The Use of Prayer Handkerchief        <BACK

 

In the Book of Acts, Chapter 19:11-12, it is written:

 

“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul; So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”

 

So often we find that people are too ill or are bedfast, and thus unable to attend special rallies, where the Gifts of Healing and the Working of Miracles are in manifestation, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Therefore, this method of healing should prove to be very useful.  Because of the great miracles God was doing through Paul, the people present were obviously struck with awe at the power of God, and inquired if they could take prayer cloths home to their loved ones, who couldn’t be in attendance.

 

Paul, by allowing this, was showing divine approval, and so by faith, if we are ever in the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit healing the sick, we can do the same thing today.

I encourage people to do this, whenever miracles and healings are breaking forth in meetings.

 

In our Czechoslovakian and Hungarian crusades, because of the spectacular miracles that God has continually performed, just like He did for Paul, we have seen prayer cloths mount up in huge piles – such was the faith of those present.

 

The cloths are a point of contact and what they represent are the hands of the person God has anointed to perform the miracles.  So by faith, when they are placed on a sick person, the same healing virtue, which has manifested in meetings, can flow into that person, and make them whole.  Of course, faith must be maintained for this to eventuate.

One outstanding testimony of this is recorded in our ‘Czechoslovakian Revival’ video/dvd, where a helicopter pilot named Joseph attended a meeting in Liberec in July 1990.  He was one of thousands of people who placed his jacket on the huge pile of clothes that were mounting up for me to pray God’s healing anointing over.  When he returned home many miles away, he placed the jacket on his wife’s shoulders, and then following my instructions, he commanded in the ‘Name of Jesus’ for his wife to be healed.  She was instantly healed, and all the aches and pains left her.  They were both overcome with joy, and encouraged by the success.  Joseph made preparations to go and visit his brother in another city who was suffering from a kidney disease and other complications.  He followed the same procedure, placing his jacket on his brother’s shoulders and commanded healing in the Name of Jesus.  Joseph’s brother also received a miracle.  Following this, Joseph had an inspiration to visit an elderly lady who was a friend of the family, and who was confined to a wheelchair by a spirit of infirmity.  Again, after placing the jacket on her shoulders, he gave the same command.  The lady was overcome, and she began to glow red under the power of the Holy Spirit as freedom returned to her limbs.  She then rose freely out of the wheelchair, and began to walk without discomfort – another miracle.  This was not the end of the testimony.  Joseph then went to minister to another lady, who was under the influence of demonic activity because of occult involvement.  Again, after commanding activity in Jesus’ Name for her to be set free from their clutches, she was instantly delivered.

 

What a powerful testimony to the healing power of Jesus with this method of healing – four miracles as the result!

 

You too, can receive healing by this process – by releasing your faith whenever you attend a healing service, or by having someone with obvious gifts of healing – praying over your prayer cloths.

 

Dr Steve Ryder

(from his book ‘The Healing Ways of God’)

Healing by the Laying on of Hands <BACK

 

As we know from Scripture, Jesus and Paul healed many people.  They often touched the sick person when healing them.  We, as believers, are also instructed to place out hands on the sick.  Mark 16:17-18

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

These important instructions to lay hands on the sick, were the last words spoken by Jesus on this Earth, according to the Book of Mark.  Therefore, they reveal His great love and compassion for the sick; and they also emphasize the importance of signs and wonders as His method of reaching the lost of the world with the Gospel.

These instructions were not just to those whom He would call into the five-fold ministry, but to all those who believe.  I think at this point, it is only fair to say,  Thank God for the many positive testimonies that we hear from around the entire world, after the ministry of laying on of hands.

Yet from time to time, we also hear the negative side of this ministry, where it seems that a negative report has also been forthcoming, as a result of some over zealous person, trying to prove the healing ministry of Jesus.

Now let me say this, that God will often use us, in spite of ourselves.  However, I still believe we should try to maintain an excellence of ministry that will glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as meeting the needs of the person or persons being ministered to.

Let me draw your attention to Mark’s final testimony of Jesus’ Great Commission, which should bring a little more understanding to this subject.  So often all that is quoted, is the latter part of the verse 18.  “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

It is important that we keep the entire statement of Jesus’ command in its true scriptural context; so we must go back to verse 15.  “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” 

Notice in true context, that preceding the laying on of hands, there is intended to be the ‘Preaching of the Gospel.’

Yet we see so many occasions, where people just rush to lay hands on others, and command them to be healed in Jesus’ Name!  I am sure, according to verse 18, not too many of you are rushing out to ‘drink any deadly thing’, or to ‘take up serpents.’  Why is that?  Because you realize that the Scripture’s intention is: if this were to occur by accident, a faith principle would come into operation, where you would trust God by faith, as Paul did on Malta.

After being shipwrecked, and gathering wood for the fire, a poisonous snake wrapped itself around his arm, and he just shook it off, into the fire.

Paul didn’t deliberately pick up the snake and allow it to bite him.  It was accidental, so when it happened, he used his faith, based on Mark Chapter 16; having confidence in the Words of Jesus knowing that he would be divinely protected.

Therefore, I believe not everyone has the working of miracles, or the gifts of healing operating in their lives; as recorded in the Corinthians Chapter 12, verses 9-10; “To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another diverse kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues;”

Let’s allow a little practical wisdom to operate here.  Jesus implies, and rightly so, that we all can minister to the sick. 

First of all, we are commanded to preach the Gospel, and according to verse 17 of Mark Chapter 16, the signs follow only those who believe. 

To build a basis of belief, we must hear the truth, and when we understand the trust, the truth can set us free.

So the Gospel we preach here, is the revelation of DIVINE HEALING; according to Scripture and not just testimony, although that can certainly help and encourage. 

Why is the revelation of Divine Healing as a scriptural basis so important?

Because Romans Chapter 10, verse 17 says:

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” 

You see faith cometh!  There must be a scriptural basis to plant your faith on!  So if people are to recover, speaking of a time element, faith is involved, and faith can only come by ‘hearing and hearing by the Word of God.’

Can you see it is not only the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, or Teacher’s responsibility, but it is also every believer’s responsibility to impart inspired words of faith to a sick one requiring ministry.

So if you really wish to fulfill this portion of scripture, then you should memorise at least five relevant healing scriptures from the Word of God, to build a practical faith in any person you are ministering to.

Here are five suggested scriptures:

Exodus 15, verse 26:

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”

Psalm 103, verses 2-3:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”

Isaiah 53, verses 4-5:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Matthew 8, verses 16-17:

“When the evening was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils; and He cast out the spirits with His Word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, He Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

1 Peter 2, verse 24:

“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.”

If you have already practiced ministering to the sick, and have had a certain amount of success, let me encourage you to speak the Word more, and you will see an even better success rate.

 

Dr Steve Ryder

(from his book ‘The Healing Ways of God’)

 

Healing by the Power of the Spoken Word                                                                                                                                                       <BACK

                                                                                                                                                      

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7 verses 7-9, it is written:

‘Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word and my servant shall be healed.  For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another Come and he cometh; and to my servant Do this, and he doeth it”.  When Jesus heard these things he marveled at him, and turned him about and said unto the people that followed Him, “I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.”

In this passage of scripture we see a man outside of the covenant of God, commended and described by Jesus, as having GREAT FAITH.  In fact, Jesus also said that he had so far not found such faith in all of Israel.  What was it that distinguished this man, to be acclaimed as having Great Faith?

We know that the Scripture tell us in Hebrews 11:6

 “That without faith it is impossible to please Him (God) .”

I am sure as a believer you would want to please God!

Then you can, by following the example of the centurion.

The centurion respected Authority.  He was disciplined, and knew how to administer authority.  Therefore, he could recognize in Jesus, a higher authority than even he was subject to.  This was Divine Authority, and so all he required was the spoken Word of God!

The word tells us in Proverbs 18:21, that:

“Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue.”

This is borne out by the apostle Paul in Romans 10:8-10:

“But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is the word of faith, which we preach. That is thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Verse 8 tells you to put the Word in your mouth.  Then verse 10 tells us that if we do speak the Word out freely, we can be saved.  The full meaning of the word saved here is very interesting.  In the Greek text, it is the Greek word Sozo … which means to save, deliver, protect.  To heal, preserve, make whole.  It means to be delivered from the full penalty of sin, or we could say, original sin’s consequences, covering each dimension of Spirit….Soul….and Body.

This means we can actually begin to declare the Word of God by faith, and put into motion the healing of our bodies, by speaking the Word in the Name of Jesus.  At the same time, we can have absolute confidence that:

“God according to His Word, watches over it to perform it, and it shall not return to Him Void, but shall accomplish everything it is sent out to do.” (Isaiah 55:11)

Here is an example of how to pray, for a person with an arthritic hip joint:

Today in the Name of Jesus, I acknowledge that by ‘the stripes of Jesus I was healed at Calvary.’ (Stripes are when Jesus was lashed and whipped, Calvary is when Christ died on the cross for our sins)

Therefore in the Name of Jesus, I speak life and healing into my hip joint.  Arthritis, you are Bound and now Loosed from the joints in my body, and the creative power of God is now working inside my body, bringing health and restoration, and I am going to walk perfectly again.  I thank you Father in the Name of Jesus for quick results.

Keep doing this every day, until you see the manifestation of your healing.

Dr Steve Ryder

(from his book ‘The Healing Ways of God’)

Prayer Handkerchiefs

Reach Out For Christ, Gold Coast has a special Healing Meeting, every Wednesday at 10am, where Dr. Steve Ryder ministers to the sick. 

 

If you would like to have a prayer handkerchief prayed over in this meeting, feel free to post it to us with a return address and $4.00 for postage and handling. 

Alternatively, bring your prayer handkerchief along to the meeting personally – we would love to see you there!

 

(NOTE: postage price applies within Australia, overseas may incur a higher postage charge.  Please address prayer handkerchief parcels to PRAYER HANDKERCHIEFS, Reach Out For Christ, PO BOX 3155, Robina Town Centre, QLD Australia 4230)