In 1983, while doing my Master’s degree at Fuller Theological Seminary, I became a student of John Wimber’s in MC510: Signs and Wonders for Church Growth. Pastor Wimber taught our class of nearly 250 students, how to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence, how to recognize words of knowledge indicating what the Holy Spirit seeks to do and how to pray for the sick. Pastor Wimber taught about healing of the emotions, the body and the spirit. Years later, Pastor Wimber traveled to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where I was living and working and put on two conferences which focused on the healing ministry. Additionally, I attended two of his conferences in Anaheim.

          With the background in healing prayer that I learned with John Wimber in my capacity as a psychologist I sometimes offered to pray for my sick clients who were believers. Sometimes there were "quick miracles" and sometimes no healing occurred. When no healing occurred I was in a position to take the time and pursue "why" the healing didn’t occur. I discovered over time, and John Wimber had introduced these concepts to us, that there are often "blocks" to people getting healed. If you can come to understand what is "blocking" the healing from occurring and deal with it, a healing can come to the person. Sometimes the "block" is a basic theological misunderstanding about healing, sometimes it is emotional woundedness that needs healing first, sometimes it is personal sin, sometimes there is demonic interference.          

For 18 months I poured over my Bible and reflected on opportunities I’ve had to pray for the sick and their outcomes and the healings I’ve experienced personally. After moving to the United States in 1999 the Holy Spirit made it clear to me that he wanted me to begin to teach all that I had been taught and all that I had learned so that the ministry of effective prayer for the sick could be used throughout God’s churches for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Pastor Wimber passed away several years ago. The material I have prepared, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit has it’s basis in John Wimber’s teaching but goes beyond his teaching in terms of the Biblical teaching on physical healing and on teaching the actual "nuts and bolts" of "how" to pray for the sick and problem-solve (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit) through the blocks to healing so that a healing may be received.          

Personally, I have experienced many miraculous healings. My left leg was lengthened ½ inch, the lining of my abscessed tooth was completely healed and restored so that a root canal was not necessary, three gall stones were miraculously removed and I was spared from my appendix rupturing twice.          

There are many different church practices when it comes to praying for the sick. There are many quick miracles that don’t take much prayer at all. The teaching and instruction that I bring to the Church at this time is to help get the sick healed when everything that you know has already been tried. Whatever Christians are already doing that "works", they should keep on doing it. If the results of praying for the sick are disappointing, I invite followers of Christ to come and learn more so that God is glorified again and again.

Healing the sick, biblically and historically, is integral to evangelism and ought to be a natural event whenever and wherever the gospel is preached. Healing the sick was always an evangelistic event that brought thousands to Christ. Healing the sick, the miracles of Jesus must be restored in every church.

Click here to read a true story of healing.