These signs will accompany those who have believed:

… they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Mark 6:17-18

Jesus is talking here, commissioning His disciples and commissioning those of us who follow Him.  We will lay hands on the sick and when we do, the sick will recover. I don’t see any qualifiers in this verse. It doesn’t say, those who went to seminary will lay hands on, or those with a special anointing will lay hands on, or those who are “prayed up” will lay hands on and they will recover. No, He just says, those who have believed. Believed what? Believed what Jesus said. Believed that what they saw Him do was the Father’s will. Believed that signs are for us, for all of us who have believed.

I also don’t see Him qualifying who gets healed. He doesn’t say those who pray for half an hour each day, or those who are being used mightily in the kingdom of God, or those who are more loved or worthier or more important. No, He just says, they will recover.

Regular folks like you and me, if we have believed what Jesus said can lay hands on the sick and they will recover. That’s pretty simple actually.

When our son was two years old, he developed a hernia. We saw a doctor, who sent us to a surgeon, who told us that hernias never go away on their own, nor do the kids just outgrow them. Hernias must be surgically removed. He sent us away to schedule the surgery and gave us a follow-up appointment for several weeks later.

I owned a day care at the time, and I explained to the children who were between 11 months to 3 years old that the Bible tells us that if we lay hands on the sick, Jesus will heal them. The kids came over, laid hands on my son and I began to pray. Ever prayed those prayers that you just know are going absolutely nowhere? That was one of those prayers, so I closed my mouth. As soon as I did, a little girl said sweetly, “and Jesus, would you make my friend, John, all better?”

And that simple little prayer was all that was needed. Peace filled the room and I knew the issue was settled. Our son was healed. Sure enough, over the next few days, the hernia shrank until it was impossible to tell that there had even been one. I took him back to the surgeon who confirmed that indeed where once there had been a hernia, there was one no longer!

The issue to be settled is just this—do we really take Jesus at His word or not? When He says, “they will recover,” did He mean that or not? I choose to believe.

If a three-year-old girl can lay hands on someone and pray a simple prayer of faith and bring about a miraculous healing, what’s stopping us?

Healed!!!

 How simple is that, Jesus? We believe, we lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Thank You for making that promise and making that provision for us. Healing from You, through the hands of others who have believed. Thank You for the recovery we saw in our son because of an act of faith and obedience carried out by a child. You are our Healer and You alone deserve the glory. You alone deserve the praise. Amen.

I would love to hear from you. Please let me know if I can be praying for you as well.

pic credit: localprayers.com

pic credit: diane reid