Power of Prayer
When healing goes beyond the physical
GRETCHEN MURRAY

For Christians, the belief that God gave man the power to heal the sick began with Christ's examples.

Jesus healed the sick in connection with his teachings to show the common man the love and power of God and often performed these healings in public view — in synagogues, homes or on the streets — where witnesses could attest to what they saw.

But the notion that mortals could somehow also serve as conduits between God's power and the sick came to light when believers like Jesus' disciples and the prophets also displayed the power to those who doubted. Biblical stories such as the prophet Elijah raising a young boy from the dead have led believers to accept a mysterious link between divine intervention and man's abilities to heal. the rest