Have you ever prayed for someone to be healed—really prayed, with all the faith you could muster—only to watch them get worse instead of better?
I have. Maybe you have too. It leaves you confused, heartbroken, and wondering what went wrong. If God is all-powerful, if He truly hears our prayers, then why doesn’t He heal everyone who asks?
This is not just a theological question—it’s deeply personal. We cling to verses like Jeremiah 32:27, where God says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” and Matthew 19:26, “With God all things are possible.” These aren’t empty words. They’re promises we stand on.
Throughout Scripture, we see undeniable demonstrations of God’s power to heal—miracles in both the Old and New Testaments. From barren wombs opened to the dead raised to life, God’s healing touch is undeniable.
And yet, we watch faithful believers suffer. We grieve unanswered prayers. And we wrestle with the tension between God’s power and His choices.
We are often left with a haunting question: Why doesn’t God heal everyone, especially those who ask in faith?
Let’s explore what Scripture says about healing, and why sometimes, despite our deepest faith, healing doesn’t come.
God Is Our Healer
The Bible is filled with testimonies of God’s healing power:
🅰 Old Testament Examples
- Hannah – Healed from barrenness (1 Samuel 1:9-20)
- Naaman – Cleansed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14)
- Hezekiah – Restored from a terminal illness and granted 15 more years (2 Kings 20:1-7)
🅱 New Testament Examples
At least 30 individual healings of Jesus are recorded in the Gospels. A few notable ones include:
- A man born blind healed (John 9:1-41)
- A woman with a 12-year bleeding issue cured (Matthew 9:20-22)
- A man freed from an evil spirit (Mark 5:10-20)
- Ten men with leprosy healed (Luke 17:11-19)
- A paralyzed man restored (Mark 2:1-12)
- A man deaf and mute healed (Mark 7:31-37)
Jesus didn’t just heal out of compassion—His healing ministry was a fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that “by His stripes we are healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 affirms this, pointing to the healing power that comes through Christ’s atonement.
So, if God can heal—and He has, many times—why are there sincere, faith-filled believers who don’t receive their healing?
When Healing Doesn’t Come
We’ve all seen it: faithful Christians battling terminal illnesses like cancer, pleading for healing while clinging to God’s promises in verses like Mark 11:24 and Matthew 21:22 — “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Does unanswered prayer mean a lack of faith?
Many times, the answer is no. I’ve seen people whose faith could move mountains, yet their healing never came.
A Life of Faith: Nabeel Qureshi (1983–2017)
One powerful example is Nabeel Qureshi, a respected Christian apologist and former Muslim who came to faith in Christ after a deep intellectual and spiritual journey.
In August 2016, Nabeel was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer and given six months to live.
Despite the diagnosis, Nabeel believed God was not finished with him. That same month, he released his book No God but One: Allah or Jesus? and shared his condition publicly, believing that God was refining, not ending, his life.
Dear Friends and Family,
This is an announcement that I never expected to make, but God in His infinite and sovereign wisdom has chosen me for this refining, and I pray He will be glorified through my body and my spirit. My family and I have received the news that I have advanced stomach cancer, and the clinical prognosis is quite grim.
Nonetheless, we are going to pursue healing aggressively, both medical and miraculous, relying on God and the fact that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.
In the past few days, my spirits have soared and sank as I pursue the Lord’s will and consider what the future might look like, but never once have I doubted this: that Jesus is Lord, His blood has paid my ransom, and by His wounds, I am healed. I have firm faith that my soul is saved by the grace and mercy of the Triune God, and not by any accomplishment or merit of my own.
I am so thankful that I am a child of the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sealed in the Spirit. No, in the midst of the storm, I do not have to worry about my salvation, and for that, I praise you, God.
Unfortunately, this means I am no longer able to engage in traveling ministry for the time being. I am canceling almost all my speaking events, with a few exceptions. From this point on until such a time as the Lord might choose to heal me, I intend to blog or vlog about my journey with cancer, transparently offering my heart, thoughts, and struggles in case they might encourage others and glorify God.
I will no longer be with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, though it has been an absolute privilege to be on the team for the past 3 years. My third book, No God But One: Allah or Jesus?, launched today, and I still intend to write my next book, 20 Questions Muslims Ask and the Answers that Convert Them. Beyond that, the Lord knows.
Friends and family, may I ask you to fast and pray fervently for my healing? I do not profess to know the will of the Lord, but many of my close friends and confidants are convinced that this is a trial through which the Lord intends to bring me alive and refined. May His will be done, and may I invite you to seek Him in earnest, on your knees, fasting on my behalf, asking our Yahweh Rapha for healing in Jesus’ name.
And as you pray and fast, “I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:18-20).
For His Glory,
Nabeel
Global Prayer and Fasting
Believers around the world rallied behind Nabeel. Prayer chains and fasting efforts crossed borders and denominations. Hope remained high as Nabeel underwent radiation treatments, but by May 2017, cancer had spread.
In August, his entire stomach was removed due to internal bleeding. A month later, doctors transitioned him to palliative care.
On September 9, 2017, Nabeel recorded his final vlog, reflecting on his ministry and sharing his desire to leave behind a legacy of love, peace, and truth. One week later, on September 16, Nabeel went home to be with the Lord at just 34 years old.
When God Doesn’t Heal
So why didn’t God heal Nabeel?
Scripture gives us only one clear reason people failed to receive healing—unbelief (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5-6). But that wasn’t the case here. Nabeel’s faith was deep, vibrant, and unwavering. He truly believed in God’s healing power—even when his body told a different story.
Some might ask: Wouldn’t healing Nabeel have brought more glory to God? Wouldn’t it have strengthened the faith of many? Perhaps. But God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We see the moment; He sees eternity.
God Knows What We Cannot See
When healing doesn’t come, we may not understand the “why.” But we can trust in the “Who.” God always acts in perfect love, wisdom, and timing—even when the outcome breaks our hearts.
Nabeel had longed to watch his daughter grow and to continue his preaching and teaching ministry. But God, in His sovereign wisdom, called him home. Like Paul, Nabeel fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).
We grieve his passing—but not without hope. Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that those who have “fallen asleep” in Christ will be raised again, and we will be reunited forever.
A Lasting Legacy
I first encountered Nabeel’s ministry after moving to the Middle East in 2010. Living in a Muslim-majority country pushed me to learn more about Islam—not out of curiosity, but necessity. That’s when I discovered Nabeel’s testimony and his book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.
It’s hard to imagine the cost he paid to follow Christ—leaving behind family, identity, and community. But he did so for the sake of truth. His courage, intellect, and heart for people deeply impacted me and countless others.
Final Thoughts
Like many around the world, I was deeply touched by Nabeel’s life and ministry. He inspired me to explore Christian apologetics when I previously had no interest. Though I never studied it formally, my faith grew stronger through learning how solid and historically reliable the New Testament truly is.
All of that—because of Nabeel Qureshi.
Though his life was brief, it was full. God used him mightily to bless and encourage the Church. And now, he awaits the rapture, the wedding supper of the Lamb, and the reward of the faithful.
Nabeel authored three powerful books:
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
- Answering Jihad: A Better Way Forward
- No God but One: Allah or Jesus? – the only book to win Christian Book Awards for both “Best New Author” and “Best Nonfiction.”
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I was moved by this article so much I had to take a pause in reading and give God reverence in my life.
I never heard of this guy until now and it came at a time that was perfect because I have a customer who wants to push Islam on my plate,
I have been searching for the BEST way to set his efforts straight without shutting him down totally. I believe every soul should be handled with care regardless of his/her ignorance.
I often ask myself why is it that we can’t just be healed with a prayer and a fasting session. At the end of the day I guess if you believe His word then we will realize death is not the worse that can happen to man.
By God’s word he is now transformed where he feels no more pain he will cry no more tears but be with the heavenly father for eternity.
Thank you for sharing this article as I am in search for his books to read.
Hello Shannon, so glad to hear from you again.
Nabeel Qureshi is truly an inspiration and encouragement because even up to his last breath, he stood firm on his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, even though he didn’t get healed and many of his Muslim friends kept telling him to go back to Islam. We will never know what this man sacrificed for the Lord but now he is with his master reaping the fruits of his labor.
Why didn’t God heal him? Perhaps he has already fulfilled the mission that God has called him to do and I believe that Nabeel’s ministry will continue to bless and encourage more Christians while at the same time reaching the Muslim world with the truth of God’s word.
The apostle Paul said, “being absent from the body is to be present in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). We can only be with the Lord if we depart from this earth and isn’t that what we are all aspiring for, to finally meet our Lord face to face?
If you really want to reach out to your Muslim friends or neighbors, Nabeel’s story and books will surely equip you to do that because it will give you a better understanding on what you need to do in order to share the gospel of salvation to Muslims.
May the Lord bless you more!
I strongly believe that God can heal any sickness there is on this earth, but I also believe that He doesn’t always heal the sickness to strengthen our faith. And when He calls someone Home, that person has had his chance to do what he was called to do. I think that should be a reminder to us that we only have one life to live down here, and to make the best out if it. To live our life to the fullest and be a shining light to those that don’t know Jesus.
I believe that too, Justina, God can heal any sickness and disease. God is our Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals. And being an omnipotent God, there is nothing He cannot do. However, we must also acknowledge that God has His reasons for not healing everyone who asks in faith for their healing.
Yes, I agree with you. One of the reasons God does not grant healing to everyone is to strengthen their faith. God wants us to place our faith and trust in Him even though He doesn’t seem to be listening to our pleas of a miracle healing.
Whether God will heal us or someone we dearly love from cancer or any disease, we must never question Him and His intentions because at the end of the day, God knows what’s best for us. We only need to keep living our lives for Him and for His glory because as you said, we only have one life to live.
We may not always understand His reasons but we know that He loves us so much and has our best interest at heart.
God bless you!
Hello Alice,
I really like your article. In our daily busy lives, running after so many things we often forget God as we take Him for granted and think that He will understand or that there is no loss in not praying to Him. But this article makes me want to take out time for Him. As you said it’s true God heals everyone who believes in Him but I guess our deeds also play a very important role into it, if we’re bad we get punished for it too. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.
Best Regards,
Raman
Hi Raman,
God does hear our prayers and He answers them according to what is best for us. And although there are some who received their healing and some who didn’t, that doesn’t change the fact that God is love and He’s our healer.
Does God take into consideration our deeds when deciding whether He should give what we’re asking or not? That if we’re bad people He won’t hear us? First of all, the Bible is clear that no one is good (righteous), not even one (Romans 3:23) and that’s why we need Jesus’ righteousness to be counted as our righteousness in the eyes of the Father.
So if God were to base His decision on our own righteousness, we’re all doomed!
And if God’s decision to heal is based on our deeds, He should have healed every single one of those who suffered from any disease who were faithfully serving Him; He should have healed Nabeel Qureshi who was has blessed many people through his ministry.
The truth of the matter is, we do not have all the answers as to why God chose to heal some and not the others. God loves all His children unconditionally but at the end of the day, He will do what’s best for them.
Shalom!
Hi Alice,
To God be the Glory!
The story of Nabeel is very heartwarming. Truly our God is good and omnipotent. In God nothing is impossible for those who believe.
But why is it that Nabeel’s prayer wasn’t granted by our God even he has a great faith in Him?
Honestly, sometimes God allows this to happen even you have a strong faith in Him. But only God knows the reason why our hopes and prayers are not answered.
God’s way is different to man’s way and sometimes it is hard to understand. But only for sure God has a good reason in everything.
Maybe it is right that he accomplished his mission in the earth or maybe God used him to be an inspiration or a living witness to others. That we should not lose hope and faith with God no matter how tough we are going through.
God Bless you!
— Luisa—
Hi Luisa,
Yes, God is sovereign and His plans are not always what we expected that’s why we get hurt when things go sideways. But when we learn to trust God with all our heart, we will not be affected no matter what happens.
It really hurts to lose someone we dearly love. Even Jesus wept when Lazarus died though He knew He was going to raise him up anyway. This just goes to say that Jesus knows what it feels like to lose a loved one and I’m sure He feels our pains.
Nevertheless, it’s comforting to know that Nabeel is now with the Lord, enjoying what we all long to enjoy after life on earth.
Wow, I applaud you for addressing such a challenging topic head on.
Nabeel’s journey and unwavering faith even until the end is just inspiring. It is often times easier to change theology to fit our reality when things don’t go as expected, like when we don’t understand why God doesn’t heal someone. But I guess God’s word is God’s word and some answers we will never get this side of eternity.
Hello Shanny,
As someone who has followed Nabeel’s ministry, I’ve come to love and care for him as a brother in the Lord even though I never got to meet him in person. You’re right, it’s much easier to keep our faith in God when things are working out well for us but when trials come, it’s also very easy to quit and give up.
But not getting what we want or what we expected does not change the fact that God loves us. Yes, there are times when we feel like God is silent and does not care about us or our situation but He’s always there looking out for us.
I am touched by Nabeel’s faith in Christ. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for him to convert to Christianity from Islam. I don’t have the answer to why does God not heal even when we pray in faith. An acquaintance of mine is fighting cancer for months now and has not received her healing despite her faith and corporate prayers. Only God can see the future so He will have her best interests at heart.
Nabeel is truly an inspiration Yvonne. Often times we question God or turn our backs on Him because of some minor trials or difficulties we’re experiencing. It was hard enough for Nabeel to turn his back on his family to follow Christ, it was even more painful not to experience God’s healing.
Only God knows why He does things differently for His children; some get healed while the others don’t. Is God showing some kind of favoritism? Of course not! But God does as He thinks is best. Soon, when we get to meet our Savior face to face, perhaps we will know the answer as to why God does not heal everyone who asks in faith for healing.
I’m so sorry to hear of your acquaintance who is battling cancer but one thing I’m sure of is that God knows what He’s doing and that He loves everyone of us just the same.
This is such an interesting article.
When I read the headline “Why doesn’t God heal everyone?”. It totally caught my attention.
I have been diagnosed with epilepsy and glaucoma my entire life and I have also been prophesied healing. If you ask if I see 20/20, then no.
I looked and looked for the iniquity origin of my illness and haven’t found it yet but I am beginning to conclude that I must not only believe I’m healed, but also be more of a Christian that I am now. I should read the bible more and share the scripture nonstop. I cannot believe I am healed and show the contrary.
Thank you for such an interesting article Alice.
Those of you who don’t believe in God, just test Him.
God bless you.
Hi Linda,
It would be easy for me to say “I am sorry to hear of your condition” but I won’t because I know and I believe you are blessed! Magnifying our weaknesses or imperfections does not do us any good because God is our Father and He loves us exactly the way we are. God has His reasons for allowing us to go through life’s struggles and trials but at the end of all this, we will enjoy eternity with God where there will be no more pain, no sorrow.
We often think that the root cause of our illness is sinfulness on our part and so we keep evaluating our life to see which area have we failed to obey God. But instead of focusing on that, we must focus on the goodness of God and His faithfulness that has carried us through to where we are today.
I can never imagine being in your shoes or in Nabeel’s and I am not sure I can praise God if I am the one in that situation. So thank you Linda for standing strong despite your condition and thanks to the lives of those who continue to serve as an inspiration and blessing because of their unwavering faith in and devotion to God.
Very nice article. I find it inspiring that you have a true devotion towards God and believe in all his powers. God’s healing powers are truly wondrous. Thank you for this in-depth article.
Hey Rob,
The first and greatest miracle God performed took place thousands of years ago, i.e., the creation. If God was able to create something out of nothing, everything else is possible.
God’s power to heal is a fact, it’s in His nature and God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). We may not understand why some get healed while others don’t receive their healing but that does not change the fact that God is our healer (Exodus 15:26).
It was nice reading your blog and Nabeel’s story. I heard about his death too and was curious why he was not healed. on the other hand, I have stopped asking those questions as God is sovereign and knows the best.
Your blog raises a difficult question but only the Creator has the answer why some are healed and some are not. The only consolation is we would meet Him one day and all our unresolved questions will be answered. The most important thing in all of this is that Nabeel fulfilled destiny. Those three books he wrote would speak volumes.He has gone to a better place to rest with His Maker and Lord.
Hi Kavinah,
It was really heart-breaking to hear the sad news about Nabeel because I was one of the thousands fervently praying and believing for his healing. But you’re absolutely right, God is sovereign. We may not always understand His reasons for doing the things He does but we know it’s always for the best and at the end of the day, His name is glorified. There are so many things we wanna ask God but for now we just need to trust Him.
It’s sad to see a loved one leave this planet but knowing for sure we will meet them again in eternity with our Lord is a great comfort and encouragement for us to keep on. Let us continue to run the race of faith in hope of hearing our Master say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”