Should You Pray For Healing For a Person With a Disability?

I am doing research on the experience of people with disabilities in the church. There are many different experiences, as disabilities affect people in different ways. But there is one theme that comes up over and over.

People with disabilities generally don’t people to pray for their healing.

See my post: The Moment That Haunts Me

Having been a part of a Pentecostal church, some of my friends from that time might be shocked by this. “Of course we should pray for all people’s healing!”

Then there are those who don’t believe that God heals today. In some ways that makes it easier. Unfortunately, I don’t think that is either biblically or experientially true. See this podcast episode that includes a testimony of healing.

So should you ever pray for healing for a person with a disability?

You can pray for healing under these circumstances:

• The person asks for healing. When it comes to disabilities, it is more likely to be from someone with an acquired disability rather than someone born with a disability.
• Ask the person if there is anything that they want prayer for. Perhaps the person is content as a paraplegic but is concerned about a recent cancer diagnosis.
• Pray privately for the person any positive prayer you want. Just don’t put this on them.

What shouldn’t you do when praying for a person with a disability?

• Don’t assume you know what they want prayer for. Even Jesus at times asked people what they wanted, even though it was obvious that they had a physical disability.
• Don’t accuse people with disabilities of having secret sin or not enough faith.
• Don’t get frustrated with the person with the disability because God isn’t answering your prayer the way you think he should.
• Don’t assume that the disability makes the person any less the image of God or useful for the kingdom of God.

The truth is that we all need prayer. But we wouldn’t want people to assume they know what we need. Treat everyone, whether disabled or not, with respect.

Also remember, that you too will likely be disabled at some point in your life. You may lose your sight, hearing, memory, mobility or anything else. Keep that in mind when you consider another person some broken in need of fixing.

A book that I recommend is Disability and the Way of Jesus: Holistic Healing in the Gospels and the Church.

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