John 6:28-29:

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

You don't have to puzzle over how to do the works of God. Jesus told you how. You're going to do them by faith. You're going to believe the words of Jesus, whom God sent.

John 14:12-14

Jesus said that if you believe in him, you will do the works that he did. What were his works? There is no record of him helping old ladies across the street so that they wouldn't get run over by chariots. There is no record of opening a food bank for the needy. There is no record of helping with a party at the local orphanage. These are all worthy causes, but they are not what Jesus was talking about. Jesus' works were preaching, teaching, and healing the sick. Since those were his works, you can do those works if you believe in him. That doesn't mean not to do the other kinds of things; it means that you can do Jesus' works as well as those other things.


Jesus did not leave you in the dark about how you would do these things. You do them in his name. You lay hands on the sick in Jesus' name and they recover.

You cannot get this power and authority by attending a Bible school or training center. You cannot get this power by showing up faithfully every time the doors open at your church and serving. You cannot do anything to earn or deserve the right to be used by God. Jesus has already made you worthy to do it by his blood. He has already given you the power and authority to do his works. Whether you ever act on this fact or not, it is still true. You could lay hands on the sick even if you are not currently doing so. There is nothing you can do to get this power. You already have it. It is a tragedy that so few of us take advantage of it.


Salvation is not a feeling. It is a fact. You do not always "feel" saved. You will not always "feel" like you have the authority to lay hands on the sick in the name of Jesus and see them recover, but you do have that authority. If you wait until you feel some kind of power on the inside, you will probably never do the works of Jesus. There are exceptional times when you feel the anointing come on you to minister in the gifts of healings. But ordinarily, you will not feel like anything will happen when you lay hands on that sick relative. You can either act based on your feelings or based on the facts. It is a fact that you are authorized to minister healing to others in the name of Jesus.

You do not have to wait until you feel a special "unction" (anointing) to pray. You should let the Holy Spirit lead you, but he has already told you through Jesus' words that you can do Jesus' works. You have just as much right to lay hands on the sick as you would if Jesus appeared to you personally and said, "You have power over all sicknesses and all diseases. I authorize you to be a vessel of divine healing. Go and lay hands on the sick in my name and they will recover!" Any statement Jesus made in the Bible carries as much weight as it would if he appeared to you in person and said it to you.


Usually, you feel the power of God move through you after you have started laying hands on the person. Even then, you may not feel anything. What do you do then? You believe in the words of the Son of God, who said that you can lay hands on the sick in his name and they shall recover. You ignore your feelings that it isn't working. You ignore the devil's taunts that you are just embarrassing yourself and that you'll look like a fool when nothing happens. Jesus did not promise that either you or the person you lay hands on would feel something when you prayed. You are supposed to believe Mark 16:15-18 instead of relying on your feelings.

Jesus was moved with compassion. It will help you minister healing if you have compassion on people. You have to be sensitive to people's feelings. For example, it is not a good idea to tell your relatives at a funeral, "If he had just been in faith, he wouldn't have died." That will not bless anyone. Nor will it help anyone to say, "Jesus healed you 2,000 years ago, and if you don't receive it, it's your own fault!" Although these may be true statements, you are supposed to speak the truth in love.


Don't stop laying hands on the sick even if someone doesn't receive. There are reasons why people don't receive, but it is always right and proper to offer to lay hands on sick people. What if you lay hands on someone and he dies the next day? Keep going; don't let a failure discourage you. (Besides, everyone you lay hands on is going to die someday!) Do you stop believing that sin shall have no dominion over you just because you got mad and yelled at your spouse this morning? No, you keep working at it. The same goes for laying hands on the sick. Keep working at it!