A Healing Place

by Mike Simon
Mar/Apr 2009

God revealed to Nehemiah the need for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. Nehemiah knew God wanted to unify His people and motivate them in a combined effort of restoration. The walls represented power, protection, and beauty to the city. They needed the walls to protect them from their enemies and to ensure themselves a place where they could worship. God, put the desire in Nehemiah’s heart, giving him the vision for the work. Even though Nehemiah was chosen, willing, and had the gifts and talents to get the job done, people had to come along side him and help — this was all for the purpose of God. Such a great task could not have been accomplished in 52 days without the help of everyone contributing something to the effort. These were desperate times for the people: they lived in fear of their enemies and they were going through a famine. Imagine working from sunrise to sunset never changing your clothes because the work was too important to leave. Men stood guard on the wall day and night while whole families worked. With the wall restored and a safe place to come, God could now bring many of the captives out of captivity.

God has spoken to Francis and Judith MacNutt about the need for a Healing Center in the United States to rebuild lives and bring restoration into families. The Healing Center will be a visible sign of God’s healing presence. It will be a safe and beautiful place where God will be worshiped, and His people will learn to bring His healing prayer ministry to their communities. Daily, people call or come to Christian Healing Ministries to find God’s help in restoring their lives emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The need is great and getting greater. In 2006 The US Bureau of Labor & Statistics reported, 1.2 million professional counselors were required to help people needing emotional healing. At CHM, we provide a safe place for people to come: a place where we do not counsel, but instead, we pray and witness God healing individuals by His power. The Healing Center will allow many more to come for healing and training.

The Lord has impressed upon Francis and Judith the urgency of the hour and CHM’s responsibility to train more people and provide healing prayer to a greater number. Experts have been telling the Capital Campaign Committee it may take 18 months or more to raise the funds, but it is Francis’ and Judith’s hope that it will only take a year (52 weeks). The Jerusalem wall was built in 52 days.

CHM is contacted regularly by churches and individuals who want to be equipped to learn how to pray in greater power and authority. The vision God gave Francis was to have Healing Schools for 400–500 people at one time. Imagine the impact of those people going back to their churches and communities and praying for those who need restored emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We have to turn people away at nearly every school or conference. Presently at our facility, we can only train 50–60 people in our School of Healing Prayer. God is calling and inviting His people into His Vision. Allow me to briefly recap the past two years in our pursuit to be obedient to what God has asked us to do.

Two years ago, God spoke to the people who owned 60 acres of land on the Trout River in Jacksonville to sell it to Christian Healing Ministries. God moved on the hearts of the CHM Board members to make personal donations to buy the land and they responded with over $2 million. About six months ago, God raised up a highly gifted couple to volunteer their time to create a new Development Department for CHM. In the past couple of weeks we have decided to implement new procedures and purchase new software that will allow for increased accuracy, efficiency, and security for donor pledges. We believe God is moving us in the right direction and will help us select His choice for campaign counsel which is our next step.

God spoke to Jeremiah (Jer 29:11 NLT) and said, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly you will find me, I will be found by you, says the Lord. I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” This same promise and vision God gave to His people through Jeremiah and Nehemiah is the same promise and vision He has given to Francis and Judith. He wants his people set free and their lives to be restored.

Years from now, we will all look back and celebrate the tens of thousands of people who were healed through the Healing Center and hear the testimonies of trained prayer ministers who brought hope and restoration to untold numbers in their church and community. Your investment of prayer, financial support, and time volunteering will make it happen. So many of you have been faithful partners of CHM for many, many years and without you we would not have been able to do the work He has called us to do. When God laid on Nehemiah the burden of restoring the wall and rebuilding the city, God never intended him to do it alone. God had the king ask Nehemiah, “Well, how can I help you?” Then Nehemiah had to make his requests known to the king. Nehemiah later told the Israelites of God’s vision and they answered the call to contribute. Everything Nehemiah needed to get the job done was supplied to him through individuals. God uses people to get His job done. (Neh. 1–5 NLT)

God may speak to you to send a financial contribution, to volunteer your time, to be a part of our prayer effort, or He may call you to invite your church to sponsor a particular building—the needs range from small to enormous. Would you ask the Lord where He wants you to participate in His work in restoring and rebuilding the lives of hurting people?

Mike Simon is the Director of Development for CHM.