Have you ever been speaking to someone you don’t know and they begin to tell you about feeling unwell or about an ailment they are suffering with? This has happened to me so many times and as Christians we carry the Kingdom of God with us wherever we go so it’s not really surprising that people open up to us.
I’ve found myself buying something in a shop and the person behind the till, out of nowhere, starts to tell me about a problem they are having. Now the old me would probably have listened and commiserated with them about their misfortune. But, as I am actively seeking to live a naturally supernatural lifestyle, in that moment I usually feel a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit to offer to pray for them.
I know that I don’t have to be some sort of superstar Christian to offer to pray for healing and the disciples, who hung around with Jesus, were given the mandate to…
Matt 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Did you know that we too as disciples of Jesus are called to do the same?
Maybe you didn’t know that and this is news to you as you read this blog? But, once we become Christians we literally have all the power we need to live this Christian lifestyle because the precious Holy Spirit lives within us.
Luke 24:29 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
As son’s and daughter’s of the King, we are clothed in power and have all the authority we need to speak to illness and infirmity and expect it to go in Jesus name. WOW isn’t that amazing! That literally makes me feel so excited that we get to do the stuff that the first disciples did.
Knowing that doesn’t mean I don’t suffer from nerves and apprehension but, as I have written about in previous blogs, this is where I pray for 20 seconds of outrageous courage and then ask to pray for the person in front of me. What I have found is that most of the time people are so grateful that you have taken an interest in them that they say ‘yes please’.
The number one priority for us as Christians is to love the world around us and to love the person in front of us and to see them through God’s eyes. Offering to pray for someone you can see has a need is just love in action, plain and simple and is not weird in any way. If you knew that you had a cure for someone and could make them feel better wouldn’t you want to offer to pray?
Once I’ve asked if I can pray I will then ask if I can put my hand on the part of the body where the pain is (as long as it’s not in an area that may cause embarrassment to them).
I would then ask them where they rate their pain on a level of 1-10 (10 being the highest pain). I would then pray my best ‘short prayer’ (we really don’t need to say a long-winded prayer) and command the pain to go in Jesus Name. I may say “I speak to the pain in this left arm and command it to go in Jesus name “or “I pray for all pain to go now in Jesus name” or “I pray for bones to knit back together in Jesus name and all pain to go”. Hopefully you get the idea.
I will then ask them, if they are able, to test out the area I’ve prayed for by moving it. Encourage them to move it as a sign of active faith on their part and to move it so you can see it being moved and not a tiny shrug of the area, you want them to properly test it out!
Ask them if the level of pain has changed at all, often it has decreased or even gone completely. But, at this point don’t panic if there seems to be no apparent change. Sometimes the healing may come later so we never say there has been no healing because God can do anything and in his own time-frame.
If pain is still there don’t be afraid of offering to pray again. I would say something like, “I’m really happy to pray again, let’s go”. Then repeat the process.
I have prayed up to three times and that does not feel weird at all. I would tell people that sometimes it takes a few attempts as I am a follower of Jesus and I’m just learning in this area. Ask them to test it out again each time and where they are at with pain on the 1-10 scale.
The most important thing to do throughout this process is to CELEBRATE whatever change happens, even if it’s not a full healing. God loves it when we celebrate what he has done and this often leads to increase.
If there has been no outward sign of a change I would never say to the person that it is in any way their fault or a lack of faith on their part but that sometimes even though there appears to be no change at PRESENT, it doesn’t mean that God hasn’t started the process and healing may come later and because I’ve already said I’m learning they don’t feel let down or cross with God in any way.
If you see a full healing and the person is on some form of medication, it’s always good to encourage them to go to their doctor and get it confirmed and advise them NOT to stop taking any medication without a doctors say so.
Another helpful tip if you are wanting to grow in this area is to process any disappointment you may feel if you are not seeing many results when you pray. If you don’t, this may discourage you from offering to pray again and for believing for healing. Processing disappointment well is key to a healthy Christian life as disappointment can be a major road block in your walk with God. I always think of it like stuffing feelings under a mat, eventually the feelings build up to make a big enough bump that they will trip you up unless you deal with them.
Some people have more success than others in this area of ministry and that’s okay as we all have multiple gifts but that should never be a disqualifier for you offering to pray. Also, remember the more people you offer to pray for, the more healings you are likely to see.
My prayer for you today is that you would have those 20 second shots of courage every time you need them and for a hunger to see breakthrough in healings to rise up within you as you demonstrate the love of God to those around you in need of a healing touch on their lives. In Jesus mighty name.
Don’t forget every time you step out and pray for someone when you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you it’s because it’s an opportunity for you to grow in faith and for you to trust in Papa. He will be celebrating you as you step out in obedience and there is nothing like watching someone experience a healing in their body, whether physical or emotional. The outcome is not down to you but down to God so the pressure of off, just go for it.
It’s what were born to do as son’s and daughters of the King.
Other Gifts of the Spirit in this series:
Gift of Healing
Kingdom Calling Blog... 