God desires to free people from their hurts, bondage and sickness. He designed mankind to be perfect and in relationship with Him, and He is redeeming us for this purpose still.

Healing prayer is intentional communication with God. We ask Him in humbleness to reveal truth. We listen in faith for His guidance. Then we trust the Spirit to give understanding. We are able to accept what God reveals because He is the highest authority.

In her book The Healing Power of Prayer, Bridget Meehan writes:

“Healing prayer is an attainable life-changing force. As we realize the healing love of God in our lives, we can begin to view life from the perspective of Jesus Christ. We can experience a new freedom that destroys the bonds that shackle us, learn to forgive and ask forgiveness with greater courage, become more aware of our own brokenness and limitations, and develop greater sensitivity to the needs of others."

God transforms people by renewing their mind. It gives them a new identity from the inside out. He is willing and able to do this, and longs for us to ask Him. That is the essence of prayer ministry.

“…with pain you will give birth to children … through painful toil you will eat of [the ground] all the days of your life.” – Genesis 3:16-17

There is no denying the existence of pain, the evidence for it is overwhelming. Some try to ignore it and others attempt to rise above it. But pain is pain, and you can’t will it away.

Pain without purpose offends people, and they will do just about anything to avoid it. “Fix it, numb it, or cut it off – just make it go away.” But when someone believes there is a purpose for their pain, they are able to bear an incredible amount of it.

We can know the purpose of pain by better understanding it.

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives. – James 4:2,3

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They recognized the power and authority with which He prayed and wished to pray like that. What He taught them was not an incantation, not a formula, and not a procedure. He taught them how to have a prayer strategy. It was a three year lesson that culminated with the promise “My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.”

A prayer strategy includes our motive, our attitude and our specific request. When we ask “in His name” our prayers are powerful. They lead to transformation in us and in others. They please God and they move heaven.

The disciples were amazed at Jesus’ prayer life. They wanted to learn how to pray like Him. So He taught them (Matthew 6 and 7) and He showed them (John 17). His prayer was powerful and effective. It changed things.

“Ask and it will be given to you … For everyone who asks receives.” This is a pretty simple instruction from Jesus (Matthew 7:7-8). Jesus asked. He asked God, the Father. Knowing that God is sovereign and omniscient, He asked.

Have you wondered: “If God already knows what we need and He’s going to do what He’s going to do anyway, why bother praying?”