Allowing God's People To Minister
The church that I am currently attending has gone to a three “service” format on Sundays of 1) An Intercessory Prayer Time; 2) A Teaching time on basic doctrines; 3) and a Standard Church Service.
The first service has been a time of intercessory prayer, and praying for one another. Last Sunday people were allowed to share personal testimonies of answered prayer, which were awesome. One lady shared about praying for her loved ones that did not know the Lord. I am sitting there thinking, “This woman has an evangelist’s heart”; church activate it! Another woman, a massage therapist, shared of getting a new job with a doctor who approved that she could pray for patients while laying hands on them. I am thinking, “Wow, a healer using the power of laying on of hands; church activate it! Another lady shared how the Lord has met her husband and her provisions by having a landlord who was actually dropping their rent. The Emcee for the morning then said the session was over and dismissed everyone.
I sat there and pondered, “What would have happen if this occurred during the regular worship service when most of the congregation meet, the worship leader led, and the pastor preached? What would happen if we allowed the lady with the evangelistic spirit to release that spirit on the congregation, inviting those who did not know the Lord to respond by coming forward to her, and she would personally lead them to the Lord. What would happen if we allowed the lady to release her hands and actually lay them on the sick that morning? What would happen if the lady and her husband had people come forward, and they minister to them to break through spiritual barriers and pray for freedom in the realm of finances?
Why must the Church insist on having an ordained, clergy, evangelist to give an evangelistic sermon instead of releasing God’s people to minister? Why must the Church have only the clergy lay hands on the laity, and not the laity on each other? Why must people with financial crisis go to professional Christian Counseling Services, when their brethren can help out? Is it not the Church’s job to equip the saints for the work of the service (Eph. 4) rather than just leadership doing it?
If common people, the laity, see other common people empowered with an uncommon, supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working in them, would they not want the same for themselves? Let’s begin to free God’s people, equip them, and allow them to be free to use what we have equipped them with?