The Takoradi Area Head and Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Sylvester Arhin, has stated that a heart of compassion is essential to effectively exercise the spiritual gift of healing.
According to him, the healing power of God is embedded in love, care, and genuine empathy toward the suffering.
Apostle Arhin made these remarks yesterday, June 19, 2025, during a presentation on the topic “The Role of Compassion in the Healing of the Sick” at the 2025 National Prayer Centre Leaders’ Seminar, held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.
Preaching from Matthew 14:14, he recalled a moment in Jesus’ life when, despite retreating to the mountain to pray, He was moved with compassion upon seeing the multitude—many of whom were sick and helpless.
“Compassion,” Apostle Arhin noted, “was not a passing feeling for Jesus; it was the channel through which healing flowed.”
He explained that many who visit prayer centres are weighed down by various burdens. Some are seeking direction, others are overwhelmed by life’s struggles, but many come with physical, emotional, or mental illnesses. What they often need just as much as prayer, he stressed, is compassion.
Drawing from his pastoral experience, Apostle Arhin shared that prolonged exposure to human suffering can sometimes harden even the most caring individuals.
“Over time, caregivers and health workers may become emotionally numb to pain,” he said. “But Jesus models a different path. Whether the need was hunger, sickness, grief, or isolation, He consistently responded with compassion.”
Referencing Luke 7:11, Apostle Arhin described the poignant moment when Jesus encountered a widow mourning her only son.
“Life was entering; death was exiting,” he said poetically. “The only son of the woman met the only Son of God—and compassion moved Jesus to intervene.”
He encouraged the audience to recognise that even small gestures—a smile, a kind word, a listening ear—can bring comfort and spark healing. Recalling a personal moment, he shared that one of the turning points in his own recovery came not through medication, but through a visit from someone who showed genuine care and encouragement.
Quoting Isaiah 63:9, he emphasised that God Himself identifies with the afflictions of His people, and it is out of compassion that He redeems and restores them.
Apostle Arhin also cited the healing of the demon-possessed man in Gadara, noting that Jesus not only delivered him but also embraced him—an act society had long denied. Similarly, he highlighted the story of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda.
“Jesus approached the man not just with power, but with care—acknowledging his long wait and his hopelessness,” he said.
He charged the congregation to demonstrate the same heart in ministering to the sick: “Project faith and love—not fear and despair. Speak comfort. Be the hand of Jesus in someone’s pain.”
Concluding his message, Apostle Arhin urged the Church to intentionally cultivate a heart of compassion. Healing, he said, is not always about dramatic miracles. Often, it begins with kindness, presence, and love.
“In a world where pain is plenty and hope can be thin, compassion is the bridge between suffering and healing,” he stated.
“Jesus didn’t just perform miracles—He felt pain, touched the broken, and stood with the weary. If healing is a river, compassion is the spring from which it flows.”
“May we, too, be moved not just to pray, but to care; not just to preach, but to feel. For in every act of compassion, heaven draws near and healing begins,” he concluded.
PENT NEWS.
