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DOUG HOLLIDA

As you listen to the prayers of the average congregation, you will notice that virtually all are requests for someone?s healing. Yet while 90 percent of Jesus? recorded actions were to heal the sick, there is very little action in this area in today?s church. Some years ago, while in seminary, I set out to change that.

As a project for my pastoral theology class, I put together a seminar on the how and why of hands-on healing prayer. It was given Saturday morning at my field education church, followed by a Sunday morning healing service.

Many people in the small church came forward for prayer. The following Sunday, one woman who had been battling constant pain for some weeks reported that her pain was gone.

Since that time, some 15 years ago, I have presented my healing seminar in every church I?ve served, to well over 100 people in total.

Do I have more dramatic healings to report? Not yet. But we (the churches I?ve served) are young in this ministry. In fact, as I say at the seminar, there are people with gifts of healing out there who don?t know it because they have never done a hands-on prayer. And among my network of friends and colleagues, over the years I have heard eye-witness accounts of healings, such as hearing and sight restored.

In my experience, starting a healing prayer ministry is not just about people being miraculously healed. Rather it?s about all the things we should be doing in our walk of faith, namely: trust, surrender and openness to the workings of the Spirit.

When people present themselves for healing prayer, they are stepping out in faith and opening themselves to the Lord. When a church begins a healing prayer ministry, that congregation is saying they believe in a powerful, loving God who is active today. Faith is built, spirits are strengthened, and connections are made through the body of Christ.

Having a healing prayer ministry helps restore the connection disciples are meant to have with each other. It also helps restore the church to its calling to be Jesus to each other in bodily form. When someone receives hands-on prayer, whether they are healed at that moment or not, they receive a touch from Jesus of some kind. I have seen that many times and it is always powerful.

During the seminar, we talk about why the mainline church has lost this ministry. One reason is that our only exposure to it is limited to TV preachers who make it seem over-emotional and fake. But after witnessing and experiencing healing prayer, participants describe it as very relaxed and 'natural.'

Another reason we shrink from this ministry is fear of failure, i.e., 'What do I do if I pray for someone and they aren?t healed?' But in my experience I have never had anyone complain after receiving prayer.

I think the main reason we have lost this ministry is that age old sin that goes all the way back to Adam: control.

We want to be in control of our lives and it is a fearful thing to surrender ourselves to the Lord to the point where we are asking Christ to perform a miracle right inside our own body.

Still in our heart of hearts, we know that God wants only good for us. It?s our part simply to be faithful, then step back and see what God is going to do.

Our Savior is alive and I can?t wait to see what Christ does next.

Rev. Doug Hollida is director of worship and arts at Bel Air UMC. To learn more about hosting a Healing Prayer Seminar, phone (410) 838-5181 or e-mail