Here is an often overlooked part of the Great Commission Jesus gave us: ‘In My name they will…lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ A comforting, caring touch can reduce stress, enhance sleep, and assist us in recovering more quickly from injury. One study found that a thirty-minute massage three times a week lowers stress by 34 per cent. The power of touch, even on a human level, is an astonishing thing. But when you add the power of God, it opens the way for something supernatural. ‘And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him’ (Acts 28:8 NKJV). Laying hands on the sick or on those called to ministry was a regular practice in the New Testament church. And you don’t have to be an ordained minister to do it. Jesus said, ‘These signs will follow those who believe’ (Mark 16:17 NKJV). If you are a believer who has placed your trust in Christ, you’re qualified. Could God do it without us? Of course. But He has given us the privilege of being conduits for His power. By laying hands on someone, you do two things: you identify, and you impart. Who knows how many miraculous moments we have sacrificed because we haven’t acted in a bold biblical way by praying for someone who is sick, commissioning someone who is called, or encouraging someone who simply needs a hand on their shoulder?
