden struggle, sin, or addiction you need to confess to God and perhaps to a trusted friend to experience greater freedom?
3. The story was shared of a woman who prayed for her mother for 22 years before seeing her come to faith. [44:14] Who is one person you have been praying for that you are tempted to give up on? How can this group support you in persisting in prayer for them?
4. Jesus' tender words to the little girl, "Talitha kum," show his compassion. [28:10] In the midst of your own pain or anxiety, what helps you to remember that God is not only powerful but also personally tender and caring towards you?
5. The ultimate hope is that every pain and scar will one day serve to enhance our eternal joy. [33:41] How can holding onto the promise of a future with no more tears or pain change the way you walk through a current difficulty?