The fourth foundation in Hebrews 6:2 is the laying on of hands — an ordinary New Testament practice that much of the modern church has quietly set aside. At Grace Fellowship Church in Sarasota, we still practice it, because the Bible still commands it. Hands laid in faith carry blessing, impartation, commissioning, and healing.
“They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” — Mark 16:18
Throughout the New Testament, elders, apostles, and believers lay hands on people. Sometimes it is for healing (Mark 16:18; Acts 28:8). Sometimes it is for the receiving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; 19:6). Sometimes it is to commission and send (Acts 13:3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). Sometimes it is simply to bless (Mark 10:16).
The act itself is physical — a hand placed, in prayer, on the head or shoulder. But what it represents is spiritual: the agreement of the church, the prayer of faith, and the real transfer of blessing or authority through a person who has been entrusted with it.
Hebrews 6:2 places this among the elementary principles of Christ — the foundation, not the specialty. And yet most Christians today will go their whole lives without being formally prayed for with the laying on of hands. At Grace, we think that loss needs to be corrected.
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick” (James 5:14–15). At Grace we pray this way — and the Lord still heals.
When Peter and John came to Samaria, they “laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17). The same happened at Ephesus (Acts 19:6). Laying on of hands is one of the New Testament means by which believers are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Paul and Barnabas were set apart for mission with fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands (Acts 13:3). Timothy’s gift was stirred up through the same means (2 Timothy 1:6). When the church sends someone — an elder, a missionary, a ministry leader — hands are laid.
Jesus “took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16). The laying on of hands carries blessing — from a father to a child, from an elder to a young Christian, from the church to those it loves.
Paul was strict with Timothy: “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins” (1 Timothy 5:22). The laying on of hands is not casual. It is an agreement — a real spiritual act — and the person praying shares, in some measure, in what is being prayed over.
That is why, at Grace, the laying on of hands is done by tested, qualified elders (and sometimes by mature believers the elders have sent), not by anyone who happens to be nearby. It is done in the name of Jesus, in the discernment of the Spirit, in agreement with the Word. It is prayer with weight — and we treat it that way.
This is also a safeguard against abuse. The Bible takes seriously the idea that spiritual authority can be misused (Acts 8:18–20). The laying on of hands is never a transaction, a performance, or a platform for the one doing the praying. It is a servant’s act, done in the fear of the Lord.
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.” — 1 Timothy 4:14
At Grace Fellowship Church in Sarasota, the laying on of hands is woven into the normal life of the church. At the end of many Sunday services, we invite anyone who needs prayer — for healing, for a decision, for the fullness of the Spirit, for a hard situation — to come forward. Elders and mature believers pray, laying hands as the Spirit leads.
Baptisms are often followed by the laying on of hands and prayer for the Holy Spirit. When someone is set apart into a ministry responsibility, hands are laid. When Family Camp gathers, long sessions of prayer and laying on of hands are often the most memorable moments of the year.
If you need prayer, do not wait. Come on a Sunday. Ask for an elder. Let hands be laid. God still answers.
— Sundays at 10:00 AM · 4350 17th Street, Sarasota, FL.