John Mark Comer, pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, asked students at Liberty University’s Convocation meeting Wednesday to lay hands on one another and pray for supernatural healing for generational sin and past trauma. He also asked students to let the Holy Spirit speak to them and to share prophetic words and images with one another as they felt prompted.
The call to prayer concluded a 40-minute message by Comer in which he preached about the spiritual impact left on us by our families and previous generations.
“This takes a lot of courage,” Comer said. “I just want to invite you to stand up right now. We’re not going to ask your name. We’re not going to ask you to tell your story. We’re not going to ask you to say what it is. We just want to pray for you. Would you just stand before God and before your community?”
After hundreds around the stadium stood, Comer continued: “I’m actually not going to pray for you. I don’t know if you have a prayer team here, but you’re all on it now. I’m a guest speaker. I can do that. Those of you around anybody standing, would you just stand up around them and put a gentle hand on their shoulder if it’s appropriate. Don’t ask a question, other than maybe a name. Would you just wait for a moment? Stand in solidarity. See if the Spirit of God brings anything to mind: a word, an image, a picture. Just in love and compassion, would you pray healing on that soul? Just take it, wait for a moment, hear from God, and then pray. … Make as much noise as you want. You don’t need to whisper. Pray in love and in faith. Holy Spirit, come.”
Though Liberty University is currently nondenominational, such unambiguously charismatic teaching may come as a shock to older Pentecostals, who remember Liberty’s founding under Baptist minister Jerry Falwell Sr.
Watch Comer’s full Convocation message here.
