Let God Use You To Heal the Sick

 

February Teaching Letter from Rick Renner

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and greetings in Jesus’ precious name! Christ came into this world “in the fullness of time” to redeem mankind from sin and to reconcile us to the Heavenly Father (Galatians 4:4,5). And what a great salvation it was and is that God wrought for us in Christ (see Hebrews 2:3-18)! Denise and I and our family wish you a warm and wonderful Christmas season and the best new year of your life in 2022.

Today I want to talk to you about opportunities and adversaries, but first I want to say thank you for being such a faithful partner with our ministry. As I told you in my letter last month, our ministry is bursting at the seams, and I am so humbled that God would use Denise and me, our family, and our team to minister to the many people who are reaching out to us every day.

Every soul is precious, and it is our heartfelt desire to convey that truth to every person God brings to us — that they are precious to Him and to us. And your gifts are so vital to our ability to touch every one of these treasured souls! So today I want to say a special thank you for all you do with us to take the trusted teaching of the Word of God to people in Russia and all over the world. From the depths of our hearts, Denise and I THANK YOU!

This month is the last month of the year — and I know you are probably preparing for Christmas and many different kinds of gatherings. But in addition to Christmas, it’s also almost 2022. As we come to the end of this year and to the beginning of a brand-new year, the Holy Spirit keeps telling me to “stay on track” with the assignments He has given us. I hear Him saying that even if we hit bumps along the way, everything will be all right if we’ll just stay on track and maintain our God-assigned territory — the many opportunities and assignments He has given us to inspire, strengthen, and equip believers with the sound teaching of the Bible.

But I’ve learned over the years that opportunities and adversaries usually go together — and today I want to encourage you to undergird yourself so that you can stay on track with what God has asked you to do this month and in the coming year.

Over the course of our ministry, we’ve had many great, effectual doors open to us to do the work of the Gospel. I’ll never forget when I received an opportunity to minister on television in the former Soviet Union. It was as if a great door had suddenly swung open to an entire vast territory — a door that had never before been opened for anyone else — and I knew I was experiencing something miraculous. By faith, Denise and I stepped through that door and began to preach the Word of God on television in this spiritually starved corner of the world.

Given the former socialist-communist campaigns against the Gospel in this particular region, this opportunity was as miraculous as the Jordan River dividing for Joshua and the children of Israel. But with this great open door also came a slew of adversaries, specifically dispatched by Satan to instill fear and doubt into my heart. The devil desperately wanted to prevent me from touching the lives of spiritually oppressed people, so he positioned evil people with insidious plans to try to block my view of what God had in store for our ministry.

I’m telling you that it was like the children of Israel looking at the Promised Land from the far side of the Jordan River. From that perspective, they saw only the fruitful land of blessing that lay before them. But once they entered the Promised Land, they had to fight giants of every kind before they could possess that land and enjoy the blessing. In much the same way, if Denise and I had taken our eyes off the Lord during that tumultuous period — or if we had focused only on the problems and forgotten about the fruit we were pursuing for God’s Kingdom — I’m sure we would have backpedaled to get out of the situation!

But we knew this was a God-given opportunity and worth the fight, so we fixed our gaze squarely on the Lord. Girded with the armor of God and the power of the Spirit, we pushed through every obstacle and possessed the ground that God called us to take. As a result, millions of souls began to hear the Gospel for the first time. We knew that only God could have opened this door!

In First Corinthians 16:9, the apostle Paul wrote about the strategic doors of opportunity that open for the Gospel and the adversaries that usually accompany them. He said, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Notice that Paul used the words “great,” “door,” “effectual,” and “is opened” to describe the opportunity that had been set before him.

The word “great” in this verse is translated from the Greek word megale, which means gigantic. The word “door” is the Greek word thura, which typically refers to a door, but in this context, denotes a rare opportunity. The word “effectual” is the Greek word energes, and it depicts something that is powerful and ready to be set into motion. Finally, the phrase “is opened” is the Greek word anoigo, which describes something standing wide open. In other words, the door in question couldn’t be any more open! Thus, an alternate translation of Paul’s words in First Corinthians 16:9 could be rendered, “A gigantic, powerful opportunity is already set in motion and standing wide open….”

Paul continued by saying, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me….” You see, Paul knew that the particular door he was referring to had never been opened to anyone else, and he stood in awe of the unprecedented opportunity. Walking through these kinds of doors is impossible without divine assistance, and Paul was fully aware of God’s role in the matter. That is why he specified that this door had been opened “unto me.”

Paul’s prayer request in First Corinthians 16:9 was not for a door to open because it had already opened. His prayer request was to receive God’s wisdom to deal with the numerous adversaries who were trying to come against him. Paul used the Greek word antikeimenoi to describe the vast number of “adversaries” that were sent to attack him. This Greek word describes something that was piled high and lying all around him. In other words, he was dealing with more than a few minor opponents. On the contrary, it felt like opposition was stacked high on every side!

I’ve learned that the enemy will try his best to keep you from stepping through the gigantic doors of opportunity God desires to open for you. Satan is afraid of what will happen when “his” territory is invaded by someone fully equipped with a full arsenal of spiritual weapons. So know this: God will open doors for you — but He needs you to make a determined decision that you will walk through them, no matter the opposition, with the help of His Spirit.

By opening the door, God has already done His part, which would have been impossible without His assistance. Now He beckons you to come, dressed in the whole armor of God and in the power of His Word — and proceed through that effectual door into new territory. It may look like enemies are everywhere, but it is simply a fact that the devil and his forces flee and collapse when they are subjected to a show of strong faith!

As I mentioned earlier, many great and effectual doors have been opened to us over the years to do the work of the Gospel. In each case, we knew these doors were unique to us and had never before been opened for anyone else. And just as Paul experienced opposition, there were plenty of enemies that came against us with each opportunity. But because we obeyed God, the devil was forced to move out of the way, and we walked right into the virgin territory that God had opened for our ministry.

Even if you think your situation looks threatening right now, I want to tell you that God is with you. He wants to supernaturally open new doors for you — doors that have never before been opened for you. He is not beckoning you to walk through these doors so you can fail. He is with you every step of the way, and He will empower you to defeat every foe and bring Him glory in that new territory that is yours to possess in Jesus’ name!

Your open door may be an opportunity to shine the light of God’s Word and God’s love to your family or friends during this holiday season. It may be a door that will open to you in the new year. Regardless of when it is or what it is, the same God who opens doors will empower you to walk through them — and then He’ll be right with you to give you the wisdom and strength needed to overcome any giant that tries to meet you on the other side.

I know this is not a typical December, “Christmas-style” letter, but this is what was on my heart to share with you today. I want you to always know that if we can join you in prayer, we would be delighted to do so. To be honest, we are praying for you anyway, but when we are alerted to know exactly “how” to pray, it increases our effectiveness as we pray for you. So if you have a special need, please either call or write to let us know how we can get in agreement with you for God to show Himself mighty to you according to Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

And please pray for us as we continue marching forward by faith to push back darkness, to shine the light of God’s Word, and to take territory for the Kingdom of God. Together — as partners — we can make a difference in the lives of throngs of people who are crying out to God for help. They are waiting for God to respond to their prayers, and God wants to use us — you and us together — to bring them the answers they desperately need.

But before I close, I want to say we are specifically asking God to do something special for you this month and before the end of the year. I don’t know what it is, but that is what we are praying. We are asking God to do something special that will bless your life! And please, please pray for us as we continue pushing ahead to build our studio in Moscow, to finalize the purchase of our new headquarters in Tulsa, and to continue to minister effectually to every precious soul Jesus brings to us!

Merry Christmas!

We love you and thank God for you!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel and their families|Dear Friends,

Greetings in the all-powerful name of Jesus!

In my letter this month, I want to continue sharing ways to appropriate the healing and health that Jesus purchased for you on the Cross. This is actually the longest series of letters I’ve ever written, but I have really felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to minister to you on this subject. I’m so grateful to everyone who has commented to let me know that this teaching has been helpful!

Before we get started, I want to say THANK YOU for your financial gifts to our ministry. If we attempt to do everything we are called to do but have no financial fuel in the tank, we won’t be able to fulfill what Jesus has asked us to accomplish. But you, as a partner, regularly put financial fuel into this ministry’s tank, and the result is that we are literally taking God’s Word to the ends of the earth and lives are being dramatically impacted. Thank you so much for being in our precious partner family!

I also want to remind you about my new book EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HEALING. It is the most comprehensive book I’ve ever seen on healing, and it will be officially released on February 3! You can order it by going online to renner.org/store or by calling our office at 1-800-742-5593 (international shipping rates apply for international orders).

As we return to the subject of healing today, I want to add more insight into how you can receive the healing and health that belongs to you in Christ. Specifically, I want to talk to you about the doctrine of laying hands on the sick for the manifestation of healing and health (see Hebrews 6:2). 

Laying Hands on the Sick

In the past several months of letters, we’ve seen that to appropriate the healing and health Jesus purchased in His work of redemption on the Cross, you must be dedicated to renewing your mind to the truth, aligning your heart and mouth, holding fast to your confession, letting patience do its work in you, asking God for clarification, and staying in unwavering faith.

But now, I want you to consider the role that laying hands on the sick holds in your own healing and health, and to see that God can even use you to lay hands on others for their healing and health. I want you to see that the Bible makes it clear that one way God delivers healing and health to you is through the laying on of hands.

As I was growing up in a denominational environment throughout my childhood and adolescence, I never once witnessed the laying on of hands. I am not speaking negatively about my church where I grew up, as they taught me so many wonderful truths from God’s Word. But our church didn’t practice the laying on of hands. In fact, I did not even hear about it until years later when I was filled with the Holy Spirit in my mid-teens and then introduced to various Charismatic groups. Those environments were where I first experienced seeing the laying on of hands demonstrated before me.

It’s well established in Scripture that God designed human hands to be His instruments through which blessings are transferred to another person. But we can also see throughout the Word that this same principle is true concerning God’s hands. In the Old Testament, we often read about “the hand of the Lord” coming upon someone. That Old Testament phrase was used to denote a moment when God supernaturally imparted something to a person or a group of people. As you are about to see, this practice of transferring blessings was also very prominent in the ministry of Jesus and throughout the New Testament.

The Laying On of Hands in Jesus’ Ministry

At times in Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus employed a variety of methods to bring healing to those in need. Sometimes He spoke a mere word and healing followed (see Matthew 8:5-13 and 15:21-28). However, Jesus recognized the unique significance of physical touch in His ministry. He realized that laying His hands upon the afflicted was a powerful means by which divine power, spiritual gifts, authority, and healing flowed from Him to humanity. His hands, indeed, served as vital instruments through which the miraculous was made manifest.

Luke 4:40 says, “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.” In this verse, we see that Jesus wanted to lay His hands on the people who were sick or diseased — because through His hands a transfer of power would take place that would heal their bodies. Imagine the hours it took as He patiently and willingly moved through the throngs of people and reached out to lay his hands on each individual in need. But Jesus was willing to do whatever was necessary to be able to lay His hands on the sick and infirm so they could receive the power of God that would make them whole.

In Mark 6:5, we learn that when Jesus went to His own village, “…He could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.” Once again, we see Jesus using His hands as conduits of healing and deliverance. But the people in Jesus’ hometown were full of doubt and unbelief. They had difficulty receiving His ministry because they had known Jesus all His life, and their familiarity with Him and His family made it difficult for them to see who He really was. And although many didn’t believe, Mark 6:5 says there was a small category of people in Nazareth whom Jesus laid His hands on to impart healing power.

The laying on of hands occurred repeatedly in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus understood the way God had designed power to flow, and He knew it came through His hands. The following are just a few examples from the gospels of Matthew and Mark that illustrate how this principle was powerfully demonstrated throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry:

• In Matthew 8:15, Jesus laid His hands on Peter’s mother-in-law and healed her.
• In Matthew 20:34, Jesus laid His hands on blind people — and as healing power passed through His hands into them, they were healed.
• In Mark 1:41, as Jesus laid His hands on a leper, power passed through His hands, and the leper was cleansed.
• In Mark 8:23, Jesus again laid His hands on a blind man. Healing power passed through His hands, and the blind man was healed.

As stated in this list, the examples of Jesus placing His hands upon individuals are taken exclusively from the books of Matthew and Mark. We could still go through Luke and John and add many more examples. The gospels are simply filled with these accounts.

Moving on to the book of Acts, we find that the laying on of hands continued to be used in the Early Church. Early believers understood that whenever the laying on of hands occurred, some kind of transmission took place. These individuals had grown up learning about this principle from the Old Testament, they saw it taking place in the ministry of Jesus, and they continued following His pattern as they walked out those first, early days of the Church. So from the beginning to the end of Scripture, we find the importance of this doctrine of the laying on of hands.

All Believers Are To Lay Hands on the Sick

Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told the disciples that particular signs would follow those who believe. Among those signs was the laying on of hands for the healing of the sick. In Mark 16:18, Christ gave a command to all believers, saying, “…They [believers] shall lay hands on the sick, and they [the sick] shall recover.”

These words of Jesus in Mark 16:18 mean that God wants to use your hands. Through your hands, He stands ready to impart His blessing, power, healing, and deliverance to others. You simply must yield by faith and obey His command to lay hands on those who need His touch as His Spirit leads you. When you yield your hands for God to use them as His instruments, you will be amazed at the opportunities that come your way to transfer His blessings to others.

Take a good look at your hands and realize with fresh understanding that they are more than just hands — they are instruments that God wants to use to impart His blessings to others. And as you lay hands on others by the leading of the Holy Spirit, you will begin to regularly see supernatural evidence of God’s power and blessing manifested in people’s lives because of your obedience.

You Can Lay Hands on Others Who Need Healing
and Others Can Lay Hands on You To Be Healed

Not only does God want to use your hands to bring blessings or deliverance and healing to others, God may use someone else’s hands to release the healing and health you are believing for to be manifested in your life. If you have done everything else you’ve read so far in this letter, but you’ve never asked anyone to lay hands on you, ask someone who believes in healing to lay his or her hands on you and to pray in faith. It may be that your own healing and health will be supplied by the laying on of hands.

All that is required for a person to be used in this way are three basic criteria: have a desire for God to heal through you; have hands and lay them on sick people; and release your faith, believing that God’s power will be transmitted through your hands to heal and impart blessings of all kinds.

Healing the sick is part of your responsibility as a believer, and the Holy Spirit is present to impart His power when you lay hands on others in Jesus’ name. So rather than look at sick people and only feel pity for them, pull your hands out of your pockets and lay them on sick people by faith just as Jesus did when He was ministering on the earth.

Not All Healing Is Instantaneous

It is also important to note that Mark 16:18 says believers will “lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

The words “they shall” are a futuristic form of the Greek word echo, which means to have, to hold, or to possess. The tense used here doesn’t picture something that is instantaneous but refers to something that occurs progressively or over a period of time. This brings us to the word “recover,” which is a translation of the Greek word kalos, meaning to be in good shape, to be healthy, or to be well. When we take the meaning of the words “they shall recover” together as one complete phrase, they picture those who progressively feel themselves improving, until, finally, they are well and healthy. This lets us know that all healings do not occur instantly; some of them take place over time.

But Jesus’ promise is that if we will lay our hands on the sick, God’s power will be released into the bodies of the afflicted. If we will allow others to lay hands on us and engage our faith and believe for God’s healing power to flow, it will be deposited into our bodies. And just as medicine gradually works to reverse a medical condition, the power of God that is deposited in us with the laying on of hands — or deposited in another person once we lay our hands on him or her — will begin to attack the work of the devil and progressively restore us to a state of health and well-being again. This is Jesus’ promise!

If YOU need healing — or would like prayer for ANYTHING that is on your heart right now — we want to pray for you. Jesus’ ears are open to faith-filled scriptural prayers, and we would love to pray with you and believe for Him to act mightily and do what needs to be done. Simply call 1-800-742-5593 or write to us at prayer@renner.org. The moment we hear from you, we will release our faith, and God will move in your life! We believe it and that is why we want to pray with you.

And please pray for us too. Prayer goes two ways, and we cherish your prayers for us as well. Denise and I, our family, and our whole team are giving every ounce of our lives to obey the call of God, and we would really appreciate your prayers of support for us. Again, I thank you for your giving that puts fuel into the tank and helps us take the Word of God across the planet!

We are your brother and sister, friends, and partners in Jesus Christ,

Rick and Denise Renner
along with Paul, Philip, and Joel Renner and our entire ministry team

P.S. Click here to download the Ministry Update printable pdf flyer.

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