“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8; NKJV)
In different seasons of my life, the Holy Spirit seems to give me a special emphasis. Usually, it becomes a theme that changes me first, and then when I preach about it, God will do extraordinary things because it is already such a living word in my heart. Acts 1:8 is like that for me right now.
Ever since I asked the Lord to pour His Holy Spirit on me when I was a 20-year-old college student, I have been hungry for the power of God to manifest in my life—and not just any kind of power, but the specific kind mentioned in this passage. The Greek word for “power” here is dunamis, from which we get the English word “dynamite.”
After asking God to empower me with the Holy Spirit, I remember that I did the strangest thing. I looked at my hands—my palms turned up—and said right out loud, “These hands are meant to heal the sick! There is power in these hands!”
At the time, I didn’t even really have a theology for such a statement. In retrospect, I realize that it must have come from the inside of me! The Holy Spirit was imparting the revelation that He wanted to release His dynamite, healing power to others through my hands!
Now this may sound elementary to some, but to me, it was absolutely life changing! It was later that I read a scripture I had probably read many times as a young person, but it suddenly took on new life:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover . . . And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. (Mark 16:17-18; 20)
So what did I do? I recognized that I needed to find someone who would let me practice on them. But who could I find who wouldn’t think I was crazy? No one in my church believed in healing the sick.
Finally, I had a lightbulb moment! My mother! She had been born with a clubfoot, and it hurt her all the time. I was so excited that I could hardly wait for her to visit me!
At last, the time came. I explained that if I laid my hands on her and prayed, the pain would leave her foot. God bless my mother! She simply sat down on the bed and said, “Ok!”
I really didn’t know if there was a right or wrong way, or any special way, to lay hands on the sick. I simply put both hands on her foot and said, “In the Name of Jesus, be healed!” Guess what? She was! No more pain!
That was my simple beginning to the healing ministry I have today. I read the Bible and did what it said! It worked then, and it works now.
Many people long to see healing take place, but the process starts in our minds and hearts—getting lined up with what God says He will do.
I shared with you earlier that Acts 1:8 has become very important to me in this time of my life. Recently, I noticed that even though I was still seeing miracles, they were not increasing in numbers, nor in what I would call wonders, or creative miracles.
I started to pray each day, “Lord, You said that I would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon me. I need more power. I want to see greater miracles. Father, I want to see arms grow where there are no arms and legs where there are no legs. Creator, create with Your power and might! Let these be mighty wonders that point people to You and cause many to follow You because of the anointing poured out in this hour!”
It’s working! I am seeing a greater number of tumors disappearing, plus increase in other miracles and manifestations. I have yet to see those limbs be created, but am I discouraged? No! I am confident that if I do not give up, I will have what I am praying for, and the world will see His glory revealed upon all flesh.
Many people long to see healing take place, but the process starts in our minds and hearts—getting lined up with what God says He will do. That is why we have created an online course, called “How to Heal and Be Healed.” Every believer should be able to pray for healing with confidence because we are grounded in what the word of God says. I encourage you to enroll today, and let this foundational aspect of God’s character become alive in your heart!
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