The Whys of the Healing Service

On this sheet we have written "why" we do certain things at our healing services. The numbers in parenthesis ( ) refer to the page number in Bartow's HEALING HANDBOOK #1 where the topic is discussed. We hope this will give you a good oversight of what we do in a healing service.

1. Why do we call it a Spiritual Healing Service? (486) 
We designate it a Spiritual Healing Service because we feel it pointedly calls attention to the fact that healing is for our day. It is not just another service. 

2. Why should everyone faithfully attend a healing service? (533) 
a) Here the Word is preached from the viewpoint Christ heals today.
b) One's faith is strengthened through seeing individuals healed of the bondages of sin and disease.
c) Each one present has the opportunity to receive the laying on of hands and anointing with oil.
d) Each has a chance to intercede for the healing of loved ones and friends.
e) The weekly reminder of the Lord's desire for your wholeness will help a person to maintain better health.
f) Every person is held responsible concerning the Lord's challenge that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that wholeness is possible.

3. Why do we lay on hands with prayer? (494)
The Lord Jesus Christ "...laid His hands upon the sick and healed them." Mark 6:5 He plainly and pointedly told His followers to lay hands on the sick. 

"These signs shall follow them that believe...they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." Mark. 16:18 

4. Why do we anoint with oil? (515) 
The Lord taught his disciples to anoint with oil, "...and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." Mark 6:13 The church is instructed to anoint with oil. 

"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:14 

5. Why do we use so many scripture choruses? (589) 
We love the hymns and the psalms. We look upon the scripture choruses as the spiritual songs. 

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:18,19

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16 

6. Why do we clap?
(See Question #12 also) Clapping is a proper and long practiced form of worship and praise unto the Lord.

"O clap your hands all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." Psalm 47:1 

7. Why do we stand when we sing?
(See Question #12 also) We feel standing provides for greater freedom and expression of praise.

"And the Levites, ...of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high." II Chronicles 20:19 

Of course, if anyone desires to sit during the singing or are physically unable to stand you should feel perfectly free to remain seated.

8. Why do we lift our hands? 
(See Question #12 also) We feel it is a scripturally supported, humble, and a freeing way to worship the most High God. 

"Thus I will bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name." Psalm 3:4 

"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord." Psalms 134:2 

"I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." I Timothy 2:8 

9. Why do we at times pray and\or sing in tongues?
The New Testament presents tongues as proper for private and corporate worship.

• "These signs shall follow them that believe; ...they shall speak with new tongues." Mark 16:17
  
• Paul said, "I would that ye all spake with tongues..." I Corinthians 14:5
  
• "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all." I Corinthians 14:18
  
• "...forbid not to speak with tongues." I Corinthians 14:39
  
• "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." I Corinthians 14:14,15 

10. Why do some people fall to the floor? (578) 
"Resting in the Spirit," or as some say, "Being slain in the Spirit," is not easy to define. It is as if the person is overcome with the presence of God and goes into a semi-conscious state. There are many biblical references to this phenomena. 

"...then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God." II Chronicles 5:13,14 

11. Why do we urge all to attend? (570)
We can urge any one to attend our healing service because it is ecumenical and no one is asked to forsake his\her own local congregation. YOU are urged to come and to bring the sick with you as people did in the days of Jesus earthly ministry. 

"...and they brought unto Him all sick people..." Matthew 4:24 

"And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed of the devil." Mark 1:32 

12. Why does the Presbyterian Church encourage healing services and endorse various expressions of prayer and worship? (155)
The answer to this question is found in the Presbyterian Book of Order, section W-2.1005. "In the Old and New Testaments and throughout the ages, the people of God expressed prayer through actions as well as speech and song. So in worship today it is appropriate: 

• to kneel, to bow, to stand, to lift hands in prayer;   
• to dance, to clap, to embrace in joy and praise;   
• to anoint and to lay on hands in intercession and supplication, commissioning and ordination."

13. Why do we pray for individuals who are not present at the service?
a) We are instructed by the Word that it is important to pray for others. I Samuel 12:23; Colossians 1:9; I Thessalonians 5:23; II Thessalonians 1:11; Hebrews 13:18; James 5:14,15.
b) Often through praying for others the one(s) praying are healed. Job 42:10.
c) Medical and scientific studies have verified that intercessory prayer, even when such prayer is not known to the person who is the object of the intercession, is therapeutically beneficial. 

14. Why do we receive an offering (538) 
This is a faith ministry. It is supported through tithes and offerings from individuals and groups with no funds coming from United Way, County, State or Federal money.