Here is a brief, simple description how to pray for inner healing. The goal here is intimacy with Jesus, which is the pathway to freedom. Also, the goal is to actually experience Jesus’ perspective of and presence in a particular situation. The presence of Jesus heals. The gifting of the Holy Spirit in both the believing person receiving prayer and the believing person praying will collaborate together with Jesus for His will to happen for the person receiving prayer.

In prayer invite Jesus to take authority over the ministry session. “I invite you, Holy Spirit, to take charge of this session. I commit it to your leading, authority, and power.  I ask you for gifting, not just in me, but also for ____ (the person receiving ministry) to hear your voice, to experience increasing intimacy, and to receive words of knowledge, visions, and wisdom.”

The desire is to bring all under His Lordship so the kingdom of God will manifest in healing and freedom. I ask that Jesus create a safe sanctuary where the person receiving prayer can feel safe and a sense of Jesus’ presence for healing and restoration, bringing shalom.

I establish my authority over any demonic that may be present with the “rules of engagement” (see rules of engagement prayer as a guide).

With the person’s eyes closed, I ask Jesus to bring something to his/her mind that He would like to heal. This will often be a past memory at a younger age where the person was wounded or sinned against. It can also be that the person wounded another person or sinned against someone. If multiple memories arise, have the person focus on the first one. I ask what he/she sees, feels and hears. It is best to take the time to allow the feelings to rise. These can be painful or “bad”. It is important to get in touch with these emotions for the person to be healed. Often, the feelings have been suppressed and buried because of pain or fear, resulting in not wanting to deal with painful memories. Jesus will guide this and bring the emotions to the surface for healing.

At this point, there can often be interference or confusion from the demonic spirits. If this happens, in authoritative prayer forbid the spirits to interfere, binding them aside in chains and sequestered in a jail. Remember to get verbal feedback from the person receiving prayer as to what he/she sees, feels and is experiencing in the memory.

Depending upon the reaction of the wounding or sin involved, I often ask Jesus to reveal what was going on in the spiritual realm to show the demon’s role in the person’s problem. Ask Jesus to come to that person in the memory, demonstrating that He indeed was there protecting the person. Jesus reveals himself bringing intimacy and restoration. Often the person will actually see Him or feel His presence. I test to see if this is really Jesus Christ. Jesus may need to develop trust with the person. Also, He reveals to the person at a deep level what he/she needs to do. The person may often experience Jesus holding and comforting him/her. Jesus will bring a revelation of His perspective on the situation. He will help the person forgive another person or people who have caused wounding. Jesus may convict the person of his/her own sin. The person often needs to confess sinning against or hurting others or holding onto anger and bitterness because of being wounded.

Through his own blood, Jesus forgives the person and takes the sin. It is important that the person also be willing to verbally forgive him/herself. In addition to the sin, people are often wounded. Once again I ask Jesus to take the pain and suffering from all these wounds into His own wounds and to replace it with His healing, loving presence, and divine truth. At this point, the person often experiences a greater intimacy with Jesus with an overwhelming sense of grace and mercy.  Jesus affirms how He sees the person as healed and transformed, as His precious child. He will show the person that the memory no longer has power over him/her. He often will show the person how to react in a new way concerning the wounding memory. This is empowering for the person and is useful when he/she may be wounded in a similar way in the future. He/she will know how to react and deal with the situation in a healthy way. Often, Jesus has the person bless those he/she has forgiven or sinned against.

What is imperative here is to be led by the Holy Spirit in all of this. This is not something I guide and suggest. This has to be based in reality and truth. There may be many different multiple memories/situations Jesus will bring up and take the person through for healing. Jesus may address situations at different ages, often starting at the earliest age first. My motto is to follow the fruit to the root to minister at the deepest level possible. For example, there can be a surface level fruit of anger but a deeper, underlying issue like unforgiveness, bitterness or a wounding that precipitated the rise of anger. It is necessary to deal with the initial wounding and reaction and not just the surface level problem. One helpful question is to ask, “What else was going on when the problem, i.e. anger, started?”

This is a simple description of this inner healing or deep level healing process. For more detailed information, see our “Simple Guide to Inner Healing and Deliverance.” I also highly recommend a book from my spiritual father, Dr. Charles Kraft, called Deep Wounds, Deep Healing.