Healing Prayer Practice

In the previous article, we looked at some basic healing prayer principles to prepare our hearts and minds to encounter God and receive his healing power.   

The practice of healing prayer is not a religious exercise as many would be inclined to think of when hearing the word “prayer.”  It is not an exercise of willpower, nor a spiritual discipline to add to a list of good works to make one more pleasing to God.  Salvation through faith is a Gift of grace  accomplished by the work of Jesus (see Ephesians 2:8-10).   Jesus finished his work by living on the earth as a man, dying on a cross, and returning to Father through resurrection life.   His work now is in the hearts of those people who believe in him, to change them from the inside out in becoming more and more like him (Psalm 51:6, Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 1:22-23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 1 Peter 3:4).   

This transformation process is putting the hurt and wounded pieces (discussed previously) back in order, to make us whole and complete in God’s original design.  Healing prayer is a tool to help in this transformation process.  It requires an enormous amount of self-honesty, humility, facing painful memories, and trusting God to see us through.  Healing prayer can take many forms and vary greatly from person to person.  Let’s look briefly at the following 5 basic elements.

1. Acknowledge the beliefs of our inner heart, feel the emotions they stir, and identify the specific lies believed.

2. Ask Jesus to take us to the source (of these ingrained misbeliefs (perhaps in a memory).

3. Confess belief(s) in the memory(ies), renounce their effects, and acknowledge inability to change without the help of God.

4. Ask Jesus to reveal His presence in our pain in whatever way He chooses, and receive the truth.

5. Engage Jesus' ministry of truth in the memory(ies), and respond with ongoing transformation.  

First, we start with where it hurts.  What are the specific sensations, feelings, and emotions causing pain (displeasure, discomfort, disruption) at the moment?  Avoid trying to “figure out why” at this point.  Many people start by identifying things their “inner voice” is telling them.  Examples might be “I am not important, not loved, not needed, or unfit,” “I am worthless, a mistake, a failure, or stupid,”  “I should have done something to stop the abuse from happening,”  “I am too weak, helpless, or defenseless,”  “I am bad, dirty, or shameful,”  “I am all alone and will always be alone,”  “I am incompetent, or  I can't do anything right,” “I am anxious or afraid,” or “I am not ______  enough. or I don’t have enough ____ .”   

What are the feelings driving these beliefs?  Be as specific as you can in naming the negative feelings (ie. abandoned, rejected, deserted, forgotten, left out, don’t belong, ashamed, failure, faulty, stupid, trashy, unclean, unfit, unworthy, anxious, desperate, fearful, nervous, scared, untrusting, confined, cornered, defenseless, frail, helpless, weak, damaged, flawed, ruined, betrayed, disgraced, inferior, insignificant, unappreciated, unloved, defeated, hopeless, tired, despair, disoriented, confused, or indifferent.    

The next element is to invite God into the midst of the pain.  Jesus is very qualified to identify with pain and suffering.  In fact, the Bible says there is absolutely no type of human suffering he himself has not experienced (see Hebrews 4:14-16).   Remember, Jesus is the Healer.   He knows where the source of the pain lies.  He wants to remove the bad root, not just the symtoms.   Ask him to lead you to the origin of this pain  in your life.

The next major element is acknowleging and confessing our own misperceptions, misinterpretations, misjudgments, and/ or misconduct in the event(s)  our memory(ies) lead you to.  We cannot change the past, and much of what happened  is out of our control, but we can recognize and change the way we respond to it.  For example, maybe our pain leads us to remember our perfectionist dad or mom not giving us recognition or affirmation for significant acheivements, but instead always communicating how our performance was lacking.  Yes, maybe our parents were neglectful (or even abusive) is some regard, but blaming them for our reactions will not help us now.  We must indeed admit we were hurt, and reacted negatively, and confess (speak out loud) what we thought and felt about this at the time.  The list above may help here too.  Again, focus on what it felt like in the inner most depths of your being as a child, not on what it would’a, could’a, should’a been like.   

Longings for appropriate touch, acceptance, affirmation, and belonging are normal.  When these longings are not met, it is also normal to react and believe things that are not true  (critically judge)  those people in our life who should be supplying those needs.  In the example of a perfectionist parent, our inner voice may be telling us things like “Dad doesn’t love me,” Mom is mean,” “Dad cares about my sister more than me,” “Mom doesn’t understand,” “I’ll never be able to please dad and mom,” or “They are not interested in how I feel.”   But because “normal” in this case, is sinful, we must be willing to renounce the misbeliefs and actions, and surrender these over to God in exchange for the truth.  

The next major element Is listening for what God wants to tell us.  Listening is a skill to be developed.  Our faith is often so oriented towards doing (for God), we have difficulty being in God’s presence long enough to hear (from God) what he is saying to us.  This seems so basic, but it needs attention as an element of its own because it is SO important.  This involves quieting our spirit (complete silence is preferable) and asking questions like “Jesus, what truth would you like to reveal to me?”  “What are you saying?”  “What is the truth about my parents? (in the example above)”  “Where were you Jesus when this happened?”  or “What is the truth about who I am (and whose I am)?”  

Shame is the greatest source of lies.  Blaming ourselves for things out of our control is a form of shaming ourselves.   God never condemns us.  He sometimes condemns actions (that are against his will), but God does not condemn people he created in his image.  Any voice of condemnation we hear against our identity as a child of God, is from the enemy of our soul.  Truth always affirms our identity as children of God.  

God speaks truth through his written Word, the Bible.  He also speaks truth through other means such as his creation, people, pictures, prophetic images, and imagination.  Truth always affirms God’s character as holy, righteous, all loving, and all powerful.  Regarding other people, truth is able to separate their bad behavior from who they are as a unique creation of God.  And regarding the self, truth affirms our identity as God’s child, and his unfailing love is always accessible. Simply asking and receiving his love will connect us to it.  

The last element to mention here is surrendering to the truth with our heart (not just with mental assent)  and commitment to action for soul sanctification.   Perhaps confession, repentance, and/ or forgiveness is necessary, in addition to this type of work done in previous steps.  Our hearts are made of many parts (chambers).  Some parts may have been brought into the realm of believing, while other parts have work remaining to be done.  Healing is God’s work and in his timing.  Remember, when Jesus says, the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), there is a prerequisite.  Jesus says, “if you hold to my teaching,” that is how you will know the truth (John 8:31-32).  Truth is truth.  But truth that makes a difference (sets us free) is truth that we apply.  The ongoing application of the truth of Christ’s teaching, restores us to wholeness.  Not only are spiritual and psychological conditions restored, but physical conditions such as body aches, pains and diseases can be healed as well.  

Ultimately, healing is not merely for personal benefit, but to make more intimate our relationship with God, and become a more useful servant in His Kingdom.  The practice of healing prayer can become a habit that produces a lifestyle of godly character.  Journaling is a great way to record progress, and provide a way to look back and observe measureable improvements.  Writing can also have great therapeutic value.  

Some parts of our heart can be more resistant than others to healing prayer intervention.  Severe trauma or abuse may complicate the process.  Evil spirits can create another layer of bondage.  Family history can also be a factor.  It may be wise to attain the help of an experienced healing prayer warrior or counselor to guide steps in the journey.  When practicing the steps above, a feeling of unusual fear, anxiety, or overwhelm should be cause for halting the practice and seeking help right away.  

Leaders should be leading in regularly practicing the transforming power of healing prayer.  I recommend all leaders practice healing prayer with a competent practitioner on a regular basis to guard against blind spots and areas of unawareness the enemy of our soul tries to exploit.  People helpers can only help people overcome to the degree they themselves have experienced the overcoming healing prayer.  Charasmatic gifting and people skills are not a healthy subsitute for the deep heart work of inner healing prayer.  

In my own life, I am so thankful to the Sandfords and others from whom I have learned much over the past two decades.  I have found the practice of healing prayer invaluable in removing shame, false guilt, powerlessness, anxiety, depression, and so many more unwanted thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  I haven’t arrived at complete wholeness, but my hope is secure in trusting God for transformation in his timing, without needing to understand all the details.  When I practice healing prayer, my heart is at rest in Refuge (see Matthew 11:28-29).  Please contact me if you wish for more help in making healing prayer a more significant part of life.  

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry

Inherent Goodness!

Are people born good?  Or bad? Or some of each?  Are some people born with more good or bad than others?  Truthful answers to these questions are extremely important for healthy living.

I’ve read many books by Brene Brown and one recently brought up the subject of inherent goodness which I wish to address here.  Brene Brown describes herself as a researcher and story teller, and has become a popular TED Talks speaker on topics of shame and vulnerability.  I have benefited from her discoveries and have been recommending her books and material to clients I see in my counseling and speaking.  Shame is a huge problem in stealing our self-worth and robbing our ability to experience love and belonging in relationships.  Dr. Brown does a great job in helping people identify sources of shame and encouraging vulnerability to expose secrets so that shame no longer has a place to hide (and destroy our relationships).

However, in her recent audio book called Rising Strong as Spiritual Practice, Brene Brown expresses  views on spirituality that conflict with the Truth of the Bible.   

In order to talk about inherent goodness we must be clear on some basic assumptions.  The term “good” used in describing self-worth and value as a human being, must be distinguished from “good” in a sense of a person’s moral character (as compared to bad/ evil character).   Another element of defining “good” is how we see God in relation to mankind, and whether we are comparing man to God or man to man.  Man’s inherent goodness lies with man’s inherent value as a creation of God.  Everything God creates is good.  Mankind was created good (see the story in Genesis).  But after the creation, the “inherent” part of goodness changed dramatically because of some very bad choices on man’s part.  

In the book Brene says people possess 3 inherent (inborn) qualities: lovability, creativity, and divinity.  She makes a good point that our beliefs about who we are as people, directly affect our relationships with other people. Beliefs rooted in shame will damage our relationships.   If we believe we are unlovable, we will treat either ourselves or others without proper love and respect.  If we believe we are not creative, we hold that belief as a result of either others not affirming and valuing our work, or our self-perceived standards of perfection (perfectionism) are way too high.  But divinity does not fit in the same category as lovability and creativity.  Divinity is not part of human nature.  In fact a belief that people are inherent “holy,” (as Brene states)  is about as far from the truth and as unholy as it gets.   People are human beings.  God is a divine being.  God’s divinity sets him apart as “holy.”  From the beginning, God created man with lovability and creativity, but divinity is reserved for God himself.  In fact, the origin of shame is rooted in man trying to make himself divine, and man rebelling against God’s supreme authority.  Evil entered the world through this shameful rebellion.  But worse yet, the problem of shame became a legacy  inherent evil passed down to every generation of human beings (see the story in Genesis 3).  

God created a world in which only He is the Judge of good and evil (tree of “life” as it is called in Genesis).   At mankind’s creation, God forbade man from partaking in judgment between good and evil.  Part of what made God holy (set apart from man) is this ability to judge between good and evil.  As the “all good” Creator, God can judge between good and evil without being touched by evil.  But man does not have this ability.  When man demanded to have this ability (eating from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil” as it is called in Genesis), man committed the first sin.  Our attempt to be Judge (instead of allowing God to be Judge), made us forever contemptable to God’s holy and righteous supreme authority. Jesus Christ offers our only hope of escape from this mess WE created of HIS good creation.  

  It is evil to demand to take God’s rightful place as supreme Judge, whether in thoughts, attitudes, words, or deeds.  Mankind brought shame into the world with the original selfish act of defying God’s command (not to take part in demanding to be the Judge).   When Adam and Eve claimed to have the right to decide for themselves good from evil, this challenge of God’s supreme authority (holiness), created the original sin.  This rebellion against the goodness of God’s nature, created the inherent evil born into the nature of all persons born into the human race.  Every human since that time is born into the slavery of shame.  Our only hope of redemption from this evil is to believe in what Jesus Christ has done to save us from our wretched condition (see John 3; Romans 3;  Isaiah 53:1-6; 61:1-3).  

Mankind was created inherently good, but the corruption of sin now extends to every person making us inherently evil.  Because we are created in the “image of God,” and since God is all good, we still bear resemblences of good.  But sin killed our spirit. A dead spirit can’t be good.  That’s why we need Jesus who makes our spirit alive.  If  we know Jesus, the Jesus in us makes us good, but  without Jesus, our best efforts will never be enough to make us a “good” person (by God’s definition).  Even if we seem good enough by man’s definition, in reality, we’re no better or worse off than any other person (as far as our right standing with God).  Again, only Jesus makes that difference.  So, we ARE good enough to be a human, but being the best human we can be, doesn’t make us divine.  All humans are born equal in this regard.  

If we believe we are holy, we not only devalue the holiness of God, but we deny our need for the salvation of Jesus Christ.  A belief that man is inherently good, is in direct conflict with a Christian world-view.  Because of man’s sin and shame, Father God sent Jesus,  his one and only son,  to die, resurrect, and ascend back to the Father to save all who believe (from their sin and shame).  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).   The Bible clearly teaches, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved”  (Acts 4:12).  Jesus is our exclusive redeemer from the sin and shame problem introduced by the first humans on earth.  

That may not be a politically correct assertion, but it is the Truth.  A person who lives their life by this Truth finds the best (and only eternally lasting) freedom from shame that exists.  What one believes DOES matter.  Truth matters.  If what one believes does not line up with the truth, there are eternal consequences. The danger with believing in the inherent goodness of people is that it prevents people from believing the truth that they need a Savior for shame-free living.  Relying only on  people is not the complete answer.  Vulnerability with people may be a significant step, but vulnerability with God (and relying on what Jesus has already accomplished) is the ultimate solution.  

What I have discovered in my own life is that being honest with God is often a first step to being completely honest with other people.  God is way more trustworthy than any human being.  Coming to Father God with my fears, unloving thoughts, lonely feelings, and whatever else shame trys to trap me in, is heard and already acted on in my favor by what Jesus has done.  May I encourage the reader to read the gospel of John to deepen your understanding of the relationship Jesus had with Father God, and how Jesus brings us into that same relationship as sons and daughters of God.  Whether a person is a new follower of Jesus or a seasoned Christian, there is always more of the burden of shame Jesus can carry for us  (see Matthew 11:28,29).

Brene Brown’s insights on shame may empower us to be more honest (vulnerable) about our shame condition.  However, her views about how spirituality enters into the mix (at least the views expressed in the above mentioned book) need to be sorted out as misguiding.  I am not writing to shame Brene Brown as a person.  However, I believe she is guilty of misrepresenting true spirituality (from the world-view of a Jesus-follower).  My aim is to alert people (especially Jesus-followers) to the extreme dangers of falsely believing that people are born good (without a need for Jesus to clean out the inherent bad/ evil).   I encourage the reader to read some of my other articles that share more detail on allowing God to transform your life from the inside out. 

by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry