Based on scripture, the answer must be a resounding “yes”. The thing about God is that He honors hunger for his Word, His Presence and His works. Remember that in Mark 16, Jesus Himself said through the Great Commission that believers would,

… place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.

The only qualifier He gives here is that you are a believer. In addition, His words in John 14:12 are,

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

So yes, you can minister effectively to the sick through the laying on hands, the anointing with oil, the Prayer of Agreement, Declaration or any of the other methods discussed earlier that are not based on spiritual gifts, but on faith. Most important, as I mentioned in the last post, are patience, compassion and outrage. You may have to be one who seizes these things by force, as in Matthew 11:12,

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

You may have to, as a successful healing ministry does not come easily, even with the gifts. Last, never stop seeking for spiritual gifts, including Healings, Faith, and Miracles, the latter of which I will be discussing next. Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12:31),

But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Do you have a hunger to see healings in your family, church and ministry? If so, do write and share this with us.

]]> http://www.christianhealingtoday.com/2008/11/19/can-i-be-effective-in-healing-ministry-without-spiritual-gifts/feed/ 1 http://www.christianhealingtoday.com/2008/11/13/how-healing-comes-avenue-6/ http://www.christianhealingtoday.com/2008/11/13/how-healing-comes-avenue-6/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:31:53 +0000 Ben http://www.christianhealingtoday.com/?p=266 Read more »]]> ln 1st Corinthians, 12, Paul discusses spiritual gifts. He says:

1 Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

One of my least popular conversation starters in every cell group I’ve attended is,“so what gifts of the Spirit does everyone here operate in?” Typically, I have received looks of befuddlement or worse for my pains. The fact is though, that as a church, we have become largely ignorant of spiritual gifts. Even Charismatic and Pentecostal churches rarely teach about gifts in a systematic way. Nor do they develop them, which is a different subject altogether.

Well, if the Bible says we should not be ignorant about spiritual gifts, I believe we ought to teach about and develop the gifts, don’t you? One of these is “gifts of healings.” It is expressed in the plural- ‘gifts’ and ‘healings’ in the Greek.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit

You and I can pray successfully for healing without the gifts of healing. A person walking in gifts of healing would have more success with less time and effort spent. Sounds unfair? Get over it – that’s just the way it is-not everyone has the same gifts. You may walk in another, equally effective gift. Do you walk in gifts of healings? (To be continued…)