In Your Bible Read This
Deuteronomy 34
Here Is Your Memory Verse
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy
Spirit came on
them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Acts 19.6
Afterwards Talk About
This
Does the laying on of hands happen in your
church? Is it
something
that happens formally such as when a Bishop comes
or is it something that everyone does?
Something To Do Before
Next Time
With the approval of your leaders, arrange to
have a time
when hands
are laid upon each of you, to receive enabling for service,
blessing or healing.
Written Diploma Work
Write two pages to describe when each of the
different
reasons for laying on of hands took place.
Meditate Word By Word On
This Verse
Exodus 31, 1-6
- Spend
a Minute to Change the World
- Pray
For Former Yugoslavia - Only Serbia & Montenegro remain
- Bosnia,
Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Slovenia have broken away
- with
bloodshed, suffering and intense ethnic tensions
- Evangelicals
are few but growing
- Be
sure to teach this lesson to others.
- Always
pray and prepare well adding
- your
own verses and stories to bring it to life.
In Hebrews 6, 1-2 the writer says that
there are six basic things that every believer, however young in
faith, needs to know about, before going on to maturity.
- Repentance,
- Faith in God,
- Instruction about baptisms,
- The laying on of hands,
- The resurrection of the dead,
- And eternal judgement.
The laying on of hands is one of them, and
that explains why it is something you will often see in prayer
meetings and church services. You will find explanations of other
foundations of our faith elsewhere in the course.
1. What Is
Laying On Of
Hands?
You can say that the laying on of hands is
an act of service one to another that takes place when one person
places his hand or both hands upon the body of another person for
a definite spiritual purpose. Normally the person receiving the
laying on of hands will be prayed for, or prophesied over at the
same time. Sometimes a group of believers will gather around
someone in need and they will all lay hands on him or her.
2. Where Do
We Find This
In The Bible?
In fact, the laying on of hands is one of
the most ancient blessings known to the people of God. There are
records of it way back in the earliest of days.
A Separation Unto Death
In the Old Testament the Israelites laid their
hands on the heads of animals before they were burned in order to
transfer their sin to the animal sacrifice. Exodus 29,10; 29; 15; 19;
Leviticus 1,1-5; 4.15; 8.4; 8.18; 22; 16.21; 24.14. Numbers 8,12; 2
Chron. 29.23;
Impartation Of A Prophetic Blessing
Jacob imparted a final prophetic blessing to
his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by prayer and the laying on of
hands., Genesis 48.14.
Commissioning Of A Leader
Moses laid hands on his assistant Joshua to
impart authority and wisdom to him as the new leader of God’s people.
Deuteronomy 34.9; Numbers 27, 15-23; Joshua 1, 16-17; Numbers 8,10;
27,23.
To Impart Healing
Jesus imparted healing by the laying on of
hands. Elders would anoint with oil, lay their hands on the person and
pray for healing. Believers can also impart healing by the laying on of
hands. Mark 5.23; 6.5; 8.23-25; 16.18; Luke 4.40; 13.13; Acts 9.12-17;
28, 8-9, James 5, 14-16.
To Impart Blessing
Jesus especially loved to impart the blessing
of God to little children. Matthew 9,13-15; Mark 10,13-16.
To Impart Peace
Jesus put his hand on John and said, "Do not be
afraid." Revelation 1.17.
To Impart The Holy Spirit
Believers in general, as well as leaders, were
involved in imparting the baptism of the Holy spirit by the laying on
of hands. Acts 8,14-24; 9,10-17; 19.6.
To Impart Spiritual Gifts
The gifts of grace from Jesus were transmitted
by the Spirit of God through the laying on of hands. 1 Timothy 4.14; 2
Timothy 1.6; Romans 1.11.
To Set Missionaries Apart
In Acts 13, 1-4 Paul and Barnabas are set apart
for missionary work by the laying on of hands, thus receiving a special
anointing to carry out that work.
To Commission Church Workers
The commissioning of the seven administrators
of the churches practical programmes in Acts 6, 1-6 also involved the
laying on of hands by the apostles. The seven were already men of faith.
3. When Do
You Lay Hands
On?
Adequate time and great care should be
taken before laying hands on new church workers, ministers or
missionaries. The laying on of hands is the last and most public
stage of a decision making process before the Lord. Obviously you
do not want to choose the wrong person, who might easily bring
ruin and division to the church. 1 Timothy 5.22.
4. What
Happens When
Hands Are Laid?
We are not talking about a ritual or a
ceremony that happens in a church. That would just be empty hands
being laid upon empty heads. It would have no value and would
lack God’s approval. When leaders or believers lay hands on
a man or a woman it is because they desire God to flow his Spirit
and his grace through those hands in a time of ministry led by
the Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 34.9.
Watch Who Is Laying Hands On You
Because the transmission that takes place
during the laying on of hands is so real, and so powerful, and because
not only the Holy Spirit can be transmitted, take great care in who you
allow to lay on hands on you. You should not allow anyone who might be
involved with the occult or wilful sin to minister to you because there
might be an impartation of evil spirit, which will disturb your life.
Ask God in a quick and quiet prayer from your
heart, like Nehemiah did in Neh. 2.4, and quickly assess the character
of the person wishing to lay hands on you. If you are not happy,
politely decline the offer.
5. How Do Lay
On Hands?
It could not be simpler because all you
have to do is be an instrument of God’s blessing to the
person concerned. The Holy Spirit will do everything else in
response to your love, your willingness, your prayer and the
willingness and openness of the person to receive.
To Close Pray For The
World's Most Unreached Peoples By Name
Taken from the
Joshua
Project Unreached Peoples List these people have no
churchand as yet no cell, church or mission has committed themselves
to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.
Iran
|
People
Name
|
Language
|
Population
|
Aimaq,
Jamshidi (Char Aimaq)
|
Aimaq,
Jamshidi
|
30,000
|
Aimaq, Timuri
(Teymur, Timuri)
|
Aimaq,
Taimuri
|
181,000
|
Azerbaijani
(Azeri)
|
Azerbaijani,
South
|
22,000,000
|
Balkan Rom
Gypsy
|
Romani,
Balkan
|
24,000
|
Baluch,
Southern
|
Baluchi,
Southern
|
405,000
|
Baluch,
Western
|
Baluchi,
Western
|
29,000
|
|