Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; … they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
And so we come to the second of the power gifts listed, which is called the gifts of healings. Before we look at this particular gift however, we need to recognise that scripture reveals two main methods that the Lord uses to heal the sick. The two methods are; healing through the prayer of faith and healing through the spiritual gift called “gifts of healings”. In this section we will discuss the first method of healing, i.e. healing through the prayer of faith. In the above quoted passage of scripture we see that the Lord Jesus has mandated all believers to lay their hands on the sick so that they can be healed. And so we see that it is entirely scriptural for all believers to lay their hands on those who are sick, and in faith, pray for them to be healed. In this passage there are three further truths that we learn about this method of healing. Firstly, we see that the sign of healing will follow the one who believes. In other words the outcome of healing is more reliant on the faith of the one who is praying, rather than the faith of the one being prayed for. Secondly, if you read the full context of this passage you will see that the Lord is mandating this method of healing to be used on individuals, not multitudes. The third truth that is revealed in this passage is that in most instances when individuals are healed by this method they will not be instantly healed, for the scripture says that “they will recover”, thus implying that they will recover from their illness over a period of time.
James 5:14-15 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (15) And the prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle James reinforces the truth to us, that believers can pray in faith for people to be healed and that God will heal them. In this passage the Holy Spirit gives us further insight into this method of healing, for we see that in the church, elders are encouraged to lay their hands on the sick to heal them. So why is that? The reason is because under normal circumstances the elders of the church should be operating at a greater level of faith than the average church member, and should therefore be able to offer this type of prayer more affectively. And so again we see that the outcome of this method of healing is more reliant on the faith of those who are doing the praying, rather than the faith of the one being prayed for. Another truth that is reinforced in this passage is that the Lord encourages the elders to use this method to pray for individuals not multitudes. As an aside, this passage reveals two further facets to this method of healing. Firstly, we see that oil can be used along with the laying on of hands? So why is that? The reason is to help the individual receive their healing as they feel the oil on their bodies and associate that with the healing anointing of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, we see that as far as believers are concerned, unforgiven sin must be dealt with before they can receive their healing. This point is not applicable to unbelievers however.
Michael E.B. Maher
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