Healing Prayer can be both a simple and nuanced practice. In our personal daily prayer time we can simply remember to offer a word or two by name of those for whom we care. Like wise we can of course prayer for our selves. “Help” is the simplest.
In addition it is good to visualize ourselves or the other as well doing something we enjoy when healthy. This is also helpful when praying of another in person.
When we have an opportunity to pray in person it is good to touch them. We call it “laying on hands”. One should be sure to ask permission, especially in situations when you don’t know the person well. The most common practice is to lay hands on the persons head. However, if possible it is good to lay on hands at the affected body part. Usually, if there are other people joining in the prayer, if possible have a person of the same sex do that part. That is to say men with men and women with women.
If the prayer takes place in a hospital pray for the skill of the medical providers and any treatment. For example that any medication or treatment would work well and negative side effects be avoided.
When you have opportunities for a longer time you can do what is called “soaking prayer.” This was developed and promoted by Francis McNutt of Christian Healing Ministry. The idea is partly from the Gospel account of Jesus praying for a blind man twice. Also it is analogous of edicine that is taken over time. Thus, if you can, lay on hands for a longer period of time on multiple occasions. The length of time may vary upon your willingness and also the willingness of the patient. It could last for several minutes or an hour or even more.
Active listening is of utmost importance. Listen carefully for any clues from the patient. There may be related issues of stress in their lives you could pray for also. Also, as you pray listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance. You might get a word of knowledge regarding the condition or the circumstances cirrounding’s situation.
In long term or chronic illness you could be helpful in organizing a prayer chain of friends, and family. My late wife helped with this. She read a book called The Last Letter to the Peeble People. It described how she and her husband got the friends to help. They were not Christians. They asked their friends to send them a pebble from a favorite location. They placed them around a fountain in their back patio. Lily thought it was a good idea that could be enhanced by Prayer.
We asked people to send a heart of their choosing and to pray. We ended up with very many wonderful hearts. The most touching was a little plastic heart. It was originally part of a Valentine card the husband had sent to his wife from Europe during g WWII. Then after a period of some improvements she took a turn for the worse. We contacted our “love links” and asked for another heart and to tell us what time of day they would pray. I put a clock on a piece of poster board and placed the hearts around according to the times. As you have noted she did eventually die. However she outlived the initial prognosis of three years. She made it for 29.
There are more ways to pray for healing. However, these are a good beginning.
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