Can physical illness be caused by spiritual issues?

San Antonio, Texas, USA

Joan asked me if I would pray for her husband, David, one morning as we sat down at the breakfast table. He had been experiencing migraines for a month now with no relief. Immediately I heard the Lord say, “This is not a physical issue; it’s an inner healing issue.” Normally I would lay hands on someone like David and ask God to come bring his healing power to destroy the migraine, but God already told me it wasn’t a physical symptom.  This meant God had other plans and I was excited to be a part of what would happen next. David, Joan, and I chatted for a while as he shared his story. Prior to giving his life to Christ 20 years prior, David suffered from extreme migraines. The moment he decided to accept Jesus, he was immediately healed from the pain and never experienced migraines again until a month ago. The inner healing session went like this….

Me: Is it okay if we ask Jesus some questions? He’s going to answer my questions by telling you. All you have to do is tell me what Jesus says. 

David:  Yes.  We can do that. 

Me:  Jesus, thank you for speaking your truth today. Can you please tell David why he is experiencing these headaches? 

After a few moments of silence, David’s face began to change from a face of pain to a face of shame. I knew Jesus had responded to the question. 

David: Jesus told me that a month ago I started participating in something that I have not done since before I gave my life to Christ.  I thought it was okay to start this as a ministry outreach. However, Jesus just asked me why I started that ministry without asking him. 

In tears, David realized that he had been disobedient to God and opened a door that was of his own strength. 

Me:  We all try to live our lives out of our own strength. This is an easy fix. Would you like to ask for forgiveness for opening this door? 

David: Yes. 

Me:  If you agree with the words that I say, repeat after me, “Jesus, forgive me, for walking back into the world of sin I used to live. I was doing this as a ministry to help those who used to be like me, but you didn’t tell me to do this. I was trying to do things in my own strength. I confess this sin and ask you to forgive me.” 

David repeated the words one at a time. No sooner did he say the last word, the migraine pain ceased and he was healed. He’s never experienced migraines again.