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.

God Heals Rejection

A woman had been struggling with depression for years. She believed in the power of prayer and was in the habit of asking God for relief. She had received prayer from several church groups, had hundreds of hours of counseling, and was under the care of a physician. At times the symptoms would lessen, yet the depression hung on. She came for prayer.

I was leading the prayer team that evening, and began by inviting God to be present in our time together and to lead our conversation to reveal His truth. Then I asked her how we could pray for her.

“Well, I came in for prayer for my depression” she began. “But just now while you were praying I realized that it’s from a fear of rejection. I had never thought of it that way before, but I feel depressed because I’m afraid that I will be rejected.”

“God is already answering our prayer, isn’t He?” I asked. “He’s revealing truth to your mind about the root of the depression. Let’s ask Him to reveal the source of this fear of rejection.” So I prayed: “Lord, You’ve revealed the root of the depression and now we ask You to reveal to her the source of this fear of rejection.”

Her eyes were closed and head slightly bowed, but I could see that her mind was processing information. After a short while I quietly asked: “What has God shown you?”

“Nothing,” she answered. “It’s nothing. I mean, I haven’t thought of that in years. No, it’s nothing important.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I just remembered a time when I was little. Maybe four or five. Me and my cousin were playing around and we got hurt. I don’t remember if we bumped into each other, or fell over. But we were both crying. My mom picked up my cousin and was holding her in her lap, comforting her. She wasn’t holding me or comforting me!”

It was obvious that this woman was remembering an emotion, not just an event. She wasn’t crying, but her voice quavered and her face showed the feelings she’d had.

“My cousin had skinned her knee, but I had bumped my head. I needed to be comforted, too. My mom was comforting her instead of me. Why wouldn’t my mom comfort me?” she continued. “That was so long ago, and it really is no big deal, I don’t know why I’m feeling this way.”

“Let’s ask God to show you.” Then I prayed: “Lord, You’ve brought this event to her mind and now we ask that you show her what You want her to know.”

In just a moment her eyes popped wide open and she had such a surprised look on her face I nearly burst into laughter.

“I was sitting on my aunt’s lap!” she exclaimed.

In the next few minutes we talked about this startling new truth. Instead of feeling rejected by her mom, she felt loved and comforted by both her mom and aunt. Two little girls and two young moms respond to normal childhood bumps and bruises with deep love and care, but it had been misinterpreted as rejection. I asked her how she was feeling now.

“This is incredible!” she said. “I’ve struggled with feelings of rejection for over forty years. I know it has led to the depression. But I never was rejected to begin with! I feel like a new person, from the inside out!”

She looked like a new person, too. She came in timid, soft spoken and hesitant. Now she was animated with joy. She had that ‘I’ve got to hug someone’ look and gave an emphatic squeeze to each of the three prayer team members. I had the impression that she would have gone a second round if not for great personal restraint.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this. How did you do it?” she wanted to know.

Can It Be This Simple?

It is an act of love to pray for another. We call it intercession because we intercede on that person’s behalf at the foot of the throne, bringing their situation in prayer before the Lord. We do not come from a position of strength, but rather in humbleness of spirit we submit ourselves to the will of the Father.

“How did you do it?” the healed woman asked.

There is no question that true healing can only come from God. When someone asks this question they are not really wondering how you healed them. Deep down they know that it comes from God, that you could not have known the root of the problem, nor the root cause. But there you are, praying with them right when the miraculous happens. They wonder if you had anything to do with it, and assume that you must have since nothing like this has happened to them before.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him. – 1 John 5:14-15

In prayer ministry the intercessor is the physical representation of the presence of God. It is an important role that fulfills God’s original purpose: “Let Us create man in Our own image.” It is not the only way we reflect His image, but it is one way.

The role of the intercessor is to act as a participant with God, knowing and agreeing with His will, and acting as a witness to His character and power. It brings glory to God. It brings pleasure to God, and in so doing is reflected in you.

”Can it really be this simple?”

This question often comes up when we share about prayer ministry, and the answer is an emphatic “yes.”

God is the one that provides the power to heal. God is the one that guides the conversation. God is the one that directs the person to the peculiar source or root of the problem, and God is the one that reveals life-giving truth.

We just ask, and listen. It really is this simple.

Come pray with us. We love to participate as witnesses to the supernatural power of God when He makes a change in someone like you.