Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14 ESV
Whereas some Christians struggle to believe they have the power to stretch out their hands to heal and to perform signs and wonders in the name of Jesus Christ, the Bible speaks convincingly about the power of God at work in his followers. In John 14:12, Jesus told his disciples, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” That is an amazing and powerful statement of confidence that Jesus has in all who believe in him. Nevertheless, many of us do not have that same spiritual conviction in our God giving power.
As we struggle with this pandemic and its related economic crisis, believers need to dig deep within to activate their faith so they can lay hands on themselves and their loved ones. While the medical and pharmaceutical establishments are trying earnestly to come up with a vaccine for COVID-19, we need to activate the power of our touch in the name of Jesus. We can lay hands on people near and far in the spirit.
At the very least, we should be laying hands on our finances, our ministry, our health, our children, our church family, our career or employment. We do not have to wait for something to go wrong before laying hands on ourselves and the things and people in our lives. The best time to lay hands on yourself is when things are stable. Do not wait for a financial crisis so you can lay hands on your finances, or for a disease before laying hands on your health.
As you go throughout the course of your day, lay hands on yourself and everything that belongs to you in the name of Jesus. Doing so reminds the enemy that you know the power of God that lives in you. It also sends a message to all the forces in the heavens and in nature that you covered in the name of Jesus. Laying of hands provides a spiritual armor for the believer. It is the best spiritual defense that is also an offense against the attacks of the enemy.
Two weeks ago, my son went away to college. Whereas my wife and I were very concerned about him staying on campus, we prayed for weeks and laid hands on him before he went away. As it happened, the dorm he was supposed to stay in was not available. Therefore, they made him stay in a hotel room. We have since learned they have discovered clusters of people infected with COVID-19 since school started. However, because he is staying at a hotel near campus in the interim, he is not impacted.
My wife and I could not have foreseen the high infection rate of COVID-19 at his school. We were reluctant at first to let him stay at the hotel. However, this turns out to be the best decision. I believe, because we prayed and laid hands on the boy, God has been protecting him from COVID-19.
It is difficult to foresee what traps and snares the enemy has set for us. Because life can be very unpredictable, we need to lay hands on ourselves every day so we can walk in victory and not defeat. A few minutes of laying hands on ourselves can help us overcome years of hardships.
For those who have little children that are going to go to in-person classes, lay hands on them before school even started. To all my first responders and frontline workers, lay hands on yourself so you can remain healthy and strong. Things may get worst during the winter with the pandemic. However, if you lay hands on yourself now, you will not be infected as you take the proper precautions and follow recommended guidelines.
Prayer- Blessed Lord, I am laying on my children who are away from home. I am laying hands on my church family so they can be healed of their diseases, their marriages will be strengthened, and prosper in their finances in the name of Jesus.