Healing

Last Sunday night I preached a message from Acts 4:24-31. In that passage the early disciples called on God to, "stretch out your hand to heal..." I found some instruction from Calvin Miller this week that I had to share.

Calvin Miller is professor of preaching and pastoral ministries at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and was a Baptist pastor. The following quote is taken from his book, Miracles and Wonders: How God Changes His Natural Laws to Benefit You.

"I continued my praying, healing ministry for three reasons.

First; it is always right to ask God for what we want.

Second, it is always better to intercede for someone else than it is to ask them to pray for themselves.

Third, my ministry of prayer for other people's healing does include touch. Touch is going as far as we can to assure someone else that we are really there with them. If we refuse to touch, we cannot offer this last, best certification of human nearness. When we touch as we talk to God, a new kind of prayer power is born."

Miller shares that over the course of his ministry he has seen dramatic healings. He has seen others receive strength to face sickness. He has seen family members comforted. He has concluded that it is always right to touch and ask God to heal. I think he is a good model for us.