Heart Mission

2 Chronicles 7:12–18; Matthew 9:1–8; Acts 3:1–10

Prayer times and services have often been called “aches and pains time”. The implication being that we often ask for physical healing for the aches and pains of our bodies. This can be from the innocuous pulled muscle to cancer.

It’s not that we are called to pray for these things, we are. What it does mean is that we often dedicate the most powerful time we have, prayer, to physical ailments. It also means that we act as if we have no place in the healing process unless we are some kind of medical professional.

However, we all have the ministry of reconciliation. Through his death on the cross, Jesus opened the way for us to be reconciled to God. This means that as Jesus-followers we also have a ministry of reconciliation.

There are many kinds of reconciliation. We often keep the type of long-term prejudices and harm in the reconciliation “circle”. Yet, that limits reconciliation.

Reconciliation is also the action of healing hearts and emotions (and ultimately, souls) of individual pains that keep people separated from God. We are not all medical professionals. We are all children on God.

This means that Jesus has given us the task to be healers. Often, this means being healers in the midst of our own pain, fear, and anger. When we seek to heal while still suffering ourselves, we can only rely upon the grace and mercy of God to be healing agents on earth.

When we read the Scriptures with such miraculous healings, we can be overwhelmed with what we cannot do. Jesus said that we would do greater things. We are able to. Medical science can heal the body, but only a human being can heal the heart.

※Prayer※

Lord, may we be your healing agents in the world. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What kind of healing of heart/mind/soul have you needed, either now or previously?

2) What are “types” of reconciliation that you can think of? Which kinds should Jesus-followers be part of?