You know that God can heal you, but why is it taking so long even after countless prayers and cries for relief? It’s a difficult question that many of us face, but Scripture offers profound insight into why healing may be delayed. The truth is, God’s delays are not denials. They often carry a greater purpose—one that brings glory to Him and transforms us into who we are meant to be.

Jesus Delayed Healing Lazarus to Glorify God

Consider the story of Lazarus in John 11. When Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick, they expected Him to come immediately. Instead, Jesus chose to delay:

"So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.' When he heard this, Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." (John 11:3-6)

Jesus loved Lazarus deeply, yet He allowed him to die. Why? Because the delay served a greater purpose: to glorify God and strengthen the faith of those who witnessed the miracle.

"Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."(John 11:14-15)

Jesus does not cause sickness, and He always has the power to heal in an instant. Yet sometimes, He delays healing because there is something greater at stake: the glory of God and the transformation of our hearts.

Why God Delayed My Own Healing

In my personal journey, God healed me 99% of the way but left 1% of the illness unresolved. At first, I struggled to understand why, but I came to realize that this remaining 1% held me accountable to the promises I had made to God. It taught me obedience, perseverance, humility, and always kept me pressing towards G. Through this process with everything I've got. Through this process, I witnessed the miracles of God and grew into a completely devoted servant of Christ.

Had I been healed instantly, I may never have become the man I am today—a man ready to do God’s will, no matter the cost. That lingering illness refined me like gold in a fire, and it may be that God is using your sickness to refine you as well.

God May Be Glorified Through You

Sometimes God delays healing because He is working something far deeper in us. This delay may serve to:

• Increase your faith as you learn to trust Him in the midst of suffering.

• Grow your humility as you surrender your pride and self-reliance.

• Bring repentance and forgiveness as you examine your heart.

• Deepen your relationship with Him as you seek His voice and His will.

Other times, God has a predestined plan for your healing. But whether it’s for your sake or for His glory, you can trust that His timing is perfect.

Persevere with Patient Endurance

Many people remain sick because they fail to live up to the calling that God has placed on their lives. Sometimes healing is delayed so that we may not only achieve our calling but persevere in it until we become the person God intends us to be. As the Apostle Paul wrote:

"We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

Suffering, though painful, produces perseverance. Perseverance changes our character. And that character transformation gives us hope—a hope that does not disappoint.

If you find yourself still waiting for healing, do not lose heart. Instead, use this time to pluck out vices and plant virtues. Die to yourself daily and allow Christ to live in you:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)

Stay Persistent in Prayer and Action

Jesus taught us to be persistent in prayer. In the Parable of the Persistent Friend, He tells of a man who went to his friend at midnight to ask for bread. Though the friend initially refused, the man’s shameless persistence paid off:

"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need." (Luke 11:8)

Notice that the man didn’t just pray—he got out of bed, went to his friend’s house, and knocked on the door. Jesus calls us to take action alongside our prayers:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."(Matthew 7:7-8)

These are action verbs—ask, seek, knock. Healing requires work. It requires us to pull out vices, plant virtues, renew our minds, and build a genuine relationship with the Lord. As you take these steps, God will reward your efforts and guide you toward your final deliverance.

There Is A Chance You Might Just Be Predestined

Lazarus was predestined to be raised from the dead. I know that I was predestined for my journey as well. If you are predestined, your healing journey may just be the refining process that God is using to transform you into the image of His Son:

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30)

To be justified means to be made perfect in Christ. Your illness may be the very tool God is using to mold you into the person He created you to be. But the beauty of your struggles is that God intends for it to glorify you so that you may glorify Christ. Illness is not the end of your story--the end of your story is glorious and you will use that glory to serve your King.

Remember: Discipline Is Proof of His Love

If you are still waiting for healing, remember this: God’s delay is not a sign of His absence or His lack of love. On the contrary:

"The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." (Hebrews 12:6)

Your delayed healing may be proof that God loves you too much to let you settle for less than His perfect plan for your life, so if you are praying for healing and have not yet received it, then stay persistent, go through the character development process God is calling you to, and stay diligent. Pluck out the strongholds of sin daily, plant the seeds of virtue daily, and seek God’s voice with all your heart. He will guide you step by step. Pray boldly and work diligently knowing the God rewards those who put in the effort to become more like Him. 

Final Encouragement

For me, it took two years of full devotion to the Lord before I experienced complete deliverance. My diseases, allergies, and symptoms broke off as I got on His path and stayed there. If God has predestined your path, your healing will come when you become the person He needs you to be to fulfill His will.

Rejoice in your healing journey, however difficult it may be. Trust that God is using this process to glorify you so that you may glorify Him. Remember: He is faithful, and He will never leave you nor forsake you.