Jesus the Healer: He healed them ...

[When] God has been invited to reign in a life where self has been on the throne; 

God's kingdom has become more truly a reality in that life;

that person has entered the kingdom of God.  ~Albert E. Day

Welcome dear friend, to a series on the healing stories of Jesus. The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation and wholeness.  (UM Book of Worship)

I invite you to enter into a time of deep prayer with scripture as we explore the healing stories of Jesus.  Gather your journal if you have one, your bible and something to write with or simply use your computer, I've provided everything you need.

Take a moment to pause and stretch, scan your body and simply notice how it feels.  Acknowledge any aches, pains, distractions, anxieties, etc. and let them go.  Know they'll be waiting for you ...

Begin with a "Breath Prayer"

Breathing in ... Healing Jesus 
Breathing out ... Heal my soul
Repeat your breath prayer until you feel relaxed and centered

Pray for illumination of the text, use this one or pray what emerges from within you:  Healing Jesus, lead me as I read and pray.  Show me your healing presence in the text and in my life.  Amen.

1.  Lectio/Read:   Matthew 4:23-25 (NET) As you read, perhaps there is a word or phrase that will draw you to it.  Pay attention. Turn the word or phrase over and over in your mind.  Simply sit with your word or phrase and be grateful. 

Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease and sickness among the people. So a report about him spread throughout Syria. People brought to him all who suffered with various illnesses and afflictions, those who had seizures, paralytics, and those possessed by demons, and he healed them. And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. 

2.  Meditatio/Meditation

Read the text a second time.  You may find that the same word has energy for you, but you may also find that another word has become more alive with meaning.  Pay attention.  Where does that word speak into your life?  Take your word and write freely, in your journal or on your computer.  Don't think about what you are writing as you let God lead you deeper.

3. Oratio/Pray 

Read the text a third time.  Then read your own writing if you wrote anything.  Are there any connections you can make between what you read and the writing that flowed from your reading?  How do you respond to what God has shown you?   Take a moment to write again in your journal or on your computer as a prayer in response to what you have heard.   

4. Contemplatio/Contemplation 

Take a moment to pause.  Allow your breath prayer to emerge again.  You can use the same one from the beginning or perhaps a new one will emerge for you.  As you continue to pray, let the words fade away into silence. Spend time simply "be"ing with God. 

Allow your experience of praying with scripture to come to a close when you are ready to move on.  You can get a meditation app if you'd like to sink into the silence for an extended period of time.  You may not feel like it today but feel like you need it at other times.  The most important thing is to let the Spirit lead you and guide you into the presence of God.

Close with a prayer to send yourself into the world, use this one or pray what emerges from within you:  Healing Jesus, lead me as I live my life.  Walk with me and transform me into a healing presence in the world.  Amen.