The power of prayer

I believe in the power of prayer - to heal, form community, restore lives. I also believe the recipient need not be "open" to the prayer nor be aware others are praying for them for it to work.

My hubbie and I have, by all accounts, made remarkable recoveries from our injuries we sustained in February. A medical report we had to obtain for legal reasons stated the time we had off work was actually shorter than would be expected given our injuries.

Prior to the crash, we were very active people and reasonably fit and healthy. I think that did stand us in very good stead. However, I don't believe that is the whole picture.

Many, many people prayed for us. People we know really well, some not so well and others we've never met. All taking time to remember us to God and giving our care over to Him.

We didn't need to be aware of this (though we were). We didn't need to be "open to the holy spirit", as my assessor would probably put it. No, I don't think that's how healing through prayer works. I don't actually know how it does work, but I do know it can work in spite of our openness to it and the holy spirit.

So, although I can see the healing service which my assessment church performs being of benefit for some, I don't agree with my assessor that in order to be healed a person has to be open to the healing and holy spirit. I think of the healing of the paralysed man in Mark 2. He was taken there by his friends. He didn't have a choice but go along with it. It was the faith of his friends which brought him before Jesus and Jesus healed him.

I believe that is how prayer works when we intercede for others. They are the paralysed man and don't have a choice. We bring those we are praying for before God, before Jesus. And they heal and empower them, even though they may never have know us.