29.1.25 Luke 5:12-17

Prepare

Heavenly Father,

As I come before you today, I surrender this time of devotion into your hands. I lay down all my cares, worries and burdens before you, knowing and trusting that all things are in your hands. Lord, help me to take captive every anxious thought, releasing it into your loving care.

Calm my mind, still my heart and show me how to rest in your presence. Teach me to be still, to listen and to find peace in knowing that you are in control.

Fill me with your peace as I experience your presence now and throughout this day. Give me your wisdom as I take each decision. Give me your favour as I serve others and seek to honour you in all things. Fill me with your love, that I may be a blessing to all I meet.

And now, as I open your precious Word, send your Holy Spirit. Speak, help me to hear your still, small voice and help me to obey. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read Luke 5:12-16

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Reflect

How do you feel about miracles like the total healing of this leper? Excited about these demonstrations of God’s supernatural power? Cynical as to whether occurrences which seem to go against the laws of nature could actually happen? Perhaps you feel that Jesus and the apostles could do miracles, or even that miracles happen today but mainly in African and Asia countries in which faith is growing more rapidly than in the UK?

The gospels contain explicit accounts of occurrences which are clearly supernatural, from Jesus’ healing of this leper to the turning of water into wine, and that these helped to demonstrate the authority and divinity of Jesus.

As our vicar, Nico, said on the first Sunday of this year, It is not surprising that the God who created this universe and set the laws which govern its operation should also have the power to act outside these laws. It was far more extraordinary, he continued, that such an awesome and powerful God should be, in Jesus’ own words, choose to be ‘humble and gentle' and walk closely with us.

The miraculous remains an important element of our faith in our time and in our context. Some time ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chloe Swart, now National Director of Alpha UK. Chloe was awarded a PhD for her study of 600 miracles in South Wales. These happened because congregation members who had seen the miraculous power of God in their churches chose to step out into the community and, when people mentioned their sickness and pain, offered to pray for them and with then, simply saying ‘Come Holy Spirit’ and asking specifically for whatever healing was needed.

As Hong Kong missionary, Jackie Pullinger, said when she visited our church, the gifts of the Spirit are provided by God to bless others and they are there to be used. In addition to healing, they include the ability to receive words, verses and pictures from God to encourage others, the gift of prophecy, the heavenly language of tongues to help us in our prayers and the ability to discern what is happening spiritually in a given situation and more.

We need to do so, if course, with sensitivity and care. God is not a cosmic butler there to do our bidding. He is God. Sometimes, healings do not happen in the way that we hope and at the time we ask. Sometimes the Holy Spirit ministers to people in a wholly different way. I remember praying for a woman for the healing of a long term physical complaint and whilst I was praying, the Spirit reminded her of something which was said to her as a child which had blighted her life, and restored her, breaking the power of the words which had been spoken over her. We should never, ever, think or say that just because someone is not instantly healed, there has been a failing or lack of faith.

Secondly, we are a Church of Word and Spirit. God speaks to us primarily and overwhelmingly through the scriptures. We don’t become obsessed with manifestations of supernatural power. We start with the Bible and then call upon the Holy Spirit to help us to understand and apply what we read.

Thirdly, we should never regard those who have particular spiritual gifts as being in any way better Christians than others. We are all gifted differently, that is the glory of the diversity of the church.

But spiritual gifts are real and are there to be used. So as we move on to a time of reflection and application, I want to suggest a number of practical steps which we can each take to see God move in greater power in our lives and in our church.

Be

Let me pray for you now ‘Come Holy Spirit’.

Come Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ and fall in every home, in every workplace in every car on every train wherever people are listening to this podcast. May you know the power of God today, the depth of His love for you.

We open our hearts to you. We thank and praise you for all the blessings of this life including the Holy Spirit and the gifts He brings. Lord, we yearn to see you moving in power in our lives, release afresh your gifts, gifts of healing, discernment, prophecy and miracles and help us to use them well along with all your other gifts, gifts of encouragement, friendship, leadership, administration and more. Lord give us the confidence to step out in faith and to use these gifts to minister to others. Amen.

Become

As we seek to become the people God created us to be, we wait in silence now asking God to lead us deeper and to draw to our minds those in our families our workplaces our communities those whom He would ask us to bless and serve, using the gifts of the Spirit.

Do

A Church of England collect for healing.

Almighty God,  you anointed your Son Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit and with power to bring to us the blessings of your kingdom. Anoint your Church with the same Holy Spirit, that we who share in his suffering and victory may bear witness to the gospel of salvation; through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Practice

As we go out into the world's to practise, can I encourage you, next time somebody says that they have a need of healing, of body or of mind, simply to say ‘Would you like me to pray for you? Perhaps we could pray together now?’ Most people will say ‘yes’.

Then simply to say something like ‘Come Holy Spirit, bless (person’s name). In the name and authority of Jesus I pray now for complete healing of (name the illness) and that (name) will know your presence and your love.’

I also encourage you to ask God for words pictures and encouragements this week which you can share with others and at church. Week by week, let us gather on a Sunday increasingly excited and expectant about what God is doing in each of our lives. As Nico has encouraged us, we pray with the prophet Habakkuk ‘Lord we have heard of your mighty deeds; do it again in our time.’