Chapter Six – What Do We Do With Failure?
Not everyone we pray for will be immediately, miraculously healed. Not even half of them. I don’t keep count of my own success/failure ratio, but as I said in an earlier chapter, I don’t think my batting average would get me into the major leagues. Randy Clark, the most important of my mentors/teachers in healing […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 4, Year B (track one)
First Reading 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11-20) Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Trinity Sunday, Year B
First Reading Isaiah 6:1–8 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and […]
The Feast of Pentecost – Year B
First Reading Acts 2:1–21 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of […]
Chapter Five – The Five Step Method
In the preceding chapters I have tried to lay out the kind of foundation for healing prayer that I wish I’d had when I first came to this ministry. It is a bit of this and a bit of that from different ministries with which I’ve been affiliated to one degree or another over my […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 1:15–17, 21-26 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Feast of the Ascension, All Years
First Reading Acts 1:1–11 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 10:44–48 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 8:26–40 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, […]
Chapter Four – Things That Help and Things That Hinder
Faith It is beyond question that Faith plays a role in bringing healing to a person, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. Jesus is very clear that having faith for healing brought it about for some people. While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 4:5–12 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name […]
Chapter Two – “Why do we do healing?”
I think that the first question I need to address is, “Why would we want to pray for miraculous healing?” After all, we are modern people and we have excellent physicians. It’s true that many of the things we will wind up praying for will be things that a doctor could cure, so why pray? […]
Chapter One – What Happened to Healing?
I’m still astonished that there is so little emphasis on healing ministry in most of the churches that I know or have been involved in. Apart from the Passion Narrative itself or Jesus’ longer discourses like the Sermon on the Mount or the High Priestly Prayer, it’s difficult to read more than a few pages […]
Introduction
Many years ago, when I was working as an ophthalmic assistant, one of my co-workers called me at home. She knew I was also a volunteer prison chaplain, and she wanted me to pray for her daughter. Her daughter and husband had been in a bad auto accident, and her daughter was in the ICU […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Third Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 3:12–19 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Second Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 4:32–35 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the […]