Healing Service

Psalm 103

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s

What a promise lies within these verses! We know that human nature suffers from the fundamental disease of sinfulness. God created a world that he described as very good but because of our first parent’s disobedience look at the mess we have got ourselves into.

When Jesus came he demonstrated God’s love and compassion and literally put into practice God’s promise, healing those who came to him

Luke 4 : 38

Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Healing became a major part of Jesus’ ministry and it was his expressed will that his followers would assume that ministry once he had returned to heaven. Indeed part of his training of the disciples included sending them out to announce the Kingdom of God and heal the sick.

John 14 : 12 – 14

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.   And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

His promise was that through us, who believe in him and are filled with his Holy Spirit, he, Jesus would be able to continue this ministry. It is not we who heal, it is Jesus working through us!

It is important to remember that the greatest disease remains unforgiven sin and therefore our first priority will always be to bring people into a relationship with Jesus. Peter expresses it well:

1 Peter 2 : 24- 25

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Peter, Paul and the Apostles took Jesus at his word and we have read in  our reading of  Acts 3 : 1 – 10 where Peter and John healed the man crippled from birth.

The words of Jesus echoed throughout the early church and still apply to us today. James gives us some instructions as to how to approach this subject:

James 5 : 13 – 15

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Note that there is a definite link between confessing our sins and our healing.

I realise that we now have sophisticated medical services but we are having to wait longer and longer for their healing. In reality we should turn first of all to prayer for those who are suffering, being aware that God’s wisdom and timing are beyond our understanding, Bruce Milne sums it up for us:

“That God can heal is not in question; whether he will, and if so by what means and over what span of time, are matters for his determining. His power is real; his will is love; his love is wise… We need the intervention of God. Nothing less can heal the deadly diseases of the human heart in our generation. But God has not changed. His Son is still the healing Christ. He waits to be entreated”.

So let us pray for those who need God’s healing power.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray for all those we know and love who are suffering in body, mind or spirit, In the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour and healer we ask that you send your Holy Spirit on them just now to comfort and heal them. Thank you Father, Amen.


Category: Prayers , Sermons , Services , The Bridge

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