Day 15: Praying for the Sick
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. Spend a few moments gathering your thoughts, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
Journal for 5 minutes on yesterday’s experiment of planned prayer. What did you notice and learn? What challenged you? Did God say anything to you throughout the day?
Then, begin today’s devotional.
Read: Mark 16:14-20, Matthew 10:5-8, James 5:15, Isaiah 53:4-5
When Jesus began His ministry, He did two main things: 1) He preached that the Kingdom of God is present, and 2) He healed the sick. A kingdom is the domain of the king. The Kingdom of God is simply the place where God reigns. Anywhere that God reigns, anywhere that His will is done, is His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is a place that looks like God intends. It is a place of life. It is a place of peace and wholeness. It is a place of vibrancy.
In my reading of Scripture, I do believe that Jesus saw healing the sick as a pronouncement of the presence of God’s Kingdom. Jesus did not heal only because He was compassionate towards the sick. Jesus also healed because it was a sign or evidence of the arrival of God’s Kingdom. All four gospel writers show Jesus announcing the Kingdom, teaching on the Kingdom, and proclaiming the Kingdom, and then immediately healing those who are sick. It simply makes sense. Jesus comes on the scene, declares that God’s rule is here, and then removes things that are not a part of God’s rule—sickness, demons, etc. Jesus saw healing and the Kingdom interlinked so intrinsically that He told His disciples to do the same things He did—announce the Kingdom and heal the sick.
We are also His disciples, and I believe that Jesus us wants us to do the same. Not only do I believe it, I have experienced it. I have watched broken bones heal, closed eyes see, and more. I say this only to testify that God wants to use you. God can provide physical healing through His people generally, but He wants to do it through you specifically. He uses people who are still learning, growing, changing, failing, and following.
God wants to use you. He knows you. He knows your successes and failures. He knows your virtues and vices. He is all-knowing. He is wise. He sees everything. And He says ‘yes’ to using you. What if you accepted, believed, and lived knowing that God wants to bring healing through you?
In my own experience, I follow a few patterns in praying for those who desire healing:
Ask people what they need healing for.
Ask if you can touch them.
Pray in Jesus’ name.
Be specific and command bodies to operate the way they need to. Tell bones to be strong, muscles to grow, tightness to be released, pain to leave, sickness to go. Remember that Jesus didn’t plead with the Father to heal the sick, Jesus commanded sickness to go.
Ask the person to test it out.
Ask, “Does your body feel the same, better, or worse?”
Thank God or pray again. Sometimes healing comes gradually.
Something to consider is that sometimes people do not sense or receive healing exactly in the moment they are prayed for. Sometimes people get healed after the prayer or the next day.The goal is to encourage and exhort whoever you’re praying for to trust and hope in God. We don’t have faith in faith or have faith in prayers. We have faith in God.
Another thought to consider is that there is a powerful link between forgiveness and healing. Often, unforgiveness will block healing, and forgiveness will release it. Is there somebody you or another person who seeks healing needs to forgive? James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
We must always remember that the ultimate healing is coming when Jesus returns and resurrects the body (1 Corinthians 15). Everything now is a foretaste of that. But until then, God wants to use you to proclaim His Kingdom, including healing.
Prayer: Father,would You give me opportunity to pray for those who are sick today. Would you give me slowness to see those in need, compassion to act, and boldness to step out. Amen.
Today’s Experiment: Make a goal to pray for two people today. It may feel awkward or be scary, but what if God wants to use you in that way? Someone once said that faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Know that you and the person who is sick have nothing to lose and only good things to gain. If you hear someone cough or talk about not feeling well, ask if you can pray for them, or just go out of your way and stop a few people that you see.
By Rev. Christian Dawson, Campus Pastor