The ministry of healing often involves the laying on of hands. The one who ministers healing places his hands on the sick person, and this is usually accompanied by a prayer or a command for healing.
Jesus often laid hands on the sick during his earthly ministry: “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). His disciples followed this example:
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. (Acts 28:7-9)
As 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). This is one way to minister healing – the Christian can place his hands on those who are sick and ask God to heal them.
Sometimes when a Christian lays his hands on the sick, he would feel a surge of power in his hands. The sick might also feel it. Although this could cause some excitement, there is no biblical evidence that the intensity of God’s power is measured by our sensations, and the absence of sensations does not suggest the absence of divine power. Faith is the essential factor.
The laying on of hands is a biblical and popular method for ministering healing, but physical contact is in fact unnecessary. God would also heal through a statement or command directed to the sick or the sickness.
Consider the example of Jesus and the centurion. The sick man was at another location, and there was no physical contact.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”
Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed….”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. (Matthew 8:5-8, 13)
On another occasion, Jesus healed a man with a shriveled hand. He stood close to the man, but did not touch him:
Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. (Mark 3:3-5)
The disciples often healed the sick in a similar manner, issuing commands for healing in the name of Jesus:
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (Acts 3:6-7)
She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. (Acts 16:18)
All Christians are authorized to command miracles to happen in the name of Jesus. Faith is the evidence of authority. It is the only needed credential.
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.” (Matthew 21:21)
“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” (Mark 11:23)
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6)
The power belongs to faith. It is not associated with specific persons, such as Peter and Paul, or with special titles, like apostles and prophets. When this faith is there, a Christian can command healing to occur and sickness to depart.
However, it is also legitimate to offer prayers of petition for healing. The apostles sometimes prayed in association with other methods:
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. (Acts 9:40)
His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. (Acts 28:8)
Elijah and Elisha also offered prayers when they ministered healing to the sick or when they raised the dead:
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”
The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. (1 Kings 17:17-22)
When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. (2 Kings 4:32-35)
When Jesus taught about the faith that commands, he immediately applied it to the faith that asks. Following Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:23 where he says that one who has faith can command a mountain to move, he adds, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22) and “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). The faith that asks is not inferior, and it is as effective as the faith that commands.
God could cure cancers, restore amputated limbs, and raise the dead when we ask him to act. In fact, Jesus said, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14). Since our works of faith are in fact the works of Christ – he is the one who does them – when we place a limitation on our faith or on what is possible based on times and titles, we assign such a limitation to Christ. For this reason, cessationism is blasphemy, as well as the notion that the strongest miracles were reserved for the prophets and the apostles. Miracles are promised to faith, and were never tied to times and titles. Christ is the one who does them, and he has no limitation.
Therefore, we must exercise our priestly access to the throne of grace, and make petitions for miracles of healing: “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30). When ministering healing to the sick, it is entirely legitimate to pray, “Father, I ask you to heal this person. Remove the sickness, and restore him to health.” As James writes, “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:15). When we minister to the sick, we are expecting the Lord to heal. We are asking Jesus to do the same things that he did when he was on the earth (John 14:14). Thus Peter said to a paralyzed man, “Jesus Christ heals you” (Acts 9:34).
Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed him and his household: “Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again” (Genesis 20:17). Isaac prayed for his wife, and God healed her of barrenness: “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant” (Genesis 25:21). Hannah was also barren, but she prayed for a child and God opened her womb (1 Samuel 1).
King Hezekiah was sick, and Isaiah told him that he was about to die. But Hezekiah prayed, and Isaiah returned to announce that God would heal the king and add fifteen years to his life:
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you…I will add fifteen years to your life.'” (2 Kings 20:1-6)
God exacted judgment on King Jeroboam so that his arm shriveled up, but God healed him when a prophet prayed:
When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the LORD.
Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before. (1 Kings 13:4-6)
God’s people have always prayed for miracles of healing as an integral aspect of their worship and religion, and often received spectacular results. God has conferred to all Christians the authority to minister healing, and among other things, this means that we could ask God to heal the sick: “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30).
Preaching can also bring healing to the sick. God has secured redemption through Jesus Christ, and he has ordained the doctrinal ministries to reveal this to us. As Paul writes, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:14). The ministry of the word is effective to deliver all the benefits of salvation, including healing. Of course, God’s power is released by preaching that is full of truth and faith, not by unbelief, tradition, and the heresy of cessationism.
God’s power is often manifested in the context of the ministry of the word. While Jesus was “teaching…the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick” (Luke 5:17). Many people were healed as Philip preached: “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said” (Acts 8:4-6). When Paul preached in Lystra, “there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk” (Acts 14:8-10). Then, a man was raised from the dead in one of Paul’s extended preaching sessions:
Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. (Acts 20:9-12)
God sometimes releases his power even as the Christian preaches, so that the miracles occur as he speaks:
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. (Acts 10:44-46)
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1:21-26)
Although the evil spirit did not leave the man until Jesus commanded it to come out, it was the authoritative preaching of the word that forced it to disclose its presence.
God is sovereign, and he could heal any person by any method he wishes. Sometimes people would be healed as I preach. They are surprised that it could happen without prayer, and I would not know about the healing until they tell me. God is also sovereign while we pray for the sick. Although people could be healed as I pray for them, sometimes they would be healed even while I interview them about their conditions, before I start to pray. God is the one who heals, and he is not an impersonal force, but an omnipotent intelligence. He does not have to wait for me or to ask my permission.
Paul’s commands Timothy, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). This applies to the whole counsel of God, including ministry of healing. Moreover, Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.”
If we will persist in preaching sound doctrine, encouraging faith and rebuking unbelief, then a harvest of healing miracles will break forth in our churches:
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
We may sow, and we may water, but it is God who causes the harvest: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Christians can drive out sickness by reading and teaching the words of the Bible, accompanied by the laying on of hands and prayer for healing.
In Paul’s discussion on spiritual gifts, he likens Christians collectively as the “body of Christ”:
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ….
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”…
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-21, 27)
Since the passage comes in the context of a discourse on spiritual gifts, that is the actual topic. Thus it teaches that God endows each believer with spiritual gifts, and places him in the church to perform specialized functions.
The eye is designed to see by its very structure and equipment. Its inherent function or natural ability is to see. Although some organs could become more effective with conditioning, they do not need special effort or training for them to perform their designated function. Since the eye has been constructed to see, in order to exercise this ability, all it has to do is to be itself. On the other hand, the eye is not designed to hear or to smell. It cannot perform these functions no matter how much it tries. Nevertheless, it is sometimes possible for a part of the body to do what that it is not designed to do. For example, a person could use his hands to walk, but it is very likely that he would be inefficient at it. The organs do not assume their roles by their own decisions, but they are what they are because they are made that way.
From this, we can infer several things about spiritual gifts, whether we are talking about healing, teaching, evangelism, administration, or other functions. God is the one who chooses the abilities that you possess and the roles that you assume in the church. You should be able to exercise your gifts and function in your roles with relative ease and effect. Although instruction and training will enhance your abilities, you will experience less strain and more success compared to others who attempt the same things. The abilities might become dormant due to unbelief and neglect, but they could be reactivated by faith and action. Although it is possible to do something that you are not gifted to do, you will probably be less accomplished at it.
Healing comes easily to the one who has the spiritual gift, but all Christians has the ability to minister to the sick. Paul mentions the gifts of service, encouragement, giving, and mercy (Romans 12:7-8), but he certainly does not think that only those who are gifted in these areas should serve, encourage, give, or show mercy. Likewise, those who have the gift of healing will often experience greater success when they pray for the sick, and the Holy Spirit heals in a more powerful manner through them. However, all Christians have access to God through prayer, and could ask for whatever the Bible teaches.
We have missed the point if we allow the presence of a spiritual gift to become a limitation to all those who do not seem to have it. A gift is an expression of God’s generosity – it is intended to enhance some of us rather than hinder the rest of us. Faith is the decisive factor: “I tell you the truth, if you have faith…nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). Then, love is the greatest drive – when you are moved with compassion for the sick, you have aligned yourself with Christ, and he has more healing power than anyone with the healing gift.
Although Christians are able to minister healing outside of an official church setting, if a church would obey the Bible and encourage the healing ministry, some believers could develop it into a powerful and permanent aspect of the congregation. This leads to the issue of church authority. The Christian minister must be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2; also 2 Timothy 2:24). And Paul writes, “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).
God rules the church by the Bible. It is the authority that dictates our thought and conduct. It follows that those who exercise doctrinal ministries have the greater authority in church government. As Paul says, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17), which indicates that the doctrinal ministers in the church should have preeminence over the others. Therefore, the ministry of healing must submit to the ministry of the word.
The doctrinal leaders of the church would often be those who also exercise the gift of healing, since James tells believers to call on their elders when they need prayer for healing: “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him” (James 5:14). That said, in a congregation there would be those who have no doctrinal ability or function, but who have the gift of healing, and also some who wish to exercise this ministry whether or not they have the gift of healing. These people should function under the authority and direction of the church leaders and the teachers. One who has a doctrinal ministry in the church should always have authority over one who has only a healing ministry.
Of course, we are referring to how Christians ought to behave in the context of church functions and outreaches. In themselves, Christians are individuals who have direct access to Christ, and as such they are free to minister healing as they see fit when they are not acting as representatives of a congregation. If a believer meets a relative or a stranger on the street, he does not need the church’s permission to pray for his healing, just as he does not need permission to preach the gospel to him.
Those who are less than exceptional in doctrinal knowledge must not teach classes on healing, even if they have the gift of healing. It is a mistake to think that those who are effective in the ministry of healing are necessarily correct in their thinking on the subject. God is the one who heals, and he heals because he is compassionate and generous. Thus success in ministry does not necessarily indicate maturity in character and knowledge. If a person exercises an effective ministry of healing, but has not also obtained an intellectual understanding on the topic, he is likely to teach from a flawed inferences of his experiences instead of from a sound interpretation of the Bible. Since people might consider him an authority on the subject, his false teachings could deeply penetrate and mislead them. Of course, the ignorance is not a result of the gift of healing, but the neglect of biblical studies. Those Christian leaders and academics who teach unbelief and heresy against the ministry of healing are far more harmful.
Since the healing ministry entails close interactions between individuals, there should be some guidelines to ensure effectiveness and accountability. For example, because the laying on of hands involves physical contact, we should observe several sensible principles. When the minister lays his hands on sick people, he should avoid touching their private or sensitive parts, especially when praying for those of the opposite gender. To place the hands closer to the afflicted area might offer a sense of directly applying God’s power, but in reality this often makes little difference. God’s power is not subject to distance, and he can heal the sick even when there is no physical contact.
Avoid ministering healing to one of the opposite gender in private. In fact, it is wise to avoid being alone in the same room with one of the opposite gender, whether for prayer or counseling, unless there is a witness, or unless the session is recorded with the person’s consent. When ministering to a child, there must be an adult witness, and the session should be recorded with the guardian’s permission. If the one asking for prayer refuses to allow a witness or to allow the session to be recorded, then do not minister to this person in private. Of course, all recordings of private sessions should be viewed only by the people involved, by government officials, or to be presented as evidence in court.
Unless it is evident that the minister would be touching the people, as would be the case in public meetings where the laying on of hands is a standard practice, he should request permission to lay hands on a sick person. He could ask, “May I place my hand on your shoulder and pray for your healing?” Even in a public meeting, if there might be people who are unfamiliar with the healing ministry, then the minister should offer an explanation before he lays his hands on the people.
When several people pray for one sick person, they should not form a tight circle, but they should maintain some distance and leave enough space to allow observers. And it is probably best for only one person to lay hands on the sick person while the others join in prayer. This is so that the sick person would not feel uncomfortable, and the observers would see that there is no manipulation and no inappropriate contact. If the condition is visible, this also becomes an opportunity for them to witness a healing miracle.
When the minister lays his hands on the sick before an audience, it is best to allow as many people as possible to see where he touches the sick people. His actions should be visible and his words should be audible. If a sick person’s spouse is present, allow him or her to stand close and observe the process. Respect the wishes of both the sick person and the spouse when it comes to contact. If for whatever reason it is not possible to observe these principles, then it is better not to touch the sick person. Just pray without the laying on of hands.
Although these guidelines might seem extreme, they could reduce misunderstandings, accusations, and legal problems. Ministers must remember that, even if we are above reproach in our conduct, we are often dealing with people that are selfish, ungrateful, and outright evil – and these are the Christians, or those who claim to be Christians. They would appear so reverent and teachable, but the moment they are displeased, they would turn against the ministers and even Jesus Christ himself. The reality is that we must protect ourselves from the people we serve. This applies to all aspects of Christian work, and not only the ministry of healing.
The ministry of healing should be performed without ambiguity, and it is important to show the people what is happening in a meeting. Many gatherings for healing are so noisy, emotional, and disorganized that some come away thinking that many people must have been healed, when probably nobody has been healed. There should be some guidelines to ensure clarity.
When a sick person requests prayer, ask him to explain his condition. If he has visited a doctor, ask him what the doctor says about it, and what the doctor says must happen in this person’s body for him to be healed This is not because we believe the opinions of the doctors, since they often make mistakes, and we can always pray for a sick person without asking what a doctor thinks about the condition. Nevertheless, we ask for a doctor’s statement to show that someone other than the sick person himself certifies that the condition exists. Accordingly, it would be even better if the sick person could produce medical documents on his condition. If the condition happens to be incurable by medical science, this also prepares the stage for God to heal that which doctors cannot cure. After this, the person can return to his doctor to secure documents that testify to the healing.
Whether or not he has visited a doctor, ask the person if he is experiencing the symptoms of his condition and if he would be able to tell the difference if he is healed. This is not possible with some conditions. After prayer, ask if he notices a difference, and if so, to describe the difference. Ask if he thinks that he is healed. In all of this, it is usually preferable to allow others to observe and hear the exchange. The exception is when this would somehow embarrass the sick person.
Never make the impression that a person has been healed when he is not healed or when there is no indication that he is healed. The exception to this is when God compels such a declaration by the gift of faith. This would not cause a problem, since in such a case, the person is indeed healed. If he has been healed through prayer, then see to it that God receives thanks for it. Yet if he does not appear to be healed after prayer, this does not necessarily mean that the prayer is unanswered, since the healing might be gradual. He must continue looking to God in faith.
Do not tell anyone to stop taking the medication prescribed by his doctor. This is for the sick person’s safety, and it also serves to avoid legal problems. Also, do not offer a diagnosis to the person’s condition.
We are to practice the ministry of healing in a way that honors God and the Christian faith. Some of these guidelines are not biblical principles as such, but are practical measures that could be adapted to suit specific situations, and churches might wish to formulate additional protocols according to their needs.