© 06 Colin Melbourne
Look! They’re falling over!
Q: Why do people sometimes ‘pass out’ when they are being prayed for? Jess
A: They don’t pass-out, or faint. It is not a state of unconsciousness, or anything to do with hypnosis. The Holy Spirit overcomes them, and they go into trance-like state; the Christian jargon for it is, being ‘slain in the Spirit’, or ‘falling under the power‘.
Individuals involuntarily fall prostrate, they may tremble and mutter, sometimes they see visions, as God deals with something in their lives. It’s basically an intimate over-powering encounter with the Spirit of the Lord, and can last a few minutes to several hours.
The genuine thing is perfectly biblical, and nothing to be alarmed about. (Ac. 9:4, 26:14, Mtt. 28:4, 17:6, Jn. 18:6, etc.) It occurs more often in revivals, and only where the Holy Spirit is allowed to work His way. That is why you don’t witness it in dead denominational fellowships.
However, to my dismay, I have noticed it mimicked, where a subtly conditioned reflex is substituted for the real thing in some Charismatic fellowships. Sadly, I’ve even witnessed those praying ‘helping the Holy Spirit’ by pushing people over as they lay hands on them. Clearly that is false. But we must make allowance; it is better to have excess rather than a dead body.
Destitute and homeless
Q: What should Christians do to help the homeless? Steven
A: Mtt. 25:31-46. Listen to the Lord, see them through His redemptive eyes, and obey Him. He may tell you to take them in your own home, or help them find somewhere to stay. Many have serious antisocial, legal, and other problems, so you really need to listen carefully. But it is always a great personal blessing to obey, and lift them up.
Just put yourself in their shoes, and follow the Compassion of the Lord. Start with some simple gesture of concern, and the Lord will lead you step by step. Just as he led John Howard, who singlehandedly transformed the prison system in England and beyond.
© 06 Colin Melbourne
