Lesson 40

The Ministry of Healing is a ministry whereby a believer is used by God to bring the healing of God for those who are sick (1 Corinthians 12:28).

And God has appointed these in the Church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of HEALINGS, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
(1 Corinthians 12:28)

The ministry of healing is established in a believer's life when he is consistently used by God to bring healing to other people in the Church or outside the Church.

The ministry of healing can both be seen among two groups of people in the Church, i.e., the fivefold leaders and the ordinary members.

Is any one of you sick? He should call the ELDERS OF THE CHURCH to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
(James 5:14-15)

E.g. The apostles in the early Church at Jerusalem brought healing to many while Philip, an evangelist, brought healing to the people of Samaria (Acts 5:12-16; 8:5-8).

THE APOSTLES performed may miraculous signs and wonders among the people. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bring their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and ALL OF THEM WERE HEALED.
(Acts 5:12,16)

PHILIP went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard PHILIP and saw the miraculous sins he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With many shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples WERE HEALED. So there are great joy in the city.
(Acts 8:5-8)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and PRAY FOR EACH OTHER so that you may be HEALED.
(James 5:16)

In fact, any believer who goes forth to share the Good News with unbelievers can be assured that God will use him to bring healing to others when he lay hands on the sick (Mark 16:15-18).

Jesus said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation. And these SIGNS will follow THOSE WHO BELIEVE: In my name they will drive out demons; they will place their hands on SICK PEOPLE, and they will GET WELL."
(Mark 16:15, 18)

Two groups of people are blessed by this ministry, namely, those who are sick outside the Church and those who are sick within the Church.

Healing is a sign from God to unbelievers that Good News of salvation through Jesus is true and powerful.

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and PREACHED EVERYWHERE, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the SIGNS that accompanied it.
(Mark 16:19-20)

Many who have heard the Good News will believe in Jesus when they see the miracle of healing in their lives (Acts 5:12, 14).
Others will want to hear the Good News when they see healing performed in the name of Jesus, as happened in Samaria when Philip was there (Acts 8:5-8).
Either way, the healing miracles act to confirm the truthfulness of the Good News that is preached.

The APOSTLES performed many miraculous sings and wonders among the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women BELIEVED IN THE LORD and were added to their number. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
(Acts 5:12-13, 16)

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. With many shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in the city.
(Acts 8:5-8)

Those who are sick within the local church can receive their healing when they are sick so that they can be strong again to serve God.
They can receive their healing either by themselves, through the ministry of believers with the ministry of healing, or through the ministry of elders in the church.

When the sickness is serious and the sick believer is not strong in faith, he should seek the ministry of another believer who has the calling to heal or seek the help of the church elders (James 5:14-16).

Every believer can serve in the ministry of healing.
This is because every believer is commanded by God to share the Good News to unbelievers, and God wants to heal the sick through us when we witness to unbelievers. (Mark 16:15-18).

God also wants to use everyone of us to release forgiveness of sins and healing to others in the church so that they can be made whole again to serve God.
It is usually sin in our lives that opens a door for sicknesses to enter our lives.
As we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, then God will heal those among us who are sick, so that we may serve God effectively again (James 5:16).

Therefore confess your sins to EACH OTHER and PRAY FOR EACH OTHER so that you may be HEALED.
(James 5:16) 

The following are attitudes and steps we can adopt in order that we may have an effective ministry of healing in our lives and be a blessing to others.

Healing for unbelievers is a sign that God has sent His only Son to die for the sins of man on the cross.
Healing is a sign used by God to confirm the Good News (Mark 16:19-20).

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and PREACHED EVERYWHERE, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed is word by the SIGNS that accompanied it.
(Mark 16:19-20)

You must therefore always preach the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ (it takes only 5 minutes to do it) if you want God to heal the unbeliever.
If you do not share the Good News with an unbeliever, then God cannot confirm His word with the miracle of healing.

Teach the sick that Jesus has borne away our sicknesses and pain on the cross about 2000 years ago, and that by His wounds, we have been healed (Isaiah 53:4; 1 Peter 2:24).

Surely He [Jesus] has borne our sicknesses
     and carried our pains
And with His stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:4-5)

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.
(1 Peter 2:24)

Teach from the word of God that God will heal us today when we ask Him to do so in the name of Christ (John 16:23-24).

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."
(John 16:23)

You can only build up strong faith for you healing ministry by meditating (reading loudly) God's word day and night (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:1-2; Romans 10:17).

Believe that as you preach the Good News to them and pray for the sick among them, they will be healed (Mark 16:15-18).

Jesus said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation. And these SIGNS will follow THOSE WHO BELIEVE: In my name they will drive out demons; they will place their hands on SICK PEOPLE, and they will GET WELL."
(Mark 16:15,18)

Believe that after you have prayed for healing for the sick believer, you have received the answer and the healing has been released (Mark 11:24).
Believe that the sick will be raised up as you have prayed in faith (James 5:14-15).

Therefore I tell you, WHATEVER you ask for in prayer, believe that you HAVE RECEIVED it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 11:24)

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to PRAY OVER HIM and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the PRAYER OFFERED IN FAITH will MAKE THE SICK PERSON WELL; the Lord will RAISE HIM UP.
(James 5:14-15)

For a sick believer to receive his healing, he must fulfill 3 conditions, as follows:

A sick believer who wants to receive prayer for healing from the pastors and elders must humble himself and call for the elders (James 5:14).
He must not be proud and expect the pastor to find out that he is sick and to visit him and pray for him or get angry with the pastor if this does not happen.
These sins of pride and anger will prevent him from being healed.

All sins bring death, including sicknesses, accidents and business failures.
To receive healing, a believer must confess all his sins and begin to live righteously before God (James 5:16).

Therefore CONFESS YOUR SINS to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a RIGHTEOUS MAN is powerful and effective.
(James 5:16)

The sick believer must believe from God's work in Mark 11:24 and James 5:14-15 that God has answered him as soon as he asked God for healing.
He must believe that he has received his healing and begin to thank God for it.
As he does so, his healing will manifest in his body in due time.
But if he doubts and complains and confesses that he is not healed, than he remain sick, no matter who has prayed for him (Mark 11:23; James 1:6-8).

Therefore I tell you, WHATEVER you ask for in prayer, believe that you HAVE RECEIVED it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 11:24)

Oil here represents the power of the Holy Spirit and the healing power of the Holy Spirit will flow as we obey God and act in faith by anointing the sick (James 5:14).

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and ANOINT him with oil in the name of the Lord. 
(James 5:14)

Your thought

1. Are you boldly serving in the ministry of healing now?
   If you are not, ask yourself, why not?
   

2. Name the common sins that hinder us from receiving God's healing?