Pray. Learn. Do.
Pray. Learn. Do.
This past Tuesday evening, Nancy and I started teaching a new class on healing prayer at the Bristow OK UM Church’s Rhanda Foster Community Center (behind the main building).
We began by studying Matthew 9:35-37, which has much to teach us.
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
These verses summarize five things Jesus did and why he did them. 1.) He TRAVELLED to “all the cities and villages.” 2.) He TAUGHT “in their synagogues.” 3.) He PREACHED the gospel of the kingdom. 4.) He HEALED “every disease and infirmity.” 5.) Finally, he told his disciples to “PRAY for the Lord to SEND OUT” more people to work in his harvest.”
Why did he do these five things? Because he had COMPASSION on the people for they were like sheep without a shepherd.
His COMPASSION for people was his motivation for travelling to all the towns and cities! His COMPASSION was why he did teaching and preaching! His COMPASSION was the reason he went about healing every disease and every infirmity! And his COMPASSION was why he told his disciples to pray for God to send out more laborers into his harvest.
And then in the very next verse, Matt 10:1 “Jesus called the disciples to gather to him, and he gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” And then he sent the disciples to go and do what he himself had been doing.
We are to pray for more harvesters. We are to learn and receive the authority he has for us. We are to go and do what Jesus did.
Nancy and I would like to invite you to come to the Healing Ministry Training Retreat that we will be teaching on March 20-22 at Camp Egan Retreat Center. For more information or to register go to our ministry website: stirupthefire.com and click on the “Opportunities” button.