Practice of Laying on Hands | Practice Makes Perfect | Twin Rivers Church

I want you to get your Bible and turn to Luke chapter six, Luke six. And we just began a brand new series of messages called Practice Makes Perfect. Now you've probably heard that phrase before in the context of learning maybe a sport or learning to play an instrument. But here's the thing. It's a little different connotation for us in this series. What we're looking at are spiritual practices that perfect your faith. Here's what I recognize is we all come from a different place and a different background. Maybe you grew up in a different faith altogether or a different branch of the faith that you're currently in. So we all come in and we don't have a universal understanding of the practices that we actually employ here at the church. And so what I want to do is this. I want to give you the scripture that's behind all the things we do. I don't want you to ever think we just do stuff for the fun of it, but that we do it because it's rooted spiritually in some truths. And here's really what I'm going for. I want you to participate at a greater level because the more you participate in the spiritual practices the scripture gives us, the more grace flows into your life. And so this is one of those things that each week we're going to be bringing a new practice to you and opening up the truth behind it. I think our campus pastors did an amazing job last week talking about our expressive worship and why we express. Come on, tell your campus pastor how much you love them and the job they did. I'm excited to get into today's message. You know, in addition to having five kids, a couple of years ago, Kayla comes to me and she says, you know what we really need? A dog. And, um, and I tried to convince her, I said, listen, we got enough things that eat and don't work and make messes.

We don't need more of those things. But she convinced me and we bought this little dog. And for the last couple of years I've been enduring the cheering and the biting and the, the, the messes and all of it. And a few months ago Kayla called and she was distraught and she said, um, the dog is missing. And she said, I, we've looked everywhere. I mean, she had organized a very quickly organized a search party. Neighbors are looking, but Facebook posts have been made. She even called an officer in our church. He's looking through reports to see if this dog has been, um, and the whole time I'm sitting here hearing this, I'm just thinking maybe God has a plan to bless me. You know, it was kind of my thinking. Well, nonetheless, we got off the phone a few hours past. I come home and when I come home, everybody, all the, her, the kids, they're all distraught. Um, the dog, the dog's missing. It can't be found. We've looked everywhere. And so, um, I console the kids. I go downstairs to get a workout and while I'm working out, I hear something in the closet behind me and I go over and I open this door and there's the dog. And then I had what I would consider to be a crisis of conscience because I thought I'm the only one that knows this dog's here and the kids are already well into the grieving process. Wouldn't want them to have to start up and you know, but nonetheless, I, I, you know, I couldn't, I couldn't go through with the plan that first came to my mind and I returned to them what was missing. Okay. So today I want to talk to you about a practice that is missing in the lives of most believers. It's the practice of laying on of hands in prayer.

Okay. And I want to show it to you, uh, in a, in a, uh, an account from Jesus's ministry that maybe you've never seen this way before. Uh, Luke chapter six started in verse six says this on another Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and was teaching and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. So they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and he said to the man with the shriveled hand, get up, stand in front of everyone. So he got up and he stood there and then Jesus said to him, I ask you, which is lawful? On the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it. And he looked around at all the people that were there and he said to the man, stretch out your hand. And he did so. And his hand was completely restored. Luke six is an interesting moment in Jesus's ministry. It's very fast paced. He's preparing to give the sermon on the Mount. He has just performed a set of miracles that have caused great attention to come on him. And he is literally the night before appointed the 12 disciples. And he walks into a synagogue on the Sabbath. And the Bible says that as he's teaching, he sees a man whose hand is shriveled and held back. And Jesus calls this man forward, filling the tension of his religious critics, knowing that they would not permit him to perform a miracle in this moment because it is the Sabbath. And so Jesus embracing the tension decides to call this man forward and he does so because he wants to make a declaration through this man's disability. Now a plain reading of this text is clearly Jesus is making a declaration that he is Lord of the Sabbath and he is Lord over any physical ailment that is in one's life.

But another reading of this same passage would point to the fact he's also Lord over our sometimes incorrect cautions. You see it's interesting about this man, the Bible notes that it's his right hand. Right hand means authority and power in scripture. Your right hand was the hand that displayed God's favor or ability through your life. It also says this, that it's withered or shriveled. In the Greek it actually means barren. It's the idea that this man's hand that was supposed to operate with great authority, he walks in and it's shriveled or barren like a field that is supposed to produce fruit. It's empty and unusable. But then the Bible says this, that the man, not only is it shriveled, but it's hidden that he keeps hiding it. As a matter of fact, Jesus invites him twice to come forward and extend his hand. And it's only after Jesus implores him to do so that he does. Why is this man? You would think he would quickly run to the front at an opportunity to have Jesus's attention and thus a healing. Why is he hiding? Well it's because in this moment in the synagogue, what has happened is out of an abundance of caution, religious leaders have made sure everyone knows they've created an atmosphere where no one will break certain religious rules because we wouldn't want to break the Sabbath. So, so let me say it this way. They have made everyone so worried about breaking a rule or abusing the law that literally this man does not want to step in and receive the supernatural power of Christ. Over the last few decades, particularly here in the West, the churches went through a bit of a swing, if you will, 30, 40 years ago, there was, as television is broadcasting worship services and conferences and television preachers are being broadcast in millions of homes. We were watching moves of God and abuses of God. And nearly every person I know has seen someone who was more theatrical than spiritual, that

they claim to have spiritual gifts, that they claim to display things when they laid hands on people and out of an abundance of caution, not wanting to participate in spiritual abuses, the church has almost swung in the opposite direction to where now, like the Pharisees in the synagogue this day, we're saying, Hey, don't participate in that for fear we are breaking or dishonoring a law of God. As a matter of fact, Baylor university did a study and found that 26.1% of believers in America have never had someone lay hands on them and pray for them. That in fact, a friend of mine who travels pretty extensively and speaks, he said, Joe, I took account of it for a whole year, nine out of 10 churches that I went to never offer for people to come forward and be prayed for by the elders or leaders of the church. That in fact, what we've done is out of a, an abundance of caution. We have also created obstacles to people receiving the power of Jesus in their life. Now the truth is, is that, um, if you were to, to look in scripture about laying on of hands, it's not something we came up with as a matter of fact, it's foundational to the church. Hebrews chapter six, you can go study it later, lays out the foundations of the faith. It says that things like repentance, baptisms, that, that, that, um, heaven and hell, these are foundations. Well, guess what's listed in those foundations in Hebrew six, the laying on of hands. It basically means this, you should be able to go to every church on the planet that follows Jesus and find these certain things, baptisms, the belief in eternity, and also the laying on of hands. And it's called a foundation because this, this, if you've ever built anything, the foundation is not the prettiest part, but it is the most essential part because you don't ever get to hang a picture on the wall if there's no foundation to build the wall on. And what it's ultimately telling us in Hebrews six is this, you cannot build strong believers without them receiving something through the laying on of hands. You do, do a search through scripture, here's what you'll find. When someone lays hands on another, authority is given. When someone lays hands on another, inheritances were received.

When someone lays hands on another, healings took place and, and blessings were relieved. Spiritual gifts were deposited that God has chosen in his wisdom that there's something about when one believer. Hands a hand to another believer and says a prayer of faith that something is received and also something is Foundationally needed to build a strong believer and the problem is is that this is missing in your church It's something is missing in the kingdom if this is missing in your life Something's missing that God wants to add to found your faith on as a matter of fact I was last year I had an opportunity to have a meeting with David Green the founder of Hobby Lobby And we spent some time together David's in his mid 80s now And he he spent some time telling me that his mom and dad were both pastors And then his several of his brothers and sisters all became pastors He's the only one that didn't go into ministry And he said for years this bothered him he said he went into retail and worked in a local provider And then eventually started the business that would become Hobby Lobby, and he said, but I just had inferiority. Here's my family They're all in ministry. They're called they're anointed and he said but but you know, I just felt like I'd all went off I thought I was following God, but I always had this insecurity that I wasn't doing enough for his kingdom He said one the pivotal moment for him turned when one day his pastor on a Sunday said at the end He said I want to invite every business person in this church every businessman every businesswoman to come forward today and come down to the front he said I Stepped out and I started walking down and he said I just assumed he was gonna take an offering because the only time pastors Talk to business people is when they need money he said I walked down and the pastor took a little vial of oil just like it talks about in James and he said he Puts them on his hands and he says today We are going to anoint and send every business leader into the marketplace He he said David said I'd only ever seen this when they anointed pastors and sent him to local churches or anointed Missionaries and sent him to countries. He said I had never dawned on me that you could be anointed and sent into the marketplace He said the pastor went down the line and he laid his hands on me and he said he said Joe when he laid his Hands on me something deep inside of me shifted He said I began to weep and he said for the first time in my life

I realized I'm just as anointed to be a merchant as you are to be a pastor He said there's something in me clicked that God you have called me to this and all those years later when you look David And Barbara Green have probably given more to the kingdom than any person that's ever existed on earth They funded many ministries and many Millions of people will be in heaven because in that moment something solidified in him through the laying on of hands I'm anointed to do this. So listen what I'm saying to you and today is this you need content You need connections You need to be challenged But you also need a moment where someone lays hands on you and gives you something that the Holy Spirit channels through them into your life Jesus was not just announcing on this day that he's Lord of the Sabbath He was also warning his followers. Do not let caution hold you back from what I want to do Do not let insecurity keep you from what I want to do Do not let religious mindsets keep you from what I want to do because in the life of a believer at some point Everybody needs to receive something through the laying on of hands when I look at my life I tell you every major shift came when somebody laid their hands on me and prayed for me I was healed from a kidney disease when someone laid their hands on me I was filled with the Holy Spirit when someone laid their hands on me I was appointed pastor of this church through the laying on of hands and I've been anointed to govern in other areas through someone laying Their hands listen, it's not small Something significant happens when someone lays their hands on you and prays a prayer of faith Something significant happens and something is set in motion and you and I need it. It's foundational to the faith now now listen This is probably foreign to some of you and then some of you grew up in a church like I did where we did this All the time is just you didn't know why? Like a lot of times this happens in our churches where we participate in things But we never dig deep told God why have you chosen to do it this way? Why do we even do this? So here's what I want to do today. I'm gonna give you the three things. I look through all the scriptures I'm gonna give you the three reasons. I believe God chose the laying on of hands as A practice that should be active in the life of every believer. Here's the first one The first one is first reason is you are handcrafted

If you were to get a group of believers together and ask this question, what mechanism did God use? to create the universe Most believers would say well he spoke That he spoke the heavens and earth into existence that he spoke the trees that he separated the seas that he established The land that he spoke into existence all the animals and that's true But if you go back and read the Genesis account, here's what you'll find. He spoke everything into existence except for one thing The Bible says of Adam that he was formed from the dirt of the earth that word formed in Hebrew actually is the exact same word that would be used as a Potter lays his hands on a lump of clay and Christ so listen everything else was spoken into existence you were handcrafted by God and you were crafted into his image which matters because if you read the Old Testament here's what you see there's this phrase that appears again and again and again here's the phrase it says and the hand of the Lord and the hand of the Lord was with them and the hand of the Lord provided for them and the hand of the Lord defended them and the hand of the Lord opened that opportunity and the hand of the Lord shut down that option and the hand of the Lord provided and the hand of the Lord defended and again and again you'll see this but then from the Old Testament or the New Testament there's a shift all of the sudden it's not the hand of the Lord but it's the Lord through the hand of the believer, that all of the sudden it's the hand of Jesus that people are healed at its the hand of an Apostle that someone receives supernatural miracle it's through the hand of the believers that someone's anointed it's the hand of a believer that that someone's appointed it's the hand of a believer that a deliverance takes place is the hand of a believer that someone's filled with the Holy Spirit that all of a sudden there's this shift from the hand of the Lord to the hand of the Lord through the hand of a believer and what this basically tells us is this is that your hand is special

matter of fact every campus pick up your hand right now I want you to look at it look at the look at the hand listen that's more than just nerve endings and fingerprints and metacarsals that is a conduit that God has chosen to make that hand so that when it's extended in faith his power can work through it now here's the thing we all know that in theory but you know where we don't believe it in everyday life because here's what we believe we believe my hand special but yours isn't we believe that the person that's got the big social media following their hand special but yours isn't that people have you know certain callings and titles and maybe more notoriety their hand is special but not your hand listen to me the scriptures do not support that belief at all according to the Bible I don't have any more access to the gifts or the power of the Holy Spirit than you do I'll show it to you here it is in verse the first Corinthians chapter 12 verse 11 look at this but one and the same spirit works all these things what's all these things it's just gotten talked it's just been talking about all the gifts of the Spirit so it's been talking about healing and miracles and encouragement and words of knowledge words was all these powerful things the Holy Spirit does it's saying but one in the same spirit works all these things distributing to each one individually as he wills so let me be clear it says no social media personality possesses the gifts it doesn't say no pastor owns the gifts no no no no spiritual leader hold on to the gifts they are possessed and held by the Holy Spirit and then as he finds a believer who's willing he will dispense them for that moment that they're needed and and so here's what I want to get you're just as likely to see any miracles as I am as a matter of fact one of my favorite stories is dr. Lamar Vest was the president of the American Bible Society that means that he was charged to oversee the America the English translation of the Bible for the entire world anywhere you've ever read the Bible in English he was responsible for it made sure that it was right I mean it's a big big position a lot of responsibility he said I was I was on an international trip and I was flying he said I was in multiple countries and some of the largest churches in the

world around some of the the greatest men and women of God on the planet and he said I had a terrible sinus infection that became abscess and he said it was almost debilitating the headache was so strong that my eyes were blurry he said that I could barely sleep and he said it went on for weeks he said I came home for two days before I started another international trip and he said I just was in my study with my hand on my head he said I could barely do any work he said I had been around every major ministry on earth carrying this awful ailment so my daughter she was roughly eight years old came in and she saw me in pain she said daddy what's wrong and he said I just had this awful awful you know sinus infection I had just taken medicine nothing helps he said without any permission she walked over put her hand on his shoulder and said Jesus heal my daddy amen he said she turned to walk out of the room and immediately the pain stopped he said immediately these symptoms went away my vision was cleared and it never came back he said I've been around every person who people consider to be anointed on the planet but he said all the Holy Spirit needed was an eight-year-old girl who believed that he could heal through her hand listen to me every believer can be used by the Holy Spirit because every believer is handcrafted by God every believer Can be used in power by the Holy Spirit because every believer has been handcrafted by God Here's the second one Second one is this is that we are called to walk hand in hand One of the things I've learned over the years is most of what God's gonna do in your life is gonna be through somebody else that the wisdom you're gonna receive the healing you need the favor the opportunity most of it just it's God's conduit as people and That's one of the reasons I believe that he chose the practice of laying on of hands is because he wants us to keep close not Isolated he wants us to say the more you're in relationship with believers the more God can do in your life The average male arm is somewhere between 32 and 36 inches That means when you get to 37 inches you've just limited what God can do in your life At 37 inches, there's too much distance because you can't receive someone to lay their hands on Which also may speak to why the enemy works so hard to divide us

It's because he knows if he divides us where we'll live 37 inches or more away from each other That if he divides us he disables God's power from flowing in our lives and you know, the reality is is that Resolving conflict is a big deal to Jesus as a matter of fact Matthew chapter 18 He gives one of his most clearly practical and direct understandings of how to resolve conflict Now, let me say this. I've probably preached this passage as much as any passages because y'all fight with so many people Okay, so I'm constantly trying to help you resolve conflict. Okay, but there's something interesting about this passage Matthew 18 it appears like Jesus is on a roll of multiple topics and verses 15 through 17 are about how to resolve conflict And then here's what happens all of a sudden. It looks like verse 18. He changes the topic and starts talking about prayer So I'd be like, hey, here's how you resolve conflict verse 18. Now. Let me talk to you about prayer Let me show it to you. This is verse 18. I Tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven. Whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven Well that seems like it's all about prayer Okay, except for I don't think Jesus changes topics I actually think he raises the bar on why you need to resolve conflict and He's tying it to your ability to receive in prayer. And here's why I believe that let's look at verse 19. I Also tell you this if two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask My father in heaven will do it for you for where two or three gathered together as my followers. I am there among them So Jesus says let me tell you why you got to get a wrecked conflict Because you can't be in conflict with someone and it be an agreement in prayer with them at the same time And when you can't agree with someone in prayer you miss out on the power that agreement has in your life So resolve the conflict so that the power of agreement is released in your life Here's what he's really warning us when you hold on to resentment you hold up God's power moving in your life Some of you here today and you're sitting here going well, I've been praying for this thing, whatever your thing is God I'm just waiting on you to do it And God's saying well, I'm waiting on you to resolve it Because I'm not gonna release my power while you hold on to that resentment

You know, the truth is for for all of us we we just don't recognize how much this is a big deal But let me say it this way I'm gonna say something right now. That's gonna be very disturbing to you. Okay? Research shows four out of five people on earth do not wash their hands after they go to the restroom Yeah, all of a sudden that handshake you got on the way in feels a little different doesn't And And this lack of washing hands Actually what they found is is that it is caused a rampant especially in parts of the earth that are less developed Rampant disease that's really not needed. You would think oh well They do that because they don't have soap listen soaps been around since 2800 BC the Babylonians discovered it nearly 90% of the earth even the most remote places have soap But they often choose not to use it. So let me say it this way They possess it They have access to it They just won't apply it and When it comes to Matthew chapter 18, here's what I would say you possess that scripture You have access to it, but most of us just don't choose to apply it We've just minimized Kind of our obedience and we've maximized the offense We've decided that it's okay because of what they did that we hold on to it we've decided that unforgiveness is just something that we'll hold on to because it's just well we're justified in it and what i'm saying to You is exactly what jesus is portraying in this day in matthew 18 He's saying you're holding up the release of my power because you're holding on to resentment Even as i'm preaching so much does the holy spirit care about this in your life that a person An offense a conversation has already come to the top of your heart You don't even have to sit there and go. I wonder who I need to apply this to immediately the holy spirit has brought it to the top of your heart because this is such a An important point to his power flowing in your life And as he's brought it to your heart, here's what he's saying. It's time to forgive

It's time to apologize It's time to start delaying the hard conversation. It's time to go and and admit that it's been a problem It's time to stop rationalizing minimizing it this must be addressed And now everything about your emotions are saying let's not talk about it. Let's hold on to it But here's what you've got to see Yes, it will not be comfortable But the quicker you release that offense the quicker the power of god is released in your life And my fear is that many of you will miss out on everything god has for you because you're holding on to something someone did to you So I got your verse Psalm 24 3 who may ascend to the mountain of the lord who may stand on his holy place the one who has clean hands And a pure heart Listen stewarding your heart is one of the most important things you're ever going to do And so you have to be diligent to keep Your hands clean you cannot receive from god keeping your brother or sister at arm's length We have to do the work of walking hand in hand Now here's the last one Uh third reason that we practice laying on our hands. Some gifts are hand delivered I found the three most important years in human history. You ready for them? 1517 is the year martin luther Nails the 95 theses to the wall, which splits the protestant church from the catholic church number two The declaration of independence is signed forming our nation ready for number three The first time a pizza is delivered True King umberto the first And his wife catch this margarita Are in naples

And they invite they have heard of the local cuisine and they invite people to bring them their specialties And they will try them on their visit to naples and at this year. The first pizza is delivered Now obviously didn't gain in popularity until the cardboard box was uh kind of utilized But I think we could all agree things being hand delivered is kind of a normal way of life now As a matter of fact amazon delivers about 17 million packages a day at least 16.5 of them are to my house Did you know certain things in your life spiritually are only hand delivered Let me show it to you romans 1 starting verse 11 Paul writes. I long to see you that I may impart To you some spiritual gift make you strong So You got to picture this the church in rome is very weak. It's made up. They're heavily persecuted And they've gathered at night because they are desperate for direction from a church father They're constantly standing up against hedonism facing opposition Being looked down upon from intellectual superiority from the roman people They get they shut the windows they close the door They come together gathered around a candlelight and open a letter from the apostle paul they start to read his greetings and as they unpack spiritual truth after spiritual truth, it feels like a fresh water to a thirsty soul but then they get to verse 11 and paul says There's a lot more in this letter that you're going to read but there are certain things I can only impart to you Now this this idea of impart would have caused confusion This is not a word or concept that romans understood romans understood what it meant to buy something Romans understood what it meant to build something Romans understood what it meant to learn something. They did not gather this idea That somehow someone could lay their hands on you

And something in this person could be installed in you and your faith And they're confused about this not understanding it but paul basically says this To the most really theologically dense document a human being has ever put their hand to He says, I'm going to unpack a lot about justification. I'm gonna unpack a lot about relationships. I'm going to unpack mysteries of how the nation and the people of Israel fold into the Gentiles. But listen to me, there are some things this letter will not be able to deliver because there are certain things that must be hand delivered. Now, what's interesting to us is that we are very Roman in our thinking today. We are very comfortable, all of us, with the concept of learning some things. We take a masterclass, we get a certification, we'll get a degree. We're very comfortable with building some things. We've got determination and grit. We're very comfortable with buying some things, like we'll pay the fee, we'll go through the mechanism. Whatever we gotta do, we'll do it to get things done. And yet we come to the points in our faith and we go, something's missing. And I've bought it, and I've learned it, and I've tried to build it, and something's still missing. And what we fail to realize is there's some things that are just hand delivered. They just come through an impartation of one believer putting another. Let me say it this way.

There are some things you need in your faith that God has housed in other people. And until you come to the place where you're willing to take a step of faith and humble yourself, and they're willing to pray the prayer of faith backed by God's word, you're never gonna receive them. It was a spiritual gift of leadership that Joshua needed that the Bible says he could not learn being through Moses' intern, Moses had to lay his hands on him. There are some things that Timothy needed as pastor of Ephesus that Paul said, you can't learn this, Timothy, you gotta go have your grandmother and mother lay hands on you. There are some things that Paul himself needed. Paul was as intellectual and understanding as any human being, brilliant, yet he had to go to Ananias' house and Ananias had to lay hands on him for him to receive the calling of God on his life. It's Paul reminding a very capable church some things are hand delivered. And I just wonder, maybe the thing that's missing in your life is because this practice is missing in your life. That the healing you need, that the wisdom you need, that the favor you need, that the answer, the new unity your marriage needs, it's hand delivered, but you haven't allowed someone to lay their hands on you.

Kayla and I, before we came to St. Louis, we lived in Birmingham, Alabama. We served on staff at a church and the church was founded by a man named Raymond Culpepper. Raymond told me this story. He said in the mid-80s, he had planted this church and he said it grew fast, the demands were heavy, and he said, I was at the grind. And he said, a couple years in, all of a sudden, my dad, Frank, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. They told us that he had about a month to live. Frank had been in ministry for 30 plus years. And once they got all the diagnosis landed, Frank looked at Raymond and said, Raymond, I want you to take me to Granite Falls, North Carolina. He said, Dad, why do you want me to take you there? He said, I wanna go back before I die to the church that I grew up in. Raymond said, I was so busy that I tried to put it off. I was so concerned about his health, he said, I tried to put it off, but he said, my dad was persistent. He said, within a couple days, I organized some things and we set out on the journey to go from Birmingham to Granite Falls, North Carolina. He said, it should have taken a couple of hours. It took nearly two days. He said, my dad's cavity would fill up with infection. He had to go through a draining process.

His strength, he could barely stand, he could barely eat. He said, it was an awful journey. Then in two days, he said, we pulled into Granite Falls, North Carolina, to a little church of God there. And he said, there was nothing special about it, a very small church. He said, but when we pulled on that property, he's like, my dad all of a sudden had fresh strength. He said, I helped him out of the car and started helping him up the steps. And it's like when he crossed the threshold of the door, it's like all of a sudden he gained a new measure. Walking independently, starting to tell stories about different parts of the room. He said, we went out a little hallway and there was a Sunday school classroom. He said, as soon as we walked in, my dad started weeping. He said, this is it. This is the place that I was filled with the Holy Spirit and preached my very first sermon. Raymond said, then he followed his dad down a hallway and into this little sanctuary. The pew's probably original. He said, as soon as his dad walked in the sanctuary, he just burst into worship. Thanking God for his wife, his faithfulness, his calling. Raymond said, it felt like I was an intruder on a holy moment. He said, finally, his dad walked towards the front, a place to the left of the pulpit.

And he said, this is it, old boy, this is it. This is where your daddy was saved. He said that his dad talked about how he'd been an alcoholic and how one night in a revival, he had been transferred. Formed after giving his life to Christ Raymond said after worshiping for a few minutes his dad stands up grabs a bottle of oil and puts a little oil on his hands And turns to Raymond and says son. I didn't just bring you here so I could remember I also brought you here for you Raymond said I was surprised that it had anything to do with me, but he looked at me and he said Raymond you started out with a big vision to serve God He said, but you've went through some things and life's been tough and people have mistreated you and he said Your heart has gotten hard He said you don't pray like you used to pray. You don't hunger for God like you once did He said your heart towards people. It's cold Said you've lost your edge. You're just going through the motions You're like Samson in the Old Testament when it said and the Spirit of the Lord had departed, but he knew not and He said I can't leave this earth and leave you in this condition And he said without my permission my dad laid his hands on me and began to pray He said all of a sudden my hard heart cracked open And he said his words were like medicine to wounds. I didn't know I had And he said all of a sudden in his prayer it shifted from healing to commissioning and Fire shot up in my bones for the work of God He said I don't know what happened, but it lasted me 40 years in ministry. I never found myself in that state again Whatever was in him It made it to me and if Raymond were here today, here's what he'd tell you you can't buy a passion You can't get a certification in hunger That there's not a class you can take for a fresh anointing That there are some things that are just simply hand-delivered that someone who has something given to them by God extends their hand in faith according to the Word of God and they

Deposited into your life and you're never the same. I don't know what you need. I don't know if you need a physical healing I don't know if you need a Lifting of depression. I don't know if your marriage needs a new season I don't know if you need a new idea or a favor on your business I don't know. I know all of us need a fresh anointing on our calling This is not special Until it's extended in faith through the Word of God and all of a sudden your hand God places his hand on it And when it's done according to his words something happens spiritually that cannot be bought or built or Learned anywhere else And I'm just telling you if you want all God has for you. You need the practice of laying on of hands