On one occasion my urine was red with blood and there was an excruciating pain in my bladder area. I prayed for myself but the urine still showed blood red.

Recognising the need for urgency in receiving healing I called my wife to pray with me. This made two of us agreeing together on the restoration my good health. Normally my wife and I praying together for healing is sufficient on this occasion though the pain and show of blood continued. My next step in obedience to an exhortation found in the letter of James I call for the elders of the church. I thank God that I've got some faithful elders with me in church. They traveled all the way across town to pray over me.

These faithful, believing elders prayed over me for healing and just a couple of hours later I was completely clear of all pain and all show of blood. Praise the Lord.

In that case of my healing from a kidney infection, I was healed through ministry of the church. This is how most healing among Christians should take place. However, for one reason or another, there might be occasions when this doesn't occur. If you don't get you healing that way then the next step is to go to where there is a minister moving in an extraordinary gift of healing by the Holy Spirit (See 1 Corinthians 12:9).

After reading all I've said in this article so far I hope it comes across that needing to go off for healing ministry away from the church setting ought to be the exception rather than the rule.

Our churches should have miracles taking place within the context of the church service and the congregation. Miracles should be a part of church life. By this the scripture is fulfilled declaring,

The Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.

Mark 16:20 - NKJV

The common report of Christians endlessly chasing off after the next place where miracles are abundantly manifesting shouldn't be happening.

If you have never been in place where miracles are known and seen then you might want to take the opportunity to go to where you can experience it. However, finding the next place where miracles are manifesting is not an objective of the Christian life. Developing a faith life and a church setting where you are in the zone of faith around Jesus Christ where miracles are common place should be.

The Bible gives a vision of developing maturity for each Christian. The apostles wrote of their desire to see believers growing in Christ Jesus so that they will come to personally exercise their Heavenly sonship. The New Testament presents a picture of born again Christians being Spirit-filled and ever approaching to the point where they are "conformed to the image of God's Son" Romans 8:29.

The apostle Paul was concerned to see the converts to Christianity growing to where they were "no longer tossed to and fro and carried about". He wrote exhorting,

He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ.

Ephesians 4:11 - 15 - NKJV

Revel in the joy that comes from miracles at work among us. Nevertheless, don't chase miracles, pursue maturity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

1 Peter 2:1 - 2 - NKJV