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How to Minister to the Sick
by Segun Olumide THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HEALING MINISTRY Jesus said, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe" (Jn 4:48). Someone said, "The Spirit of God will use the gifts of healings, as a dinner bell to draw people in." Another person noted, "The miracles will open a way in a place other doors had been closed." One of the greatest soul winners of the twentieth century observed, "Soul winning to a hard place like India is impossible without miracles" (paraphrased). HEALING: A SIGN TO FOLLOW EVERY BELIEVER OR A GIFT IN SOME MINISTERS? Jesus said, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER" (Mk 16:17-18). Verse 20 reads, "AND THEY WENT FORTH, AND PREACHED EVERY WHERE, THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, AND CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING." On the one hand, there is a sign to follow every believer. So every believer can minister healing to the sick by faith. But they will have to prepare themselves in the Word and prayer with fasting to get good results. It works. The Scripture encourages it. Even my experience testifies to it. If you will preach the word faithfully without diluting it with human tradition, philosophy, psychology, dead religion or science, then the Lord will confirm his word with signs following. HE WILL ONLY CONFIRM HIS WORD THAT YOU SPEAK IN OBEDIENCE TO HIM! If you will preach Jesus as the Healer, then he will demonstrate his power as the Healer. He has already promised that those who believe in him will do great work, yes, even greater works than he himself did (John 14:12-14). If you will get fantastic results along this line, then you must first proclaim his word to the sick until their faith rise so that you can pray for their healing. The laying-on-of-hands or making a physical contact will help those with little faith more, whereas commanding them to be healed without a physical contact will assist those with great faith more! On the other hand, some believers are graced by God to move in the gifts of healings. Paul wrote, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, ALSO THOSE HAVING THE GIFTS OF HEALING, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? DO ALL HAVE THE GIFTS OF HEALING? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? BUT EAGERLY DESIRE THE GREATER GIFTS. And now I will show you the most excellent way" (1Cor 12:27-31, NIV). Notice that verse 30 above implies that all believers can't move in the gifts of healings. HOW YOU CAN MINISTER IN THE GIFTS OF HEALINGS Paul wrote, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal TO ANOTHER THE GIFTS OF HEALING BY THE SAME SPIRIT But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, DIVIDING TO EVERY MAN SEVERALLY (separately) AS HE WILL But covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet show I unto you a more excellent way" (1Cor 12:7, 9, 11, 31). He continued, "FOLLOW THE WAY OF LOVE and EAGERLY DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, especially the gift of prophecy So it is with you. SINCE YOU ARE EAGER TO HAVE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, TRY TO EXCEL IN GIFTS THAT BUILD UP THE CHURCH" (1Cor 14:1, 12, NIV). If you have an evangelistic call upon your life, then I want to challenge you to take adequate time to seek the Lord with prayer and fasting about the gifts of the Spirit, especially the gifts of healings, working of miracles and gift of faith operating through you. Then I will encourage you also to preach on Jesus, the Healer, not just the One who saved us from our sins! It is very important also to make it a priority to walk in genuine love and deep compassion towards the people. Healing is best ministered in the atmosphere of love and compassion. DO YOU THINK THOSE WITH HEALING MINISTRIES BEGAN THEIR HEALING MINISTRIES IN A BIG WAY? One of the apostolic leaders here in Nigeria once said that the first time he prayed for the blind, he didn't believe those blind eyes would open. Did that surprise you? It was at a crusade which was held in Lagos in the 1980's. His followers wrote, without his permission, on the posters publicizing the crusade, "Bring the deaf; Bring the lame; Bring the blind; Bring the dead." But he reasoned within himself, "These people. They are saying: 'Bring the deaf; Bring the lame; Bring the blind; Bring the dead'. I didn't ask them to say such. They are not the one going to pray for these people [to be healed]. They are going to push me into it." So because he didn't want to discourage them, he left them to continue with the publicity. Finally, on the first day of the crusade, as he was going to the venue, he saw some sick people going to the same venue; but he quickly turned his eyes in the other direction to avoid anything that would disturb his mind or shake his faith, and hence affect the salvation message he had prepared to preach that evening. Eventually, he preached his salvation message and made an altar call for people to accept Christ. He ensured that he spent a rather long time on those people answering the salvation altar call so that there would be little or no time left to minister healing to the sick. When the unavoidable time came for him to minister to the sick, he didn't know what to do, so he prayed, "O Lord, help me." Then a thought came to his mind. Therefore, he said, "WE are going to pray. WE are going to say, 'O Lord, WE as your people pray that you open the eyes of the blind in Jesus' name.' " He explained that the reason why he used "WE" instead of "I" was that if nothing happened, it would be everybody's fault, not his. Then the people said, "Amen." Suddenly, someone shouted in the crowd. A blind man's eyes had opened. The man of God humbly admitted that he himself was surprised. Then, immediately, he changed the tone of his prayer and began to say, "Now I command." [He had changed from "WE" to "I."] Interestingly, when the gifts of healings began to operate through Evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman, she was not even aware. Read about other healing ministers like Aimee McPherson, A. A. Allen, Maria Woodworth-Etter, Jack Coe, Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, John Alexander Dowie, William Branham, and so on from "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon. TRUST AND OBEY Some time ago, I sought the Lord's face with prayer and fasting about ministry. Then he showed me sick people coming to a particular minister who ministered healing to them. I also saw that he was organizing a healing meeting. Days later, I saw him and told him what the Lord had shown me. He was greatly encouraged because the Lord had been dealing with him along the same line. In fact, he had booked a place for a meeting but he cancelled it because of discouragement. So I encouraged him to go ahead for the Lord will surprise him. I prayed and we parted. You see, we have to trust and obey the Lord. The early disciples WENT OUT, PREACHED everywhere, the Lord WORKED with them and CONFIRMED His Word with signs following (see Mark 16:20). The signs and wonders will follow those who step out in faith and obedience to God, not man. Has the Lord asked you to start evangelistic crusades or healing meetings? Whatever he has told you to do, just do it. Mary told those servants, "DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU" (Jn 2:5, NIV). Thank God they followed her instruction they did what the Lord told them to do − and the miracle took place! HEALING MADE EASY "BUT WISDOM IS PROFITABLE TO DIRECT" (Eccl 10:10b). Truly, wisdom is better than human strength or effort (Eccl 9:16, Eccl 10:10a-b). One great American evangelist discovered that those who have tuned in to their radio broadcast, most of whom they had never met face to face read their book on healing and their other literature and got far wider understanding of the subject than those that heard just one sermon on it in their healing services or evangelistic crusades. As a result of reading that book, many sick folks were healed on their own, without anyone praying for them. Also, in a single meeting, as many as 72 deaf and dumb from birth, who had read that book, received their healing. He commented, "Because they [books] can be reread and studied, our messages in printed form produce BETTER RESULTS in the souls and bodies of those for whom we pray than in some who attend our meetings and desire to be prayed for before they hear enough of the word of God to produce faith." I have written "HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE YOUR DIVINE HEALING" for that purpose. I believe it is equally all right if an evangelist spends one, two or more days speaking about the healing God and His healing power to prepare their hearts to receive healing from God. He may start praying for them immediately or wait till he has the release of the Spirit to do so. In all these things, he must follow the clear leadings of the Spirit of God, and not a formula. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom 8:14). And as a matter of strong caution, he must never be carried away by the healing of their bodies, to the neglect of the rebirth of the human spirits, which is more important. (Actually, man is a spirit, that has a soul and dwells in a body [1Thes 5:23].) I know some can experience the new birth in their spirits before they receive healing in their bodies. But some others will want the Lord to heal their sick bodies first before they can accept him as their personal Lord and Saviour. Whichever way, he should tell them that God has more than healing for them. There is no point in receiving healing for their bodies when they continue to use their spirits, souls and bodies to serve the devil instead of God so that he [the devil] can use them to hinder the work of God in any way! MATERIALS ON HEALING THE SICK I recommend that you study carefully the following materials on healing the sick: 1. CHRIST, THE HEALER F. F. Bosworth 2. HEALING THE SICK T. L. Osborn 3. RECEIVE MIRACLE HEALING T. L. Osborn 4. TO HEAL THE SICK Charles & Frances Hunter 5. JESUS THE HEALER E. W. Kenyon 6. THE HEALING ANOINTING Kenneth E. Hagin 7. SEVEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DIVINE HEALING − Kenneth E. Hagin 8. HEALING STUDY COURSE Kenneth E. Hagin 9. THE KEY TO SCRITURAL HEALING Kenneth E. Hagin 10. REDEEMED FROM POVERTY, SICKNESS AND SPIRITUAL DEATH Kenneth E. Hagin 11. HEALING BELONGS TO US Kenneth E. Hagin 12. HEALING SCRIPTURES Kenneth E. Hagin 13. BODILY HEALING AND THE ATONEMENT Kenneth E. Hagin (with Dr T. J. McCrossan) 14. GOD'S MEDICINE Kenneth E. Hagin 15. HEAR AND BE HEALED Kenneth E. Hagin 16. HOW TO KEEP YOUR HEALING Kenneth E. Hagin 17. HEALING: FOREVER SETTLED Kenneth Hagin Jr 18. SEVEN HINDRANCES TO HEALING Kenneth Hagin Jr 19. AND JESUS HEALED THEM ALL Gloria Copeland 20. GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR HEALING Gloria Copeland 21. YOU ARE HEALED Kenneth Copeland 22. DIVINE HEALING E. A. Adeboye 23. IS HEALING FOR ALL? Frederick K. C. Price 24. HOW CAN I BE HEALED? David Yonggi Cho 25. SALVATION, HEALTH AND PROSPERITY David Yonggi Cho 26. THE KEYS TO DIVINE HEALTH David Oyedepo 27. MIRACLES TODAY − Benny Hinn 28. LORD, I NEED A MIRACLE Benny Hinn 29. THE LORD YOUR HEALER − Reinhard Bonnke 30. HOW YOU CAN BE HEALED Gordon Lindsay 31. HEALINGS FROM HEAVEN Lillian Yeoman 32. HOW TO RECEIVE YOUR DIVINE HEALING Segun Olumide SINNER'S CONFESSION If you are not yet born-again, say this: I choose to repent today. Also I choose to believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose up for my justification. The Scripture says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom 10:9). Therefore, I believe in Jesus in my heart and confess Him as my Lord. Now I am born-again (Amen). SAY THIS ALOUD TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT Also Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). And on the day of Pentecost "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Therefore, I receive the Holy Spirit by faith right now and I begin to speak in an unknown tongue (unlearned tongue) as He gives me the utterance. I command every foul spirit [spirit of fear, spirit of unbelief, spirit of doubt, religious spirit, unforgiving spirit] wanting to hinder me to stop in its evil operation in my life in Jesus' name. Thank you God for filling me with your Spirit in Jesus' name (Amen). Books By The Same Author How to Interpret Dreams and Visions Why Marriages Break How To Find The Right Life Partner Secrets of Financial and Material Prosperity How to Receive Your Divine Healing Unfolding the Fivefold Ministry The Ministry of an Apostle The Ministry of a Prophet The Ministry of an Evangelist The Ministry of a Pastor The Ministry of a Teacher Passion for the Lost Understanding the Call of God Basic Bible Course How to Receive the Holy Spirit Fulfilling Your Divine Destiny Day of Reckoning:God's Formula for Eternal Rewards Identifying Counterfeit Ministries Sanctification:Changing from Inside Out O Suffering, Why Really Me? Intimacy with God The Pastor's Wife Why Some Churches Won't Grow! Just Before You Start A Church How to Prepare and Deliver Sermons Finding Your Own Ministry False Doctrines Exposed! SPECIAL! SPECIAL! SPECIAL! A MUST READING/VIEW (Google the following free of charge on the Internet and God will change your life forever.) 1. "Holiness Required For Heaven by Carillo from Bolivia" 2. "Eternal Destinations: Godly Attire and Adornment" 3. "Another Warning by Kingsley Ubani" 4. "Time Is Over : Run For Your Life by Kingsley Ubani" 5. "9 Testimonies on Tithing from Heaven and Hell Visions" 6. "The Dangers of Eating God's Tithes and Offerings" 7. "The Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega" (Crosscheck these testimonies with the Scriptures and if you have questions you may send us an email.) About the Author Segun Olumide and his wife, Tosin are founding ministers in the New Apostolic Movement and the Glorious Family Church International both in Lagos, Nigeria. He has a divine mandate to align the Church with God's purpose. In a vision, the Lord showed him a Bible opened to the Acts of the Apostles with the words "APOSTOLIC CALL" on one of the pages. They reach out through School Of Ministry, School Of Life (Pre-Bible School) and Healing School. His apostolic teachings have blessed the Body of Christ across the nation. Connect with me online If God has blessed you through this book, please send me an e-mail to share your testimony, inspiration or reading experience, mail to: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/olumide.olusegun.5 All rights reserved. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |