How Faith Fosters Good Health

Healing ministries help maintain positive energy and outlook through prayer. The power of faith can lend itself to healing through positivity and outlook. Healing ministries harness the power of faith to help people along the way to recovery.

Faith healing is practiced in many Christian denominations. A 2009 article, written by psychologist E. Anthony Allen, examined the biblical perspectives of the healing ministry. Allen quoted Luke chapter 9, verses 1-4, where Jesus gave his disciples the power to “drive out all demons and cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

While the healing power of Jesus is commonly a central principle of the healing ministry, the type of healing that the ministry focuses on can be different. Healing ministries have grown around drug addiction and alcoholism.

Also, many churches have internal healing ministries, where congregants can meet in a smaller group for anyone who needs extra prayer for healing. The New City Church of Los Angeles and Westside Vineyard both have healing ministries that include intensive healing prayer.

Faith healing takes the power of faith to restore or strengthen a person from the realm of the mind to the realm of the body. A component of faith and prayer has always been comfort coming from the knowledge that Christ loves his followers. With faith healing, the power of faith can become so strong that a person can get through a severe disease or injury through the belief that they are loved and comforted by Jesus.

Faith healing also brings the mind and mental well-being to the forefront. Multiple studies, including a 2015 survey from the London School of Economics, have found that people who are religious or spiritual tend to be happier than those who aren't and that participating in a religious organization is the only social activity that brought sustained happiness. In a 2011 CNN article, Deepak Chopra said that a large part of wellness is a positive attitude. It's easy to draw the line between happiness, faith, and wellness.

The ability to see ahead to being well again also plays a big part in faith healing. During times like these amid the COVID-19 crisis, it becomes more important than ever to maintain a modicum of optimism. The way that cancer is often referred to as a “battle,” many diseases require resilience to get through. That resilience can be hard if there's no optimism about healing from an illness. Part of many faith healing practices is strengthening the belief that healing is possible. Faith healing helps people imagine that they'll be well again, and that belief leads to the mind-body effect that helps them recuperate.