The very essence of Holy Communion is that it demonstrates all that Christ has achieved for us in his redemptive sufferings it therefore seems to make sense to have prayer for healing during a communion service. Of course this implies that healing is in the atonement but it does not imply that we have a right to healing because of the atonement . It is surely undeniable that Jesus died for the whole man body and spirit, and when he comes again the created order will be redeemed. When we celebrate communion we celebrate the love of God in Christ through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we are therefore communing with the God who created this world good and who in his mercy brings salvation to humankind. The brokeness of this world is the result of man’s sinfulness, his willful rebellion against God and his ways, we have inherited the results of the curse on creation but we are also in Christ those who inherit all that Christ has to give. Complete healing will never come about in this life, but God stands ready to receive our petitions and answer them according to his own wisdom and grace.

The communion table is the Lord’s family table, and it is therefore appropriate to bring the petitions we have for one another to the Lord, healing prayer must logically be included. Paul teaches in !Corinthians 11 that many were sick as a result of not receiving communion rightly, surely part of the reason for this teaching is so that people will repent and be restored to fellowship with the Lord and the Church, if this is the case surely it is not wrong to see that healing is implied when a right relationship is restored.

Some will argue that the day of miracles has passed, many of us have seen the folly of this teaching because we have seen God heal today, furthermore there is no biblical evidence for this strange teaching. The New Testament record consistently shows a god who heals, the ministry of healing will only cease after the return of Jesus. It is because of the clear teaching of the New Testament that we can ask the Lord to heal the body,mind and spirit. It seems to me that if this is so then there can be no better place to ask for healing than the communion table where we are reminded so vividly of the love of God in Christ.

A Prayer for healing.

Heavenly Father as we come around this communion table, we are reminded so vividly of all that you have done for us in Christ Jesus and we glorify your great name. Lord we come to you broken in many ways and we need your redeeming and healing love to work deeply in our lives. Lord you see all our brokeness wether in body or spirit and we ask you to touch us by the power of your Holy Spirit and bring to us the healing that we need. Lord we ask for your forgiveness for our sins and we ask that you would help us to be in a right relationship with you and your Church. Lord come now in your love and your healing grace and bring your healing to us. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.