If you’re facing illness, chronic pain, or waiting for physical or emotional healing, the Bible offers more than platitudes. Scripture reveals God’s heart for healing and His power to restore what’s broken. Whether you need physical healing, emotional recovery, or spiritual renewal, God sees your pain and offers hope.
In this guide, you’ll find 12 carefully selected Bible verses for healing, each with deep commentary to help you understand not just God’s power to heal, but His heart for the hurting. These verses will strengthen your faith when healing feels impossible and give you prayers to pray when you don’t know what to say.
When You Need Physical Healing
1. Jeremiah 17:14
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
This is a direct prayer for healing. Jeremiah doesn’t ask tentatively or wonder if God might heal. He asks boldly: “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed.” There’s confidence here – when God heals, healing happens. Not partial. Not temporary. Complete healing.
“You are the one I praise” connects healing to worship. Even before healing comes, Jeremiah praises God. Not because he’s in denial about his pain, but because he knows God is worthy of praise regardless of timing. Praise isn’t dependent on receiving healing. It’s the posture from which we ask for healing.
This verse gives you language when you don’t know how to pray. Simply: “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed.” That’s enough. God knows the details of what you need healed. You don’t have to explain or convince. Just ask the One who has power to heal.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Pray this verse word for word: “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed. You are the one I praise.”
- Make it specific: “Heal my [condition/injury/pain], Lord, and I will be healed.”
- Practice praising God before healing comes. Not forced positivity, but acknowledging His character and past faithfulness.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed. Heal my [specific condition]. Save me from [specific struggle]. You are worthy of praise whether healing comes today or later. You are the one I praise. Amen.”
2. Psalm 103:2-3
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
“Heals all your diseases” is a sweeping statement. Not some. Not most. All. This reveals God’s heart: He’s a healing God. It’s part of His nature. Just as forgiveness is part of who He is, so is healing. Both are benefits of knowing Him.
Notice healing is listed alongside forgiveness. God cares about your whole person – spirit, soul, and body. He doesn’t just forgive your sins and ignore your body. He sees your physical pain and wants to bring healing. Your body matters to Him.
“Forget not all his benefits” is a command to remember. When you’re in pain, it’s easy to forget what God has done. You focus on what’s broken now. This verse says: remember. Remember past healing. Remember His faithfulness. That builds faith for present healing.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Make a list of past healings – times you were sick and recovered, injuries that healed, emotional wounds that mended. Remember God’s benefits.
- Speak this as a declaration: “God forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. That’s who He is.”
- When pain makes you forget God’s goodness, recite His benefits out loud.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, I praise You. You forgive all my sins and heal all my diseases. That’s Your nature. I’m asking You to heal [specific condition] because that’s who You are. Help me remember all Your benefits, especially when pain makes me forget. Amen.”
3. Isaiah 53:5
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
This is about Jesus’ crucifixion, but it connects His suffering to our healing: “by his wounds we are healed.” Jesus’ physical suffering purchased not just spiritual salvation but physical healing. Healing is part of what the cross accomplished.
“We are healed” is present tense, not future. In God’s economy, healing is already secured through Jesus’ sacrifice. That doesn’t mean you’ll experience instant healing, but it means healing is already purchased and available. You’re not asking for something God is reluctant to give. It’s already provided through the cross.
This verse reminds you that healing isn’t about earning it or being good enough. It’s about receiving what Jesus already purchased. Your worthiness isn’t the question. Jesus’ sacrifice is enough.
How to Use This Verse Today
- When you feel unworthy of healing, remember: Jesus’ wounds purchased your healing. It’s not about your worthiness.
- Thank Jesus for bearing suffering so you could receive healing. “Thank You, Jesus, that by Your wounds I am healed.”
- Receive healing as something already provided, not something you have to convince God to give.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“Jesus, You were wounded for me. By Your wounds, I am healed. Healing is already purchased through Your sacrifice. I’m not asking You to do something new – I’m receiving what You already provided. Heal [specific condition] based on what You accomplished on the cross. Amen.”
When You Need Emotional Healing
4. Psalm 147:3
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
This verse addresses emotional wounds, not just physical ones. “Brokenhearted” describes emotional devastation – hearts shattered by loss, betrayal, rejection, trauma. If your heart feels destroyed, this verse is for you.
“Binds up their wounds” uses medical imagery. God doesn’t just comfort from a distance. He actively treats your wounds like a physician binding up injuries. He’s hands-on in your healing process, carefully tending to what’s broken.
Notice it doesn’t say “might heal” or “could heal.” It says “heals.” Present tense. This is what God does. Healing the brokenhearted is part of His ongoing work. If you’re brokenhearted, you’re exactly the kind of person God specializes in healing.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Name your emotional wounds specifically. Don’t generalize. What broke your heart? Name it.
- Ask God to bind up specific wounds: “God, bind up the wound from [betrayal/loss/rejection]. Heal this broken place in my heart.”
- Trust that emotional healing is God’s specialty. You’re not bothering Him. This is what He does.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, my heart is broken from [specific pain]. I need You to heal what feels shattered. Bind up these wounds. Tend to what’s broken. I trust that healing the brokenhearted is who You are. Do what You do best. Amen.”
5. Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
When you’re hurting emotionally, you often feel alone. This verse promises the opposite: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Not someday. Not after you heal. Right now. In your brokenness. God draws near.
“Crushed in spirit” describes that suffocating feeling when emotional pain is so heavy you can barely breathe. When your spirit feels crushed under the weight, God doesn’t stand at a distance. He comes to save – to rescue, deliver, pull you out from under what’s crushing you.
This isn’t passive comfort. “Saves” is active. God intervenes. He doesn’t just sympathize with your emotional pain. He acts to deliver you from it. That might mean immediate relief or gradual healing, but it means He’s actively working for your emotional restoration.
How to Use This Verse Today
- When you feel alone in your pain, speak this truth: “God is close to me right now. He hasn’t left me alone with this.”
- Don’t wait to feel His presence. Trust the promise even when you feel nothing. Emotional pain numbs feelings, but God’s presence remains.
- Ask God to save you from what’s crushing your spirit: “God, I need You to rescue me from this crushing weight.”
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, my heart is broken. My spirit feels crushed. But You promise to be close to people like me. I may not feel Your presence, but I’m trusting You’re near. Save me from this crushing weight. Deliver me. Pull me out from under this pain. Amen.”
When Healing Seems Delayed
6. Psalm 30:2-3
“Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared my life from going down to the pit.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
This is a testimony of healing that came. Past tense. “I called…and you healed me.” The psalmist was desperate enough to cry out, and God answered with healing. This builds faith that God does heal when we call to Him.
“From the realm of the dead” and “from going down to the pit” describe being on the brink. Life-threatening. Seemingly hopeless. Yet God brought him up. If God can bring someone from the brink of death, He can heal whatever you’re facing.
This verse reminds you that healing sometimes requires calling out to God repeatedly. “I called to you” implies persistent prayer, not a one-time ask. Keep calling. Keep asking. God hears every prayer for healing.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Make this your declaration of faith: “I am calling to You for help, and I believe You will heal me.”
- Write out this verse in present tense as a prayer: “Lord my God, I am calling to You for help. Heal me. Bring me up from [describe your situation].”
- When healing is delayed, remember: the psalmist called, then was healed. The calling came before the healing. Keep calling.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“Lord my God, I am calling to You for help. Heal me from [specific condition]. I’m asking You to bring me up from this place of pain and spare me from getting worse. I trust that when I call, You hear and will answer with healing. Amen.”
7. Isaiah 40:29-31
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
While you wait for healing, you need strength. This verse promises that God “gives strength to the weary” and “increases the power of the weak.” If illness or pain has made you weak and weary, God specializes in strengthening people like you.
“Even youths grow tired and weary” acknowledges that everyone gets depleted. Even strong, healthy people run out of strength. But “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Renewal comes from hoping in God, not from your own reserves.
The progression – soar, run, walk – matters. Some days you’re not soaring. Some days you’re not running. But you can walk. And you won’t faint. God gives enough strength for the next step, even when you can’t see the whole journey.
How to Use This Verse Today
- When you feel too weak to continue, pray: “God, I’m weary and weak. Give me strength. Renew my power.”
- Lower the bar. You don’t have to soar or run. Walking without fainting is enough. What’s the next step you can take?
- Hope as a verb. Choose to trust God’s promises even when you feel nothing.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, I’m weary from [condition/pain]. I feel weak. Give me strength. Increase my power. I’m putting my hope in You. Renew my strength. I don’t need to soar. I just need enough to keep walking without fainting. Sustain me. Amen.”
When You Need Faith to Believe
8. Mark 9:23
“‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.'”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
Jesus said this to a father asking for healing for his son. The father had doubts, and Jesus addressed them directly: “Everything is possible for one who believes.” This doesn’t mean you earn healing by believing hard enough. It means faith opens the door to God’s power.
“Everything” includes your healing. No condition is too hard. No diagnosis is beyond God’s power. No situation is hopeless. Everything is possible. The limiting factor isn’t God’s ability. It’s often our belief that He can and will.
This verse challenges you to examine your faith. Do you actually believe God can heal? Not just theoretically, but specifically your condition? If you’re struggling to believe, that’s okay – the father responded: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (verse 24). Honest doubt is acceptable. Ask God to increase your faith.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Speak this as a declaration: “Everything is possible for one who believes. I believe God can heal [specific condition].”
- If you struggle with doubt, pray honestly: “God, I believe You can heal. Help my unbelief. Increase my faith.”
- Meditate on God’s past healings (in Scripture and in your life) to build faith that He can heal again.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“Jesus, everything is possible for one who believes. I believe You can heal [specific condition]. If I have doubt, help my unbelief. Increase my faith. Remove whatever limits my ability to believe in Your healing power. Amen.”
9. James 5:14-15
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”
Why This Helps When You Need Healing
This verse gives practical instruction for seeking healing: call for prayer. Don’t suffer alone. Invite spiritual leaders to pray with you. There’s power in corporate prayer – not because more people equals more power, but because agreement in prayer reflects the body of Christ unified.
“The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” is a strong promise. Notice it’s not the sick person’s faith alone. It’s the faith of those praying. If your faith is weak, others can carry faith for you. That’s the beauty of the church.
“The Lord will raise them up” connects healing to resurrection power. The same God who raises the dead can raise you from sickness. Nothing is beyond His power. And notice: “If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” God addresses both body and soul. Complete healing.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Don’t isolate in your sickness. Reach out to spiritual leaders, mature Christians, or prayer groups. Ask for prayer.
- If you can, gather people to pray over you specifically. In person if possible. Virtual if not.
- Receive prayer with faith. Trust that when people pray in faith, God hears and responds.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, I’m calling on You and asking others to pray with me. I receive the prayers offered in faith on my behalf. Raise me up from this sickness. Heal my body. If there’s any sin, I confess it and receive forgiveness. Make me well, Lord. Amen.”
When You’re Praying for Someone Else
10. Numbers 6:24-26
“‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.'”
Why This Helps When Praying for Healing
This is the priestly blessing – words spoken over God’s people. While not specifically about healing, it’s a powerful prayer to speak over someone who needs healing. “The Lord bless you” invokes God’s favor, which includes health and wholeness.
“Make his face shine on you” means God looking on someone with favor and delight. When you pray this over someone, you’re asking God to turn His attention toward them, to see them, to care for them. That’s foundational to healing – knowing God sees and cares.
“Give you peace” addresses the emotional component of healing. Physical sickness creates emotional turmoil. This prayer asks God to grant peace even in the midst of the healing process. Peace that circumstances don’t depend on getting better immediately.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Pray this blessing word-for-word over the person you’re concerned about. Use their name.
- Speak it out loud if possible. There’s power in verbal blessing.
- Pray it regularly, not just once. This can be your daily prayer for their healing.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“Lord, bless [name] and keep them. Make Your face shine on [name] and be gracious to them. Turn Your face toward [name] and give them peace. I’m asking for Your favor, attention, and peace over them as they need healing. Amen.”
11. 2 Kings 20:5
“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.'”
Why This Helps When Praying for Healing
This was God’s message to King Hezekiah who was sick and praying for healing. God said: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.” This reveals God’s heart – He’s moved by prayers and tears. He doesn’t stand at a distance unmoved. He sees. He hears. He responds.
“I will heal you” was God’s direct promise to Hezekiah. While we can’t claim this exact promise for every situation (sometimes healing comes, sometimes it’s delayed, sometimes God says “not yet”), we can trust that God hears our prayers just as He heard Hezekiah’s.
The key: God sees tears. If you’re crying over someone’s sickness, God sees. If they’re crying in pain, God sees. Tears aren’t wasted. They’re witnessed by a God who cares. That matters even when healing is delayed.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Pray with confidence that God hears your prayers for healing: “God, You heard Hezekiah’s prayer. I trust You hear mine.”
- When you cry over someone’s sickness, remember: God sees your tears. They matter to Him.
- Declare this over the person: “God has heard my prayer for you and seen my tears. I believe He will heal you.”
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, You heard Hezekiah’s prayer and saw his tears. You promised to heal him. I’m bringing [name] to You now. Hear my prayer for their healing. See my tears. I believe You will heal them in Your perfect timing. Amen.”
12. 3 John 1:2
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
Why This Helps When Praying for Healing
This verse shows that praying for someone’s health is good and right. John prayed that his friend would “enjoy good health.” It’s not selfish or unspiritual to desire health. God wants His people to have good health “even as your soul is getting along well.”
This connects physical health with spiritual health. God cares about the whole person. Praying for physical healing doesn’t mean you’re neglecting spiritual matters. Both matter. Pray for both.
“That all may go well with you” is a holistic prayer. Not just health, but everything going well – relationships, work, circumstances. When you pray for someone’s healing, you can pray for their entire life to go well.
How to Use This Verse Today
- Pray this verse by name: “[Name], I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you.”
- Don’t feel guilty for desiring someone’s physical health. It’s a good thing to pray for.
- Pray holistically – for their health, their circumstances, and their spiritual wellbeing.
A Prayer Based on This Verse
“God, I pray for [name] that they may enjoy good health. I ask that all may go well with them – their body, their circumstances, their relationships. Just as their soul is well, make their body well too. Heal them completely. Amen.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Bible Verses for Healing
Why doesn’t God heal everyone immediately?
We don’t always know why. Some are healed instantly. Some gradually. Some not in this life. What we do know: God is good, healing is part of His nature, and He cares about your suffering. The delay doesn’t mean He doesn’t care or isn’t powerful. It means His timing and purposes are beyond our understanding.
Is it okay to pray for healing and also see doctors?
Absolutely. God often works through medical treatment. Taking medication or having surgery doesn’t show lack of faith. God gave us medical knowledge. Use both spiritual tools (prayer, faith) and medical tools (doctors, medicine). They work together.
What if I pray for healing and don’t get healed?
Keep praying. Faith doesn’t guarantee instant healing. Paul prayed three times for healing and God said “My grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Sometimes God’s answer is “not yet” or “I’ll give you grace to endure” rather than instant removal. That doesn’t mean your faith failed.
Can sin cause sickness?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Jesus healed a man and said “your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5), connecting sin and sickness. But in John 9, Jesus said a blind man’s condition wasn’t caused by sin. Don’t assume sickness always equals sin. If the Holy Spirit convicts you of specific sin, confess it. Otherwise, focus on faith for healing.
Should I claim healing even when I feel sick?
Faith acknowledges both reality and God’s promises. You can say “I’m sick right now, but I believe God can heal me and I’m trusting Him for healing.” That’s honest faith. You don’t have to pretend you’re not sick. Jesus never told sick people to deny their condition. He healed actual sickness.
How do I pray for healing without losing faith if it doesn’t happen?
Anchor your faith in God’s character, not in a guaranteed outcome. God is good whether healing comes today or later. Trust His heart toward you even when you don’t understand His timing. Faith isn’t demanding instant healing. Faith is trusting God is good and powerful regardless of timing.
What about “by His wounds we are healed” – does that mean I’m already healed?
In God’s economy, healing is secured through Jesus’ sacrifice. It’s “already” in terms of purchase, but “not yet” in terms of full experience. Like salvation – already accomplished, but we don’t experience the fullness until heaven. Trust that healing is provided through the cross, while acknowledging you may not experience full healing immediately.
How to Use These Verses Daily
Morning Prayer:
Start each day praying one healing verse over yourself or the person you’re praying for. Speak it out loud. Declare it with faith.
Throughout the Day:
Keep the verse on your phone. When pain or symptoms worsen, read the verse. Speak God’s promises over the situation. Remind yourself of His healing nature.
Evening Practice:
Thank God for any improvement, no matter how small. Even if there’s no change yet, thank Him for being with you in the pain. Express faith that healing will come.
Long-Term:
Keep a healing journal. Record prayers, symptoms, improvements, and God’s faithfulness. When faith weakens, read back through evidence of God’s care and provision.
Related Topics
Seeking healing or want to dig deeper? Explore these related topics:
- Bible Verses About God’s Faithfulness
- Bible Verses About Comfort in Pain
- Bible Verses About God’s Presence in Suffering
- Prayers for Healing
- How to Pray When Healing is Delayed
- Christian Perspective on Suffering and Healing
- When God Says “Not Yet”
- Trusting God Through Chronic Illness
- Supporting Someone Who is Sick
- Faith and Medical Treatment
Remember: God is a healing God. He sees your pain. He hears your prayers. Whether healing comes today or tomorrow, He’s with you in the suffering and working for your good.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3