It came as a shock to realize Jesus didn’t pray. I don’t mean he didn’t pray to the Father―of course he did. I mean he didn’t pray when healing the sick. Really?

At the Last Supper, Jesus took a towel and bowl, knelt before his disciples and washed their feet, the job of the lowest slave. They were horrified. Peter argued, but finally agreed. Afterwards, Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).

Washing feet symbolizes both servanthood and forgiveness. But the principle of example applies to his whole ministry, for Jesus also said (Luke 6:40), “Everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

To be like Jesus, we should do what he did and not what he didn’t!

Five things Jesus didn’t do

• He didn’t pray when he healed the sick – he just healed them.
• He never told us to pray for them. He told us to heal them: “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you’” (Luke 10:9).
• He never told anyone they were too sinful to be healed. There must have been some ratbags in the crowds, but he healed those who needed healing (Luke 9:11).
• He never said any disease was too hard. He cleansed lepers and raised the dead.
• He never set conditions before healing.

 Therefore we shouldn’t expect people to become Christians before they’re healed. We should be willing to minister healing to the cases we consider hard. They’re not hard for God! We should welcome the ruffians, the outcasts and the ratbags.

And when we minister healing, we shouldn’t pray to the Father. The disciples didn’t. But aren’t we told to pray in James 5? True, but that’s a special case, and the subject of a future blog.