Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. Matthew 9:22
Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Matthew 9:29-30
Is faith a requirement for healing? Yes and no.
We see no pattern of faith required for
healing, though most of the stories of healing do focus on or reveal the faith
of someone involved.
In Matthew 9:2, it was the faith of
other people that healed their friend.
In Matthew 9:22 and 29-30, it was the
faith of the ones needing healing.
However, in John 9, the story of the
blind man, Jesus just walked up and healed the guy. The man did not ask for
healing and had no idea who Jesus was until later.
Faith is only a requirement for belief.
Healing is a decision made by God, not a guarantee extended to those who
believe. We all know faithful people who were not healed and died. We all must die at some time. We all leave this earth unhealed.
Faith can be a reason for the healing,
but it’s not required for healing nor is it guaranteed for those to be healed.