Page 85 - what a christianbelieveslatest.pub
P. 85
Laying on of Hands
1. It should always be exercised in an attitude of prayer and humility.
2. First seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as to who to pray for,
and how and for what.
3. Confidence in claiming the protection of the Holy Spirit through
the shed blood of Christ.
4. When laying on Hands to be first so empowered by the Holy Spirit
to overcome any kind of evil spiritual influence that may be in the
one upon whom hands are laid.
When a Christian prays and lays hands on the sick they
should be prepared to persist until either they see
healing or the Holy Spirit says to stop.
When a christian becomes sick there is also provision.
James 5 v14 'Is any one of you sick? He should call for
the elders of the church, to pray over him and anoint him
with oil, in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered
in faith will make the sick person well,'
Oil, in the Bible, represents the Holy Spirit in whom is the
healing, not in the oil itself. This passage shows two
important principles.
Firstly, God expects a sick christian to come first to Him to
seek healing. It is not wrong to seek medical opinion, but it is
disobedient to do that before seeking God Himself, by calling
for the appointed leaders of the church to anoint with oil and
pray.
Secondly, it calls on church leaders always to be ready to
pray with members and that christians will be willing to make
their needs known. For this to be normal church life there
must develop a high level of trust between all in the church
and towards God. Such trust is precious and should never
85