We find in the Scriptures that Christ did not require faith for everyone, faith is not demanded as a precondition for one to receive a miracle. When faith was required it was in Jesus, not necessarily that one believes they could be healed. The faith movement says faith is a condition for our healing those who are not healed, failed because they did not have the required amount of faith for God to react.

Healings were done in numerous ways. By the person's faith, by intermediary prayer by another, and by God himself with no faith from the person present.

Healings where faith from another healed them

Matt. 8:5-10 It was the faith of the centurion that healed his own servant. If we apply this today those who have enough faith for their own healing can apply it to everyone else to be healed.

Mk.5:35-43The daughter of Jairus was healed from the fathers faith

Mk.2:5 Jesus healed the paralytic not because of his faith but of the four men who carried him.

Lk.17:11-19 Jesus healed all 10 but only one obeyed showing that he was the only one to possess true saving faith.

Jn.11 Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead certainly it wasn’t Lazarus’ faith he was dead, neither did anyone else believe it could occur then. It was done so they could believe. (also Lk8:54).

Lk.8:26-39 The demoniac of Gadarene was healed without asking before he was capable of expressing his faith.

Lk.2:50-51 Jn.18:10 When peter cut of the ear of Malchus Jesus healed him without any faith present.

The Bible records Jesus doing more miracles without anyone exercising faith then with their faith. He fed the 5,000 when they could not believe. (Lk.9:13-14 Mt.14:17) even after they had seen his provision they disbelieved again for the feeding of the 4,000 (Mt.15:33). So when so- called faith teachers tell people their healing did not come because of their faith, its false. If God depended on man for a certain faith to be healed or rescued we all would be looking to ourselves for the power instead of relying on God. This is man centered and has nothing to do with the real faith delivered to the saints once and for all(Jude 3) .

Jesus performed miracles even with disbelief among the disciples. The disciples could heal a boy of epilepsy unable to cast the demon out of a boy (Mt.17:14-21) he proceeds to do this and rebukes them for their unbelief, saying they need to pray and fast to see God move. In other words you can’t just depend on the authority given to you, we need to depend on God.

In Mt.13:58 we are told "he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith, however he did lay hands on a few sick people and healed them Mk.6:5.

Of the 35 miracles recorded in the Gospel accounts the faith of the recipient is exercise in only10 of the accounts. Healing of the lame man (Jn.5:1-9) the cleansing of a leper (Mt.8:2-4) healing a mans withered hand (Mt.9:2-8) the healing of the man born blind (Jn.9:1-7) healing the blindness of Bartemaeus  (Mt.20:29-34) The women who had a blood flow (Mt.9:20-22; Mk.5:24-34) Peter who walked on water to Jesus (Mt.14:24-33) the miraculous catching of the fish (Lk.5:1-11) and the second miraculous catch (Jn.21:1-11) The cleansing of the 10 lepers of which only one had faith (Lk.17:11-19)

Jesus did not heal everyone always either Jn.5:1-15 v.3 Multitudes were gathered at the pool of Bethsaida, but Jesus picked only one to be healed a blind and lame man and disregarded the rest. V.3.The blind man acted on Christ's invitation, having no faith. He didn't know it was Jesus who healed him until later v.12-13.How many times did Jesus go past the gate of the temple and not heal anyone? Why doesn't he heal everyone all the time? Why did he those who had faith and picked others who had no faith? Those involved in faith healing will have no answer for this, at least one that would be biblical.

Writing an article like this always puts someone at risk of being misunderstood. So many people believe if criticize healing in any manner you don't believe God can still heal. I do believe in healing, I do believe in miracles and I certainly want to be believing it the way way the Bible presents it, and not the way the faith-healing movement teaches.

True supernatural healings do not always require faith they are bestowed in mercy by the providence of God, neither do they require a laying on of hands to transfer the anointing from one person to another for it to occur. The healings that are from God are always 100% successful, without any relapses, and are almost always immediate. False and psychological healings require physical contact, they can have relapses, and do not heal organic disorders and are not usually immediate. Benny Hinn claims you must keep your faith for your healing or the devil will come and steal it. no where are God's healings spoken of this way.  Real miracles are under God's control without the use of man, false miracles always come by mans hands, and are done by their own dictates.

2 Kings 13:14-20 Elisha died from a sickness even though he had a double portion. 1 Tim.5:23 Paul had Timothy to take wine for medicinal purposes. He didn’t tell him to just believe and have more faith. There is no teaching like this found in the Scripture.

2 Tim.4:20 ‘Trophemus I left in Miletus sick". Trophemus was a companion of Paul and Paul left him as he went on. He did not lay hands on him, for whatever reason he was left behind to recuperate, nor did he encourage him to have faith to be healed. Neither did he send an anointed handkerchief.

Phil.2:26,30 Epaphroditus was a devoted servant of the Lord yet he became sick. He got sick in Rome and stayed that way for some time and almost died. We see that prayers were not answered immediately until it was Gods will in his timing, it was not Gods will to heal him at first. No one came to lay hands on him or send him an anointed handkerchief nor was he rebuked for any lack of faith. God had mercy on him. We are no different in needing that mercy.

Acts 5:15 "They brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall (overshadow them) on some of them." But he never made it a ministry nor do we hear of this becoming a practice by the Apostles. And he did not charge a fee for this either. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see this being revived and promoted today. Once again this involves an apostle and he’s there present with them . It has to do with his presence as an apostle. What causes a shadow to come over another person? The shadow was cast by Peter leaning over them. It does not say they were healed by his shadow, they were wanting him to come near.

Rom.8:15 We live in a fallen world until the time of restoration, so for one to say all must be healed now they are ignoring the context of the greater portion of Scripture. What the faith teachers are doing is not dividing the word correctly. They are applying millennial blessings to us now,  they think by faith we can obtain everything scripture says. That all the promises of God are yea and amen. this is true but they are not always for every believer and their is Gods timing in it as well. Why claim only a physical healing with your faith? There is the scriptural promise of a new body so that we will never die. They should go all the way with their faith and claim this as well. But this is not rational to do. Because as we can see there is a timing,  it is dependent on God to make this happen. No amount of faith will bring the desired result of our escaping death.

Don't think you are being neglected by the Holy Spirit if you believed and didn't get healed. Don't become guilt ridden thinking that the Lord is against you. Don't conclude  that because  you have not been healed that you have an absence of faith or  some secret sin that prevents your healing. You just might have God's glory resting on you for a special purpose.

Take a good look at 1 Peter 2:21: "Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."  Here we are told that Jesus suffered, and He is an example for us all. We are to follow in His steps not by wanting suffering, but when it comes be able to bear under it.

What can be the meaning of Philippians 3:10, which refers to "the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings?" Suffering is an integral part of the fact of life for both the unbeliever and the believer. For the believer it is often used by God in the development and maturing of our faith. In the first few centuries many were tortured and killed for their faith, even today almost 160,000 Christians (that we know of, probably more like 250,000)  throughout the world are killed for not renouncing their faith. To the faith movement this would be considered not walking in Gods fullness since no one should be sick or die without living out a full life in years. Lets not forget the apostles all died prematurely, except one. Heb.11 proves that those who God uses to change history are almost always killed or suffer. (Go to article on> the saints suffering)

The apostle Paul had a greater standing with the Lord in terms of his ministry than you or I have or anybody else has ever had. According to 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Paul requested healing from the Lord three times. "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure (boasting). Paul was not boasting, but it was to keep him from elevating himself since he was someone God was going to use as no other. Faith teachers are stupefied on this point because he can’t just speak it away, he ends up pleading with the Lord and receives an answer that essentially says God's will determine Paul's afflictions. God said NO to Paul's request for healing because God had a purpose in His saying no. There was no positive confession to release the force of faith and change his condition, God did not want to.  That's right- God did not want Paul healed.

You may ask why? The answer is right there in the text. "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." God's power was exhibited in Paul’s life because of his affliction. His weakness was a physical handicap. Gods answer was His grace, this is the very opposite of the faith teaching which says because they are whole and strong physically, God's power is there. Paul goes on " Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Notice he says when he is weak (in himself) then he is strong (in Christ). Did Paul have a lack of faith? No!  Paul was not suffering from some secret sin that he was carrying around!  He was able to be used of God and yet he suffered with a physical ailment his whole ministry.  The faith movement actually undermines faith in the absolute authority of Scripture and transfers it to be an inherent power in a human whose own commands becomes the criteria?  He was strong because of his dependency on God, it is not self focused but a God focus. This is what true faith is, not trusting in ones faith or commanding or decreeing. But having patience, waiting on God and renewing your strength as you wait for the promise to come.

John MacArthur in his book" The Charismatics" says" We live in a world where God has not chosen to eliminate sin totally from his permissive will of the believer, why should we assume that suffering is excluded? If every Christian were well and healthy, if perfect health were a guarantee benefit of the atonement, millions of people would be stampeding to get saved-but for the wrong reason." God uses many things to get unbelievers attention but the most detrimental thing to preach is to come to God because he’s the great fixer upper, he’ll heal you, make you well, fix your marriage give you a successful job, and make you look good to boot! While he can do any one of these, except for changing how we look, this is not the reason we should come to God. We come to him because of who he is and how he showed his love for us by sending his son to die, He is the giver of our lives and deserves our worship, simply for who he is, and not for what he will do for us. If we can focus on him and his beauty, we may not become self focused and vain.