One of the most important distinctives of the Vineyard movement is captured in a simple, four-word phrase: “Everyone gets to play.” Coined by our founder John Wimber, and based on his understanding of the New Testament call to equip all the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12), this phrase set the stage for the unique Vineyard approach to compassionately praying for others that is the topic of this booklet.
John believed that every man, woman, and child who is willing to be used by God can learn to hear His voice. [bctt tweet=”As we learn to hear God’s voice, we can be led by the Spirit as we minister to others through personal prayer – rather than relying on our own limited experience or insight.” username=”vineyardusa”] Wimber also taught that any person can cultivate one’s ability to hear God’s voice over time and through experience, thereby increasing our opportunities to partner with Christ in seeing lives changed, bodies healed, emotions restored to health, and people experiencing the radical, personal love that God uniquely has for them.
Wimber was recognized by the Church of the 20th and 21st centuries, across the world, for his healing ministry. He was known particularly for his low-hype, thoughtful, practical, authoritative, and matter-of-fact approach to operating in the gifts of the Spirit. The Vineyard grew, in part, as God used John powerfully in the ministry of healing. It became normal to hear testimonies of many who experienced physical, emotional, and mental healing in connection with John’s ministry. In his eyes, however, it was God doing the healing – not him – and God wanted every Christian engaged in praying for others.
John resisted the notion that some of us are called to be spiritual superstars, while others are just ordinary Christians. He was passionate about teaching believers to ‘do the stuff’ of ministry, offering practical approaches to prayer that de-mystified spiritual experience and power ministry. John knew that if ordinary folks learned how to allow the Holy Spirit to guide their prayers for others, Jesus would be made famous around the globe.
In his vital work on the topic, Power Healing, John wrote these words:
“…Shortly after I saw my first healing, I asked myself, ‘Is it possible to develop a model for healing from which large numbers of Christians may be trained to heal the sick?’ I thought the answer was yes and became committed to developing that model” (Power Healing, p. 169).
This booklet captures the essence of Wimber and the Vineyard’s approach to praying for others for all forms of healing, and is designed to be a tool of ministry in your hands as you learn how to effectively pray for others. The principles in these pages are backed by thousands of stories of miraculous encounters, physical healings, emotional transformations, remarkable acts of forgiveness, revelatory moments, demonic deliverances, and restorations of myriad lives to “the joy of the Lord” (Neh. 8:10b).
While the principles in this booklet often speak directly to prayer for physical healing, they apply to any prayer ministry situation we find ourselves in. It is our hope this tool will serve you and your community as you pray, with effectiveness and long-term fruit, for the people that God so loves (John 3:16).
