Methods of Ministry - Laying on of Hands

We have discussed if healing is still for today, and faith for healing in previous teachings. Now, let’s talk about the physical methods that are commonly used to minister healing. Let me start by saying that these topics that we will discuss are not methods for healing – but methods to minister healing. The methods for healing are faith, grace and action, which were discussed in, Faith for Healing.

That said, the Bible mentions several ways of ministering healing to someone else. Perhaps the most known and practiced is laying on of hands.

“While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.” (Luke 4:40) Jesus often healed people while laying His hands on them. Jesus told His disciples that this was a model for them also, saying that the believer would “lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:18) While this method for ministering is not the only way to minister, it is the most prevalent in the Bible. We read that Paul ministered the gifts of the Spirit through laying on of hands (1 Tim. 4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6), as well as ministering the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17); and in Mark 10:16, blessings were ministered through the laying on of hands.

You can see the importance of touch when the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus’ clothes and virtue was transferred to her. (Matt. 9) The anointing is tangible. The anointing is transferable. The anointing is real. When we lay hands on someone, the power of the Holy Spirit in us is active (with faith) to touch the person we are ministering to. Just like in the story of the issue of blood where Jesus said that he felt "virtue" leave Him.

Whatever it is that we have "obtained" of God, it was given us by faith, as a free gift. 1 Corinthians 2:12 tells us, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,"

So the power to heal is free to the believer. Jesus tells us, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." (Matt. 10:8) When the power of God (or virtue) is transferred from us to someone else through whatever method of ministry God instructs us to use, we should give freely, knowing that we have received freely, and that when we give we shall receive.

Some of you are familiar with laying on of hands, whiles some of you may not be. The fact is that Jesus died so that we could do the things that He did – and get the same results (miracles).

Now, let me clear something up here; laying hands on someone is not going to automatically heal them. What I mean is this: if I lay hands on someone for them to be healed, they may feel the power of God rush through their body, yet go away sick. Why? Because if there is no faith and corresponding action, even with the greatest gifts of healing, the results just won’t be there. Look at the scripture where Jesus went to His hometown and could “do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” (Mark 6:5) If anyone was anointed, Jesus was. He was God Himself; and yet only a few people could be healed. The next verse tells us that Jesus “wondered at their unbelief.” (v. 6)

So, as with anything from God, faith is the key – not dipping in a river seven times, not having the biggest names lay hands on you, and not praying the hardest, longest, and loudest prayers; Just simple, childlike faith.

Now, all of these "Methods of Ministry" that we will be discussing in the next couple of weeks should all be used by the directions of the Holy Spirit. Jesus often said that He did nothing except what He saw His Father do. This is the same with us, and we will be discussing that later on in this series on healing. In our next teaching we will discuss the spoken word as a method of ministering healing. Until then, please read 1 TImothy 5:22.