Nerves In The Way (ATP)
“Sometimes when I go up to have hands laid on me I get nervous and feel like it gets in the way of me fully receiving. Can this happen?”
There are many reasons this could be, so let’s do a short diagnostic to see if we can get to the bottom of this. The Word tells us to examine ourselves to see whether or not we’re in faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Ask yourself: Are you doubting that it’s real? Are you worried you won’t “feel” anything? What if I fall? What if I don’t fall? Are you afraid some secret or hidden sin will be spoken out prophetically for others to hear?
Let’s address first, are you doubting that it’s real? Though I don’t have time or space to include every scripture in this Faith Fix, the laying on of hands can be seen throughout the entire Bible. We see in the Old Testament laying on of hands for anointing purposes, at times of sacrifice, etc. In Acts 9:17 Ananias laid hands on Paul to receive back his sight lost on the road to Damascus. In the book of Acts and in the Gospels of Jesus, you’ll see the laying on of hands for healing purposes. 1 Timothy 4:14 says that Timothy received a gift through the laying on of hands. Then, 2 Timothy 1:6 reminds Timothy to stir up the gift he received when Paul laid hands on him. My point is, if it’s doubting that makes you nervous to come up, then it’s the Word which will help you not to doubt. Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Get into the Word and confirm these things in your heart.
Are you worried you won’t “feel” anything? What if I fall? What if I don’t fall? We can tend to feel pressure when we’ve seen other people’s reactions to hands being laid on them. I know from personal experience that there are times I’ve felt it tangibly and other times I’ve felt nothing tangible at all. There are times I’ve fallen under the power of God and times I’ve stood perfectly still. Does that mean God isn’t working or is only working sometimes? Certainly not. In Matthew 17 when Jesus was transfigured on the Mount and the glory of God “shone like the sun” and the voice of God spoke, verse 17:6 lets us know that, “When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.” The power of God and their reverence for the Lord brought them to the ground. Looking back at the Apostle Paul in Acts 9:4, “he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” There are other examples of the power of God manifesting tangibly on people but there are many, many examples where we aren’t told anything about how the person “feels” or reacts at all. The point in this is that how it makes us feel shouldn’t be the focus! Do we trust God for His power and impartation or don’t we? Remember doubting Thomas? He wanted to know through his senses that Jesus was real. We can’t let our natural senses tell us whether or not to trust God. We must trust Him according to His Word. Do I have faith that He’s getting something over to me whether healing, help to get through some thing, etc.? If so, whether you fall or don’t fall, or feel or don’t feel, it doesn’t matter.
Are you afraid some secret or hidden sin will be spoken out prophetically for others to hear? Sometimes we’re in a service right after we fought with our spouse or yelled at our kids and we think, “everyone’s gonna know” or “great, now I can’t receive anything”. God is not looking to keep us from the blessing, but to help us walk in it! I love the account of Jesus with the woman at the well in John chapter 4. He was alone with her while His disciples went to the city to buy food. He read her mail, showing her in which ways she was living wrong, that she had had 5 husbands and even a new man that wasn’t her husband. He showed her in which ways she was off, but notice He didn’t do it in front of others to embarrass her, but privately to help her. The Holy Spirit, like Jesus and like God, the Father, is a perfect gentleman. Let’s not worry that He’s going to spread our business with others, unless of course He needs to to help us. If that’s the case, praise Him for it!
2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us an important truth, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That Word liberty means without bondage, even including the bondage of our minds. We need to try not to overthink our experiences with God. Let’s not get distracted by our minds and instead renew them to the point of faith so that when we come to God for prayer or to have hands laid on us, we simply come with expectation. All this being said, if you’re still feeling nervous when you come to the altar, but your heart is fully trusting in the Lord, it may be reverence that you’re experiencing. Sometimes I come to God in total awe of how wonderful He is, it’s almost a jittery feeling on the inside because I’m so humbled to be able to be touched by God, that He would love me and care for me so much. If this is the case, don’t beat yourself up, just let Him do in you what He is trying to do! Amen?
Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée
