Bible reading: Luke 9v1-6
‘When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal those who were ill.’
Reflection: In Luke 9 Jesus gives the disciples power to cure diseases. He sends them out to do it, and they do – “healing people everywhere.” Jesus teaches us that whoever believes in him will do the same works he did and even greater things. One of the many ways we can do this is by interceding through prayer. Right through history, “God has revealed himself as ‘Yaweh Ropheca’ – the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26) He is a healer of the body (Ps 103:2-3). He is a healer of emotions; healing the broken-hearted and bandaging their wounds (Ps 147:3). And He is a healer of problematic situations; mending and restoring situations that are causing problems. (2 Kings 2 v 21 ‘I have healed this water; never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’) We are coming in prayer today for those who need healing, for those requiring care and support, for those who are broken and for situations that are causing harm. As we do this, we can have full confidence that we are coming to a God whose very nature is that he is a healer of all things. He is full of compassion and desires to bring wholeness in every area of life.
(Ian & Hilary Brayshaw – Hope Community Church, Hanley)
Give thanks: thank God for ways in which you have seen his healing or wholeness come.
Prayer points:
for greater capacity and quality of care for the elderly and infirm in our city;
for supernatural healing to increase in churches & on the streets of our nation; for the abused or sexually wounded in our continent to find wholeness in Jesus.