And Who Is Equal To Such A Task?

by Francis MacNutt
Fall 1996

CHM is experiencing greater growth and effectiveness in ministry than ever before. We have 70 CHM trained volunteer prayer ministers who have prayed for almost 1,000 people during scheduled prayer appointments since January of this year. This does not include all the prayer requests that are received by phone or mail.

This year we have developed Level I and Level II courses for our School of Healing Prayer, and are producing video courses and manuals for both these Levels to meet the needs of people who can not travel to Jacksonville. We joined the Templeton Foundation sponsored research on the efficacy of prayer in healing being conducted by the National Institute of Health Research.

God just keeps opening doors and expanding our ability to meet the ministry and teaching needs he has called CHM to fill in the Body of Christ.

In spite of all these breakthroughs, we have an area that always remains precarious, the finances of the ministry. This Fall donations have been particularly slim, and some pay checks to staff have had to be held until more money comes in. As most of you know, CHM has never charged a fee for prayer ministry. Most of the people that we minister to are very broken and have a tough time keeping a job until they get some healing.

We really need the financial and prayer support of the more stable members of Christ's Body to come alongside CHM and help support our ministry to some of the most wounded.

A problem that the ministry seems to face is one that many of you have probably encountered as you have ministered to someone who is very broken. Once the person is better, they often want to put the whole encounter behind them and move on. The minister or ministry reminds them of a difficult time that they would just as soon forget.

Thankfully, our most faithful supporters and volunteer prayer ministers are people who encountered the love of Christ when they needed his healing touch, and continued to grow in that love. These are people who are so excited that Jesus has freed them; they bring their hurting friends for ministry, then they want to learn how to minister and bless others as they were blessed. They become more active in their churches and hungrily pursue the things of God with gratitude and thanksgiving. Their healing spills out of their lives to those around them and bears fruit for the Kingdom.

Many of you were just such grateful and growing people. I can't tell you how watching the Lord ignite your life for service has encouraged and blessed us here at CHM — you are fruit that remains (John 15: 16).

The title of the article is from II Corinthians 2: 14–16. Paul says, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?"

Our prayer is that many of you who have been blessed by this ministry and want to respond in gratitude for what Jesus is doing at CHM, will help meet our current need for financial support. Please consider becoming a partner with us in the ministry by pledging a regular monthly gift. Your donations allow us to continue to freely offer prayer for healing and wholeness through the ministry of Christ Jesus to those who need his touch so desperately.

Francis MacNutt is a Founding Director and Executive Committee member of CHM.