Seed Faith … Oral Roberts  

Roberts coined the words “seed faith” which meant if you gave money to him, your chances of getting healed or becoming wealthy would increase. Many people gave their life savings to him or to other faith healers but were not healed … only to be told that they hadn’t given enough money or didn’t have enough faith. Some people claimed to be healed but often it only lasted a few days and their problems came back.

People came by the thousands to these meetings to get healed by Oral Roberts. One of his healing meetings was in Calgary, Alberta that our church congregation attended around 1956. Bus load after bus load of the sick, the lame, the halt and the blind arrived. Others went to witness the miraculous, but few miracles were witnessed. People who had visible physical problems were often put off to the side and never prayed for. Can we put two and two together why they were not called up. Some had travelled hundreds of miles to get there.

As Oral Roberts became a household name in the Pentecostal circles, it didn’t take long for his ministry took on more mystical teachings with the use of “prayer cloths” believing they had some healing power.

It should be noted that in none of these stories in the Bible is Jesus’ garment or Paul’s handkerchief called a “prayer cloth.” The first modern use of a prayer cloth may have been by the Mormons. As the practice faded in Mormonism, it grew in the Pentecostal church. It can now be found even in the Roman Catholic Church. Sometimes the cloths are anointed in oil or in the sweat of those who pray over it. …

Second, and more troubling, is the use of prayer cloths as a shameless money scheme. Second Peter 2: 2-3 reads, “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words…” While Paul pointed out that the work a pastor performs does merit compensation (1 Corinthians 9:14), nowhere does the Bible imply that prayers and spiritual favors can be bought and sold. 

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The following is part of a long article about the prayer cloths that Oral Roberts promoted. The author notes that Roberts’ early prayer cloths were imprinted with this message:

“I prayed over this cloth for God to deliver you–use as a point of contact (Acts 19:11-12). Oral Roberts, Tulsa 2, Okla. It is not necessary to wear the cloth unless you feel you should. It can be used more than once or for more than one person. If you wish to request more, I will be glad to send them to you. The important thing is to use the cloth as a point of contact for the body … I have prayed over this cloth in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and asked Him to heal you when you apply it to your body.”

“By 1949 the number of prayer cloths mailed numbered nearly 100,000 a year.

“Oral Roberts praised such fellow faith healers as Jack Coe. He said that “Jack has faith.” Coe and other faith healers defended by Roberts have been exposed as phonies. …

“I [writer of the article] offered to appear before the Senate Investigating Committee in Washington and present evidence that Oral Roberts was guilty of `payola’ on his TV Healing program. Among other things, I had evidence to prove that a person had `performed’ on the Roberts healing TV program, claiming that he was healed as a `cripple, but it was all a fake and he was paid by them to `fake’ the healing. The person who faked the healing offered to testify.” ….

As the years went by, often the TV evangelists claimed they could see some of the people who were watching the TV who needed healing. They would even name the health problem. They would tell them to go over to the TV, put their hands on it as a “point of contact” to receive their healing. The gimmicks never quit!!!