As part of a quirk in the schedule, I was privileged to be the lay minister in our healing prayer ministry at St. George’s , my church the past 3 Sundays. After communion, a lay minister and a priest go to our smaller chapel to pray with each person based upon the needs in their life.
People come forward with all sorts of requests for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing for themselves or friends. Sometimes a sister is sick, a friend hasn’t had a job in over a year, or a neighbor is going through a divorce. Other times the requests are praise to God in thanksgiving: a new job, a new grandchild, or a newfound purpose in life.
I invite friends to join us at St. George’s for healing prayer and sometimes I hear, “Thanks, but life is going pretty well right now. I can’t complain.”
Instead, one of my friends has it right. She says, “my parents are getting on in years and so am I. I want to prepare myself for the tough times in my life that I know are inevitable. Healing prayer is my insurance policy. I want to experience it before I really need it.”
Francis McNutt in his book Healing, says that we have prejudices against healing including: 1) not wanting to have anything to do with “faith healing”, 2) mistakenly thinking that sickness is a cross sent from God, 3) thinking since we have faith now, we don’t need signs or miracles anymore, and 4) miracles don’t take place; they can all be explained by scientific explanation.
I have been the beneficiary of healing from the prayers of others in all dimensions of my life, so I know how powerful it can be to have another person to verbally pray for you. Not just general prayers like the great Our Father, but specific requests that a child would ask of their Dad; emotionally connected prayers between people who care for each other.
Healing Prayer; for yourself, for others, or for the future. What a great idea to begin a dialogue with God now!
I invite you to join me any Sunday around 11AM in the small chapel at St. George’s Church in Nashville for healing prayer. You don’t have to be a church member to join us. A lay minister and clergy will greet you and pray with you or a friend. (click here for directions: www.stgeorgesnashville.org )
Let me know when you are coming – send me an email via the CONTACT FORM on this blog. I’ll have my nametag on and I’ll meet you there.
God always hears us when we pray seriously, says Henri Nouwen.
Blessings for healing in your life,
Agatha