TWENTY FIVE YEARS IN THE HEALING MINISTRY
“STRETCH FORTH YOUR HAND…”
Fr. Nigel W.D. Mumford+
9/4/15
“Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 4:29b-30
Dateline: August 1990, Wilton, Connecticut, USA.
Twenty five years ago this month my life was changed in a blink of an eye. I owned two picture frame shops and had eight employees. Life was good. A woman walked into my store one morning and my entire life changed in a few moments. After she had collected her framing, I opened the door to let the her out, I looked at her and said are you alright? She actually looked green. She told me she had a very bad headache. What happened next was not my plan, not my thought, not my idea, it just happened. It actually felt like someone was gently holding my wrists as I watched my hands slowly lift upwards and then lightly lowered them upon her head. No words spoken, all was totally quiet. I was astonished at this simple act, done without permission and totally inappropriate. It just happened. The woman broke the silence saying,
“What did you do? The pain has gone?”
I knew that I had done nothing but I did know that God had done something. That moment was the pivotal moment when I knew that I knew! To be honest it totally freaked me out. After a very long talk with my father, an Anglican vicar in England, I realized what was going on and things started to happen. I did not seek it you understand, people would walk in to my shop and ask for prayer. The news traveled very fast. My employees were getting very nervous until one hurt his back picking up a pallet of glass. I asked him if we might try something as they had seen what happened to the woman. I put my hand on his lower back and he looked at me with utter astonishment. He was instantly pain free. Now I was getting really nervous!
1 Corinthians 12:29-30 writes, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?”
What is going on?
The next verse 1 Corinthians 12:31 puts this whole thing in perspective, “Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.”
When we receive a gift we say thank you and I certainly thank the Lord for that life changing moment. A gift is to be given away by “stretching forth one’s hands to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Eight words changed my life. Six words that you could say to someone might change yours,
“How may I pray for you?”
If I am guilty of anything in the past twenty five years of ministry it is of limiting God. How dare I do such a thing? He can do what every He wishes. Think bigger, prayer bigger, believe bigger… hear the words of Psalm 78:41
“They… limited the Holy One of Israel.”
Dear soul, Stretch forth your hands…
Lord Jesus I pray for you, the person who is reading this letter. I stretch forth my hands as an ambassador of the Lord for your healing and peace. Lord send forth your love, compassion, Grace and majesty to all you have read this letter.
I don’t want to limit you Lord; you know our concerns before we even ask so we leave them at the foot of the Cross for you to deal with as you will. We love you Lord and we thank you in advance. Amen.
Be well, do good works, and for the sake of God love one another.
God bless you
Fr. Nigel+
www.ByHisWoundsMinistry.org
