Month: April 2020

Laying Hands

When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them (Luke 4:40).

This was the simplest method he used, and that works best for us. We often see 20% of a crowd healed without any words. It requires the least amount of faith, since that was all Jesus could do in his hometown when they didn’t believe in him (see Mark 6:5-6).

Faith is simply trusting God to keep his word. Jesus said, “And these signs will accompany those who believe … they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well” (Mark 16:17-18).

He doesn’t say to pray, and he doesn’t say some might be healed. He says, “They will get well.”

Speaking the word

Jesus often made prophetic declarations. To the official whose son was close to death, he said, “You may go, your son will live” (John 4:50). To the woman whose daughter had a demon, he declared, “the demon has left your daughter” (Mark 7:29). Both petitioners believed him.

Even when we’re isolated, we can declare the word of God. In both examples, the sick person wasn’t present.

There is power in the word of God. His word in your mouth is as powerful as his word in his own mouth!

We teach our delegates to declare over each other Acts 9:34: “Jesus Christ heals you!” and 1 Peter 2:24, “By his wounds you have been healed.”

Here is a list of Scriptures you can use for healing. Speak them out over people, with a mustard seed of faith, and expect them to be healed.

I prayed for hundreds, and saw almost no one healed.

After Reinhard Bonnke preached at the crusades, he ministered to the sick. Hundreds were healed, and he invited them to the platform to testify.

Many sick also came—for prayer. As crusade directors, we stood beside the platform checking who’d been healed. Healed? Up the steps. Want prayer? We prayed. I did what I’d been taught, and what I saw others do. Nothing. Discouraged, I became convinced Bonnke had the gift and John Fergusson didn’t!

Years later, someone suggested I studied all the healings in the Bible. What I found blew me away.

Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15). If we are his disciples, we should do what he did, AND NOT WHAT HE DIDN’T!

Jesus never prayed for the sick

He laid hands, he spoke words of encouragement, he declared, he commanded. He used faith triggers, he cast out demons. But when healing, he never prayed to the Father. Neither did the disciples.

In the Old Testament people did pray, but in the New Testament everything changed.

Prayer and ministry are different

Prayer is communication with God; ministry is serving people. Both are vital! Healing is ministry.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John chapter 11), he does pray: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:41-42).

He wasn’t praying for Lazarus to be raised! However, it’s clear he had already prayed and received the answer. Then he ministered: “Lazarus, come out!”

Check out other examples of prayer BEFORE ministry in Acts 9:40 and 28:8.

If we are disciples of Jesus, we should do what he did!