At the recent Honey Fair, Churches Together in Callington (CTiC) stepped out in a new way. Alongside the usual exhibitions and hospitality available in the churches, there was the presence on Fore Street of the CTiC tent and a prayer team. The tent had two banners – a floor standing sail displaying the CTiC logo and another banner attached inside the tent with the word “HEALING” upon it. The tent itself was open on three sides so all could see the Healing banner. A thick blue carpet and two chairs completed the invitation to step inside.

It’s always interesting to see people’s reactions to a Healing banner. Some view it with suspicion. Others catch a glimpse and then avert their eyes or cross over the street. Some stop to find out more. Some then accept the invitation and sit down to receive prayer and whatever God may have for them. Prayer for healing regularly goes on inside our churches and we often see startling results. This was just taking it out onto the streets for the benefit of the community, for those brave enough to receive.

Jesus of course did a lot of healing in his time of walking the earth. There are many stories or people healed from all sorts of ailments and afflictions within the pages of the Gospels. Sometimes the healing was instant. On a least one occasion the healing came in stages. Jesus was also quite clear about what he wanted his followers to do – from Luke chapter 10, “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’” It was a situation where Jesus demonstrated things first, then told his followers to do likewise. Jesus wasn’t just about words – he would proclaim that God’s Kingdom is here and then demonstrate it. Jesus didn’t give much instruction on how to run church services, but he was clear on what he wanted his followers to do in the area of healing.

For myself I think God brings healing through a variety of ways and means. I believe that doctors, medicines and the NHS are all part of the plan. To discount them from a faith perspective would be folly. There is also the healing that comes in areas such as loneliness, when churches and other organisations put on lunches and pop-up cafes that encourage people to meet, eat, drink and chat. A cheerful conversation can often do wonders in a person’s life. But you also can’t discount the seemingly miraculous events that can happen when people are prayed for individually.

So what happened at Honey Fair? Well I’d estimate that at least 20 people stopped, sat-down and had prayer for healing. The prayer itself was gentle, accompanied by the biblical instruction for the laying on of hands, and typically lasted for 3-5 minutes. Each person receiving prayer also received a letter explaining the background to healing from God and what to do next, including the firm instruction not to stop taking any medication before checking things out with a doctor. Of the 20 people we saw instant results for 6 of them, ranging from sciatica pain which disappeared completely, through arthritic joints which became less painful and had restored movement, to toothache pain which was considerably reduced.

I know from other places where Healing on the streets is offered that if full or partial healing isn’t instant, it can come gradually over a number of days. Sometimes of course there is apparently no healing detected, and I think that’s a matter of God’s timing and planning for a life. A church leader once said that we know two things about healing. The first is that if we don’t pray for healing nobody gets healed. The second is that if we do pray for healing then some get healed. Therefore we pray.

I believe that prayer for healing is part and parcel of what the church is called to do. The Lord’s Prayer itself makes the request of God, “Thy Kingdom come”, which means come now, not just at a future date in time. When healing happens it both proclaims and demonstrates the Kingdom of God breaking into the stuff of everyday lives. And while the healing itself can be a big deal, it’s just one example of the love of God that can reach into people’s lives and turn them around. It should all be available at a church near you.

Tony Stephens