TRAINING in CHRISTIAN HEALING

LEVEL ONE
First edition 2013

INTRODUCTION
TO CHRISTIAN HEALING
By Henri Lemay

Training given based on 40 years of experience in Christian

healing in the Charismatic Renewal.

Offered by the CONSEIL CANADIEN

DU RENOUVEAU CHARISMATIQUE
Cost: $12

April 2013
Dear followers of Jesus,
This is a translation of the second edition of Level One of the school of Christian healing. My heartfelt
thanks go to Robert (Bob) DuBroy of Ottawa for his translation of my texts from French.
In November 2001, a symposium on healing prayer was held in Rome. It was jointly organized by the
Pontifical Council for the Laity and ICCRS, the international committee set up by the Vatican to promote
the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. After this symposium, forty international Renewal leaders gathered to
ensure the follow-up to this historic meeting. The leaders decided to take stock of all that the Lord had
taught since 1967, the beginnings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, in the areas of healing and
deliverance, including what the Lord had revealed to Christians of other denominations. A work plan was
proposed and accepted. The President of ICCRS asked me if I would undertake this project.
By September 2002, I started to work full time in this research. I read many books and articles on Christian
healing. I took the four-week seminar on practical healing and deliverance given by Francis and Judith
MacNutt in Jacksonville, Florida. I obtained the training documents offered by John and Paula Sandford,
founders of Elijah House and from many others. Thirty international leaders of RCC accepted to offer their
comments on the texts that I sent them. In 2006, I sent my final text to the Doctrinal Commission of ICCRS,
which published their work in 2007 under the title Guidelines on Prayers for Healing by the Doctrinal
Commission of ICCRS.
On my own, I continued my research into different healing prayer approaches that the Lord had blessed
over forty years. From September 2004 till 2012, one Saturday every month, I offered training sessions to
members and friends of the Holy Family Fraternity, a new community established on a farm in Gatineau,
Quebec. Every Wednesday, a score of them meet in the evening to pray for the healing of people who
request it.
I drew the teachings and the healing prayer forms that you receive in this document from this experience.
This is a work in progress. The teachings and the prayer forms are not completed. They will be when I have
concluded my research on healing. Throughout this manual, I have generally used the masculine only
instead of the masculine-feminine to simplify my work.
The effectiveness of healing prayer depends on the submission of the prayer team to the inspirations of the
Spirit of Jesus. You should never interpret the models of prayer that I propose as anything more than
suggestions and possible paths. At all times, healing prayer must, first and foremost, be in response to the
prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Your brother in Jesus,
Henri Lemay
henri.lemay@sympatico.ca
1433 Leblanc Drive, Ottawa, ON CANADA K1C 3W7
Tel: 6138373702

GENERAL TEACHINGS ON CHRISTIAN HEALING

1. FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN HEALING
By Henri Lemay, paper version August 23, 2013

human spirit, the Lord added several other inner healings.

For humans, contact with the Father is a healing experience
because it is the nature of God to heal.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF CHRISTIAN

HEALING
To understand Christian healing, it is imperative to
understand who is the Father of Jesus.

I. THE FATHER OF JESUS

God is the fundamental principle of the healing of man.

I, the LORD, am your healer1. Ex 15:26 It is the nature
of God to heal people. The obstacles to healing are of
man, not of God.
About 35 years ago, Andr, a drug dealer and addict in the
high school where I worked, visited me at my office. I was
his guidance counsellor. Orphaned since birth, he was
expelled from one orphanage and foster home after another.
He was now living alone, violent, full of hatred for all,
strong as an ox, constantly under the influence of drugs,
failing most of his courses, on the verge of being expelled
from school and suicidal. He saw a poster of Jesus on my
wall and said, Thats a good portrait of Jesus. I took that
as a sign that he wanted me to talk about the Lord, and I
was right. He said he noticed that other students had
changed for the better after meeting God. He told me he was
disappointed that he could not have the same experience. I
replied, Yes, you can. You can meet God right now here in
my office. Do you want to? Surprised, he hesitated a little.
After a few minutes of hesitation, he replied, Yes, I really
want it. I told him to look at the portrait of Jesus that he
loved so much and I was going to say a prayer for him. I put
my hand on his shoulder and I said, Father in heaven,
behold your son, Andr. Bless him because he is yours.
Amen. At that moment, the Holy Spirit visited Andr with
an amazing power of grace and peace. When he left my
office about an hour later, he was floating on a cloud. The
Holy Spirit had just opened his eyes and, wherever he
looked, he saw only beauty: people, green trees, blue sky,
the red brick houses, even the paved roads. His whole life
changed for the better: he ceased taking and selling drugs
and fighting...He began studying and graduated. He became
a disciple of Jesus and received a powerful charism of
prophecy. He evangelized the homeless in the streets and
parks. From that day, he signed his name: Andr, the son
of the Father. He knew that the Father of Jesus was really
his Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God. (Rom 8:16) Today he is
married with two children.
When the Father of Jesus made contact with Andr in my
office, He immediately healed Andrs spirit from his
alienation from God, by revealing Himself to Andr as his
Father. For the first time in his life, Andr knew who he
was: a child of God. To this spiritual healing, that is to his

1. The Trinity
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central
mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of
God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other
mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the
most fundamental and essential teaching in the
"hierarchy of the truths of faith". The whole history of
salvation is identical with the history of the way and the
means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, reveals himself to men "and reconciles and unites
with himself those who turn away from sin". Catechism #
234

Each year, Catholics spend the 40 days of Lent to preparing

their heart through fasting, prayer and almsgiving in
anticipation of the Easter Vigil, where together they will
renew their baptismal promises. This baptism is for each of
them a personal covenant with the Holy Trinity. This is the
summit of the liturgical year. The faith of all Christians
rests on the Trinity. Catechism # 232
Christians are baptized in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit: not in their names, for there is
only one God, the almighty Father, his only Son and the
Holy Spirit: the Most Holy Trinity.
Catechism # 233
The Catholic Church is specific and categorical about this
belief and says to everyone, The mystery of the Most Holy
Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is
the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of
all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens
them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in
the "hierarchy of the truths of faith". The whole history of
salvation is identical with the history of the way and the
means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, reveals himself to men "and reconciles and unites
with himself those who turn away from sin". Catechism #
234
It is precisely because the human being turns to God that
God gives him the power to turn away from sin. He does
this by transmitting to us His divine nature.

Exodus 15:26 The LORD who heals you In Hebrew YHWH Rapha, literally I
AM your doctor. The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, edited by Dr. J. H. Hertz, C.H.,
Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, 1958, P. 274

himself from God. In doing so, his nature became corrupt

and he became subject to death. To cure man of his
corruptibility and his mortality, God has Himself come to
save us by giving us His own divine life. The state of
humanity had become deplorable. We need God. Saint
Gregory of Nyssa explains, Sick, our nature needed to be
healed; disgraced, to be dignified; dead, to be resurrected.
We had lost possession of the good; we needed it to be
restored to us. Trapped in darkness, light had to be brought
to us; captives, we awaited a Saviour; prisoners, a liberator;
slaves, an emancipator. Were the reasons for this
predicament irrelevant? Did they not deserve to stir God
enough to bring Him down to our human nature to visit it,
since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state?3

2. Father of Jesus
The Christian is adopted into the family of God when he
acknowledges that the Father of Jesus is also his Father
and when he is united to Jesus and the Holy Spirit
through faith and Baptism. Human nature, corrupted
by original sin, personal sins and the transgressions of
others, begins to heal and grow in the likeness of God
through the love of the Father.
Many religions invoke God as "Father". The deity is often
considered the "father of gods and of men". In Israel, God is
called "Father" inasmuch as he is Creator of the world.
Even more, God is Father because of the covenant and the
gift of the law to Israel, "his first-born son". God is also
called the Father of the king of Israel. Most especially he is
"the Father of the poor", of the orphaned and the widowed,
who are under his loving protection. Catechism # 238

4. The Omnipotence of the Father

His omnipotence enables the Father to heal any wound.
It is His goodness and His love for us that compels the
Father to heal us.
Every Sunday, Catholics profess their faith in the Trinity. I
believe in the Father Almighty...I believe in the Son...I
believe in the Holy Spirit ... For the Father, the only
attribute mentioned in the Creed is His omnipotence. At
some Masses, we mention the omnipotence of the Father
seven times.

By calling God "Father", the language of faith indicates

two main things: that God is the first origin of everything
and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time
goodness and loving care for all his children. God's parental
tenderness can also be expressed by the image of
motherhood, which emphasizes God's immanence, the
intimacy between Creator and creature. The language of
faith thus draws on the human experience of parents, who
are in a way the first representatives of God for man. But
this experience also tells us that human parents are fallible
and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and motherhood.
We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human
distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor
woman: he is God. He also transcends human fatherhood
and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard: no
one is father as God is Father.

Of all the divine attributes, only God's omnipotence is

named in the Creed: to confess this power has great bearing
on our lives. We believe that his might is universal, for God
who created everything also rules everything and can do
everything. God's power is loving, for he is our Father, and
mysterious, for only faith can discern it when it "is made
perfect in weakness". Catechism # 268

Catechism # 239

He does whatever he pleases. Psalm 115:3 RSV The Holy

Scriptures repeatedly confess the universal power of God.
He is called the "Mighty One of Jacob", Gen. 49:24, Is 1:24 the
"LORD of hosts", the "strong and mighty" one. Psalm 24:810
If God is almighty "in heaven and on earth" Ps 135:6), it is
because he made them. Nothing is impossible with God (Jer
32:17, Luke 1:37, who disposes his works according to his will.
cf. Jer 27:5 He is the Lord of the universe, whose order he
established and which remains wholly subject to him and at
his disposal. He is master of history, governing hearts and
events in keeping with his will cf. Is 4:17b, Pr 21:1, Tb 13:2: "It is
always in your power to show great strength, and who can
withstand the strength of your arm? Wis 11:21

Jesus revealed that God is Father in an unheard-of sense:

He is Father not only in being Creator; he is eternally Father
in relation to his only Son, who is eternally Son only in
relation to his Father: "No one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and
anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.". Mt 11:27
Catechism # 240

3. The Blessing of the Father

The Fathers plan from all eternity is to bless us in every
way possible because we are his children.
Saint Paul tells us the plan of salvation. See Eph 1:314.
Surely, healing in all its forms2 is part of this blessing. What
may be missing from every spiritual blessing in the
heavens to those who have heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were
sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first
instalment of our inheritance toward redemption as Gods
possession, to the praise of his glory?
God created man to make him share in His eternal life.
However, humankind through Adam chose to distance

Catechism # 269

God is the Father Almighty, whose fatherhood and power

shed light on one another Wis 11:23: God reveals his fatherly
omnipotence by the way he takes care of our needs cf. Mt
6:32; by the filial adoption that he gives us ("I will be a
father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says
the Lord Almighty"): finally by his infinite mercy, for he
displays his power at its height by freely forgiving sins.
Catechism # 270

These prayer forms will examine the following four kinds of healing: physical, inner
(emotional, moral, generational, sexual, etc.), spiritual, and deliverance.

St. Gregory of Nyssa, or. catech. 15: PG 45, 48B. Cited in the Catechism # 457.

God's almighty power is in no way arbitrary: "In God,

power, essence, will, intellect, wisdom, and justice are all
identical. Nothing therefore can be in God's power which
could not be in his just will or his wise intellect.". Catechism

Isaiah: No, the arm of YHVH is not too short to save, nor
his ear too dull to hear... He saw there was no one and
wondered there was no one to intervene. So he made his
own arm his mainstay, his own saving justice his support.
He put on saving justice like a breastplate, on his head the
helmet of salvation. He put on the clothes of vengeance like
a tunic and wrapped himself in jealousy like a cloakThen
for Zion will come a redeemer, for those who stop rebelling
in Jacob, declares YHVH. Is 59:1,1617,20 NJB Oh, that you
would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains
quaking before you, As when brushwood is set ablaze, or
fire makes the water boil! Thus your name would be made
known to your enemies and the nations would tremble
before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not
hope for. Is 64:13 NAB

# 271

5. My Name is YHWH4
The name YHWH, which translates as LORD in
English, refers to God who loves man, who has great
compassion and mercy for man. This is why He is
willing to heal man.
The rabbis give us an interesting explanation for the name
of God, YHVH. In Genesis 1, God is called Elohim. The
rabbis explain that the name Elohim expresses the nature of
God as Creator, the Supreme Lawmaker: He who is always
obeyed. In Genesis 2, Sacred Scripture introduces the name
YHWH, because God is about to create man. The Name
YHVH identifies God who limits His omnipotence as
Elohim to make room for human free will. God chose to
establish a loving relationship with man and love requires
freedom of choice. The rabbis say that God has great
compassion for man because of the littleness of man. He is
full of mercy towards him. He made man in His image with
an intelligence drawn to the truth and a will drawn to do
good. Above all, the human spirit resembles Gods Spirit.
Man is about to sin, to alienate himself from God; he will
need a compassionate God to save him.

II. JESUS
To understand Christian healing, we must clearly know the
identity of Jesus as Saviour and Lord, why Jesus came to
earth, what He did, and what He does today.

1. Who is Jesus?
Jesus is Lord! This
Christianity, without
Christian. This is the
healing: it is the nature
made man.

The story of the Flood carries the same message. Elohim

commands the animals into the ark and they obey. Gen 6:13
7:16 YHVH tells Noah and his family to enter the ark and
they obey voluntarily. YHVH then closes the door behind
them. Gen 7:1 and Gen 7:16

is the fundamental belief of

which one is simply not a
fundamental concept of divine
of God to heal and Jesus is God

Just a Great Moral Teacher?

There are some who say that Jesus was simply a great
teacher of moral living. This is one of the most popular
myths about Christianity that prevents many people from
coming into contact with the true person and message of
Jesus. Like all myths, there is a grain of truth. Never before
has anyone spoken like this one. (Jn 7:46) Jesus spoke in
parables and speeches. He was a master of elocution, a
terrific debater, a master storyteller. His message was
always of the highest moral, spiritual and motivational
order. Adding to His credibility, He practised what He
preached. He said not to worry about material things and He
had nowhere to lay His head. He told the people to forgive
their enemies. On the Cross, He forgave His executioners.
Without a doubt, Jesus was the best communicator and the
most outstanding teacher of all time.

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses the first

time, it was Elohim who spoke to him. Ex 20:1 Very soon
after, the people sinned by worshiping the golden calf.
Moses destroyed the two tablets of the Law. The people
could not make a covenant with the Supreme Lawgiver on
the basis of justice. Later, when God renewed the Covenant
through Moses, it was YHVH who wrote the Decalogue, the
Ten Commandments, on two stone tablets. Ex 34:1 The
people, if they wish to survive, must covenant with the God
of mercy. It was at that time that Moses saw the back of
YHVH and heard His name: Then YHVH passed before him
and called out, ' YHVH, YHVH, God of tenderness and
compassion, slow to anger, rich in faithful love and
constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands,
forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet letting nothing go
unchecked, and punishing the parent's fault in the children
and in the grandchildren to the third and fourth
generation!' Ex 34:67 NJB

Nevertheless, it is unacceptable to say that Jesus was just a

great moral communicator. He does not give us that option.
What He said and how He behaved prevent us from so
woefully understating His role in the story of humanity and
indeed every human life.
He said He had the power to forgive sins and He did. See
Mt 9:2, Lk 7:4748.

6. The Father Sends the Son

People adored Him and He did not prevent them from

doing so. Those who were in the boat did him homage,
saying, Truly, you are the Son of God! (Mt 14:33)

Why did the Father send His Son to earth? The Holy Spirit,
who spoke by the prophets, gives us the answer through
4

The Catholic Church asks that we no longer write out the Tetragram but replace it in
Bibles with the Lord.

 He prophesied that, three days after His sudden death, He

would return to life. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and
hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged
and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day. (Mt
20:18,19)

They say, Adonai, translated as LORD in English and

SEIGNEUR in French.
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the
ineffable Hebrew name YHWH (cf. Ex 3:14), by which
God revealed himself to Moses, is rendered as Kyrios,
"Lord". From then on, "Lord" becomes the more usual
name by which to indicate the divinity of Israel's God.
The New Testament uses this full sense of the title
"Lord" both for the Father and - what is new - for Jesus,
who is thereby recognized as God Himself. Catechism #
446
By attributing to Jesus the divine title "Lord", the first
confessions of the Church's faith affirm from the beginning
(cf. Acts 2: 3436), that the power, honor and glory due to
God the Father are due also to Jesus, (cf. Rom 9:5; Tt 2:13;
Ap 5:13) because "he was in the form of God" (Ph 2:6), and
the Father manifested the sovereignty of Jesus by raising
him from the dead and exalting him into his glory (cf. Rm
10: 9, 1 Cor 12:3, Ph 2:11). Catechism # 449

Jesus said that one day all the dead of all times will rise at
the command of His voice. the hour is coming in which all
who are in the tombs will hear his (of the Son of Man
Jesus) voice and will come out, those who have done good
deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done
wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.... (Jn
5:2829)
Jesus said that all men will one day have to account for
their life before Him. When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his
glorious throne Then the king will say to those on his
right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from
me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil
and his angels. (Mt 25:31,34,41)

From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of

Christ's lordship over the world and over history (cf. Rev
11, 15) has implicitly recognized that man should not
submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any
earthly power, but only to God the Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ: Caesar is not "the Lord" (cf. Mk 12, 17, Acts
5, 29). "The Church...believes that the key, the center and
the purpose of the whole of man's history is to be found in
its Lord and Master." Catechism # 450

Jesus said that He is God. Before Abraham came to be, I

AM. (Jn 8:58)
A mere mortal5 who says such things would not be a great
moral teacher. He would be a mental patient-just as one
who claims to be a giraffe. Or we could consider him to be a
demon from hell. As C.S. Lewis said, we must choose from
only these three possibilities. This man is a fool, or he is an
evil liar, or he was and is the Son of God. You can silence
him by calling him crazy; you can spit on him and kill him
as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and say, My Lord
and my God. (Jn 20:28) However, no one can logically
proclaim that Jesus was only a great teacher. That option is
not available.

2. Why Did Jesus Come?

Jesus came
To save us (in other words, heal us)
To reconcile us with His Father,
To reveal to us the true nature of God,
To be our model of holiness,
To make us children of God, and
To give Scriptures their true meaning.

Jesus is Lord!

The Word of God dwelt in man and became the Son of

man in order to accustom man to perceive God and to
accustom God to dwell in man, according to the Father's
pleasure. St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Catechism # 53
The Catechism asks: Why was the Word made flesh?
Then it gives five answers:

The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To

confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his
divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the
Holy Spirit'" (1 Cor 12:3). Catechism # 455
The Scripture says, No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except
by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:3) The word Lord in Hebrew
is Adonai. Every time a Jew encounters the word YHWH in
the Bible, he reads Adonai.

Jesus came for our salvation. With the Nicene Creed, we

answer by confessing: "For us men and for our salvation he
came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit,
he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made
man". (Catechism # 456) By salvation, we understand
saving the whole man, not just his soul or his spirit but the
whole person: spirit, soul and body.

YHWH in Hebrew, is the personal name of El God, the God

of Israel. It means I am who am or simply Yah, I AM.
This is the name God calls Himself most often in the Bible.
For centuries, the Jews, out of respect, never say that word
YHWH-composed of four consonants, the Tetragrammaton.
5

Jesus came to reconcile us with is Father

The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by
reconciling us with God, who "loved us and sent his Son to
be the expiation for our sins" (1 Jn 4:10): "the Father has

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 56.

sent his Son as the Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14), and
"he was revealed to take away sins"(1 John 3:5).
Catechism # 457
Jesus came to reveal the true nature of God: God is love
The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's
love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might
live through him." (1 John 4: 9) "For God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in
him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Catechism # 458
God heals us because He loves us.

of the Creator. Jesus gives us power to become children

of God.
For some, the role of the incarnation of Jesus would be
limited to introducing into humanity a positive moral model
by the example of a perfect life. For others, the role of
Jesus life would be to make a good impression on God on
behalf of mankind through the life of an ambassador of
humanity without sin. Both perspectives are woefully
inadequate. In fact, the Incarnation of Jesus inaugurates for
the human race the new nature of life and immortality to
which man was destined but was unable to achieve by
himself.

The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness:

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." (Mt 11:29) "I
am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father, but by me." (Jn 14:6) On the mountain of the
Transfiguration, the Father commands: "Listen to him!" (Mk
9:7, cf. Dt 6:45) Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and
the norm of the new law: "Love one another as I have loved
you." (John 15:12) This love implies an effective offering of
oneself, after his example. (cf. Mk 8:34) Catechism # 459
Taking Jesus as our model, we must do as He did: heal the
sick, raise the dead, expel evil spirits, and preach the Good
News.

Look at the saints. Their transformed lives illustrate this

new nature: they lived and behaved like Jesus. In them, we
find love, joy, peace, self-control, kindness, patience, etc. to
a degree not found in the world. This clearly shows the
nature of God expressed in the new creation of Gods sons.
By taking our human nature, Jesus introduced divine life
into human nature.
Human nature, endowed with reason, has transformed
matter and domesticated animals. Similarly, the new nature
of Gods children, in covenant with the divine life, is a
powerful blessing beyond the old human nature made up of
spirit, soul and body. However, there is one condition. Like
the man who, to rise above his animal nature, must use his
reasonhis intellect and his willas a person with this
new nature, he must be open to the Holy Spirit if he aspires
to live as a child of God. For those who are led by the
Spirit of God are children of God. (Rom 8:14)

Jesus came to make us true children of God. The Word

became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature" (2
Pet 1:4) :"For this is why the Word became man, and the
Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by
entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving
divine sonship, might become a son of God." (St. Irenaeus)
"For the Son of God became man so that we might become
God." (St. Athanasius) "The only-begotten Son of God,
wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our
nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." (St.
Thomas Aquinas) Catechism # 460
As children of God, we must act towards our neighbours as
God does, such as offering them healing.

This has direct consequences for the healing of the body

because If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit
that dwells in you. (Rom 8:11)
Evelyn Frost, an Anglican who published an interesting
book about the experiences of healing and deliverance of
the Pre-Nicene Fathers, wrote, In the New Testament, the
principle of regeneration is considered under the analogy of
grafting. In such grafting, the principle of life grafted
depends upon that to which it is grafted whilst it still retains
its individual identity.6 The idea of transplant combines
old human nature and new divine nature: we remain
ourselves but we become better than before because we are
now united to God.

Jesus comes to fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah

and give the full and definitive meaning to Scripture.
Signs taken up by Christ. In his preaching the Lord Jesus
often makes use of the signs of creation to make known the
mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He performs healings
and illustrates his preaching with physical signs or symbolic
gestures. He gives new meaning to the deeds and signs of
the Old Covenant, above all to the Exodus and the Passover,
(cf. Lk 9:31, 22:720) for he himself is the meaning of all
these signs. Catechism # 1151

Jesus established a new order of birth: born of grace, as

opposed to being born of flesh and blood. This birth was
prefigured by Isaac, who was miraculously born because of
a promise God made to Abraham. We enter the kingdom of
God by faith and a new birth. We are baptized in water and
the Spirit. The miraculous birth of Jesus prefigures the new
birth He established during His three years in public
ministry.
Tertullian explains, He who was going to consecrate a new
order of birth, must Himself be born after a novel

3. What Did Jesus Do?

It is through our incorporation into Christ that we share
the divine life. The infusion of new life in us frees us
from all the evils of the old nature that we received by
birth from the first Adam. Jesus is truly the last Adam.
We gain a stronger and fuller life than the one we had
on a mere human level because we receive the very life

Evelyn Frost, Christian Healing, p. 315

fashionThis is the new nativity; a man is born in God.

And in this man God was born, taking the flesh of an
ancient race, without the help, however, of the ancient seed,
in order that He might reform it with a new seed, that is, in a
spiritual manner, and cleanse it by the re-moval of all its
ancient stainsWhy is Christ called Adam by the apostle,
unless it be that, as man, He was of that earthly origin?...
because it was by just the contrary operation that God
recovered His own image and likeness, of which He had
been robbed by the devil. For it was while Eve was yet a
virgin, that the ensnaring word had crept into her ear which
was to build the edifice of death. Into a virgin's soul, in like
manner, must be introduced that Word of God which was to
raise the fabric of life; so that what had been reduced to ruin
by this sex, might by the selfsame sex be recovered to
salvation.7

obedience to His Father has repaired the damage of all our

disobedience. Christ incorporates us into Himself so
admirably that God sees His beloved Son whenever He
looks at one of the disciples of His Son. Thus, the Church
prays:
For you so loved the world that in your mercy you sent us
the Redeemer, to live like us in all things but sin, so that
you might love in us what you loved in your Son, by whose
obedience we have been restored to those gifts of yours that,
by sinning, we had lost in disobedience.. (Preface, Sunday in
Ordinary Time, VII)

He took upon Himself all our weaknesses and, in exchange,

He clothed us in His infinite strength. Saint Clement of
Alexandria wrote, Thou knowest from personal experience
of suffering the weakness of the flesh. In this respect
therefore the Lord the Instructor is most good and
unimpeachable sympathizing as He does from the
exceeding greatness of His love with the nature of each
man. On Ascension Sunday, the Church proclaims, after
his Resurrection he plainly appeared to all his disciples and
was taken up to heaven in their sight, that he might make us
sharers in his divinity. (Preface II)

Jesus Reveals the True Nature of God

Jesus revealed to us that it is Gods nature to heal. I,
the LORD, am your healer. (Ex. 15: 26)
Jesus reveals the true nature of God through His words and
His deeds. He corrected all the ambiguities in the Old
Testament about God and the Messiah. One of them was the
role of God in sickness and health. Jesus perfectly reflected
the Fathers compassion for the suffering people He met. In
the four gospels, Jesus never refuses to heal a sick person or
deliver someone attacked by a demon. Instead, Jesus not
only healed and delivered all who went to Him for
themselves or for others, but He would sometimes seek out
the sick to heal them even if they had not asked Him.

Jesus Became our High Priest and King of the Universe

In His death and resurrection, Jesus has become our
eternal High Priest and our universal King. Jesus
inaugurated the Kingdom of God on earth by giving us
the Holy Spirit that heals the members of His Body.
The Church proclaims this on the day of the feast of Christ
the King:
You have anointed Christ the Lord, your only Son, to be
our great high priest and king of all creation. As priest, he
offered himself once for all upon the altar of the cross and
redeemed the human race by this perfect sacrifice of peace.
As king he claims dominion over all your creatures, that he
might bring before your infinite majesty a kingdom of truth
and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of
justice, love and peace. (Eucharistic Preface, Feast of
Christ the King)

Jesus Earned Infinite Grace for Humanity

Healing is offered, completely unmerited by us, fully
merited by Jesus for us. By his stripes we were healed.
(Is 53:5)
Jesus so pleased His Father in Heaven that the Father will
give eternal life to anyone who recognises in his heart and
his words that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from
the dead8. All kinds of blessings come to him who puts his
trust in Jesus. The Scriptures prophesy, by his stripes we
were healed. (Isaiah 53:5) Peter applies this verse to
overcoming our sins and living in holiness. He himself
bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from
sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you
have been healed. (1 P 2:24) Grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

Jesus is King. He established a kingdom which will have

no end. The ancient prophets had announced such a realm.
From His very first recorded words, He proclaims that
mission: This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of
God is at hand. (Mk 1:15) In his first chapter, Mark
identifies three things that Jesus came to do: preach, pray,
and fight evil. (See Mk 1:21, 2334, 35.) Jesus influenced
people for the better. He changed Levi-Matthew from a
publican sinner to an apostle; Mary Magdalene from a
demoniac (she had seven demons (Lk 8:2) and was thought
by some in the early Church to be the unnamed prostitute in
Lk 7:37) into a saint; shy Simon Peter into a martyr for the
faith; Zacchaeus from a thief into a generous benefactor for
the poor; Thomas from skeptic to believer. In all these
cases, Jesus healed deeply wounded people.
On the Feast of Epiphany, the Church recites this prayer:
For today you have revealed the mystery of our salvation
in Christ as a light for the nations, and, when he appeared in

On Palm Sunday, the Church says this prayer, Though He

was sinless, He suffered willingly for sinners. Though
innocent, He accepted death to save the guilty. By His dying
He has destroyed our sins. By His rising He has raised us up
to holiness of life.. (in France: he restored our life).
(Eucharistic Preface of Passion Sunday, older preface)
Jesus bridged the chasm that separated us from God. He
took on our sentence and atoned for our sins. His perfect
Tertullien, The flesh of Christ
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/tertullian15.html
8
See Rom 10:811.
7

our mortal nature, you made us new by the glory of his

immortal nature. (Eucharistic Preface)
Yes, Jesus is the model that the Father has in mind when He
wishes to transform us by the power of His Holy Spirit.

sin is ended, a broken world has been renewed, and we are

once again made whole. (Older Preface IV)
Reflecting on the teachings of the Church Fathers, Dr.
Evelyn Frost9 explains in her book how they understood the
resurrection of Jesus.

4. What is Jesus Doing Now?

This confession of faith in the resurrection was far deeper

than an assent to some unique historical phenomenon; it
was the acknowledgement of a triumphant victory that
could be personally appropriated by the believer; death was
not only overcome for Christ on the first Easter morning,
but for all those who subsequently should by Baptism
become incorporated in Christ. Not only was the
resurrection the seal of the redemptive work of Christ for
the soul of man, but also for every department of human life
which, by the Fall, had become subject to bondage; thus,
included in His redemptive work was the salvation of man
from the bondage to physical death and its lesser
manifestations in disease. The Christian, therefore, would
meet death with fearless confidence, as master not victim of
the circumstance, in sure and certain hope the victory
already won by Christ; the day of dissolution was not a day
for mourning but of joy, a festival, a birthday, a day of
coronation.

Jesus the Good Shepherd, gives us the Holy Spirit to

infuse us with the fruits of His Passion and Resurrection
to make us healthy, to heal us in every possible way,
until we are clothed in His divinity.
Jesus is the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (1 P
2:25)
He now sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes
for you and me. At Easter the Church prays, He never
ceases to offer himself for us but defends us and ever pleads
our cause before you: he is the sacrificial Victim who dies
no more, the Lamb, once slain, who lives for ever. (Preface
III)
What Does He Ask of the Father for Us?
He makes several requests. The most important request,
which incorporates all others, is that we be filled with the
Holy Spirit. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. (John
3:34) For the Masses of the Holy Spirit, the Church recites
this prayer, He ascended into heaven, and from the right
hand of his throne has poured into the hearts of your
adoptive sons your promised Holy Spirit. (Preface I)

WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS10

God gives us all His goodness by mercy, because of the
exchange made by Jesus on the Cross.

Will the Father Grant His Prayer?

Of course, the Father will completely answer Jesus prayer.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to
him. (John 3:35) Problems or shortfalls never come from
God but from us. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal
life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the
wrath of God remains upon him. (John 3:36)

The Testimony of the Scriptures

As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his
life, he lives for God. (Rm 6:10)
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy,
innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the
heavens. He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer
sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for
those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered
himself. (He 7:2627)
He entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the
blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus
obtaining eternal redemption. (He 9:12)

What Will the Holy Spirit Do When He Comes to Us

and On Us?
The Catechism teaches that Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to
heal members of His Body.
Because the Holy Spirit is the anointing of Christ, it is
Christ who, as the head of the Body, pours out the Spirit
among his members to nourish, heal, and organize them in
their mutual functions, to give them life, send them to bear
witness, and associate them to his self-offering to the Father
and to his intercession for the whole world. Through the
Church's sacraments, Christ communicates his Holy and
sanctifying Spirit to the members of his Body. (This will be
the topic of Part Two of the Catechism.). Catechism # 739

The Testimony of the Catechism

When his Hour comes, he lives out the unique event of
history which does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried,
rises from the dead, and is seated at the right hand of
the Father "once for all." (See Rom 6:10; Heb 7:26 to
27; Heb 9:12) His Paschal mystery is a real event that
occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other
historical events happen once, and then they pass away,
swallowed up in the past. The Paschal mystery of Christ,
by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by
his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is - all
that he did and suffered for all men - participates in the
divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being

5. What About Healing?

During Easter time, the Church extols the victory of our
risen Lord, the restoration of the universe through his
paschal mystery: We praise You with greater joy than ever
in this Easter season, when Christ became our paschal
sacrifice. In Him a new age has dawned, the long reign of

Dr. Evelyn Frost, Christian Healing, p. 28

Text drawn from many sources, among which is Prince, Derek, Blessing or Curse:
You can Choose, 2000, p. 171-184.
10

has done for him. The justification that we receive in

exchange for our sins is the righteousness of God that Jesus
merited for us on the Cross. We put on the holiness of Jesus.
2. God the Father allowed Jesus to be crushed and
smitten so that we might be forgiven of our sins.
On the day of Yom Kippur, after carrying the first goats
blood into the holy of holies (v. 15), the high priest laying
both hands on his head, he shall confess over it all the sinful
faults and transgressions of the Israelites, and so put them
on the goats head. He shall then have it led into the desert
by an attendant. Since the goat is to carry off their iniquities
to an isolated region, it must be sent away into the desert.
(Leviticus 16:2122) In this symbolism, the scapegoat
carries not only the iniquities of Israel but also all the
consequences of their rebellion. This is what happened to
Jesus, The LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. (Is
53:6)
Here is the primary meaning of the Cross of Jesus: first,
Jesus suffered for us all the painful results of our rebellion.
Now, in return, God offers us all the benefits merited by the
sinless faithfulness of Jesus. The evil that we deserved fell
on Jesus so that the blessings Jesus deserved are offered to
us. God can do this because Jesus atoned for our sins on the
Cross. Everything is grace offered by Gods pure goodness.
Everything is received only by faith.
3. Jesus was wounded so that we might be healed.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that
he endured. While we thought of him as stricken, as one
smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our
offenses, crushed for our sins. Upon him was the
chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were
healed. (Is 53:45) Jesus, by His Cross, purchased our
peace, that is to say, reconciliation with His Father. By
Jesus wounds, we obtain healing. He becomes our doctor.
4. Jesus took upon Himself our death for us to receive
His life.
The ultimate consequence of sin is death. When sin
reaches maturity it gives birth to death. (James 1:15) Jesus
had to die for our sins. But we do see Jesus crowned with
glory and honor because he suffered death, he who for a
little while was made lower than the angels, that by the
grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (He 2:9)
In return, Jesus offers us the gift of eternal life. For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rm 6:23)
5. Jesus became poor with our poverty that we might
become rich with His riches.
For your sake he became poor although he was rich, so
that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Cor 8:9)
When did Jesus become poor? Not during his lifetime.
Although he did not carry money, he never lacked for
anything. When he sent his disciples on a mission, they
lacked for nothing either. (See Lk 22:35.) Even Jesus and
his disciples regularly donated money to the poor. (See John
12:48; 13:29.) When Jesus wanted money, he could find it
in the mouth of a fish. (Mt 17:27) A man who can feed
5,000 men cannot be considered poor. During his public
ministry years, Jesus always had enough to do Gods will
and give to others. His reserve was never exhausted. So

made present in them all. The event of the Cross and

Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.
Catechism # 1085
All Jesus did, said and suffered had for its aim restoring
fallen man to his original vocationwhat we had lost in
Adam, that is, being in the image and likeness of God, we
might recover in Christ Jesus. Catechism # 518
The entire message of the Gospels revolves around a single
historic event: the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who
are being consecratedThis is the covenant I will establish
with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my
laws in their hearts, and I will write them upon their
minds. (He 10:14,16). The effects of the Cross are
enormous: My God will fully supply whatever you need, in
accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19)
The expression whatever you need certainly includes the
healing of our physical or psychological disease and the
deliverance from all our obsessions, oppressions, slavery
and curses. Nevertheless, let us understand the wisdom and
power of God that resolved at one stroke all the problems of
mankind with a single solution. To receive Gods solution,
each of us must go to the foot of the Cross of Jesus.
We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own
way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. (Isa
53:6) Other translations render Guilt as iniquity (DRB) or
acts of rebellion (NJB), implying the evil consequences of
our misdeeds. Rather, it is your crimes that separate you
from your God. It is your sins that make him hide his face
so that he will not hear you. (Is 59:2)
1. Jesus became sin with our sin so that we might be
made righteous with His righteousness.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his
descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be
accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall
see the light in fullness of days. Through his suffering, my
servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. (Is
53:1011) For our sake he made him to be sin who did not
know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God
in him. (2 Cor 5:21) By identifying with our sins, it was
inevitable that Jesus should die, for the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord. (Rm 6:23) We must understand that when God
justifies a sinner, it is not because God denies or ignores his
sins. Neither does it mean that God has transformed the
sinner into a good person. It means that God treats the
sinner as if he had never been a sinner. Rather than treat
him as a criminal to destroy, God treats him as a child to
love. To be justified means that God sees us no more as
enemies but as friends. He does not treat us as wicked, but
as good. He does not treat us as violators of the Law but as
men and women to love. This is the essence of the Good
News. Being justified is to enter a new relationship with
God, a relationship of love, trust, and friendship, rather than
distance, hostility and fear. Heres the most important point:
the person is justified in this intimate friendship with God,
not because of what he did, but rather because of what Jesus

10

from curses. Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law

by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed be
everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham
might be extended to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith. (Ga 3:1314) Jesus became a curse so that in return
we receive the blessing. All the curses listed in
Deuteronomy 28, the curse of the law, came to Jesus on the
Cross. Jesus cried out, It is finished. (Jn 19:30) The Greek
word means: It is perfectly perfect. Or, It is completely
complete. He took upon himself all the evil of human
rebellion so that we could receive all the blessings
rewarding His obedience. His sacrifice came at infinite cost.

when did Jesus become poor for us? It was on the Cross. He
was hungry and had nothing to eat. He was thirsty and had
nothing to drink. He was naked and had no clothes. He
needed everything. He gave up all his possessions. We had
to bury him in the tomb of another. He was in absolute
poverty.
In exchange, God supplies the needs of followers of Jesus.
God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that
in all things, always having all you need, you may have an
abundance for every good work. (2 Cor 9:8) The text is
clear on the use of material goods, in all things, always
having all you need. Jesus gives one reason for a surplus of
possessions: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
(Acts 20:35) The Lord wants his children to enjoy the
greatest happiness: to give.
6. Jesus took upon Himself our shame so that we could
receive His glory.
There are two forms of emotional suffering resulting from
sin that are particularly painful: shame and rejection. One of
these two afflictions affects approximately 25% of adults in
our society, according to Derek Prince. Jesus endured both
on the Cross. Some shame is so tenacious and deep that it
blocks any friendship with God and our fellow men.
Consider, for example, sexual abuse or molestation of
children. These victims are often scarred for life. Only the
grace of God can heal them. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that
lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
(He 12:2) Jesus offers to trade our shame for his glory:
(God) raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the
heavens in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:6)
7. Jesus endured our rejection for us to be accepted as
children of God.
Rejection is often even more harrowing than shame. It
usually finds its source in a broken relationship, such as
parents who reject their child, a mother who rejects her
unborn child, or an abandoned wife or husband. God has
met this yearning with the agony of his Son on the Cross.
And about three oclock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?... But Jesus cried out again in a
loud voice, and gave up his spirit. (Mt 27:46,50) This pain
of feeling abandoned by his Father was too hard to bear.
Jesus did not die of crucifixion but a broken heart. Insult
has broken my heart, and I am weak; I looked for
compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found
none. (Ps 69:20) Immediately, the Temple veil was torn,
symbolizing the unobstructed access we now have to God.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through
Jesus Christ, in accord with the favour of his will, for the
praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the
beloved. (Eph 1:5,6) In exchange for the rejection He
suffered, Jesus arranged our adoption into the family of
God.
8. Jesus became a curse so that we may receive the
blessing of God.
Evil came upon Jesus so that good could come upon us.
This applies to all areas of human life. Thus, we are freed

Salvation is all that and more! In Greek, sozo, means to save

the whole human being: spirit, soul and body. Sozo
translates into English as forgive, heal, deliver, preserve and
protect from harm, and rise again. Salvation does not come
all at once, but step by step by following the instructions of
the Lord found in the Bible. It is always an exchange with
Jesus on the Cross.
By becoming aware of such an exchange, the normal
reaction is to tell Him, THANK YOU! A thousand times,
thank you! Thanksgiving is the first step of freedom from a
curse.

III. THE HOLY SPIRIT

To understand divine healing, we must consider the identity
of the Holy Spirit, His joint mission with Jesus, and His role
in the Body of Christ and each believer.

1. The Baptism of Jesus and Pentecost

The Holy Spirit is the power of God. The Holy Spirit
empowered Jesus at the Jordan River to undertake His
mission. He empowered the disciples at Pentecost for
their mission. Every Christian needs to be empowered
by the Holy Spirit.
Why did Jesus ministry begin in the Gospel accounts when
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist? It is
for the same reason that the ministry of the Church, the
Body of Christ, began at Pentecost.
Something happened to the apostles at Pentecost. It was a
turning point in their lives. In fact, the turning point in the
life of every Christian is his encounter with the Holy Spirit.
At Ephesus, the apostle Paul met twelve disciples of Jesus.
Something was missing in their ministry. The signs of the
Kingdom were simply not there. They did not behave like
the disciples that Paul knew. Paul therefore immediately
asked: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became
believers? They answered him, We have never even heard
that there is a Holy Spirit. He said, How were you baptized?
They replied, With the baptism of John. (Acts 19:27)
They had not received the Christian baptism. Is it not
revealing? Johns baptism was not enough. Repentance was
not enough.

11

What about Jesus baptism from John the Baptist? We do

not know much about the first 30 years of Jesus life. These
are the hidden years. He led an ordinary life as a carpenter
in Nazareth. He learned the trade of Joseph, Marys
husband. After the death of Joseph, Jesus took care of his
mother Mary. Everything changed for Jesus after he was
baptized by John. What exactly happened?
It was really a turning point in the life of the man Jesus. In
fact, a little later, Jesus returned to Nazareth. His
neighbours, who knew him well, were stunned. He
departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he
began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him
were astonished. They said, Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty
deeds are wrought by his hands! (Mark 6:12) Something
had happened at the Jordan, but what? Its not what
happened to Jesus at the Jordan that had changed Him, but
what happened to Him as He was coming out of the water:
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being
torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
(Mk 1:10)

healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with
him. (Acts 10:38)
AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY
SPIRIT. (Acts 2:4)
What happened to Jesus after his baptism in the Jordan also
happened to the disciples at Pentecost. Until now they were
slow to understand the teachings of Jesus; reluctant to pray
with him, whether at Tabor or in Gethsemane; jealous of
each other; ambitious of power and prestige, even
suspicious of Jesus; and willing to use violence to save
themselves even though they had been with Jesus for three
years, listening to His captivating words and witnessing his
miracles. Knowledge or human talent would not change
them or change their condition. Their transformation had to
wait, as Jesus had made clear, until they received power, not
of this world but from on high, a power that was not
something but someone-the Holy Spirit, on the day of
Pentecost. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Immediately after the experience of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost, they opened the doors of the Upper Room where
they had hidden for fear of venturing into the streets of
Jerusalem. They came out of hiding to praise God publicly,
confidently and enthusiastically. The same Peter, who a few
weeks earlier had been struck with terror at the point of
denying Jesus when he was confronted by a simple servant,
now dared to proclaim Him to all Israel as the only Saviour
and Lord, with amazing results. The same Peter who had
sunk like a stone for having doubted could now heal the
lame man with a faith as unshakable as a rock with the
power of the Spirit in him. No threat or punishment could
stop him from talking about what he had seen and heard
about Jesus. Even suffering for the sake of the Name was
for him a joy. Moreover, under his leadership, the early
Christians were united in heart and mind, even combining
all their resources so that none of them was in need. See
Acts 4:32.

As Father Rufus Pereira puts it: The baptism of Jesus is a

mystery, just like the great mysteries of his Incarnation and
Redemption (that is to say his death and resurrection)actually connecting these two in a meaningful whole of
salvation. JESUS WAS NOW FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
(Lk 4:1)
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit at His conception.
At the Jordan, we witness the manifestation of that
fullness for the inauguration of His messianic mission by
a deployment of power and the Holy Spirit in His
human actions.
Something happened to Jesus at the Jordan. Jesus could not
have gone there simply to be baptized by John the Baptist,
because John prepared the people for the coming of the
Messiah by a baptism of repentance. However, Jesus went
to be baptized, which, being sinless, He obviously did not
need. He went to identify Himself publicly with sinful
humanity, becoming one of us by taking upon Himself all
our weaknesses.

What happened to Jesus when He came out of the Jordan

River, what happened to the apostles in the Upper Room,
happened to some members of the Church for the past 21
centuries: the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit as
Jesus was. However, since 1967, this phenomenon is
growing and spreading widely at retreats and charismatic
missions, in response to the petition of John XXIII for a
new Pentecost for the Church.11

It was after this act, where Jesus emptied himself of his

glory, that the heavens were opened and the real baptism
came from on high to start His mission. He was now filled
with the Holy Spirit and all could see the difference. Even
His reading of Scripture in the synagogue made sure all
watched, amazed. They were struck by the novelty of His
teaching and His exceptional authority. All the sick were
healed by a simple word or a touch of Jesus. Those
possessed by Satan feared His presence, to which they were
allergic. Peter could hardly believe that a man could
command the wind and the sea, and they obey him. Peter
would later reveal to Cornelius the source of this authority
and incredible power, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and

2. The Holy Spirit: First to Come, Last to be

Known
Only the Holy Spirit enables us to recognise Jesus as the
Lord, and the Father of Jesus as our own Abba-Father.
Scripture teaches, No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by
the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:3) God sent the Spirit of His Son
into our hearts crying Abba! Father! (4:6 Ga)

11

12

See Charisindia the magazine of the CCR in India, Vol. II, no.6, June 2003, p.4-5

 Jesus profusely pours the Holy Spirit out upon all

flesh. Catechism # 695
The Catechism gives us eight symbols of the Holy Spirit:
water, anointing oil, fire, cloud and light, a seal, a hand, a
finger and a dove. (See Catechism # 694701)
The title Christ means one who is anointed, the anointed of
the Spirit. The Holy Spirit colours the whole life of Jesus.
The anointing is a synonym for the Spirit.

This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit:

to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched
by the Holy Spirit. Here is what St. Irenaeus says about it:
Baptism gives us the grace of new birth in God the Father,
through his Son, in the Holy Spirit. For those who bear
God's Spirit are led to the Word, that is, to the Son, and the
Son presents them to the Father, and the Father confers
incorruptibility on them. And it is impossible to see God's
Son without the Spirit, and no one can approach the Father
without the Son, for the knowledge of the Father is the Son,
and the knowledge of God's Son is obtained through the
Holy Spirit.12

The Catechism says, Anointing. The symbolism of

anointing with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point
of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. (cf. 1 Jn
2:20,27; 2 Cor 1:21) In Christian initiation, anointing is the
sacramental sign of Confirmation, called "chrismation" in
the Churches of the East. Its full force can be grasped only
in relation to the primary anointing accomplished by the
Holy Spirit, that of Jesus. Christ (in Hebrew "messiah")
means the one "anointed" by God's Spirit. There were
several anointed ones of the Lord in the Old Covenant, (cf.
Ex 30:2232) pre-eminently King David. (cf. 1 Sam 16:13)
But Jesus is God's Anointed in a unique way: the humanity
the Son assumed was entirely anointed by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit established him as "Christ." (cf. Lk 4:18
19, Isaiah 61:1) The Virgin Mary conceived Christ by the
Holy Spirit who, through the angel, proclaimed him the
Christ at his birth, (cf. Lk 2:11) and prompted Simeon to
come to the temple (cf. Lk 2:2627) to see the Christ of the
Lord. The Spirit filled Christ (cf. Lk 4:1) and the power of
the Spirit went out from him in his acts of healing and of
saving. (cf. Lk 6:19, 8:46) Finally, it was the Spirit who
raised Jesus from the dead. (cf. Rom 1:4, 8, 11) Now, fully
established as "Christ" in his humanity victorious over
death, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly until "the
saints" constitute - in their union with the humanity of the
Son of God - that perfect man "to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:13): "the whole Christ," in
St. Augustine's expression. Catechism # 695

The Old Testament does not say much about the Spirit. In
all, I found only about 90 references. 13 The New Testament
length is half that of the Tanackh (the Old Testament), but it
contains three times as many references to the Holy Spirit:
264 by my count.14 Before revealing His Spirit, the Father
revealed to us His Son. Then the Son told us about the Holy
Spirit that He and the Father would send. The Church,
prefigured at the Cross by the flowing of water and Blood,
was born the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came.
The Holy Spirit is the first Person of the Trinity to contact
us. However, He is the last to be revealed. St. Gregory
Nazianzen15 explains: The old covenant made clear
proclamation of the Father, a less definite one of the Son.
The new covenant made the Son manifest and gave us a
glimpse of the Spirit's Godhead. At the present time, the
Spirit resides amongst us, giving us a clearer manifestation
of himself than before. It was dangerous for the Son to be
preached openly when the Godhead of the Father was still
unacknowledged. It was dangerous, too, for the Holy Spirit
to be made (and here I use a rather rash expression) an extra
burden, when the Son had not been received. It could mean
men jeopardizing what did lie within their powers, as
happens to those encumbered with a diet too strong for them
or who gaze at sunlight with eyes as yet too feeble for it.
No, God meant it to be by piecemeal additions, "ascents" as
David called them, by progress and advance from glory to
glory, that the light of the Trinity should shine upon more
illustrious souls.16

4. Role of the Holy Spirit

It is the Holy Spirit who gives life. He gives life that is
divine healing in humans. So whoever is in Christ is a
new creation: the old things have passed away; behold,
new things have come. (2 Cor 5:17)
Since the Incarnation of Christ, it is reasonable to expect
that the hot spot of the Holy Spirit`s activity is the Church,
which is the Body of Christ.
During the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Church
prays thus:
How wonderful are the works of the Spirit, revealed in so
many gifts! Yet how marvellous is the unity the Spirit
creates from their diversity, as He dwells in the hearts of
your children, filling the whole Church with His presence
and guiding it with His wisdom! (Older Preface)

3. The Holy Spirit in the Life of Jesus

Christ (which translates Messiah from Hebrew by
Christos in Greek) means anointed of Gods Spirit.
The humanity taken on by the Son is totally anointed
with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is made Christ by the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 4:1819,
Isaiah 61:1).

He finally raises Jesus from the dead (cf. Rom 1:4, 8, 11).
12

Saint Irenaeus, Dem. Ap. 7

I found only 14 references to the Holy Spirit in the Torah: 5 in Genesis, only 1 in
Exodus, 7 in Numbers and none in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The historical books
contain 21 references; Wisdom books contain 21; and the Prophets, 43.
14
I found 60 references to the Holy Spirit in the four Gospels: Matthew, 11; Mark, 6;
Luke, 20; John, 23. In the Acts of the Apostles, also known as Acts of the Holy Spirit,
we find 48; the epistles of Saint Paul, 108; the other letters and the Book of
Revelation, 48.
13

15

St. Gregory the Theologian, in Oration 31

16

Saint Gregory of Naziance, Oratio theol., 5:26

In the constitution of the Church, Vatican II said this about

the mission of the Holy Spirit:
When the Son completed the work with which the Father
had entrusted him on earth, the Holy Spirit was sent on the
day of Pentecost to sanctify the Church unceasingly, and

13

Evelyn Frost wrote, Communion with God which causes

healing is communion with the essential principle of life. 21

thus enable believers to have access to the Father through

Christ in the one Spirit. He is the Spirit of life, the fountain
of water welling up to give eternal life. Through him the
Father gives life to men, dead because of sin, until he rises
up their mortal bodies in Christ.
The Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the
faithful as in a temple. He prays in them and bears witness
in them to their adoption as sons. He leads the Church into
all truth and gives it unity in communion and in service. He
endows it with different hierarchical and charismatic gifts,
directs it by their means, and enriches it with his fruits. By
the power of the Gospel he enables the Church to grow
young, perpetually renews it, and leads it to complete union
with its Bridegroom.17

Without the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit, it is

extremely difficultif not impossibleto believe that Jesus
rose from the dead, even when Jesus appears alive. Our
human spirit (that is, the human heart) is in need of healing
to know that Jesus is alive. Think of the eleven disciples on
a mountain in Galilee. (See Matthew 28:1620.) Only
Matthew recounts this event. When the disciples saw Jesus,
they worshiped him probably as God become man. But
some doubted... Jesus was there in the flesh, right in front
of them. But some doubted.... At first glance, it seems
incomprehensible that they could doubt. However, it is not,
at least not completely. They had not yet received the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost. Because they were not yet born of the
Spirit, they had problems believing their eyes. But some
doubted... The Scriptures say, nobody knows the qualities
of God except the Spirit of God. Now the Spirit we have
received ... is Gods own Spirit so that we may understand
the lavish gifts God has given us... fitting spiritual language
to spiritual things. (1 Cor 2:1113)
St. Paul recognised this when he wrote, Consequently,
from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even
if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we
know him so no longer. So whoever is in Christ is a new
creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new
things have come.! (2 Cor 5:1617) This man, their good
friend, Jesus was God Himself. This was so hard to believe,
almost too good to be true! Jesus is not rattled. He knows
that the Spirit will come by His power to heal man of
unbelief. Thus, He told them the words that only God can
say: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nationsI am
with you always, until the end of the age. (Mat 28:1920)
They received the Great Commission: to bring all men to
know, love and serve God. Their mission, as Jesus told
them after His resurrection22, would begin at Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit is "the principle of every vital and truly

saving action in each part of the Body." He works in many
ways to build up the whole Body in charity: (cf. Eph 4:16)
by God's Word "which is able to build you up"; (Acts
20:32) by Baptism, through which he forms Christ's Body;
(cf. 1 Cor 12:13) by the sacraments, which give growth and
healing to Christ's members; by "the grace of the apostles,
which holds first place among his gifts" 18; by the virtues,
which make us act according to what is good; finally, by the
many special graces (called "charisms"), by which he makes
the faithful "fit and ready to undertake various tasks and
offices for the renewal and building up of the Church. 19
Catechism # 798

5. The Holy Spirit and Healing

Healings are manifestations of the Spirit given to each for
the common good. (1 Cor 12:7) These are the signs that
will be associated with believers ... they will lay their hands
on the sick who will recover. Mk 16:17-18
It is the Holy Spirit who heals. During the Mass to the Holy
Spirit, the Church prays that her children will turn to the
Holy Spirit in all their difficulties. You give us your Holy
Spirit to help us always by his power, so that with loving
trust we may turn to you in all our troubles, and give you
thanks in all our joys, through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Preface)

IV. THE CHURCH

INSTITUTIONAL AND CHARISMATIC
The Second Vatican Council ushered a profound adjustment
to the way the Church understood itself. This change
opened the door for a vast reform, including one in the area
of healing.

Quoting St. Cyprian, Evelyn Frost illustrates the immense

power given to Christians, who can overcome even death.
It is by the indwelling Christ that the Christian is thus
invincible; from the indwelling Spirit is given power,
that is able to quench the virus of poisons for the healing of
the sick, to purge out the stains of foolish souls by restored
health... Even the devil, according to Cyprian has to admit
that the soldiers of Christ cannot be conquered but that
they can die, and that by this very fact they are invincible,
that they do not fear death. For the contest is a heavenly
one, the battle is Christs, and He Who once conquered
death on our behalf, always conquers it in us. 20
17
18
19
20

The Body of Christ, the Church, has no other life to

offer than the Life of God found in Jesus by the power
of the Holy Spirit. The Church channels salvation for
the body, the soul and the spirit to those who would
receive this life of God.
This is the redemption of the world through the Body and
Blood of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
expresses this mystery of the divine and human components
of the one Church in the following way.

Vatican II, Lumen Gentium #4

Lumen Gentium #7
Lumen Gentium #12; cf. Apostolate of the Laicity #3.
Evelyn Frost, Christian Healing, p. 38

21
22

14

Evelyn Frost, Christian Healing, p. 321

Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-20; Lk 24:44-49; Jn 20:21-23

First the Church flows from our understanding of Jesus and

the Holy Spirit. The articles of faith about the Church
depend entirely on the articles concerning Christ Jesus.
The article concerning the Church also depends entirely on
the article about the Holy Spirit. () The Church is () the
place where the Spirit flourishes. CCC #748, 750

Vigil. 500,000 people were in attendance. The pope spoke

eloquently of what the Spirit of God does in and through the
Church.
John Paul II described the Church as an extension in history
of the anointed mission of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, already
at work in the creation of the world and in the Old
Covenant, reveals himself in the Incarnation and the Paschal
Mystery of the Son of God and in a way "burst out" at
Pentecost to extend the mission of Christ the Lord in time
and space. The Spirit thus makes the Church a stream of
new life that flows through the history of mankind 24.

Second, the People of God become the Body of Christ.

The word "Church" means "convocation." It designates the
assembly of those whom God's Word "convokes," i.e.
gathers together to form the People of God, and who
themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the
Body of Christ. CCC #777
The Church is a work of the Holy Spirit. Not only does
the Holy Spirit equip the members of the Church with
hierarchical and charismatic gifts but He also directs
its members with these gifts23. Lumen Gentium #4
Third, the Church is a means to an end and an end in itself.
The Church is both the means and the goal of God's plan:
prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant,
founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled
by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has
been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the
glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the
earth. (CCC #778 referring to Rv 14:4)

He described how the Second Vatican Council

rediscovered the long forgotten charismatic dimension as
one of her essential elements. Whenever the Spirit
intervenes, he leaves people astonished. He brings about
events of amazing newness; he radically changes people and
history. This was the unforgettable experience of the
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, during which, under
the guidance of the same Spirit, the Church rediscovered the
charismatic dimension as one of her constitutive elements:
"it is not only through the sacraments and the ministries of
the Church that the Holy Spirit makes holy the people, leads
them and enriches them with his virtues. Allotting his gifts
according as he wills, (1 Cor 12:11) he also distributes special
graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He
makes them fit and ready to undertake various tasks and
offices for the renewal and building up of the Church 25.

Fourth, the Church is a mystery. The Church is both

visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical
Body of Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components,
human and divine. That is her mystery, which only faith can
accept. (CCC #779)

John Paul II

The pope further emphasized that this rediscovery of

charisms was God-ordained. Over the centuries the Church
had neglected the gifts of the Spirit by emphasizing solely
its institutional dimension which flows from the sacrament
of Holy Orders. John Paul II declares the two elements to be
co-essentials.
The institutional and charismatic aspects are co-essential
as it were to the Church's constitution. They contribute,
although differently, to the life, renewal and sanctification
of God's people. It is from this providential rediscovery of
the Church's charismatic dimension that, before and after
the Council, a remarkable pattern of growth has been
established for ecclesial movements and new
communities26. John Paul II

Fifth, the Church is all about communion with God. The

Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign
and the instrument of the communion of God and men.
(CCC #780)

The institutional and charismatic aspects are coessential as it were to the Church's constitution. They
contribute, although differently, to the life, renewal and
sanctification of God's people. John Paul II
Brian Smith from Australia reminded us who had gathered
in Rome for the Healing Colloquium of the link between the
institution and the charismatic. He said: We often hear in
conversations -- not only in the Renewal but in the Church - about the Institutional and the Charismatic. I think it was
Cardinal Ratzinger who recently pointed out that if the
Institutional Church is not also the Charismatic Church, it
has ceased to be the Body of Christ. If it is solely
Institution, it is not the Body of Christ. In one way both the
Charismatic element has to have some institutional elements
and the Institution has to have the Spirit or else it is
something quite foreign to what the Body of Christ is all
about.
1998 was the year of the Holy Spirit in preparation for the
Great Jubilee of the year 2000. Pope John Paul II convened
all the Ecclesial Movements (founders, leaders, and
members) to St Peters Square in Rome for the Pentecost

24

John Paul II, to Ecclesial Movements on Pentecost 1998

John Paul II, to Ecclesial Movements on Pentecost 1998
26
John Paul II, to Ecclesial Movements on Pentecost 1998
25

23

See Vatican II, Lumen Gentium #4

15

In 2002, Pope John Paul II alluded to this effect of the

baptism in the Holy Spirit when he wrote to the Italian
Charismatic Renewal:
The Church and the word need saints, and we ourselves
become holier the more we allow the Holy Spirit to
configure us to Christ. This is the secret of the regenerating
experience of the outpouring of the Spirit, a typical
experience that defines the process of growth proposed for
the members of your groups and communities 27.

V. BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

To heal in the name of Jesus, normally one needs the
experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

1. What is baptized in the Holy Spirit?

A. You will receive power from on high.
Baptized in the Spirit is to experience the great mystery
of Christianity: Jesus, the God-Man, lives in His
disciples by the Holy Spirit and continues His work in
and through them. Allow the Holy Spirit to configure
us to Christ. John Paul II
As a tourist looked on the beauty of Michelangelos
admirable sculpture, the Pieta, he decided in his heart that
he would try to do the same. His desire was to sculpt as
well as this master. He purchased the tools, a block of
marble and began chiseling the stone. However, he was not
as talented as the great master was. His sculpture was no
masterpiece. If it were possible (and I grant you that it is
not) for the spirit of Michelangelo to come out of the Land
of the Dead and inhabit our tourist, would he then not have
the talent of the great master within himself, would he then
not be able to do the same works he did, to sculpt as
Michelangelo did? Yes, he would, because the great master
sculptor, Michelangelo, would be in him to do the sculpting.
That would be his great advantage over other sculptors: to
have the master sculptor live in him, giving him the heart
and the talent of one of the greatest sculptors of all time. He
would produce one masterpiece after another. Rather,
Michelangelo in him would produce one masterpiece after
another. This is impossible in the realm of art but this is
exactly what happens in the realm of faith.

B. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is normative

Baptism in the Holy Spirit as the awakening of the full
life of the Spirit with the charisms is for all Christians. It
is the spirituality of the Church as an integral element of
Christian initiation. Without this experience, something
important is missing in a Christians life. It shows. It
has helped them to know the power of the full
outpouring of the Holy Spirit conferred at
Confirmation. John Paul II
In 1991, two Catholic theologians of renown wrote a
scholarly but non-technical book on the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. They quote a study showing that charismatics were
increasing at 54,000 persons a day or 19 million a year
worldwide. Those baptized in the Holy Spirit are very
successful at evangelization. Our two authors are interested
in explaining the experience called Baptism in the Holy
Spirit which occurs years after sacramental baptism. Many
explanations have been given in terms of New Testament
evidence as a second moment or blessing (the neoPentecostal position), as a development of the grace of
baptism (the sacramental interpretation more common
among the mainline churches) or as a new departure
unrelated to the sacrament.28. George T. Montague, a pastpresident of the Catholic Biblical Association of America,
reviewed the New Testament texts while Kilian McDonnell,
the co-chair of the International classical
Pentecostal/Roman Catholic dialogue, has identified eleven
post-biblical texts that demonstrate how early Christian
authors understood baptism in the Holy Spirit. Fr.
Montague concludes,
The gift of the Spirit, including the charisms, was integral
to Christian initiation. Fr. McDonnells study of major
Christian authors of the first eight centuries place charisms
within, or in reference to, initiation. In brief, these authors
demonstrate that the experience of baptism in the Holy
Spirit is integral to Christian initiation. Therefore it belongs
not to private piety but to public liturgy. If baptism in the
Holy Spirit is integral to those sacraments, which are
constitutive of the church, then baptism in the Spirit is
normative29.

This is precisely what Jesus wants to do in each one of us.

This is the great secret, the great mystery of Christianity,
which generations of old did not know, until the Son of Man
had achieved His awesome mission of redemption. After
He had suffered and died for our sins, He rose from the
dead to a new life, a resurrected life to give us a new life,
the life of the Spirit. He was filled bodily with all divinity.
He is Lord! He is the new Adam, the father of a new
humanity. Jesus received the fullness of the Holy Spirit. He
has received the Spirit without measure. After His
Ascension, He interceded for His disciples so that they
would receive power from on high, that they would be
soaked in his Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, it
happened. Seated now at the right hand of almighty God,
Jesus sends the Holy Spirit on all flesh. A new heart I will
give you and a new spirit I will put within you. () I will
put my Spirit within you and make you follow my statutes.
(Ez 36:26-27) May (the Father) give you the power through
his Holy Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that
Christ may live in your hearts through faith. (Eph 3:16-17 JB)
I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ
who lives in me. (Gal 2:20 JB)

27

ICCRS, Then Peter Stood Up Update 2004; quoting John Paul IIs
message to the 24th National Conference of the Italian Association RnS in
Rimini in March 2002, p. 14
28
Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague, Christian Initiation and
Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Evidence from the First Eight Centuries, 1991,
p. xii-xiii
29
Idem p. iii-iv.

16

If a baby girl is born without a right arm, her essential

humanity is intact. That is, what constitutes human nature is
all there. No one would refuse to call this baby a human
being. But there is something missing: her right arm, not a
minor appendage. In technical terms we say that the right
arm is a property of her humanity. A property does not
belong to the essence but flows from that essence. The right
arm does not belong to the essence of humanity (otherwise
the baby would cease to be a human being), but it flows
from that essence and belongs to the wholeness of being
human.

let it be said clearly--the property of the charismatic renewal. The unique gift which the charismatic renewal
brings to the church is the awareness of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit. This is all the more reason why the baptism in
the Holy Spirit is not to be identified with any group or
movement. Because it belongs to the church as an integral
element of Christian initiation, it must be taken with
ultimate seriousness. Indeed, the baptism in the Spirit is
normative32.

Baptism in the Spirit, as the awakening of the full life of the

Spirit with the charisms (including healing and miracles),
does not belong to the essence of Christian initiation.
Otherwise there would have been few authentic (valid)
baptisms since the early centuries. The essence of Christian
initiation has remained intact. Every authentic initiation
confers the Holy Spirit. But Christian initiation has been
missing a property, which flows from its essence, namely,
what today is called the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the full
flowering of the sacramental grace. Like the missing right
arm, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a minor
appendage. It belongs to the wholeness of Christian
initiation30.

Some people appreciate the effects of being baptized in the

Holy Spirit without understanding the experience. During
the Healing Colloquium in Rome, Dr. Philippe Madre of
France said:
We have to consider two different aspects of being
recognized. One: the trust the Church authorities have in
the Charismatic Renewal. Two: the understanding the
Church authorities have of our experience. The first aspect
has already been acquired. The Church Hierarchy trusts us
more and more and has shown this in various parts of the
world - first of all through the Holy Father himself.
However, this doesnt prevent the difficulties of the second
aspect. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we have
an original and special experience, which is difficult to
understand for those who havent experienced this and
studied it in depth. I have to say that I have to thank the
Lord for the fact that the Church authorities do have
confidence in us and are trying to understand us. However,
they need time for this process to develop.

C. Baptism in the Spirit is an experience.

This book (i.e., McDonnells and Montagues 31) has not

been about the charismatic renewal. It is about the baptism
in the Holy Spirit.
If that distinction is not kept in mind then a false equation
emerges. When a crude identification is made between the
baptism in the Spirit and the charismatic renewal, then the
baptism in the Spirit is too easily identified with particular
forms of community (prayer groups, covenant communities)
or with a particular manner of praying or with a special way
of prophesying. The divine reality and the mysteries in
which one is given communion through the baptism in the
Holy Spirit can be brought to expression in many different
forms, some undoubtedly still to evolve. Finally, the
baptism in the Holy Spirit is not to be identified with any
theological school, conservative or liberal.

Judith MacNutt once explained it this way:

In my opinion, the people of the Charismatic Renewal are
one of the greatest assets of the Church, because once
people experience the release of the Holy Spirit, or the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit, they fall in love with Jesus; they
get the heart of compassion of Jesus, and they start wanting
to bring that to other people, so they become very
evangelistic for Jesus and for the Church. And they also
want to pray for people for healing. But it also moves to the
next level of racial and social justice issues. And people
become very concerned about the world we live in and start
reaching out to try and change the world - and most people
are not very concerned about that. I would think that
people in the hierarchy of the Church would sit back and
say What gives these people such a heart of love to want
to reach out? What makes these people want to reach out
and what is this passion they have to want to help and
change? They know this is a great asset to the Church. It is
not something to be afraid of.

The purpose of our study has not been to defend or champion the charismatic renewal. Rather, the charismatic
renewal has been the occasion for our researching our roots
to see what the baptism in the Holy Spirit meant to the early
church. What we have found there indeed presents, we
believe, a major challenge to the church today. The
energizing power of the Holy Spirit, manifesting itself in a
variety of charisms, is not religious fluff. Nor is itas
viewed by many todayan optional spirituality in the
church such as, among Catholics, the devotion to the Sacred
Heart or the Stations of the Cross. The baptism in the Holy
Spirit does not belong to private piety, but, as we have
demonstrated, to the public official liturgy of the church. It
is the spirituality of the church. By that account it is not --

Pope John Paul II assessed the contribution of the

Charismatic Renewal in the lives of many people as an
experience to discover the grace of Baptism and to know
the power of the Holy Spirit conferred at Confirmation.

30

Idem p. 315
Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Evidence from the
First Eight Centuries.

32

Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague, Christian Initiation and

Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Evidence from the First Eight Centuries, 1991,
p. 336-7

31

17

Your contribution to the life of the Church, through your

faithful witness to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit
has helped many people to rediscover in their own lives the
beauty of the grace given to them at Baptism, the gateway
to life in the Spirit. (CCC #1213) It has helped them to know
the power of the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit conferred
at Confirmation. (CCC #1302) I join you in praising the Most
Holy Trinity for the work of the Spirit 33 who continues to
draw people more fully into the life of Christ and to render
their bonds with the Church more perfect34.

Our personality truly changes as the fruit of the Spirit takes

hold to make us more and more Christ-like.
6th : To desire the return of Jesus, that the glory and
majesty of Jesus be revealed for the whole human race to
see. This places the need for social involvement in its
Christian context.
7th : To evangelize. Help people accept the invitation of
Jesus to eternal life, beginning now by living this life with
Jesus in your heart. Vibrant, Spirit-filled music preaches
the Gospel. Believers get their marching orders directly
from God through daily personal prayer. Never be so busy
working for the Lord that you abandon either repentance or
seeking the Lord, or living holy lives, or loving one another,
or personal prayer35.

2. Seven characteristics
Fr. Francis Martin of the USA identified the following
seven characteristics of someone baptized in the Holy
Spirit:

3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Healing

1st : The grace to know, to recognize and love Jesus as
LORD. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is thus defined:

Each Christian is incorporated into Jesus through

baptism and faith, made one with Him by the power of
the Spirit, so that each disciple may continue to fulfill
Jesus mission: to find and save (heal) the lost and to
bring them into the kingdom of God.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a revelation made by

the Holy Spirit to the spirit of the believer, giving the
believer sure faith knowledge
of Jesus as Lord in his glory and his majesty in his
divine reality and as head of the Church.
To worship the Trinity
To praise, repentance and pray
To exercise charisms
To share Gods life as power for holiness
To desire the return of Jesus
To evangelize. Francis Martin

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit brings to the front the

context of divine healing. Morton Kelsey, an Episcopal
priest from the USA who has studied and written many
books on Christian Healing, links the healing ministry of
any Christian with Jesus through the experience of a
personal Pentecost.
The basic idea upon which the Christian healing ministry
is founded is that the healer is the instrument and carrier of
the healing love of God transmitted through the Holy Spirit.
Along with this is the conviction that the power that
operated through Jesus and raised Jesus from the dead is
now operating in and through the church of which we are
members. () No other major religion of humankind,
however, provides a founder like Jesus of Nazareth, who
spoke so clearly about the love of God and who made
healing a central part of his public ministry and then went
on to teach and empower disciples to carry on that ministry.
Jesus also did not claim to heal with his own power, but
rather because of his unique relationship with God. What
his disciples experienced at Pentecost was a share in that
unique relationship with God36.

2nd : To worship the Trinity. Jesus reveals His God and

Father to each of His disciples who then know and love God
the Father.
3rd : Deeper personal prayer and repentance leads to strong
and joyous praise, which had almost disappeared from our
churches. Praise does not reside in the emotions but in the
mind and deeper still, in the spirit of a human being.
4th : To exercise charismatic gifts is absolutely necessary.
The Lord nearly forced them on us so that we would learn,
once again, in a sort of audio-visual way, what it really
means to yield to the work of the Lord in us to build our
own life and to build the body. Human resources cannot do
this. The Church, the body of Christ, is a supernatural
reality. It can only live by supernatural means. Strong
and well organized groups run the risk of mistaking their
organization for the movement of the Holy Spirit.

This book is not primarily about the baptism in the Holy

Spirit. It is about healing and deliverance. Yet, without
being baptized in the Spirit, one will not normally be a
channel of Gods healing power. When Jesus was baptized
in the Spirit at the Jordan River, one of the charisms He
received to fulfill His mission was healing, one of the
prophetic gifts. Not only healing, but all the miracles of His
ministry flow from His baptism in the Jordan37. Each
Christian is incorporated into Jesus through baptism and

5th : To share Gods life as real power for holiness. The

Holy Spirit applies the power of the death of Jesus to our
lives. The power of the cross is grace by which we die to
sin and live to God habit patterns of sin in our lives are
done away with, overcome by the anointing of the Spirit

35

Fr. Francis Martin Faith and Renewal, Jan.-Feb 1994

Morton Kelsey, Healing & Christianity, 298-9
37
Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague, Christian Initiation and
Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Evidence from the First Eight Centuries, 1991,
p. 247

33

36

Lumen Gentium, 11
34
ICCRS, Then Peter Stood Up Update 2004; quoting John Paul IIs
message to the 24th National Conference of the Italian Association RnS in
Rimini in March 2002, p. 14

18

faith, made one with Him by the power of the Spirit, so that
each may continue to fulfill Jesus mission. The mission has
not changed: Jesus remains the Savior. He came to find and
save the lost, to bring them into a new kingdom, the people
of God. His method has not changed. Jesus Christ is the
same today as He was yesterday and as He will be forever.
(Heb 13:8 JB) He still says to His disciples: You will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you
will be my witnesses. (Acts 1:8 JB) It is time for all Catholics
to be equipped with two arms, not just one. It is time to
foster baptism in the Holy Spirit for all Christians.

nations the Church encounters the destructive power of

spiritualist and occult practices, curses, and necromancy. As
the Church is giving greater attention to the need for the
ministry of exorcism, it is not coincidental that many of the
priests who carry out this ministry come from the CCR.
Here the grace of baptism in the Spirit meets a major
spiritual need in the Churchs ministry to the contemporary
world.

4. Healing and Deliverance as fruit of the

Baptism in Holy Spirit

The ministry of healing, linked to evangelization, is found

mainly in the Pentecostal Churches, the Charismatic
Renewal and the Neo-charismatic Churches. Since the
beginning of the 20th Century, Pentecostal/ Charismatictype groups have flourished all over the world with
remarkable growth in most denominations and even giving
rise to new Churches. In the year 2000, there were about
1,990,018,000 Christians living in the world, 38 of which
one in four (or 27.7%) is Pentecostal, Charismatic or NeoCharismatic. According to David B. Barrett39, they
numbered over 535 million adherents40, including the 119
million Catholic Charismatics which we will now examine.

VI. THE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC

RENEWAL

In November 2011, the Pontifical council for Laity in

cooperation with the ICCRS council, convened a
Colloquium in Rome on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We
were about 150 participants. Our task was to react to the
draft document prepared by the Doctrinal Commission of
ICCRS. This document received corrections and
recommendations which the Commission took into
consideration before submitting its final draft. Then Laity
reviewed it, made some adjustments and authorized its
publication by ICCRS in 2012. Here is what this document
says about healing and deliverance as a characteristic and
fruit of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

1. What is the Catholic Charismatic Renewal?

The Charismatic Renewal fosters
Conversion to Jesus as Lord and Savior,
Receptiveness to the Person, the presence and power
of the Holy Spirit
The reception and use of the charisms in the CCR
and the Church
Evangelization in the power of the Holy Spirit
Growth in holiness
This is your mission, dear members of the Renewal
in the Holy Spirit: to be witnesses of the "reasons of
the Spirit. John Paul II
The preamble to the Statutes of ICCRS41 gives a definition
that is also a description and a declaration. It was written
by the ICCRS Council in 1993 and reviewed in 2004.

Through baptism in the Spirit there has been a wide

diffusion of charisms of healing, and prayers for healing
have become an ordinary part of the Christian life for many.
From early on the CCR embraced the ministry of healing as
an integral part of its mission, recognizing that healing was
integral to Jesus ministry and that he empowered his
followers to heal as well. The renewal has given rise to
various practices and ministries in which charisms of
healing are exercised. During prayer meetings it is common
for people to pray for healing for one another; conferences
and retreats often include time set aside for prayer for
healing. Many have experienced healing of one kind or
another, whether physical, emotional, psychological, or
spiritual.
Healing is closely linked with deliverance from evil
spiritual powers. Just as Jesus himself was led from the
theophany of his baptism into the wilderness to be tempted
by Satan, so those filled with the Holy Spirit also
experience both the opposition of Satan and the power of
the indwelling Spirit to repel temptation and to overcome
the powers of evil. The age-old Christian experience of
spiritual battle is lived anew, giving rise to a new awareness
of the need for prayers and ministries of deliverance to free
people from various forms of spiritual oppression.

38

1,040,020,000 Roman Catholics, 530 million Pentecostals/Charismatics,

175 million Orthodox (mainly Russian with more than 60 million and
Greek with about 9 million), 73.2 million Anglicans, 59.6 million Baptists,
57.7 million Lutherans, 49.8 million Presbyterians, 35 million Assemblies
of God, and 33 million Methodists.
39
Vinson Synan, Century of The Holy Spirit 100 Years Of Pentecostal And
Charismatic Renewal, 1901-2001 p. 381-414. ISBN: 0785245502
40
Classified as three distinct, separate and on-going large waves or surges
or explosions of the Pentecostal/ charismatic renewal in the Holy Spirit,
with each wave larger and stronger than the previous. The first wave begun
in 1901 now has 65 million Pentecostals found in 740 denominations. The
second wave begun in 1950 for Protestants and 1967 for Roman Catholics
now has 175 million charismatics found in 6,530 non-Pentecostal mainline
denominations. The third wave, begun in 1981 now has 295 million Neocharismatics found in 18,810 independent denominations and networks. If
one were to include all of those who have died during the 20 th century,
estimated at 175 million, the total of all renewal believers in the 20 th
century is about 795 million Christians.
41
ICCRS = The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services: a
group recognized by the Vatican to promote the Catholic Charismatic
Renewal worldwide.

The renewed attention to deliverance from evil powers

comes at a time when formerly Christian societies,
particularly in Europe, are experiencing new expressions of
paganism that lead to forms of spiritual bondage from
which the victims cannot be freed by psychological means
alone. At the same time, in her missionary work among the

19

4. To foster the work of evangelization in the power of the

Holy Spirit, including the evangelization of the unchurched, the re-evangelization of nominal Christians, the
evangelization of culture and social structures. The renewal
especially promotes sharing in the Church's mission by
proclaiming the gospel in word and deed, and by bearing
witness to Jesus Christ through personal testimony and
through those works of faith and justice to which each one
is called.
5. To foster the ongoing growth in holiness through the
proper integration of these charismatic emphases with the
full life of the Church. This is accomplished through
participation in a rich sacramental and liturgical life, and
appreciation of the tradition of Catholic prayer and
spirituality, and ongoing formation in Catholic doctrine
guided by the Church's Magisterium, and participation in
the pastoral plan of the Church42. ()

Every level of service in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal,

from the parish prayer group to the ICCRS Council in
Rome, should abide by its wisdom and its inclusiveness. I
can testify to the fact that the ICCRS Council, when
deliberating on a variety of issues, reminds itself often of
the provisions of this Preamble. What makes this statement
authoritative is that it is the only official definition of the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal accepted by a Vatican body,
i.e., the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The Preamble
hammers away at the human tendency to approach, to
exercise authority in a carnal way. It centers ones attention
on the essentials: Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the charisms,
evangelization and holiness.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) is a grace of
renewal in the Holy Spirit with a worldwide character and
many expressions in the Catholic Church, but it is neither
uniform nor unified. It does not have a single founder nor a
group of founders, and has no membership lists. Rather it is
a flow of grace that allows individuals and groups to
express themselves in different ways and forms of
organization and activities, often quite independent of one
another, in different stages and modes of development, with
differing emphases. Nevertheless, they share the same
fundamental experience and espouse the same general
goals. This pattern of loose-knit relationships is found at the
diocesan and national levels as well as at the international
level. These relationships are very often characterized by
free association, dialogue and collaboration rather than by
integration into an ordered structure. Leadership is
characterized more by offering service to those who want it
rather that by governance. In several realities the CCR
organizes itself like an Ecclesial Movement, but there are
also structures such as Communities, Networks, Schools of
Evangelization, Television Stations, Associations, Religious
Institutes and Seminaries, as well as Publishing Houses,
Musicians, Missionaries, and Preachers. All of these,
though not formally associated in a specific structure have a
charismatic profile.

When addressing the Italian Charismatic Renewal in 2004,

John Paul II identified their mission: to be witnesses of the
reasons of the Spirit and to place a seed of fruitful hope:
This is your mission, dear members of the Renewal in the
Holy Spirit: to be witnesses of the "reasons of the Spirit", in
a society where human reason often seems to lack the
wisdom that comes from above. While each of you
dedicates yourselves to your daily tasks, always remember
to place a seed of fruitful hope in the souls of the believers
who participate in the activities of your groups and your
communities43.

2. How did the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

begin?
The Charismatic Renewal is a move of God, a mighty
river of grace. It groups many of those who have
experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It has given
birth to many realities such as Prayer Groups,
Communities, Schools of Evangelization, Houses of
Prayer, Networks, Television stations, Publishing
Houses, Musicians, Missionaries, Preachers, Works of
Charity, etc.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is not a movement
although it has given birth to many movements. Rather it is
a move of God, a mighty river of grace. It has no founder
but it does have its moments. The Catholic Charismatic
Renewal is the sovereign work of God the Father who sends
His Holy Spirit on all flesh as He promised He would
because of what His only Son Jesus has done.

The central goals of Catholic Charismatic Renewal, or

Catholic Pentecostal Renewal as it is also called, include:
1. To foster mature and continuous personal conversion to
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
2. To foster a decisive personal receptivity to the person,
presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.
These two spiritual graces are often experienced together
in what is called in different parts of the world a baptism in
the Holy Spirit, or a release of the Holy Spirit, or a renewal
of the Holy Spirit. They are most often understood as a
personal acceptance of the graces of Christian initiation and
as an empowering for personal Christian service in the
Church and in the world.
3. To foster the reception and use of the spiritual gifts
(charismata) not only in the charismatic renewal but also in
the broader Church. These gifts, ordinary and extraordinary
are abundantly found among laity, religious and clergy.
Their proper understanding and use in harmony with other
elements of the Church life is a source of strength for
Christians on their journey towards holiness and in the
carrying out of their mission.

The first moment of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

occurred nearly 2000 years ago at Pentecost. The Holy
Spirit appeared as a ball of fire, was heard as a rushing
mighty wind to fill the entire house where the Apostles were
praying with Mary, the Mother of the Lord. And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
42

ICCRS, Then Peter Stood Up, 105

ICCRS, Then Peter Stood Up Update 2004; quoting John Paul IIs
message to the 24th National Conference of the Italian Association RnS in
Rimini in April 2004, p. 20
43

20

tongues, (Acts 2: 1-4) Since then, over the centuries, there

have been many such moments when the Holy Spirit fell on
one or many to bring as many as possible back to God.

This is truly remarkable and needs to be taken seriously. If

this grace had been given us only to make us better
Catholics, better Presbyterians, better Methodists, and so
forth, then it would actually reinforce our divisions.
Clearly, this is not the case. It has come to make us better
Christians. It has come to make the Church once again truly
catholic, truly universal and to give us the power and
wisdom to fulfill our calling. This grace continues to
manifest itself as a sovereign work of God And the
minute such people meet others who have already been
touched, there is an immediate, intuitive understanding that
they have been touched by the same grace. This is the way
the Spirit sets his seal on this work46.

The present Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a sovereign

move of God. There is no human founder. It is a grace
shared by all Christians and not only by Catholics. In fact,
this grace was first given to poor Protestants of the Southern
USA (in Topeka, Kansas), then every day for three years in
1906 on Azuza street to more ordinary people who became
Pentecostals either because mainline denominations
including Catholics rejected them from their Churches or
because they were more comfortable there. They gave birth
to a fourth44 force in Christianity: Pentecostals/
charismatics. In the 1950s, Churches of the Protestant
Reformation began accepting Spirit-filled Christians in
their ranks. It was only in 1967, after the Second Vatican
Council, that the Lord dramatically and masterfully released
the outpouring of this grace in the Catholic Church. It is the
same grace that is renewing the entire divided Christian
Churches. The common denominator is that all these
Christians are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

3. The Vatican and the Catholic Charismatic

Renewal.
The Vatican has formalized its recognition of the
Charismatic Renewal through
the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant
Communities and Fellowships
the ICCRS Council
numerous Covenant Communities and ministries.
The Charismatic Renewal has been such a gift to
the Church. John Paul II
Cardinal Suenens and Pope Paul VI worked together to
have the Vatican recognize the CCR. Bishop Cordes and
Pope John Paul II formalized the Vaticans relationship to
the CCR by recognizing two institutions through the
Pontifical Council for the Laity: the Catholic Fraternity of
Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships
(1990) and the ICCRS47 Council (1993).

During his pontificate, Pope John XXIII convened the

Second Vatican Council. In answer to his prayer Divine
Spirit renew your wonders in our time, as though for a
new Pentecost., the Bishops of the world experienced a
Pentecostal moment during the years of Vatican II. This
Council inaugurated a profound reform in the Catholic
Church, a return to its biblical and foundational roots.
Although the theological base was now formulated, the
reforms of Vatican II are still far from being in place. It is
my opinion that the reform of Vatican II is very visible in
the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. The CCR is one
important way the Holy Spirit is taking to implement the
reforms He inspired in 1962-65. After Vatican II, all
Catholics, especially lay people, were offered a new grace
of Pentecost. It is intended for all Christians.

On healing and deliverance, Cardinal Suenens wrote,

Christ the Savior of man is also He who heals man's
wounds. His Church has the duty to continue his ministry of
healing, to pursue the combat against the Powers of Evil,
and to recognize, authenticate, and encourage the
development of the charism of healing by charting safe
roads for it48.

There were spontaneous moments of grace in different

countries at this time. One particularly significant moment
happened at the Duquesne Weekend in February 17-19,
1967. Patti Gallagher Mansfield describes this event when
professors and young students at Duquesne University in
Pittsburgh attended a weekend retreat that gave birth to the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal.45This grace of Pentecost
flowed to Catholics from Protestants and then from
Catholics to 140 million Catholics in 33 years.

In 1998, Pope John Paul II said,

The Catholic Charismatic movement is one of the many
fruits of the Second Vatican Council, which, like a new
Pentecost, led to an extraordinary flourishing in the
Churchs life of groups and movements particularly
sensitive to the action of the Spirit. How can we not give
thanks for the precious spiritual fruits that the Renewal has
produced in the life of the Church and in the lives of so
many people? How many lay faithful men, women, young
people, adults and the elderly have been able to experience
in their own lives the amazing power of the Spirit and his
gifts! How many people have rediscovered faith, the joy of
prayer, the power and beauty of the Word of God,
translating all this into generous service in the Churchs

Fr. Francis Martin explains Gods sovereign move in all the

churches. The Church is a bride, and she shows to the
world that her spouse is alive by living by his power and
receiving life from him. There is a danger in our day that
the Church will look more like a widow, alone and without
resources except those possessed by any human
organization.

46

Fr. Francis Martin in an interview FAITH & RENEWAL, Jan-Feb. 1994

International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services
48
Cardinal Suenens, A Controversial Phenomenon. Resting in the Spirit,
Veritas, 1987, p. 80
47

44
45

The other three being Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants.

Patti Gallagher Mansfield, As By A New Pentecost, p.8-28

21

mission! How many lives have been profoundly changed!

For all this today, I wish to praise and thank the Holy
Spirit49.

mission centres in Germany, Philippines, Malta, India,

Indonesia, New Zealand and Poland.

In 2001, John Paul II wrote,

For this is what the saints are: people who have fallen in
love with Christ. And this is why the Charismatic Renewal
has been such a gift to the Church: it has led a host of men
and women, young and old, into this experience of the love
which is stronger than death50.

Prayer groups: The Renewal spread from country to country

with incredible speed. By 1969, there were charismatic
prayer groups in 13 countries, by 1970 in 25, by 1975 in 93,
and by AD 2000 in 235 countries. In 1973, 1% of all
Catholics attended a prayer group weekly. In 1995, there
were 11 million. By AD 2000, it was up to 11.3% or 13
million very committed people.

All that Paul VI and John Paul II have said about the CCR
from 1973 to 2004 was published by ICCRS in Then Peter
Stood Up A must read.

National Service Committees (NSC): 172 countries have

given themselves a national body to promote the CCR on
their own territory.

4. How has the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

grown?

5. Has the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

peaked?

Its growth has been and remains phenomenal. Over 30

years, the growth rate of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
was 14.6% per annum. The total Catholic Charismatic
demographic community amounted to 40 million in 1980,
increased to 63 million by 1985, to 104 million by 1995,
and to 119 million by AD 2000.

That depends on which of the 238 countries of the world we

are talking about. In 54 countries there are only 3 prayer
groups or less while in 3 countries there are none at all.
Also, in 12 countries the number of Charismatics was in
marked decline between 1975 and 2000. In 7 countries, the
numbers since 1975 have not changed. But in 101
countries, with 100,000 Charismatics or less, the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal is expanding fast. In another 61
countries, with more than 100,000 Charismatics, the
numbers are increasing. In this last category, there are 15
countries with over 1 million Charismatics, 4 with over 5
million and 3 with over 10 million. Brazil leads with over
33 million Charismatics, then the Philippines and Colombia
each with over 11 million.

Covenant Communities: The Catholic Charismatic Renewal

has brought forth an abundant variety of New Communities
in many countries around the world which offer amazing
blessings and challenges to the Catholic Church. These
groups bind together priests, religious, lay people married
and celibate by a Covenant. Their structured commitment to
holiness of life and to the mission of the Church to
evangelize pools human resources of time, talent, gifts,
money to produce truly awesome results. There are
millions of members.

It is safe to state that, in the history of the Catholic Church,

there has never been a movement that has impacted so
deeply the lives of so many Catholics in so short a space of
time. And the Catholic Charismatic Renewal has just
begun! It is for whole Church.

Brian Smith, a key player in the international Catholic

Charismatic Renewal for over 30 years, describes this
phenomenon this way: Covenant Communities combine
the graces of the CCR, the here and now action of the Holy
Spirit, with the charism of community building that are both
traditional and natural in the life of the Catholic Church.
They therefore develop their own particular spirituality 51.
Schools of Evangelization: The Catholic Charismatic
Renewal has given birth to a multitude of schools to train
young adults on how to evangelize. Many Covenant
Communities have their own. The forms vary in very
creative ways. The KeKaKo method, founded by Fr
Emiliano Tardif and Pepe Prado Flores of Mexico has
generated 1500 schools in 57 countries training tens of
thousands of people. The ICPE52 program, founded by the
Cappello brothers, Mario and Henry from Malta, have
49

Pope John Paul II, addressing the National Service Committee of the
Italian Renewal in the Spirit in Rome on April 4, 1998
50
ICCRS, Then Peter Stood Up Update 2004, p. 11; quoting John
Paul IIs message to the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic
Covenant Communities and Fellowships,
51
Brian Smith, Streams of Living Water, p. 90
52
International Catholic Program of Evangelization web site :
www.icpe.org

22

2. THE NAME (HA SHEM) OF JESUS

By Henri Lemay, paper prepared April 5, 2013

INTRODUCTION53

accord with the exercise of his great might, which he

worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating
him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every
principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every
name that is named not only in this age but also in the one
to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him
as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the
fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
(Eph 1:1723)
For his exploits, Jesus was victorious by despoiling the
principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of
them, leading them away in triumph by it. (Col 2:15)
God the Father gave Jesus His name: Because of this,
God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:911)

Jesus means in Hebrew: "God saves." At the

annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave him the name
Jesus as his proper name, which expresses both his
identity and his mission.54 Since God alone can forgive
sins, (Mk 2:7) it is God who, in Jesus his eternal Son
made man, "will save his people from their sins". (Mt
1:21) In Jesus, God recapitulates all of his history of
salvation on behalf of men. Catechism No. 430
His eyes were (like) a fiery flame, and on his head were
many diadems. He had a name inscribed that no one knows
except himself. He wore a cloak that had been dipped in
blood, and his name was called the Word of GodHe has a
name written on his cloak and on his thigh, King of kings
and Lord of lords. (Rev 19:12,13,16)

Origin of the Name of Jesus

The Power in the Name Jesus

There are three ways to get a great name: by birth, like a

king, for example; others will make a great name by their
exploits; while others are given a great name. Jesus received
his Name in all three of these ways. It is important to
understand the origin of this Name because our way of
thinking is the door to our heart. However, it is in our heart
that must be rooted reverence for and awareness of the
greatness of Jesus Name. In this way, we become giants of
the faith. Our strength lies in the Name of Jesus.
By birth: Behold, you will conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great
and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God
will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there
will be no end. (Luke 1:3132)
By inheritance: In times past, God spoke in partial and
various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in
these last days, he spoke to us through his Son, whom he
made heir of all things and through whom he created the
universe, who is the radiance of his glory, the exact
representation of his being, and who sustains all things by
his mighty word. When he had accomplished purification
from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty
on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has
inherited is more excellent than theirs. (He 1:14)
For his exploits: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and
revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of
(your) hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the
hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in
his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the
surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in

God created the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars with
a single word. God said Let there be light and there was
light. (Gen 1:3) How does the priest transform bread and
wine so that it becomes the Body and Blood of the risen
Jesus? With the words: This is my body.. This is my
blood.. (Lk 22:19) How does the priest forgive your sins?
With words. For God gave power to those words.
God also gives each of us an all-powerful word with
which we can work wonders for Him, for ourselves, and
for others: the Name of Jesus. When I say the Name of
Jesus, I offer to God the infinite love and merits of His
own divine Son. I cannot offer the Father anything more
holy, anything better, anything more pleasing to Him, or
anything more effective for me. Reverently saying the
Name of Jesus is the shortest, easiest, and most powerful
of all prayers. Jesus said, And whatever you ask in my
name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the
Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.
(Jn 14:1314)

I. JESUS IS LORD
For more than a century, a war has raged in the Church for
the heart of Christians. There are among us (prelates,
priests, and lay people) who want to be modern or
liberal in their faith. They do not believe in the
incarnation, the virgin birth of Jesus. They are not certain
that Jesus is truly the Son of God. They question many other
dogmas (for example, the Real Presence in the Eucharist,
the existence of demons and hell, the possibility of healing
and miracles) but let us focus on His Name. For them, the
Name of Jesus is an ordinary name.

53

The teaching combines several sources including the Catechism of the Catholic
Church; Father Paul OSullivan, The Marvels of the Holy Name of Jesus, 1997;
Kenneth E. Hagin, The Name of Jesus, Legacy Edition, 2007.
54
See Lk 1:31.

23

glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his
glorious throne Then the king will say to those on his
right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from
me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil
and his angels. (Mt 25:31,34,41)
Jesus said that He is God. Before Abraham came to be, I
AM. (Jn 8:58)

If Jesus is not born of a virgin, He is not the Son of God. If

He is not God, His Name is nothing special. The divinity of
the man from Galilee is the fundamental truth of
Christianity. Once this belief is in doubt, Christianity has
lost its heart and stops working. It becomes a dead religion.
If Jesus is not divine, He is not Lord. If He is not Lord, He
can not meddle in the morality of our activities. If He is not
Lord, laws based on His teaching no longer hold. Marriage
for life is gone. The inalienable right to life no longer holds.
Restrictions against murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and
envy have no authority. Crime and lawlessness take over.
Whoever believes in His divinity will do well to observe
His precepts, His teachings, His moral standards in business
and in their private and family life. For we all have to
appear before Him on Judgement Day to answer for the
consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions.

A mere mortal55 who says such things would not be a great

moral teacher. He would be a mental patient-just as one
who claims to be a giraffe. Or we could consider him to be a
demon from hell. As C.S. Lewis said, we must choose from
only these three possibilities. This man is a fool, or he is an
evil liar, or he was and is the Son of God. You can silence
him by calling him crazy; you can spit on him and kill him
as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and say, My Lord
and my God. (Jn 20:28) However, no one can logically
proclaim that Jesus was just a great teacher. That option is
not available.
The title "Lord" indicates divine sovereignty. To
confess or invoke Jesus as Lord is to believe in his
divinity. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the
Holy Spirit'" (1 Cor 12:3). Catechism # 455

Some people say that Jesus was simply a great teacher of

moral living. This is one of the most popular myths about
Christianity, which prevents many people from coming into
contact with the true person and message of Jesus. Like all
myths, there is a grain of truth. Never before has anyone
spoken like this one. (Jn 7:46) Jesus spoke in parables and
speeches. He was a master of elocution, a terrific debater,
and an accomplished storyteller. His message was always of
the highest moral, spiritual and motivational order. Adding
to His credibility, He practised what He preached. He said
not to worry about material things and He had nowhere to
lay His head. He told the people to forgive their enemies.
On the Cross, He forgave His executioners. Without a
doubt, Jesus was the best communicator and the most
outstanding teacher of all time.

II. OUR INHERITANCE

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (18341892) an influential
Baptist preacher from England, was invited to visit a
bedridden old lady in her shack. She was dying of
malnutrition. He noticed a framed document on her wall. Is
this yours? he asked. Yes she replied. I was the maid in
the house of a noblewoman for 50 years. Before dying, she
handed me this document. I was so proud that I had it
framed. It has been on this wall for 10 years. May I take it
away to study it more closely? asked Charles. Yes,
replied the old woman, who could not read, but be sure to
bring it back to me. Charles took the document to the
authorities who had long sought it. It was a bequeathal56
(also known as a bequest). Her mistress had left her a house
and money. This old woman lived in a hovel made of wood;
she was destitute and starving. Yet she had a document on
her wall that gave her title to a beautiful house. Her money
accumulated interest. It belonged to her. Nevertheless,
because she did not know it, she did not benefit from it.

Nevertheless, it is unacceptable to say that Jesus was just a

great moral communicator. He does not give us that option.
What He said and how He behaved prevent us from so
woefully understating His role in the story of humanity and
indeed every human life.
He said he had the power to forgive sins and He did
forgive them. See Mt 9:2, Lk 7:4748.
People adored Him and He did not prevent them from
doing so. Those who were in the boat did him homage,
saying, Truly, you are the Son of God! (Mt 14:33)
Jesus said that one day all the dead of all times will rise at
the command of His voice. the hour is coming in which all
who are in the tombs will hear his (of the Son of Man
Jesus) voice and will come out, those who have done good
deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done
wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation... (Jn
5:2829)
He prophesied that, three days after His sudden death, He
would return to life. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,
and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests
and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and
hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged
and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day. (Mt
20:18,19)
Jesus said that all men will one day have to account for
their life before Him. When the Son of Man comes in his

Many in the Church are like the old woman: proud to be

Christians but unaware of their inheritance. They do not
know what is granted to them by the New Testament.
Simon Peter knew, but what I do have I give you: in the
name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean, (rise and) walk.

The Name of Jesus: a Treasure of the Church

The early Church, the Church of Jerusalem, knew she had a
great gift, a powerful tool, in the Name of Jesus. Simon
55

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 56.

Bequeathal noun the deed of bequeathing, of leaving (property) to a person or
other beneficiary by a will. Collins Dictionary

56

24

Peter knew he had access to the omnipotence of God by the

Name of Jesus. Since the Holy Spirit had filled him on
Pentecost, Simon was no longer the same. He knew who he
was in Jesus. Simon lived, yes, but it was Christ who lived
in him and continued His mission through him.

Simon Peter knew what he had: but what I have, give I

you. What did he have? He had the Name that is above
every name. (Php 2:9) In the Name of Jesus Christ the
Nazarean, (rise and) walk. Peter had the Name. We have
the Name. The Name of Jesus is as powerful today as it was
in Peters time.
However, to use it effectively, we must know what the
Word teaches us about it. You cannot use it magically, like
a talisman. You must know what God has invested in that
Name. We cannot deny that this old woman had a nice
house and a lot of money. Yet, she lived in destitution. Why
did she live like that? She was ignorant of her inheritance.

A few days after Pentecost, Simon Peter and John went to

the Temple. When someone disabled since birth held out his
hand to receive some money, Peter said, Look at us.
These words encouraged the man to expect something.
Peter said, I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do
have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean,
(rise and) walk! (Ac 3:7) Peter knew he had an allpowerful tool, the Name of Jesus. God has invested His
divine omnipotence in the Name and gave it to the Church
as an inheritance. Peter was aware of what I have, give I
thee and had the audacity to use the name of Jesus Christ
the Nazarean, (rise and) walk!

Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the

name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him. (Col 3:17) Whatever you do! In speech or
in action! Do it in Jesus Name. Everything that the
early Christians did, they did in Jesus Name. They were
taught to do everything in Jesus Name. Wherever they
went, they were aware of Jesus Name.
Now we can understand why the Jewish leaders outside the
Church feared the Name of Jesus more than anything. The
Jewish authorities had Peter and John arrested and
threatened them after they healed the disabled man at the
Beautiful Gate of the Temple. Surprisingly, they did not
forbid them from speaking of the resurrection of Jesus but
commanded them not to speak to anyone in this name and
not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. The
members of the Sanhedrin quarrelled among themselves:
...they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred
with one anotherSo that it may not be spread any further
among the people, let us give them a stern warning never
again to speak to anyone in this name. So they called them
back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the
name of Jesus. (Ac 4:15,1718) It is so important that the
Name be on our lips that even people outside the Church
realize its power.

Hostility to the Name

You will be hated by all because of my name. (Mt 10:22)
If the world hates you, realize that it hated me
firstRemember the word I spoke to you, No slave is
greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will
also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep
yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of
my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.
(Jn 15:18,2021)
And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your
servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you
stretch forth (your) hand to heal, and signs and wonders are
done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. (Ac
4:2930)
We gave you strict orders (did we not?) to stop teaching in
that name. (Ac 5:28)
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that
they had been found worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake
of the name. (Ac 5:41)
But the Lord said to him, Go, for this man is a chosen
instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings,
and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to
suffer for my name. (Ac 9:1516)

What the Spirit of God told the Church in Colossae, He also

says to the Church of the 21st century: Whatever you do,
in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col
3:17)

There are still some who say, But Peter was the head of the
apostles. The apostles had such power to establish the
Church. But when the last apostle died, it all stopped. This
power is no longer available to us.
Such blindness may come from the devil. He does not want
Christians to discover the Name of Jesus. He is afraid of this
Name. All hell is afraid of this Name. Hell knows that Jesus
has overcome it. Hell knows the Name of Jesus is as
powerful as the person of Jesus. Hell knows that Jesus said,
In my name they will drive out demons. This means that
Christians have authority over demons. The devil knows
this but he does not want Christians to know it. As long as
Christians do not know this, the demons continue to rule
over them. The devil is deceiving us; we have been duped.
It does not bother him if Christians become religious but
remain without power because that way, they pose no threat
to his reign.

Commanded to Believe in His Name

And his commandment is this: we should believe in the
name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just
as he commanded us. (1 Jn 3:23) God commands us to
believe not only in His Son Jesus, but also to believe in
His Name. The new Commandment of the New
Covenant is to love one another as Jesus loved us and to
believe in the Name of Jesus.

25

crowd come to enjoy the spectacle. Methodically, with their

sharp swords, the executioners cut off his fingers one by
one, severed one joint after another, and then amputated his
arms and legs. They broke all his bones and then cut all the
flesh from his body. To the dismay of the spectators, the
Bishops face showed no pain. He smiled as he repeated
slowly, aloud: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! After hours of torture,
with the same charming smile, he died.

III. POWER OF THE NAME

(Jesus is) as far superior to the angels as the name he has
inherited is more excellent than theirs. (He 1:4)
But the one name that contains everything is the one
that the Son of God received in his incarnation: JESUS.
The divine name may not be spoken 57 by human lips58,
but by assuming our humanity, the Word of God hands
it over to us and we can invoke it: "Jesus," "YHWH
saves."59 The name "Jesus" contains all: God and man
and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To
pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us.
His name is the only one that contains the presence it
signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes
the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who
loved him and who gave himself up for him. 60
Catechism No. 2666

Healings in Kurdistan A mother brought her sick, dying

child from house to house looking for someone with an
effective remedy. She arrived at the house where lived the
young Christian slave, Saint Christiana. When the mother
asked for help, Christiana looked at the child and said,
Jesus, Jesus! At that moment, the child smiled and leapt
for joy, completely healed.
The matter reached the ears of the queen of the country,
who was an invalid. She ordered her attendants to bring
Christiana to her. In the kings presence, the queen asked
the young slave if her remedy could heal her when no
doctors remedy could. Christiana spoke with great
confidence: Jesus, Jesus! The queen was healed
immediately.
A few days later, the king found himself in serious danger
without hope of escape. Death was certain. Remembering
the healing of his queen, his majesty exclaimed, Jesus,
Jesus! He was snatched from peril. Returning to his palace,
he asked Christiana to tell him about Jesus. He became a
Christian and a multitude of other people followed.
Instruction of an Angel St. Gregory of Tours relates that,
when a young boy, his father fell seriously ill and slipped
close to death. The son prayed fervently for the health of his
dad. One night, his guardian angel appeared in a dream
telling him to write the Name of Jesus on a card and place it
under the pillow of his father. The next day, with the
support of his mother, he placed the name under the head of
his father, who was restored to health in a few days.
A Lazarus61 An Englishman named Lazarus was bedridden
for six years with tuberculosis. Before his illness, he was a
pastor in his church. God spoke to Smith Wigglesworth:
Go raise Lazarus. Wigglesworth entered his room and
Lazarus was only a skeleton. Wigglesworth was unable to
reawaken the faith of Lazarus, so bitter was he towards God
for not healing him yet. Had he not given his life to His
service? Wigglesworth asked seven people to accompany
him in the room of Lazarus. They gathered around his bed
holding the hand of Lazarus on each side. Wigglesworth
said, We will not pray. We will use the Name of Jesus.
They all began to kneel and repeat softly, Jesus, Jesus,
Jesus... The power of God fell and then departed. Five
times, it fell while this small group repeated the Name
above every name. Lazarus had not flinched. The sixth
time that the power of God fell, it remained on Lazarus.
Wigglesworth said, The power of God is here: its up to
you to accept it. The patient moved his lips and confessed,
I was bitter in my heart. I know I have grieved the Spirit of
God. I am weak. I can not even lift my hands, even to bring
a spoon to my mouth. Wigglesworth said, Repent and

The 1432 Plague of Lisbon From Lisbon, the plague

spread across Portugal causing thousands of deaths, to the
point that corpses littered the streets. The holy bishop,
Andr Dias, attended the dying with a tireless zeal. The
plague continued to claim more lives and territory. Dias
began to exhort the people to invoke the Holy Name of
Jesus. Wherever the disease was raging, the bishop begged
the sick and dying to repeat Jesus! Jesus! He told them:
Write the Name of Jesus on cards and keep those cards on
you. At night, place the cards under your pillow. Place them
on your doors. But above all, constantly invoke the
almighty Name of Jesus with your lips and your heart.
Bishop Dias urged the use of the Name of Jesus wherever
he went. Soon, the victims of the plague began to invoke the
Name of Jesus and felt a new life rise in them.
The bishop summoned everyone to the great monastery
church of St. Dominic. There, he told them about the power
of Jesus Name. He blessed the water by invoking the Name
of Jesus over it. He ordered everyone to sprinkle this water
on themselves and sprinkle the face of the sick and dying.
Healing began. The sick recovered their health and the dead
were raised. The plague disappeared and the city was
delivered in a few days. The news spread throughout the
country where everyone began to call upon the Name of
Jesus. Soon, all of Portugal was freed from this scourge.
The people, amazed and grateful, put all their love and their
trust in the Name of Jesus and began to invoke it every time
any danger threatened. They formed guilds of the Name of
Jesus in churches. They organized processions of the Holy
Name of Jesus and they erected altars in honour of this
blessed Name. This confidence in the Name of Jesus spread
to Spain, France and around the world.
Martyred Bishop in China- Chinese authorities arrested
the holy bishop Melchior, subjected him to the cruellest
tortures, and sentenced him to a brutal death. His
martyrdom took place in the public square before a large
57
58
59
60

Inexpressible adj. Defying expression. -WordWeb

See Ex 3:14; 33:19-23.
See Mt 1:21.
See Rm 10:13; Ac 2:21; 3:15-16; Ga 2:20.

61

26

Smith Wigglesworth, Ever Increasing Faith, 1971.

God will hear you. Lazarus repented and cried, O Lord,

be it for your glory! In saying that, the power fell on him
and crossed him from side to side. While the group repeated
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, the bed started shaking and Lazarus
shook, too. Wigglesworth then asked the group to wait in
the living room while Lazarus dressed. He went downstairs
completely healed. The faith of many was restored because
of this miracle.

speaks of Jesus whom "God put forward as an expiation

by his blood", (Romans 3:25) he means that in Christ's
humanity "God was in Christ reconciling the world to
himself." (2 Cor 5: 19). Catechism No. 433

The Necessity of Faith

Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him
for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that
salvation.71 "Since "without faith it is impossible to please
[God]" and to attain to the fellowship of his sons,
therefore without faith no one has ever attained
justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life72 'But he
who endures to the end' (Mt 10:22, 24, 13).
Catechism No. 161

IV. SALVATION
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become
children of God, to those who believe in his name. (Jn
1:12)

Jesus Substitutes His Obedience for our Disobedience

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made
righteous." (Romans 5:19) By his obedience unto death,
Jesus accomplished the substitution of the suffering
Servant, who "makes himself an offering for sin", when
"he bore the sin of many", and who "shall make many to
be accounted righteous", for "he shall bear their
iniquities". (Is 53:1012) Jesus atoned for our faults and
made satisfaction for our sins to the Father. 73
Catechism No. 615

Christians believe that God offers us a new birth that brings

us into a new life of intimacy with God. In addition, through
baptism and faith, we enter this blessing and we become a
new creation. So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away; behold, new things have
comeFor our sake he made him to be sin who did not
know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God
in him. (2 Cor 5:17,21) Becoming the righteousness of
God means conforming ones life to Gods will, that is to
say not to sin but to do good.
In the history of salvation God was not content to
deliver Israel "out of the house of bondage" (Dt 5:6) by
bringing them out of Egypt. He also saves them from
their sin. Because sin is always an offence against God62,
only he can forgive it.63 For this reason Israel, becoming
more and more aware of the universality of sin, will no
longer be able to seek salvation except by invoking the
name of the Redeemer God64.
Catechism No. 431

The Name Jesus Gives Salvation

There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any
other name under heaven given to the human race by which
we are to be saved. (Acts 4:12) No one can reach God
other than by Jesus. Nobody can contact God through
nature. Many perceive that there is a God by observing
nature, but no one can come to Him by a different path than
the Name of Jesus.
People in the world say that thinking like that is narrow
minded. This is what the Word of God teaches. There is not
another Name that gives us access to the throne of God.
Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me. (Jn 14:6) He is the
Way, the only way to the Father. He is the only way to
salvation. There is no other way to enter heaven. There is no
other way to find the truth. There is no other way to find
God. There is no other way to eternal life except through
Jesus in His Holy Name.

The name "Jesus" signifies that the very name of God

is present in the person of his Son 65, made man for the
universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the
divine name that alone brings salvation66, and
henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united
himself to all men through his Incarnation67, so that
"there is no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved." (Acts 4: 1268).
Catechism No. 432
The name of the Savior God (YHWH) was invoked only
once in the year by the high priest in atonement for the
sins of Israel, after he had sprinkled the mercy seat in
the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood69. The mercy
seat was the place of God's presence 70. When St. Paul
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70

Washed, Sanctified, and Justified in the Name of Jesus

That is what some of you used to be; but now you have
had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the
Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:11)
That is what some of you used to be. To what does this
text refer? Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Several stray
today. Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators

See Ps 51:6.
See Ps 51:12.
See Ps 79:9.
See Ac 5:41; 3 Jn 7.
See Jn 3:5; Ac 2:21.
See Rm 10:6-13.
See also Ac 9:14; James 2:7
See Lv 16:15-16; Si 50:20; He 9:7.
See Ex 25, 22; Lv 16:2; Nb 7:89; He 9:5.

71
72
73

27

See Mk 16:16; Jn 3:36; Jn 6:40.

Cc. Vatican I: DS 3012; cf. Cc. Trent: DS 1532.
cf. Cc. Trent: DS 1529

Joan of Arc74, have died with the one word "Jesus" on

their lips. Catechism No. 435
The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest
way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated
often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost
by heaping up empty phrases, (Mt 6:7) but holds fast to
the word and "brings forth fruit with patience75." This
prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one
occupation among others but the only occupation: that
of loving God, which animates and transfigures every
action in Christ Jesus.
Catechism No. 2668
Finally, in Jesus the name of the Holy God is revealed
and given to us, in the flesh, as Savior76, revealed by
what he is, by his word, and by his sacrifice 77. This is the
heart of his priestly prayer: "Holy Father . . . for their
sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be
consecrated in truth." (Jn 17:19) Because he "sanctifies"
his own name78, Jesus reveals to us the name of the
Father. (Jn 17:6) At the end of Christ's Passover, the
Father gives him the name that is above all names:
"Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father79".
Catechism No. 2812

nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor

practicing homosexuals, nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the
kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:910) This is quite a list of sins!
Nevertheless, glory to God for the power of Jesus Name.
For in the next verse, Paul shows us the way to escape the
fate of the unrighteous. That is what some of you used to
be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:11)
Nevertheless, Gods solid foundation stands, bearing this
inscription, The Lord knows those who are his; and, Let
everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord avoid evil.
(2 Tim 2:19)
Baptized in Jesus
When they heard this, they (the Ephesians) were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:5) But once they
(the Samaritans) began to believe Philip as he preached the
good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ, men and women alike were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
The Name of Jesus Gives Us the Holy Spirit
Peter said on the day of Pentecost to the Jews who wanted
to convert: Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and
you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
Jesus taught that in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages. (Mk 16:17)

To Say the Name of Jesus

St. Augustine was fond of repeating the Name of Jesus. He
liked to read books that often mentioned the Name of Jesus.
Saint Bernard found joy and comfort each time he
repeated the Name of Jesus. It felt like honey in his mouth
and a sweet peace in his heart.
St. Francis of Assisi found delight in repeating the Name of
Jesus. His face lit up and his voice took tender tones, he
loved to invoke the Name so.
St. Ignatius was so fond of the Name of Jesus the he called
his order the Society of Jesus.
St. Francis de Sales says that those who have the habit of
frequently repeating the Name of Jesus can be assured of
having a holy and happy death.
Saint Vincent Ferrer burnt with love for the Name of Jesus
and because of this Name Almighty, he performed
extraordinary miracles and healings.
St. Edmond had a special devotion to the Name of Jesus.
One day, while walking alone in the countryside, a beautiful
boy stopped him and asked, Edmond, do you not recognise
me? Look at me carefully. He walked over and could read
on his forehead: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. The
child Jesus said to him: Every night, make the sign of the
Cross, saying: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. If you
do this, this prayer will deliver you, and anyone who does
this, from a sudden and unexpected death.
Saint Frances of Rome constantly saw her angel and talked
with him. When Frances said the Name of Jesus, the angel
was radiant with joy and bowed in a gesture of loving
adoration.

V. LIVING IN JESUS
But these are written that you may (come to) believe that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through
this belief you may have life in his name. (Jn 20:31)
In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we
have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is,
so are we in this world. (1 Jn 4:17)
To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may
make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to
fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and
Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thes 1:11,12)
We (the apostles) have with one accord decided to choose
representatives and to send them to you along with our
beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives
to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ac 15:25,26)
The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer.
All liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through
our Lord Jesus Christ". The Hail Mary reaches its high
point in the words "blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus." The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus
Prayer, says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have
mercy on me, a sinner." Many Christians, such as St.

74

cf. P. Doncoeur et Y. Lanhers, La rhabilitation de Jeanne la Pucelle, p. 39,

45, 56
75
See Lk 8:15.
76
See Mt 1:21; Lk 1:31.
77
See Jn 8:28; 17:8; 17:17-19.
78
See Ez 20:39; 36:20-21.
79
See Ph 2:9-11.

28

early Christians said thank You to God for all His blessings
in the Name of Jesus.
A Sacrifice of Praise in His Name
Through him (then) let us continually offer God a sacrifice
of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
(Heb 13:15) Continually. The Holy Spirit teaches us to
offer a sacrifice of praise. In other words, our lips should
constantly say thank you in His Name.

The Name of Jesus in Prayer

Many Christians know they can pray to the Father in Jesus
Name but they do not grasp the full meaning. Few expect
results.
When Jesus openly entrusts to his disciples the mystery
of prayer to the Father, he reveals to them what their
prayer and ours must be, once he has returned to the
Father in his glorified humanity. What is new is to "ask
in his name." (John 14:13) Faith in the Son introduces
the disciples into the knowledge of the Father, because
Jesus is "the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)
Faith bears its fruit in love: it means keeping the word
and the commandments of Jesus, it means abiding with
him in the Father who, in him, so loves us that he abides
with us. In this new covenant the certitude that our
petitions will be heard is founded on the prayer of
Jesus.80 Catechism No. 2614
I have a key to unlock and open the door of my house.
Although I say that it is I who unlock the door, in fact, it is
the key that does. There is also a key that unlocks the power
of prayer, without which I will not get a response. This key
unlocks and opens the door and the windows of heaven and
grants me all according to my needs. This key is the Name
of Jesus.

VI. APOSTOLATE IN JESUS

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and
appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that
whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another. (Jn 15:1617)
Jesus' Resurrection glorifies the name of the Savior84
God, for from that time on it is the name of Jesus that
fully manifests the supreme power of the "name which is
above every name". (Phil 2: 910) The evil spirits fear
his name85; in his name his disciples perform miracles 86,
for the Father grants all they ask in this name. (Jn
15:16). Catechism No. 434
Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father
in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked
anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that
your joy may be complete. (Jn 16:2324)

All in the Name of Jesus

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him. (Col 3:17)

Until now means the life of Jesus before His death and
resurrection. Jesus had not yet received the name that is
above every name (Phil 2:9) In that day, Jesus teaches us
to ask the Father in His Name, the Name of Jesus. Jesus
assures us that we will get what we ask. It is the Name of
Jesus that ensures the answer, which guarantees the answer
to our prayers.

When we share in God's saving love, we understand

that every need can become the object of petition.
Christ, who assumed all things in order to redeem all
things, is glorified by what we ask the Father in his
name81. It is with this confidence that St. James 82 and St.
Paul exhort us to pray at all times83.
Catechism No. 2633

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do

the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask
in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified
in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will
do it. (Jn 14:1214)

The Holy Spirit, through Paul, instructed the Church on

what to do and say: Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it
always in the Name of Jesus.
If you wash the floor, wash it in the Name of Jesus.
If you wash dishes, wash them in the Name of Jesus.
If you make the beds, make them in the Name of Jesus.
If you teach, teach in the Name of Jesus.
If you sing, sing in the Name of Jesus.
If you play an instrument, play it in the Name of Jesus.
If you play chess, play it in the Name of Jesus.
If you drive a car, drive it in the Name of Jesus.
If you listen to someone, listen to them in the Name of
Jesus.

John 14:1314 does not speak exclusively of prayer in the

sense of asking the Father in Jesus Name. In John 14:13,
Jesus gives us another way to obtain from Him what we
ask. Ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. The
Greek word ask here means demand or order. When I will
demand something in the Name of Jesus, Jesus will do it: I
will do it.
Note that Peter did not address his commandment or
demand to God. Obviously, we do not control God.
Moreover, it was not God who made the man lame. Peter
simply demanded, in the Name of Jesus, that the man

Saying Thank You in Jesus Name

...Giving thanks always and for everything in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. (Eph 5:20) The
80
81
82
83

See Jn 14:13-14.
See Jn 14:13.
See James 1:5-8.
See Ep 5:20; Ph 4:6-7; Col 3:16-17; 1 Th 5:17-18.

84
85
86

29

See Jn 12:28.
See Ac 16:16-18; 19:13-16.
See Mk 16:17

should stand up and walk. Ask anything of me in my name,

I will do it.

(alteo87) in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be

glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my
name, I will do it. (John 14:1214)

Overcoming Sinful Tendencies

Verse 13 is not just a prayer, a request to the Father, but
rather it the use of the Name of Jesus as a weapon against
an enemy in everyday life. This is what Peter did at the
Beautiful Gate of the Temple after Pentecost. By using the
Name of Jesus, he demanded, commanded the paralytic to
get up and walk. In the Name of Jesus, get up and walk.

The Name of Jesus consoles the saddest heart and

strengthens the weakest sinner. And whatever you do, in
word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col
3:17)
In the Church, there are many Christians who believe that
God forgives sins and they receive forgiveness for their sins
with gratitude. However, they do not know all the other
treasures that God has for them. For example, they do not
know that God wants to give them victory over their evil
inclinations, victory over the sins that rule their lives.

We have the right and privilege to use the Name of Jesus.

All power and authority that Jesus had is invested in His
Name. When Jesus was on earth, He healed the sick. Peter
and all the disciples understood what Jesus had said, in John
14:13, whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. With audacity, that of
the Holy Spirit, he said I have the authority of the Name of
Jesus: it is my right to use it. So in Jesus name, get up and
walk! And Jesus healed the paralytic, I will do it. He had
promised it. Jesus gave the paralytic his legs.

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that
our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no
longer be in slavery to sin. Consequently, you too must think
of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and living for God in
Christ Jesus. Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal
bodies so that you obey their desires. For sin is not to have
any power over you, since you are not under the law but
under grace. Freed from sin, you have become slaves of
righteousness. (Rm 6:6,1112,14,18)

Peter did the same to heal Aeneas at Lydda, There he

found a man named Aeneas, who had been confined to bed
for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him,
Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed.
He got up at once. (Ac 9:3334) Jesus honoured the
courage of Peter as He had promised, I will do it. Then
Peter was led to the dead body of Tabitha. He put all the
people out, knelt and began to pray. He turned to her body
and said, Tabitha, rise up. She opened her eyes, saw Peter,
and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up, and
when he had called the holy ones and the widows, he
presented her alive. (Ac 9:3641)
Peter did not have an unknown power that we do not have
today. He performed these wonders in the Name of Jesus.
God did not remove the Name. This Name belongs to us
forever. It is our faith in that Name that is defective.

For some, the flesh, the world and the devil are indomitable
enemies. They cannot break free from them. Too often, they
fall into sin. I am weak, they say. These three enemies are
huge in their eyes and they are small, too weak to live
victoriously. They defeated themselves, stole from
themselves. They only vaguely understand their inheritance
of the Name of Jesus.
Yet New Testament Christianity promises us victory:
The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world. (1 Jn 4:4) In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world! (Jn 16:33)
In all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. (Rm 8:37 RSV)

Peter explains the miracle. When Peter saw this, he

addressed the people, You Israelites, why are you amazed at
this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had
made him walk by our own power or piety? The God of
Abraham, (the God) of Isaac, and (the God) of Jacob, the
God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus whom
you handed over and denied in Pilates presence, when he
had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and
Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to
you. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him
from the dead; of this we are witnesses. And by faith in his
name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has
made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given

Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father

in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked
anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that
your joy may be complete. (John 16:2324)
Demanding in the Name of Jesus
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do
the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask

87

Alteo: Verse 13 does not necessarily refer to prayer. The Greek verb alteo, ask, is
quite different from the Greek verb erotao, which is also translated as ask. Alteo can
mean to demand what is due, as in Matthew 7:9 Which one of you would hand his
son a stone when he asks (alteo) for a loaf of bread. Or again in Matthew 7:7 Ask
(alteo) and it will be given to you. Or again in 1 John 3:22 receive from him
whatever we ask (alteo), because we keep his commandments and do what pleases
him. Also, in James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who
gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. In all these
examples of the use of alteo, the context is a request by the lesser party that would be
granted by the greater party out of love.

30

him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you. (Ac

3:1216)

common practice in the early Church. This was to

exercise a power that Christ Himself gave to all
believers: These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons. (Mk 16:17) But
absolutely nobody has the right to contradict the express
words of Jesus Christ...It is heresy to contradict the
express words of Christ90.
Father Ovila Melanon

We have the Name of Jesus as a legacy just as Peter did.

Unfortunately, our faith in that Name is not like Peters
faith. So how do we correct this? The Bible teaches us,
faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes
through the word of Christ. (Rm 10:17) To increase our
faith in the Name of Jesus, we must nourish our spirit, our
heart, with what the Word says about this Name, until our
mind is perfectly informed and that our faith rises to a
higher plane. Therefore, it will be as natural for us to act in
that Name as it was for Peter.

Deliverance at Ephesus
As we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave
girl with an oracular spirit, who used to bring a large profit
to her owners through her fortune-telling. She began to
follow Paul and us, shouting: These people are slaves of
the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of
salvation. She did this for many days. Paul became
annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, I command you in
the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. Then it came
out at that moment. (Ac 16:1618)

The Anointing in His Name Is anyone among you sick?

He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they
should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name
of the Lord. (James 5:14) There it is again. All that the
early Christians did, they did in Jesus Name.

VII. SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Paul does not address himself to the servant but to the

demon. He said to the unclean spirit, I command you in the
name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. (Acts 16:18) And
the devil came out immediately. He had to leave. He had no
choice. Let us remember the truth announced in Philippians:
Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on
him the name that is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on
earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Ph
2:911) This demon must kneel at the Name of Jesus. Every
devil has to flee at this Name. This is the effect of the
Name. And this Name has for the Church today the same
power and the same authority that it did for Paul.

The first sign that Jesus said would accompany those who
believe in him: These signs will accompany those who
believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will
speak new languages. (Mk 16:17) Jesus did not say that
this sign would accompany the preachers or elders or priests
but those who believe.
Exorcism and the Power of the Laity
by Father Ovila Melanon88
There is confusion, almost universally in the Church, for
those with the power to perform exorcisms. But fortunately
and finally, an official document of the Holy See, the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, clarifies: The solemn
exorcism, called "a major exorcism," can be performed only
by a priest and with the permission of the bishop.
Catechism No. 1673

If you listen to some homilies or read some Christian books,

you might get the impression that the devil has ceased to
exist or that all demons operate only in the slums of cities to
harass tramps and the homeless. Be aware: demons attack
everyone, including the clergy and lay leaders.

We must infer, logically, that a private exorcism89 can be

performed by any priest, even by any of the faithful, without
the permission of the bishop. This is the most common
doctrine taught by the theologians who have studied this
issue, even among the most famous of them, such as St.
Alphonsus Liguori, Dominique Prummer, H. Noldin, A. S.J.
Poulain, A. Tanquerey, R. Garrigou-Lagrange O.P., BH
Merkelback O.P. If you want to be honest, one cannot
challenge the unquestionable authority of these great
teachers of Catholic theology.

A Pastor Attacked by a Demon

In 1952, Jesus appeared to Kenneth Hagin in a vision. He
showed him a demon who used a person to torment a pastor
to create problems, which threatened to divide his church.
Jesus said, Do not worry about the individual: you take
care of the demon. Kenneth asked, How can I do that? In
fact, the pastor was in the same city as Kenneth, but the
individual was elsewhere in the country. Jesus answered,
In the spirit realm, distance does not exist. Simply talk to
the evil spirit and order him, in My Name, saying, Evil
spirit, who acts in the life of (Jesus gave his name), who
harasses and torments the ministry of (Jesus named the
pastor), I order you to stop your activities and your

The Church Fathers, who were very near the apostolic

times, recognise for the benefit of all Christians the
power and right to practice exorcisms, which was a
88

Pre Ovila Melanon, c.s.c., Exorcismes et pouvoirs des lacs -influences

diaboliques, 1996; taken from his introduction.

By Church, Fr Melanon refers to men in the hierarchy, mainly some

priests and bishops. He is not talking about the Magisterium, the teaching
authority of the Church. Canon Law expresses what the Magisterium
teaches and all bishops and priests should abide by it and not forbid priests
or laypeople from expelling demons from people oppressed or obsessed but
not possessed.
90

Exorcism: the word exorcism means the same as deliverance. It is to

expel a demon. The Catholic Church has reserved the expelling of demons
from a person possessed to the bishop calling it a solemn or a major
exorcism. A private exorcism, what is also called deliverance, is to
expel a demon from a person oppressed or obsessed or vexed etc.by an
evil spirit.
89

31

manoeuvres immediately. In the vision, Kenneth saw the

demon that worked through the individual. Kenneth then
spoke the words dictated by Jesus. Kenneth saw the demon
begin to tremble, whine and complained like a little
whipped dog. Then the demon spoke to Kenneth: I know I
will leave if you tell me, but I do not want to leave.
Kenneth replied, I tell you to leave, in the Name of Jesus.

world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits

in the heavens. (Eph 6:12)
The Son-in-Law of K. Hagin
In 1963, the Spirit of God spoke to Kenneth about his sonin-law Buddy Harrison. He knew the Lord. He had been
baptized in the Holy Spirit. Yet he was unstable. He could
not remain in a job: for no reason, he left it. One day, he
would go to church to fulfill a role (he led worship) and the
following week, he would fail to appear. The Spirit of God
told Kenneth: There are three demons that follow Buddy
around. Suddenly, Kenneth had a spiritual vision. He saw
Buddy walking on the sidewalk. There was what looked like
three little dogs that followed him, one on his right, the
other on his left, and the third in the middle. The Holy Spirit
told Kenneth, Buddy will turn right and give in to the devil
on his right. Further down the path, he will turn and give in
to the devil on his left. Then, he will turn and give in to the
devil in the middle. Buddy seemed to be a different person
at times. Buddy behaved according to the devil to which he
yielded. His relatives said, We do not understand Buddy. Is
he schizophrenic?
Even if someone is baptized in the Spirit, it does not prevent
him from yielding to a demon. Everyone retains his free
will. Everyone makes decisions. A Christian can yield to a
temptation of the devil and let him dominate. A Christian
can succumb to the temptation of the flesh for the flesh to
rule over him. He may yield to a temptation of the world
and allow the world to rule over him. The Bible teaches that
everyone will face the devil, the flesh and the world.
Nevertheless, we are not obliged to submit to one or the
other.

It is not that the devil was afraid of Kenneth. However, he

remembered that Jesus died in the place of Kenneth,
descended into hell to defeat Satan, and Jesus was raised
from the dead. The devil remembered that Jesus was
victorious over him by despoiling the principalities and the
powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading them
away in triumph by it. (Col 2:15) He remembered how
Jesus had dethroned Satan. This demon was afraid, very
afraid. In the Name of Jesus, he left and never again talked
to the pastor of the disorder in question.
Mental Problem Caused by a Demon
After his exhortation in Colorado, Kenneth Hagin invited
people who wanted to come forward for prayer for the
sick. A man came forward and told Kenneth he was nervous
and could not sleep. Later, his wife told Kenneth that he had
mental problems and was unable to work for six months.
The doctors told her that the next step would be to send him
to the psychiatric hospital. Kenneth laid his hands on him in
prayer for his recovery, for his nerves to be healed, and for
him to be able to sleep. The man returned to his seat. Ten
minutes later, while Kenneth was praying with another
person, he could see the previous man now seated. God
allowed Kenneth, with his eyes wide open, to see into the
realm of spirits. This is the charism of discernment of
spirits. He saw a demon sitting on the mans shoulder. It
looked like a monkey clutching the mans head tightly in his
arms. Now, Kenneth knew the nature of his problem. He
invited the man to come forward. Kenneth, clearly seeing
the devil sitting on his shoulder, said to the demon, Youll
be forced to leave. The evil spirit replied, I know. I know,
if you tell me to leave. Kenneth said, In the Name of the
Lord Jesus Christ, leave the mind and body of this man
immediately. Kenneth saw the devil fall down and stay on
the floor, complaining, whining, and trembling. Kenneth
added: Do not just leave his body but also leaving this
place. The devil went out and ran through the side door.
The man raised his arms and began to praise the Lord. His
face became radiant. He exclaimed, It was as though a
tight metal band had been removed from around my head.
Sixteen years later, he was still free.

The Spirit of the Lord told Kenneth, Speak to these

demons. Command them in My Name, the Name of Jesus,
to cease their manoeuvres. Order them to stop. Kenneth
replied, Im in Oklahoma, Buddy is in Texas. The Spirit
said, In the realm of spirits, there is no distance. Kenneth
asked: How do You want me to do that? The Spirit
answered: Say: In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I
command the three unclean spirits that follow Buddy
around to stop your activities and your manoeuvres.
Kenneth said this as the Spirit told him to. The Spirit said,
Within ten days, he will have a job he will keep until I give
him something else to do. It was a turning point for Buddy.
Ten days later, he began a new job where he was given one
promotion after another until the Lord called him to full
time ministry, first as head of the worship and later as
pastor. Eventually, he founded a publishing house, Harrison
House Publishers. He died in 1998. Kenneth did not fight
against flesh and blood, he did not care for Buddy directly
except to love him. Then, led by the Lord, Kenneth
delivered his brother-in-law during a spiritual battle.

Whether we see them or not, we can also send away the

demons, just as we can talk to God without seeing Him. In
addition, every time we order a demon in Jesus Name, he is
afraid and must obey us.

When someone comes for help, there is authority in the

Name of Jesus for help. Put your hand on his shoulder
and then, very quietly, without even audible speech, say,
In the Name of Jesus, I cast out every unclean spirit
that holds this person back.

It is a Spiritual Battle
At times, to help someone, we must deal with demons
that harass them. For our struggle is not with flesh and
blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the

32

That evening, the man did not take his usual cigarette before
going to bed or getting up the next day. However, he went
to work with his cigarettes. He was a truck driver. His
passenger began to smoke. The man became so ill that he
opened his window to get air, and then he had to ask the
smoker to extinguish his cigarette.
Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be
granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them. (Mt 18:1920)

Delivered from Cigarettes

Following a teaching, a man went to Kenneth Hagin in tears
and said, Im 63. Ive smoked since the age of 12. I want to
be free. Can you help me? Kenneth replied, I certainly
can. All you have to do is give me permission. The
gentleman replied, I give you my permission. I need help.
Kenneth put his hand on his shoulder and said, In the
Name of Jesus, I break the grip of nicotine on your life.
And, in faith I tell you: the next cigarette you will smoke
will make you sick.

33

3. THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER

By Henri Lemay, working paper, April 8, 2013

I. WHAT IS AUTHORITY?91

business. He gave us the authority. Do we call on that

authority sufficiently?

The New Testament92 uses exousia, authority93, 102 times,

85% of them (or 87 times) in the sense of an ability to act
conferred by a function. This is a delegation of authority.
The word dunamis is power94, usually in the contexts of
military, political or spiritual power. The Greek words
exousia and dunamis are sometimes translated as
jurisdiction or force95, respectively.

Foundation
There are two revealed truths that are the basis for the
authority of the believer. You must meditate often on
them, allowing them to penetrate your heart.
The first truth is, what is the surpassing greatness of his
power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of
his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him
from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the
heavens. (Eph 1:1920)
The second truth is, (God) brought us to life with Christ
(by grace you have been saved), raised us up with him
(God has resurrected Jesus), and seated us with him in the
heavens in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:6)
Not only is Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of God, but
we also sit there with Him. Be well aware that we sit with
Jesus, far above every principality, authority, power, and
dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age
but also in the one to come. (Eph 1:21) We are sitting
above all demons. They are under our feet.

With authority (exousias) and power (dunamei) he

commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. (Luke
4:36)
He summoned the Twelve and gave them power (dunamin)
and authority (exousian) over all demons and to cure
diseases. Luke 9:1)
Behold, I have given you the power (exousian) to tread
upon serpents and scorpions and upon the full force
(dunamin) of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
(Lk 10:19)
The High Priests asked Peter how he had healed the lame
man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. By what power
(dunamin) or by what name (onomati) have you done this?
(Ac 4:7)
Jesus after his resurrection, said, All authority (exousia
pasa) in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go...
(Mt 28:18,19 NJB)
From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the
right hand of the Power (dunameos). (Mt 26:64)
Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to
his God and Father, when he has destroyed every
sovereignty and every authority and power. (1 Cor 15:24)

The authority of the Christian rests on the resurrection

and ascension of Jesus. And what is the surpassing
greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with
the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead and seating him at his right
hand in the heavensAnd he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is
his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every
way. (Eph 1:1920.2223) Seating him at his right hand,
means receiving all authority and power. Beneath his feet
refers to members of His Body, the Church, because Jesus is
the head, not the feet.
Then Paul adds, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of
the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our
transgressions, brought us to life with Christ (by grace you
have been saved), raised us up with him (God has
resurrected Jesus), and seated us with him (God brought us
up with Jesus on His right) in the heavens in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable
riches of his grace in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For
by grace you have been saved through faithFor we are his
handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that
God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.
(Eph 2:410)
When the Church prays "our Father who art in
heaven," she is professing that we are the People of God,
already seated "with him in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus" (Eph 2:6) and "hidden with Christ in God;" (Col
3:3) yet at the same time, "here indeed we groan, and
long to put on our heavenly dwelling." (2 Cor 5:296)
[Christians] are in the flesh, but do not live according to

II. THE SOURCE AND BASIS OF OUR

AUTHORITY
So he said, A nobleman went off to a distant country to
obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called
ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told
them, Engage in trade with these until I return. (Luke
19:1213)
Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of
the Father. He entrusted the affairs of His kingdom to His
disciples until He returns. He expects us to take care of His

91

The teaching combines several sources including the Catechism of the Catholic
Church and Kenneth E. Hagin, The Believers Authority, Legacy Edition, 2009.
92
This analysis of Greek terminology comes from Walter Wink, Naming the Powers,
1984 p. 15-17.
93
Authority noun (plural authorities) 1. the power or right to give orders, make
decisions, and enforce Middle English. Oxford Dictionary. Strongs dictionary
94
Power Noun 1 the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way; 2
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of
events: the military strength of a state, a person or organization that is strong or
influential within a particular context 3 physical strength and force exerted by
something or someone. Oxford Dictionary. Strongs dictionary 1411
95
Force Noun 1 strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement 2
coercion or compulsion, especially with the use or threat of violence: they ruled by
law and not by force 4 an organized body of military personnel or police. Oxford
Dictionary

96

34

See also Ph 3:20; He 13:14

the flesh. They spend their lives on earth, but are

citizens of heaven97. Catechism no. 2796

My faith is based on what the Word of God says, not on

my feelings or on what my senses tell me. Jesus showed
us a way to exercise His authority when He said,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven. (Mt 18:18)
The devil cannot control us because we have authority over
him, which comes from Jesus. Behold, I have given you the
power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon the
full force of the enemy and NOTHING (emphasis added)
will harm you. (Lk 10:19) I have to activate my faith to
exercise my spiritual authority.

When God raised Jesus, the head of the Body, He also

resurrected the Church, His Body. God raised the Head
and Body together. In Gods eyes, we are already raised
from the dead and we are already seated at His right
hand. This means that the authority that God has given
to Jesus (the Head), He also bestowed on His Church
(the Body), because the Head and Body are one.
In the mind of God, when His Son died on the Cross, all
who believe in Him died on the Cross. When His son was
resurrected, we all rose in Him and with Him. When His
Son ascended to heaven to sit at His right hand, we went to
heaven to sit with His Son at the Fathers right hand. This
means that all the authority that the Father has entrusted to
His Son become man, the last Adam, is also for the
followers of His Son. We may choose to exercise this
authority or not to exercise it. We can use or not use it.
Nevertheless, the authority of the Son belongs to His
disciples. It is through His Body that Jesus Christ continues
His work on earth. We are the Body of Christ. The head
(cannot say) to the feet, I do not need you.
(1 Cor 12:21) My body cannot manage without my head.
My head cannot manage without my body. Jesus would like
to depend on His Body, the Church, and each of its
members. All the work of Christ is through His Body. We
are Christ. The anointing that rested on Jesus during His
public ministry rests now on His disciples. This is why we
are called Christians.

We have some latitude for spiritual authority. Heaven will

often respect our refusals and what we allow. We tend to let
things go, trusting the Lord to intervene if He sees fit. How
many times did the Lord disengage because we did not
exercise the authority He has given us? We expect the Lord
to intervene and the Lord expects us to act. If the Lord has
put things in our hands, He will do nothing until we act. A
father trains up his children. The Father trains us to act; we
are His children. When we were babes in Christ, He came to
our rescue. Now that we are His grown children, He expects
us to obey His word and act.
Is it possible that the Lord is held back from carrying out
His plans because His Body does not understand the
exaltation of Christ, the position He won for us to be at the
right hand of God in Him? Does He expect our cooperation
in the faith? He certainly does!

2. Put Gods Word into Practice

Here is what the Catechism teaches:

United with Christ by Baptism, believers already truly
participate in the heavenly life of the risen Christ 98, but
this life remains "hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3)
The Father has already "raised us up with him, and made
us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
(Eph 2:6) Nourished with his body in the Eucharist, we
already belong to the Body of Christ. When we rise on
the last day we "also will appear with him in glory." (Col
3:3) Catechism No. 1003

For our spiritual authority to work, the believer must be

permeated by the Word of God through reading, study,
and prayer, clothe himself in the teaching of the Word
on the authority of the believer, and then put it into
practice. Speaking of Satan, Scripture says, Resist him,
steadfast in faith. (1 P 5:9) My degree of faith is in
direct proportion to the presence in my heart of the
Word of God, become real to me because I put it into
practice in my life.
He put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head
over all things to the church. (Eph 1:22) Jesus is supreme
commander over disease and all that is evil. He proved it
when He was on earth. Jesus is the Supreme Head over all
things, for His Body is the Church. God made Jesus the
Head over all things so that we, His followers, members of
His Body, can exercise His authority over all things. Resist
the devil who does not want to see us come into possession
of what belongs to us. Nevertheless, with an unyielding
faith in Jesus Christ, the victory will come.
All spiritual warfare must be done with the awareness of
having authority over the devil because he is a defeated foe.
Jesus defeated him for us. We usually get authority over
him when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. At that instant,
we become aware of our inheritance of the Name of Jesus
and we can use this authority against the enemy. However,
knowledge alone is not enough. We must move into action
with bold faith to get results.

III. HOW TO EXERCISE AUTHORITY

Protection of God: If an individual has no faith, that
person will not be protected. It does not depend on God
but on the person.
Trust God and he will help you; ...You who fear the LORD,
trust him, and your reward will not be lostWoe to the
faint of heart who trust not, who therefore will have no
shelter!...Woe to you who have lost hope! what will you do
at the visitation of the LORD? Those who fear the LORD
disobey not his words; those who love him keep his ways.
(Sirach 2:6.8.1315)

1. Put My Faith into Practice

97
98

Epistle of Diognetus 5:8-9

See Ph 3:20

35

The Poor Rich Man In the 1930s, a poor man was found
dead in the room he rented for $ 3 a week. He had been
eating out of garbage cans and dressing in rags for 20 years.
The autopsy showed he died of malnutrition. However, they
found on him more than $23,000US, a huge amount at the
time. He could have eaten at the best restaurants and stayed
in five star hotels. However, he did not use what he had.
Many Christians dont either.
It is useful and important to know what is ours. My
people perish for want of knowledge! (Hosea 4:6) Jesus
teaches, you will know the truth, and the truth will set
you free. (Jn 8:32) There are people who lose their way
who could be saved and live better if only they knew
by contact with His Word.

You have placed everything under the power of your Son

and have set Him as supreme Head to the Church, which is
His body, and in that body lives fully the One who is the
Author and Giver of everything everywhere.
STRENGTHEN MY INNER BEING Ep 3: 14-21
For this reason, then, I bow my knees before you, Father,
from whom all fatherhood, in heaven and on earth, derives
its name. Out of the rich treasury of your glory, strengthen
and reinforce my inner being with mighty power by the
Holy Spirit Himself indwelling my innermost being and
personality, that Christ through faith will make his
permanent home in my heart; that planted in love, and built
on love, I may be able to grasp, with all the saints, what is
the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of
Christ; that experiencing this love, which surpasses all
understanding, I may be filled and flooded with God
Himself. To you, Father, who is able to do far more than I
could ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond
my highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes, according to
your power at work in me, glory be to you from generation
to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and
ever. Amen
(By Henri Lemay using many translations)

3. Prayer
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for
whatever you want and it will be done for you. (Jn 15:7)
An answer to your prayers depends more on you than
on God.
If Jesus had said, If you remain in me, ask what you want
and you will have it, many of us would have had many
prayers answered. However, He added, and my words
remain in you. Many of Gods promises are conditional: if
you want the promised results, you must fulfill the
conditions. Many can encourage you to fulfill the
conditions, but only you can fulfill them. Have you noticed
that the pronoun you is repeated four times in this single
verse? This is an indication that an answer to your prayers
depends more on you than on God. Jesus instructed us on
how to have our prayers answered. If you want answers to
your prayers, obey the instructions of Jesus: abide in Jesus
and have His words abide in you, and then ask what you
want and you will have it.
How do you abide in Jesus? Through prayer, inviting
and receiving Him into your heart, and cultivating
intimacy with Him. How do you stay in His Word? By
meditating on His Word, obeying Him quickly, and
putting His Word into practice.
The main source of teaching on the authority of the believer
is the Epistle to the Ephesians, especially the first three
chapters. Paul addresses the authority of the believer more
in this letter than any author of any other document of the
New Testament. It would be very useful not only to read
and reread Ephesians chapters 13, but also to adopt the
prayers therein.

IV. WHERE TO EXERCISE AUTHORITY

1. Upon Nature
The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.
Elijah was a human being like us; yet he prayed earnestly
that it might not rain, and for three years and six months
it did not rain upon the land. Then he prayed again, and
the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. (James
5:1618)
The miracle of Elijah was over nature. Jesus also exercised
His authority over nature. He woke up, rebuked the wind,
and said to the sea, Quiet! Be still! The wind ceased and
there was great calm. (Mk 4:39) In the beginning, God
created heaven and earth. He then created Adam and said,
Then God said: Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild
animals and all the creatures that crawl on the
groundGod blessed them, saying: Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of
the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that
move on the earth... (Gn 1:26,28) In other words, God
made man in some way the god of this world. God was still
master of His creation but He imparted authority to man,
His child. Nevertheless, in his rebellion against God, man
has betrayed God and chosen rather to submit to Satan who
became, in the place of man, god or the Prince of this world.
Adam had no moral right to do that, but he had the legal
right. As long as humankind is of this world, Satan has real,
but limited, rights on him.

SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION Eph 1

O Father of glory, you the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of insight into
mysteries and secrets, so as to bring me to a full knowledge
of Jesus. I pray that the eyes of my heart will be flooded
with light so that I can know and understand the hope you
have called me to share in Jesus, the glorious inheritance
promised to Christians, and how tremendous is the power
available to us who believe in You. It is that same mighty
power that raised Jesus from the dead and enthroned Him at
Your right hand in Heaven, far above every Sovereignty,
Authority, Power or Dominion, or any other name that can
be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

With the coming of Jesus, the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), we

are called to live in the world without being of the world,
for God delivered us from the power of darkness and
transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Col
1:13) This is why the prince of the world no longer has the

36

right to rule over us, Christians, unless a Christian permits

it.
Jesus has given His disciples the power to rule over
creation, this power that the devil had usurped from our
first parents. Jesus, the last Adam, head of a new human
race, became man to destroy the works of the devil. (1
John 3:8) As the gods of this world, under God, it is our
role to restore the order disturbed by Satan in the
creation. If you have faith and do not waver, not only
will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if
you say to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the
sea, it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with
faith, you will receive. (Mt 21:2122)

4. To Keep your Healing

People lose their healing because they do not know how
to keep what the Lord has given them. They do not
understand their spiritual authority and they do not
know how to exercise it. If they speak at all about the
experience, they proclaim that they lost their healing.
When people enter Gods presence at conferences or
gatherings where the level of faith is high or where the
charismatic gifts are exercised, it is relatively easy for
people to be healed. However, when these people return
home, the devil tempts them with false symptoms. If these
people have no foundation for their faith, the devil can
counterfeit the symptoms of their illness. They were really
healed; the blind saw, the deaf heard, all traces of arthritis
were gone. So why did they lose their healing?
We must teach people their spiritual authority from the
Word of God. These are their rights and privileges of
believers. Then, they can exercise their authority over
the devil, the diseases and the circumstances, to drive
away counterfeit symptoms.

The Scottish evangelist, John Alexander Dowie, in his

autobiography, tells that he crossed the oceans many times
to go to Australia. His ship encountered several storms but
each time, like Jesus, he commanded the winds and the
waves, and each time the storm ceased. Should we be
surprised?
Jesus told us, whoever believes in me will do the works
that I do, and will do greater ones than these. (Jn 14:12)
For now, let us not concern ourselves with greater
works: let us start with the same works as Jesus. Jesus
did not say a small group of chosen would do these
works. He said, whoever believes in Me would. You
and I would. On two occasions, I (Henri Lemay)
commanded the rain to stop and it obeyed.

5. In My Presence
If a demon attacks me, I have authority over him because I
have authority over my life. I can tell him to leave my house
or my presence at any time. I can also control the situation
(in other words, block the influence of demons without
expelling them) while [demonized] people are in my
presence.
You can exercise your authority over evil spirits in other
people while they are in your presence. You do not have
the authority to influence their own will but you have
authority over the demons that make them act the
wrong way. You can take authority over any invisible
force.

2. Over Disease
We saw the power that Jesus gave us over disease in
ourselves and in others.
Diabetes A friend of Kenneth Hagin was traveling with
him. He had to check his sugar every morning to decide
how many units of insulin he should take. Kenneth said,
As long as you are with me, your sugar will always be
normal. Kenneth had authority over this disease and
controlled his sugar level as his friend was with him. He
tried to train his friend through the exercise of his faith to
control its own level of sugar. His friend did not know how
to exercise his spiritual authority. For two weeks, his sugar
levels remained stable. Then separated from Kenneth, after
three days, his sugar level again became erratic. However,
five years later, his friend learned how to exercise his
spiritual authority over his diabetic condition.

The Error of Simon Peter

One day, Jesus told His disciples that He was on His way to
Jerusalem where He would suffer and die at the hands of
Jewish leaders. Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him:
God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.
He turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are
an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as
human beings do. (Mt 16:2223) Jesus did not say that
Peter was Satan. He said that Peter had formed a position
from doubt, disbelief, and the devil. You are thinking not
as God does. There are ideas that come to mind from the
devil. Sometimes, Christians unconsciously consent, saying
what they should not say. Jesus, on Peters behalf,
immediately took authority over this spirit and expelled it.

3. On Mental Illness
Authority to Heal Mental Illness In a psychiatric hospital,
there was a man who had not spoken for three years: he
would just stare straight ahead, expressionless, like a statue.
A Christian psychiatrist decided to lay his hands on him
every day for five minutes, saying, If there are evil spirits
here, I rebuke them and I command them to leave, and all,
in the Name of Jesus. Then, gently, he prayed in tongues.
In ten days, the patient was talking and 30 days, he returned
home healed. This doctor helped other patients the same
way.

On fear and doubt, For God did not give us a spirit of

cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.
(2 Tim 1:7) If fear invades you, say, Fear, I stand in the
Name of Jesus. If doubt invades you, say, Doubt, I stand
in the Name of Jesus. Doubt/fear will leave you.
On Fear and Doubt With your spiritual authority, you can
control fear and doubt in people when they are around you
if they are new or immature Christians, but only in their
presence.

37

7. Binding Demons

6. Expelling Demons
God has already delivered us from the authority of
darkness. This is what gives us the right to talk to the
demons of darkness and their kingdom and to command
them as required.

I can get a demon to stop some of his manoeuvres in the

life of another, but I cannot evict him because I have no
authority there.
Abusive Husbands There are wives who have learned to
exercise their spiritual authority when their unbeliever
husbands come home in search of a quarrel. These women,
gently, quietly, and secretly, berate the evil spirits who push
their spouses as well, ordering the demons to shut up (but
not their spouses) thus asserting their authority over
demons.
Angry Relatives When someone in your family gets angry,
take authority over the situation by commanding the demon
(not the human) behind the anger to be still. You will see a
dramatic change. The person will look at you with
astonishment when his mood returns to normal.

Believers can break the power of the devil if it lifts its

head anywhere in their life or in the life of a loved one.
Here, we have authority. The believer does not have
authority over demons in the world, on the street, but
only in his own life and in the lives of his loved ones.
St. Paul warns us, For our wrestling is not against flesh
and blood; but against principalities and powers, against
the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of
wickedness in the high places. (Eph 6:12 DRB) However,
we do not have to tremble and be afraid of these demons
because Paul has already told us in the same letter that God
raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the
heavens in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:6) We are above these
demons. Jesus has conquered them. Our role is to force
them to respect His victory. Jesus victory is ours, but we
have to impose it on demons. Four biblical references
instruct us in this precept.
Jesus after His resurrection, said, All authority (exousia
pasa) in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go
(Mt 28:18,19 NJB) By saying, Go!, Jesus gave us
authority to act on earth. Jesus also said, These signs will
accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive
out demons. (Mk 16:17) The very first sign of a believer is
authority over demons in the Name of Jesus. The fifth sign
of believers, according to Jesus, is that They will lay hands
on the sick, and they will recover. (Mk 16:18) Believers do
not have to ask Jesus to lay His hands on the sick. Jesus told
them to lay their own hands on the sick. Note that the hands
are part of the body, not the head.
St. James says, Submit yourselves therefore to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) It is
clear that the believer has authority over the devil;
otherwise, the Scriptures would not tell us what to do about
the devil. This verse does not say that the devil will flee
from Jesus, but flee from you. Such authority belongs to the
believer, whether they feel authorized or not. Authority has
nothing to do with feelings, but you have to exercise it. The
word flee is interesting because it reflects the terror of the
devil. Of what is he so afraid? Believers armed with the
Name of Jesus. They are afraid, or rather, terrified, of the
believer who acts in the Name of Jesus.
St. Peter says, Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the
devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for
(someone) to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing
that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the
same sufferings. (1 P 5:89) Peter does not tell us to be
afraid of the devil. We do not have to be afraid of him that
Jesus has overcome. However, because the believer has
authority over the devil, the same authority as had Peter and
Paul, Peter tells us to resist the devil steadfast in faith.
Saint Paul tells us, do not leave room for the devil. (Eph
4:27) The devil cannot have a foothold in metake space in
meunless I allow it to happen. I do not have to give in.
This means that I have authority over him to prevent it.

8. Over My Children
God does not want the devil to rule over our families. If
he attacks one of your children, oppose him and
command him to get away. Tell him: Take your hands
off my child. I am in charge, not you. You have no
authority over this family. I have authority through
Jesus Christ.
Spiritual authority is similar to natural authority. For
example, I do not have authority over your money. I cannot
tell you what to do with your money unless you give me
permission. I have no authority over your children but I
have authority over my children.

9. Authority Over My Brothers and Sisters

You can also exercise the authority to some extent in the
lives of your adult siblings. Be submissive to the Spirit to
know what to do and how.
Kenneth Hagin was visited by his brother. His wife had left
him with the children during his absence. He was
discouraged and depressed. One day, while Kenneth
preached in church, he had a vision. Although his eyes were
opened, he saw his brother in the park saying to himself: I
know what Ill do. Ill kill her, and then I will kill myself.
Immediately, Kenneth interrupted his sermon, apologized to
his congregation by saying, Wait a minute: I have to take
care of a case and then Ill be back. Kenneth spoke to the
demon who was harassing his brother and said, Demon,
stop immediately! I command you, in the Name of Jesus
Christ, to leave this man. Thats all he did. Then he
resumed his preaching.
Back at home, Kenneth found his brother rejoicing. The
latter told him what he had just experienced in the park. He
had decided to take drastic measures when suddenly
something came over him and something else was removed
from him. It was as if a cloud had lifted from him. Then he
joyfully returned home, singing and whistling. His brother
did not know how to defend against a demon because he
was a new Christian. That is why those who have more
experience in the Lord are called to rescue them. The day
will come when new Christian will grow in the ways of the
Lord and know what to do themselves. That day, they will

38

responsible for these uncharacteristic words and gestures. In

addition, he may be unable to exercise his spiritual authority
over himself, even if he knows how. His physical condition
is greatly weakened.
The Christian wife may exercise her spiritual authority
by forbidding, in the Name of Jesus, every unclean spirit
from manifesting and disturbing the patient. The devil
will always try to return. The oppressed person must
learn, if he can, how to self-deliver, how to stand before
a demon, and how to protect himself.

be able to do it for themselves without the help of elders in

the Lord.
The Salvation of His older Brother For 15 years, Kenneth
Hagin prayed for the salvation of his older brother to no
avail. One day, he decided to exercise his spiritual authority
as a believer and said, Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I
break your power in the life of my brother and I claim his
deliverance and salvation. In two weeks, he became a
practicing Christian. Some, hearing this testimony, tried to
see if it worked, but to no avail. The difference is that
Kenneth did not try it. He did it.

11. Over a Stranger in Public

10. The Free Will of Others

In the public square, I cannot, on my own initiative,

exercise my authority over a demon in a stranger
without receiving either a word of knowledge,
discernment of spirits, or anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The biblical example of Paul in Philippi (Acts 16:1618) is
our guide. A slave girl with an oracular spirit followed
Paul and his companions. She shouted, These people are
slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of
salvation. She did this for many days. Why did Paul, a
man of God, an apostle, having authority, not expel this
demon on the first day? Because he had to wait until the
Holy Spirit gave him discernment of that spirit.

My authority extends to the activities of demons in my

life and in the lives of my family. However, I can not
control the demons in others because of their free will. If
someone chooses to live in sin, there is nothing I can do.
If he wants to be free, he can be released and I can help.
Nevertheless, if he does not want it, neither Jesus nor
anyone else can deliver him. It is he who has authority
over his own person. If someone wants help, then I can
help. I can expel the demon.
The Wife Who Heard Voices A deacon came to see
Kenneth Hagin and his wife for healing. She did not say a
word. It was her husband who explained everything.
Kenneth saw that the woman seemed mentally disturbed.
The husband explained that his wife was very nervous and
had a stay in a psychiatric hospital. When laying on his
hands, Kenneth received a word of knowledge. In an
instant, he saw this womans life unfold before him. He
ceased to pray for her and asked them to come back and see
him after the meeting, which they did.
Kenneth explained to the husband why he did not pray for
his wife. A few years before, she had heard a man of God
testify that he heard the audible voice of God speaking. She
began to desire and seek the audible voice of God. She had
not realized that this evangelist was not trying to hear the
audible voice of God, he just wanted to have the Lord guide
him. When someone begins to want to hear the audible
voice of God, the devil can get involved. It is wrong to have
such a desire.
The demons began to talk to her. She heard voices and she
went crazy. She was hospitalized twice. On different
occasions, the husband drove his wife to get healed by the
laying on of hands, but she was never healed. Kenneth said,
Neither they nor I can deliver her because she does not
want to be freed from these voices. As long as she wants to
hear these voices, she will hear them and no one can stop
them. She is not crazy. She hears everything I say and
understands me well. Speaking to the wife, he said, Dear
Madam, the day that you never again want to hear these
voices, come see me and Ill help. Well, she said, I
want to hear. Kenneth replied, I know.
Sometimes, someone has a stroke. His brain is damaged.
He cannot control a part of the body (paralysis of an arm or
leg) or certain emotions (impatience, anger). Sometimes, a
demon can enter the damaged body and influence
behaviour. He may say or do things that he had never done
in his life. His wife may become the victim of his insults or
threats. We must understand that the sick person is not fully

12. Over a Stranger at My Home

I can expel a demon from myself or from my home
anytime. If someone is in my home, I have authority
over demons, but only to the extent of binding them i.e.,
I should not expel them. However, when Im outside my
home, the evil spirits have the right to be there because
Satan is the Prince of this world.
This is why Paul had to wait several days before delivering
the oppressed servant. He did not act the first day. He
waited, and when the Holy Spirit led him, he commanded
the spirit of divination out of her. The spirit departed.
Jesus confirms this interpretation when He stated, it is
by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons. (Mt 12:28)
Jesus cast out demons by His Word and the Holy Spirit.
We know from the Word of God that we have the
authority to expel demons, but it is dependent on the
Holy Spirit that we exercise that authority in the world.
We cannot do it on our own strength.

13. Over My Sins/Habits

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that
our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no
longer be in slavery to sinConsequently, you too must
think of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and living for
God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, sin must not reign over
your mortal bodies so that you obey their desiresFor sin
is not to have any power over you, since you are not under
the law but under graceFreed from sin, you have
become slaves of righteousness.
(Rm 6:6,1112,14,18)
How did Jesus overcome the temptations of the devil in the
desert? He did it by quoting Gods Word and obeying.
Jesus answered him, It is written, One does not live by
bread alone.Jesus said to him in reply, It is written: You

39

shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you
serve.Jesus said to him in reply, It also says, You shall
not put the Lord, your God, to the test. (Luke 4:4,8,12) At
each encounter with demons, Jesus defeated them.
Why be afraid and why remain under the control of evil
spirits when Jesus has stripped the sovereignties and the
ruling forces, and paraded them in public, behind him in
his triumphal procession? (Col 2:15 NJB) Jesus
annihilated, eliminated, reduced to impotence,
overturned and destroyed the power of the demons. In
effect, Satan has no power over me. I am free from
disease, poverty, and sin. No, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I
am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:3739 RSV)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in
Christ and manifests through us the odor of the knowledge
of him in every place. (2 Cor 2:14) But, thanks be to God
who always gives us in Christ a part in his triumphal
procession, and through us is spreading everywhere the
fragrance of the knowledge of himself (NJB)
I do not have to declare war on the devil because he is
already defeated. Jesus is the victor. Because I have Jesus,
who is victorious, who lives in me, so I am also victorious.
Jesus is my victory. So if the Son sets you free, you will
indeed be free. (Jn 8:36 NJB) From what has Jesus freed
me? He has delivered me from all that comes from the
devil.

Abraham negotiated with God for the salvation of Lot prior

to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Should not the
judge of all the world act with justice?
(Gen 18:25) See Gen 18:1633.
Moses negotiated with God to save His people from
destruction merited by their sin of worshiping the golden
calf: Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing
your people. (Ex 32:12) Later, before the disbelief of the
Israelites, after exploring the Promised Land by the twelve
spies, God threatened to destroy them all. Moses interceded
again and atoned for His people. (See Nb 14.)

16. In the Face of Death

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out
demons. (Mt 10:8)
The Keys of Death The Bible says that Satan had the
power of death but Jesus has defeated him. Now since the
children share in blood and flesh, he likewise shared in
them, that through death he might destroy the one who has
the power of death, that is, the devil. (Heb 2:14).
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus declares:
Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I
hold the keys to death and the netherworld. (Rev 1:18)
When Jesus was caught captive by death, He went down
to Hades, Scheol, the world of the dead, and removed
the keys of death and Hades from Satan. These keys now
belong to the Living. Jesus has all authority, even over
death. He is the Lord of living and the dead. All
authority belongs to Him.
Death does not come from God but the devil. Death is the
enemy of man. This is the last enemy to be destroyed.
However, at this time, we have only limited power over
death. A few times, before the imminent death of a loved
one, Kenneth Hagin heard the Lord say, I will do what you
tell me to do. Once, Kenneth asked to give two or three
years more of life to a person. The Lord replied that He
would grant it only because he asked Him. In addition, the
Lord said, No father on earth wants to do more for his
children than I do, if only my children would allow me to
intervene.
Eleven More Years When his 69-year-old mother was
dying of cancer of the rectum, Kenneth Hagin pleaded with
God to let her live until age 80. The Lord replied, Okay, I
will. She recovered and lived 11 more years.

14. In Persecution
In the face of persecution, the disciples implored God,
And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable
your servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you
stretch forth (your) hand to heal and to perform signs and
wonders done through the name of your holy servant
Jesus. (Ac 4:29,30) Thats exactly what the Lord did.

15. Through Intercession

It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more. Put me in remembrance
and let us plead together (Is 43:25-26) The Lord invites
us to negotiate with him, to plead our cause by
reminding Him of His promises.

40

4. OBSTACLES TO HEALING
Working paper by Henri Lemay, April 9, 2013

INTRODUCTION99

conditions. Persevere. Abide in His Word. Request. Knock.

Seek. Believe. Will He not heal us so we can put ourselves
in His service, the service of His children, His
Kingdom? Seek first the kingdom (of God) and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given you
besides. (Mt 6:33)
And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we
know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we
know that what we have asked him for is ours.
(1 Jn 5:1415)
The Lord does not heal if our desire to heal is motivated by
a decision to do evil.
You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to
spend it on your passions. Adulterers! Do you not know
that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes
himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that the
scripture speaks without meaning when it says, The spirit
that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy? But
he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says: God resists
the proud, but gives grace to the humble. So submit
yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts,
you of two minds. (James 4:38)

The best perspective on Christian healing is that it is

clearly the will of God to heal, but there are several
factors that can neutralize or prevent healing. Healing is
a mystery of Gods love. Often, a simple explanation to
the sick person is enough to make them receptive to
their healing.
In the four Gospels, all who ask Jesus are healed. In the
Epistles of Paul, we learn of four people who were sick.
Epaphroditus was a head of the Church of Philippi who
had traveled to Rome to visit Paul in prison and had
contracted a serious illness. Paul wrote to the Philippians:
For he has been longing for all of you and was distressed
because you heard that he was ill. He was indeed ill, close
to deathI send him therefore with the greater
eagernessbecause for the sake of the work of Christ he
came close to death, risking his life to make up for those
services to me that you could not perform. (Ph
2:26,27,28,30)
Trophimus was a companion on Pauls third journey,
which originated in Ephesus. I left Trophimus sick at
Miletus. (2 Tim 4:20)
Timothy was an important collaborator of Paul. Stop
drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of
your stomach and your frequent illnesses. (1 Tim 5:23)
Paul, himself, was sick. You know that it was because of a
physical illness that I originally preached the gospel to you,
and you did not show disdain or contempt because of the
trial caused you by my physical condition, but rather you
received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. Where
now is that blessedness of yours? Indeed, I can testify to you
that, if it had been possible, you would have torn out your
eyes and given them to me. (Ga 4:1315)

2nd Obstacle: the Benefits of Disease

Disability pension: His illness is the source of his income.
Healing would take away his revenue. He does not know
how to work for a living. This is an obstacle to his recovery.
The sympathy of people: His illness drew attention of
caring people, giving him a certain prestige. This is an
important part of his life. His illness is his identity. This is
an obstacle to his recovery.

It is clear from these four biblical examples that Christians,

even giants in the faith, can get sick. His Letter to the
Galatians was written near the start of his ministry, around
the year 48 or 49. Because his illness is not mentioned later,
we can conclude that it was eventually healed. The other
three afflicted are close associates of Paul. We cannot doubt
that Paul prayed with them by laying his hands. Moreover,
Paul had a powerful healing charism and the faith to move
mountains. Nevertheless, when Paul wrote these letters,
they were still sick. They were probably in the process of
healing because healing is often progressive. However, we
do not know.

3rd Obstacle: Neglect100

God is sovereign. He is infinitely perfect. His thoughts
are above our thoughts. Too often, Christians believe
that God can heal only by supernatural means when
God wants to heal by natural means. God wants us to
grow in personal responsibility, in a disciplined life and
wisdom including physical exercise, healthy nutrition,
and a balance between work and rest. The folly of your
lifestyle could be an obstacle to the healing that the Lord
wants to give.

I. OBSTACLES IN THE SICK

1 Obstacle: Conditional Promises
st

Self-indulgence Sometimes, food (coffee, sugar, fats, salt)

will hurt your body. For everyone, a pattern of gluttony will
exact a great cost to the body. Will God heal an injury or
illness in your body if you do not cooperate by changing

Many of Gods promises are conditional: if you want the

promised results, you must fulfill the condition or
99

My sources are: Fancis MacNutt, The Healing Reawakening, 2005; Healing, p.

193-204; John Wimber Power Healing, p. 147-166; several from Kenneth Hagin,
Peter Coughlin, The Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ Continuing in the Church
Today, 2003; Morton Kelsey, Healing & Christianity, 1995.

100

41

See teaching by Henri Lemay on Natural Physical Healing.

For anyone who eats and drinks (the Eucharist) without

discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a
considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves,
we would not be under judgment; but since we are judged
by (the) Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not
be condemned along with the world. (1 Cor 11:2932)

how you eat? Does God not want you to be a wise steward
of your body?
For not every food is good for everyone, nor is everything
suited to every tasteThrough lack of self-control many
have died, but the abstemious man prolongs his life. (Sir
37:27,30)
Neglect I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. (2 Tm 4:20)
The Greek word asthenounta, translated here as sick, is
elsewhere translated weaken in faith (Rom 4:19), weak
(1 Cor 8:11), helpless, ungodly (Rm 5:6), weaknesses
(of) sin (Heb 4:15). We can legitimately conclude that
Trophimus had worked too hard and weakened his body. He
was probably negligent as many missionaries and lay
apostles and religious today are: abusing their bodies by
disobeying the rules of natural health: physical exercise,
sleep, good nutrition, and recreation.
Neglecting Medical Treatment Then give the doctor his
place lest he leave; for you need him too. There are times
that give him an advantage, and he too beseeches God that
his diagnosis may be correct and his treatment brings about
a cure. (Sir 38:1214)
Neglecting Medication God makes the earth yield
healing herbs which the prudent man should not neglect;
Was not the water sweetened by a twig that men might learn
his power? He endows men with the knowledge to glory in
his mighty works, Through which the doctor eases pain and
the druggist prepares his medicines; Thus Gods creative
work continues without cease in its efficacy on the surface
of the earth. (Sir 38:48)
Neglecting Proper Nutrition St. Paul advises his disciple
Timothy: Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine
for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. (1
Tim 5:23) At that time (now too), a little wine with a meal
was considered a good eating habit. Without doubt, Paul
advised him on this because healing prayer had not yet
borne its fruit. Does the Lord grant His healing, His favour,
to someone who does not obey him? Sometimes, yes.
Nevertheless, often, disobedience to His Word is a barrier to
the recovery the sick person seeks.

Paul criticized the Corinthians (v.19) for their divisions,

their lack of love for their brothers in faith, and their
intoxication (v.21), even during the Eucharist, suggesting a
link between sin and sickness, infirmity, and death. The
Apostle John teaches that the rejection of sin is a mark of
wellbeing: We know that no one begotten by God sins; but
the one begotten by God (Jesus) he protects, and the evil
one cannot touch him. (1 John 5:18)
The Catechism sees the verse of 1 Cor 11:30 as an
encouragement to believe in the life-giving presence of
Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This presence is
particularly active through the sacraments, and in an
altogether special way through the Eucharist, the bread that
gives eternal life and that St. Paul suggests is connected
with bodily health. Catechism # 1509
Saint James articulates the link between personal sin
and healing: Therefore, confess your sins to one another
and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
(James 5:16) It follows, therefore, that a Christian who
refuses to repent may find that he does not get his
recovery. His sin creates a blockage of the Grace of God.
A Christian who refuses to abandon his sin is vulnerable to
its consequences, such as illness, disability, and premature
death. This is not the case for the person who does not know
the Lord. Often, it will be by his healing that the Lord will
touch his heart, allowing him to later break ties with his sin.

5th Obstacle: Unforgiveness

Often, before praying for physical healing, it is
necessary to pray for repentance and inner healing.
Francis MacNutt
Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and
expect healing from the LORD? (Sir 28:3)
In fact, physical illness is often a consequence of a sin from
which they never repented. They (the Egyptians) might
recognize that a man is punished by the very things through
which he sins. (Wis 11:16) The disease can be the result of
personal sin.
Most physical illnesses are psychosomatic, that is, they
are caused by toxic emotions101. At the root of every fatal
emotion, there is the bitterness expressed by the lack of
forgiveness of self or others that leads to resentment,
revenge, anger, hatred, violence, murder, or suicide.
Comparison and competition with others lead to
jealousy and envy. They also lead to the rejection of self
and others. The emotion of fear leads to a lack of faith in

4th Obstacle: Personal Sin

Our physical illnesses, far from being blessings of
redemptive suffering, are often deep signs we are not yet
fully redeemed, that we are not really one with the Lord.
Most of the reasons why a patient does not get healed
involve sin and unbelief.
Physical healing often first requires the forgiveness of
sin or inner healing.
The most important repentance is of resentment and
bitterness. These two sins are not even recognised as
such by many Christians.
Love is the best way to break the coldness, pain, and
bitterness that block the healing power of God from
flowing in us. Francis MacNutt
My son, when you are ill, delay not, but pray to God,
who will heal you: Flee wickedness; let your hands be just,
cleanse your heart of every sin. (Sir 38:910)

101

42

See the teaching on Toxic Emotions.

God. Each of these emotions is a fatal obstacle to the

healing that God wants to grant.
For example, medical research102 has found that cancer103
victims are sometimes people who are feeling put down for
a long time. They believe they are doomed to despair. The
onset of their illness oftentimes coincides with a series of
devastating losses that cause them to abandon everything.
The story of the paralytic who was lowered from the roof to
Jesus by his friends illustrates the order of healing. First
Jesus forgives sins, and then He heals the person physically.
It is possible that the mans paralysis was the result of his
sin.
Cyst After a ministry of forgiveness, a young woman
approached Francis MacNutt to tell him that as soon as she
repented of a longstanding grudge, a cyst 104 disappeared
instantly.
Chest Pain For years, since his open heart surgery, a man
had constant pain in his chest. During a time of forgiveness,
he thought of his boss, an unjust man he hated and whom he
would not forgive. Finally, he forgave him. At that moment,
all the painful effects of the operation immediately
disappeared.
Unforgiveness blocks healing more than any other sin.
Speaking of prayer, Jesus spoke more emphatically on the
forgiveness of enemies than on alcohol and lust. Jesus
warns insistently against hardness of heart and lack of
forgiveness.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe
that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you
stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a
grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions. (Mk 11:2425)
These two things are intimately connected. It is as if the
healing love of God could flow through us only if were
willing to let it flow from us into others. If I refuse
forgiveness and healing to others, the love of God cannot
sink into me. In the Great Commandment, to love God and
to love ones neighbours are complementary. There is a
direct link between my will to love my neighbour and
healing.

block our own healing through our cold attitude, our

resentments, and our unforgiveness. I see more clearly
now why St. James, in his passage on prayer for physical
healing, encourages us to confess our sins: Therefore,
confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,
that you may be healed. (James 5:16) Francis MacNutt
It is remarkable that the good Christians are allergic to
alcohol and sexual sins but do not even acknowledge their
own worst sins of bitterness, resentment, and rancour. Our
parishes and communities are torn by animosities seemingly
guided by eye for eye, tooth for tooth. We think we are
entitled not to forgive; that justice must be done! Bring on
vengeance! Yet, Jesus said, You have heard that it was
said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to
you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. (Mt 5:3839)
To repent of ones sins, the use of ones will alone is not
enough. We also need the grace of God. Regarding
forgiveness from one who was deeply and unjustly hurt,
pray with that person by asking Jesus to pour His love
full of forgiveness in his heart. Francis MacNutt

6th Obstacle: Luke Warmness

The Christian with a divided heart is an obstacle to
Christian healing.
In the first three centuries of Christianity, the persecution of
Christians by the Roman Empire had the effect of keeping
the flame of zeal and love of the typical Christian at a high
level. It was dangerous to be a Christian, with very few
tangible benefits. In general, Christians were fervent. They
preferred to die as martyrs rather than renounce their faith in
Jesus. There were about 1.9 million martyrs in three
centuries.
Often, people became Christians because they
experienced a living and powerful God of Love in Jesus
disciples.
Those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace
from Him, do in His name perform [miracles], so as to
promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift
which each one has received from Him. For some do
certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who
have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both
believe [in Christ], and join themselves to the Church.
Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see
visions, and utter prophetic expressions. Others still,
heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they
are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead
even have been raised up, and remained among us for
many yearsThe name of our Lord Jesus Christ even
now confers benefits [upon men], and cures thoroughly
and effectively all who anywhere believe on Him105.
After a lengthy suspension of persecutions, the Roman
emperor of the mid-third century launched a renewed
violent assault against Christians. Unlike previous
persecutions, many Christians forsook the faith to avoid
martyrdom. St. Cyprian (c. 250) wrote that the Lapsi failed;
those who denied their faith during the persecutions had

Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. Stop

judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and
you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be
forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good
measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which
you measure will in return be measured out to you. (Luke
6:3638)
The first condition to receiving healing is to get rid of
sins, especially the roots of bitterness...Too often we
102

See Howard R. and Martha E. Lewis, Psychosomatics: How Your Emotions Can
Damage Your Health, 1972, p. 7.
103
Doctor Siegel prepared an excellent work on the relationship between emotions
and sickness, especially cancer, entitled Love, Medicine and Miracles, in which he
wrote, Acceptance, faith, forgiveness, peace, and love are telltale signs that define
spirituality for me. These characteristics are always present among those who heal
unexpectedly from serious illness. p. 178
104
Cyst noun 1 Biology: a thin-walled hollow organ or cavity in an animal or plant,
containing a liquid secretion; a sac, vesicle, or bladder. 2 Medicine: a membranous sac
or cavity of abnormal character in the body, containing fluid. Oxford Dictionary

105

Irenaeus (Ante Nicene Fathers, vol 1, Irenaeus Against Heresies, bk 2,

chp 32, sec 4, pg 847) [cited by Denzinger, 1813]

43

betrayed Christ. What should the Church do with those

who, after the persecution, wanted to return to the Christian
faith? Cyprian listed why so many had apostatized: greed,
lack of compassion, lack of self-control, worldly vanity,
interfaith marriages with pagans, false witness, pride,
contempt for authority, quarrels and hatreds, and bishops
involved in trade and travel. Nevertheless, in St. Cyprians
time, Christian healing was still the norm in other circles the
Church.

(him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of
faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him
up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. (Jm
5:1415) There are many believers who do not seek healing
because they do not believe that God can or will heal them.
Their lack of faithdisbeliefis blocking their healing. If
you ask them if they want to pray for their recovery, they
say yes, but without enthusiasm, because they have no faith.
Thank you, Father, for your lovely prayers. Would you like
a cup of tea?

7th Obstacle: Worldly Christians

One reason we get few healings following invitations to go
pray with another person, is that in fact the sick person does
not believe. This is also why there are few healings when
we offer to pray for a sick friend in such a way that they feel
almost obliged to say yes. With a stranger, it is different
because the context is evangelisation, which is highly fertile
ground for supernatural healings.

Conventional Christianity is an obstacle to Christian

healing. Being worldly, i.e. a life of seeking wealth,
pleasure, and power, is an obstacle to Christian healing.
Will God heal the legs of a Christian who only wants to
heal so that he can run to taverns or prostitutes, parties
or shows, casinos, bingo, or card games?

The anointing for healing that comes on a Christian can be

strong but it is not continuous. Only Jesus received the
Spirit without measure. Regardless of the strength of the
anointing on the prayer minister, disbelief and doubt in the
person being ministered to could neutralize the anointing.
Even Jesus, with an anointing without measure, could not
heal many people in Nazareth because of their unbelief.
Jesus said, if two of you agree on earth about anything for
which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my
heavenly Father. (Matthew 18:19) However, if they do not
agree, they will not get much from the Father. The
combination of the faith of the prayer minister with the faith
of the sick person plays a role in healing.
The Holy Scriptures foretold a day when practicing
Christians would deny the divine power available to
humans: They will keep up the outward appearance of
religion but will have rejected the inner power of it.
(2 Timothy 3:5 NJB)

The conversion of Constantine allowed the bishops to

exercise authority and influence imperial policy, distracting
them from their pastoral duties. The favour bestowed upon
Christianity by the Emperor encouraged many pagans to
become Christians to reap the material benefits.
The influx of unconverted people into the ranks of the
Church at the time of Constantine compelled devout
Christians to leave the cities, eventually to establish
monasteries. Since that time, the Church was no longer the
assembly of the saints, but rather the body where you could
find saints. Monks preserved the true faith. Often, the
bishops became the servants of the state. The Church, in all
its ranks, filled with lukewarm Christians. Many Church
leaders were corrupt and attracted by the lure of power and
gain along with the practice of simony106.
It took the Second Vatican Council to renew the Church by
proclaiming the universal call to holiness and mission, and
calling everyone to seek and exercise the charisms. Thus,
the Church decided to more closely resemble the Body of
Christ, the People of God that Jesus founded for His
presence on earth until He returns.

II. OBSTACLES FOR THE PRAYER

MINISTER

8th Obstacle: Lack of Faith of the Sick Person

9th Obstacle: Lack of Faith in Prayer Minister

Willful doubt107, scepticism and unbelief108 are obstacles

to Christian healing. If anyone says that all miracles
are impossiblelet him be anathema. Vatican I Lord
Jesus Christwilled that his Church continuehis
work of healing and salvation... Catechism no. 1421
Saint James instructed the believer who is afflicted. Is
anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters
of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint

The lack of holy boldness in the prayer minister will

lead to missed opportunities where the Lord would have
healed if only He had been asked with an expectant and
perseverant faith.
I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure
him. (Mt 17:16) Jesus sternly rebuked His disciples with
the harshest criticisms against them reported in the four
Gospels. O faithless and perverse generation... (Mt
17:17) When the apostles asked Jesus, Why could we not
drive it out? He said to them, Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard
seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to
there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for
you. (Mt 17:1920)

106

Simony Traffic in ecclesiastical offices or preferments. WordWeb. Simony was a

common practice in the Church of Constantine until the Council of Trent in the 16 th
century.
107
Willful doubt is a sin against faith. A sin against faith is the deliberate
withholding of assent to what God has revealed. As commonly understood, there are
five principal sins against faith: profession of a false religion, willful doubt, disbelief,
or denial of an article of faith, and culpable ignorance of the doctrines of the Catholic
Church. CatholicCulture.org
108
Incredulity is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it. Catechism of the Catholic Church #2089

44

10th Obstacle: Lack of Perseverance

trusted, took her best friend and killed him. She told herself,
If it hurts so bad when you love a friend and trust people,
maybe its best never to trust or love like that in the future.
That was her inner vow. Then the little 10-year-old closed
the flow of life in her, never again to be hurt and so sad.
However, in doing so, she could never again experience joy
and a vibrant life. The two prayed for this specific situation.
The next day, the nun was filled with joy and life. She cried
tears of happiness109.

There are people who believe that God heals

immediately and completely or not at all. So they pray,
and if the sick person does not heal, they give up.
According to John Wimber, the fundamental reason
why so few people are healed after prayer is that prayer
ministers are not seeking God with all their heart. They
do not persist in their prayers.
When the disciples asked Jesus, Lord, teach us to pray.
(Luke 11:1) Jesus told the parable of the imploring friend
with as a conclusion: I tell you, if he does not get up to give
him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to
give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
(Luke 11:8) Then Jesus adds, And I tell you, ask and you
will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will
be opened to youhow much more will the Father in
heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him? (Luke
11:9,13) The Father wants to provide for all His childrens
wants and needs, as His Son taught us. One condition is that
we must ask with persistence and audacity, and the Father
will grant the bounty in honour of His Son. There will be
more grace, more mercy, more power, and more divine
healingif only we continue to seek Him.

12th Obstacle: Misdiagnosis

The most common mistakes are:
Praying for physical healing when the problem needs
inner healing.
Praying for deliverance when the problem needs inner
healing.
Praying for inner healing when the problem needs a
deliverance.
Praying for healing the body when the problem is the
need for healing a toxic emotion.
A man wanted to quit smoking. As his first step, he tried
his self-control, but to no avail. Then he invited his friends
to pray for him. Nothing happened. Others ministered
deliverance prayer. Nothing happened. The leaders of the
group advised him to declare himself healed by faith.
Nothing happened. A few months later, during a session of
inner healing, he realized that in his teens, smoking
represented freedom and adulthood for him. In particular, it
symbolized his release from the dictatorial authority of his
father. He repented, reconciled with his father, and stopped
smoking110.
A Woman Suffering From Depression The interview
indicated that she did not know her father and that she had
been sexually abused as a child. We prayed for inner
healing. Nothing happened. More questions revealed that
her mother had exposed her to a sorcerer for the healing of
intestinal trouble. The sorcerer prayed over her and gave her
a potion. She fell on the floor in a trance and arose healed.
The team prayed for deliverance and the woman was healed
of her depression.

In addition, physical healings are more often gradual than

instantaneous. Miraculous healing is instantaneous but all
healings are not miracles. Often, a gradual recovery is better
than a miraculous healing quickly forgotten. Those who
recover gradually continue to grow in their faith in God and
in the Scriptures. They develop a stronger faith.

11th Obstacle: Ignoring the Root of the Disease

Especially in inner healing, it is important to find the
root of the evil, the initial painful memory that often is
forgotten. Having found it, you invite Jesus into this
event to heal it. Jesus drains the poison from these
painful, forgotten memories and healing takes place.
A lack of faith may be the reason someone loses his
physical healing, because by accepting the return of some
symptoms, he welcomes back his illness. However, for
inner healings, it is different. If the prayer minister asked
only for the disappearance of symptoms (such as anxiety or
fear) without uprooting the cause, the symptoms may
disappear for a while (but not always), then they will return.
In cases like this, a word of knowledge is immensely useful
for finding the exact cause behind the disease. The cause
may be a prenatal injury, resentment, or a judgement
towards others, especially the persons parents.
A nun in Peru experienced a common problem: her life
was dull and boring. Yet her work was interesting. She had
lost her joy and zest for life. She told her story but nothing
explained her problem. Prayer did not bring change. The
next day, Barbara Shlemon, who prayed with Francis
MacNutt, saw a picture of a girl of ten years holding a dog
in her arms. The nun recalled that for ten years, her dog was
her best friend. However, the dog was old and her parents
put it to sleep. For an adult, this is what you do with an old
dog. For this child, her parents, people in whom she most

Evil Spirit or Curse

Sometimes, the inner or physical healing is blocked by
an evil spirit111. Sometimes, the problem is rooted in a
curse112 or a generational113 condemnation.
When the sick person or his ancestor was involved in the
occult or spiritism, often he will need deliverance before
getting physical healing. Some defects or diseases have a
genetic predisposition that must be broken before being
delivered.

109
110

111

Francis MacNutt, Healing, pp.252-253

Francis MacNutt, Healing, pp.253-254

See the teachings by Henri Lemay on Specialised Demons and Occultism and
Spiritism; Individual and Corporate Strongholds; etc.
112
See the teaching by Henri Lemay on Freedom from Curses.
113
See teaching by Henri Lemay on Deliverance from Generational Influences.

45

13th Obstacle: Another

Time

Prayer

Minister

struck with awe and glorified God who had given such
authority to human beings. (Mt 9:68)
The Mute Demoniac When the demon was driven out the
mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said,
Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel! (Mt 9:33)
Aeneas in Lydda As Peter was passing through every
region, he went down to the holy ones living in Lydda.
There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been
confined to bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter
said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and
make your bed. He got up at once. And all the inhabitants of
Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
(Ac 9:3235)
The fundamental reason for the healing of chronic
diseases, beyond the reason of evangelisation, remains
Gods mercy and blessing poured upon His children.
Healing is the childrens bread. It is not right to take the
food of the children and throw it to the dogs. (Mt 15:26)
We can pray with faith and perseverance for afflicted
Christians because God wants to give the bread of
healing to His children.
Jesus came to give His bread, that is to say healing, first for
His own and then for others.

or

Sometimes, the Lord wants to heal the sick, but through a

specific prayer minister. Until that person prays, there will
be no healing. Sometimes, it just is not the day or the hour
when the Lord will give that healing. Nevertheless, He may
grant it at another time. Maybe the sick person was not
ready yet. Sometimes, four people must pray before the
Lord grants healing. The prayer minister and the sick person
are encouraged to grow in their persevering faith and
submission to the Holy Spirit to know when to pray and
until when.

14th Obstacle: Chronic Diseases114

The Lord seems to take pleasure in healing difficult
cases of chronic diseases in the context of evangelisation.
These healings are opportunities to proclaim the Gospel
and are demonstrations of the power of God. We should
take sick people to evangelisation meetings for them to
receive prayers for healing.
There are people who have had a disability or multiple
disabilities for years. Some have received many prayers
without results. Often, they lose all hope of healing and are
resigned to accepting their condition. They then refuse any
prayer for healing. Yet of the 41 documented healings by
Jesus, 33 appear to have been chronic diseases: for example,
the man born blind in John 9 and the haemorrhage in Mark
5.
A common factor in the healing of chronic conditions by
Jesus was the context of evangelisation.
He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and
curing every disease and illness among the people. His
fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all
who were sick with various diseases and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he
cured them. And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,
Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan
followed him. (Mt 4:2325)

III. HISTORICAL BARRIERS

15th Obstacle: Lack of Testimony
Christians are called to proclaim the Good News with
their words, their blood, and acts of love and power.
Begin the practice of reading the accounts of Christian
healings to people in your parish or diocese. St.
Augustine A miracle of healing is the eloquence of God
by a work of divine power. Saint Augustine
St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, healed people during his
life. He even raised a child from death. One day, at
Communion, he accidentally stepped on the foot of an
invalid, who groaned in pain. Ambrose told him, Go now
and be well! The invalid was healed instantly in both feet.
St. Augustine thought at first that the time of healing and
miracles had ceased with the Apostles because he could not
see them around him. Late in his life, he changed his mind
when he became a witness to abundant miracles and
healings115.

The Daughter of Jairus Jairus, an official of the

synagogue, came forward. He fell at the feet of Jesus and
begged him to come to his house, because he had an only
daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. As he
went, the crowds almost crushed him. (Luke 8:41,42)
Blind Bartimaeus in Jericho As he was leaving Jericho
with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind
man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside
beggingImmediately he received his sight and followed
him on the way. (Mk 10:46,52)
The Paralytic in Capernaum He then said to the
paralytic, Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home. He
rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were

16th Obstacle: Grieving the Holy Spirit

Paralysis of Christians in the face of disease should not
be attributed to God and His plan. This impotence is
caused by the sins in the Church and its members, which
is reversible through repentance and renewal. Vatican II
began this revival, which should trigger a springtime in
the Church where the Holy Spirit will manifest the total
victory of Christ over the devils work, among which we
include sickness and injury.

114

Chronic adjective, (of an illness) persisting for a long time or constantly

recurring, often contrasted with acute; (of a person) having a chronic illness; (of a
problem) long-lasting; (of a person) having a bad habit Oxford Dictionary

115

See Saint Augustine, City of God, book 22, chapter 8, where he describes 27
miraculous healings.

46

No foul language should come out of your mouths, but

only such as is good for needed edification, that it may
impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the holy
Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of
redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and
reviling must be removed from you, along with all
malice. (Eph 4:2931)
The fight against the many heresies of the early centuries
too often became intolerance and violence against those
who did not and were not acting according to the received
truths of the time. This grieved the Holy Spirit who is Love.

Because Christian healing is seen as part of

evangelisation, all evangelising work should include
public demonstrations of healing ministry.
Charles Whitehead
Catholics can learn from Protestants and Pentecostals
about the importance of equipping and sending many
people into healing ministry. In doing so, we could see
remarkable results. Charles Whitehead

18th Obstacle:
Healing

Violence Between Christians

Misunderstanding

Evidenced

by

Belief that God heals miraculously only to certify the

reputation of sanctity of a particular person or to prove
the veracity of Catholic beliefs is misplaced and
mistaken. It is an obstacle to Christian healing.
Materialism117 and rationalism118 can block the healing
power of God.
Another bad attitude toward healing is to argue that
miracles were only necessary at first to prove the divine
origin of Christianity. The reasoning is that Jesus did His
miracles to prove His divinity. Now that He has proved it, it
is more perfect to believe without signs and proof. Because
people are now believers, we no longer need signs or proof.
Miracles no longer have their uses, they say. They argue
that God performs miracles today to prove that a person is
indeed in heaven. The person can therefore be canonized.
They do not understand that God works miracles and
healings for the same reasons that Jesus healed in the Holy
Land. Among other reasons, He heals because He is
compassionate and He wants to heal His suffering children.
Jesus and His disciples healed for several good reasons.
Neglect of Christian healing in the Catholic Church
proved to be dangerous and even disastrous for many
afflicted Catholics who sought healing from charlatans,
New Age practitioners, and other dangerous sources.
It is true that faith is not conditional on signs and wonders.
However, healing the sick is desirable in itself. Nobody
blames a patient for seeing a doctor for a cure.

Intolerance and hostility between Christians grieve the

Holy Spirit and are obstacles to His manifestation in
Christian healing.
In the face of controversies in matters of faith and order,
many church leaders do not manifest the fruit of love:
peace, joy, gentleness, patience, faithfulness, and selfcontrol. As the fruit of the Spirit diminished in the lives of
Christians, the Holy Spirit was grieved and He gradually
manifested Himself less and less through the charisms. The
disappearance of the gifts closely followed the
disappearance of the fruit of the Spirit.

17th
Obstacle:
Evangelisation

Superiority

of

We should teach Christians today to expect that the

Holy Spirit will manifest Himself in their lives in the
same way that He manifested Himself in the life of Jesus
after His baptism in the Jordan River and in the lives of
the Apostles after Pentecost.
The Roman Empire converted to Christianity because
of the practice of Christian healing and deliverance.
Francis MacNutt
We convince because people first trust in what they can
actually see, and then in reasoned argument.
Saint Athanasius

19th Obstacle: False Asceticism119

Healing is the main door through which the knowledge

of God comes to human beings.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa (On the Making of Man)

Embracing suffering rather than love as the heart of the

Christian life is an obstacle to Christian healing.
A false asceticism from the Middle Ages has tainted some
people. It has its roots in Gnosticism120 and dualism121, two

Translating116 the Greek word sozo (to heal, to save a

life) into the Latin salvo (to save the soul) has been an
obstacle to Christian healing. Jesus saves the whole
personspirit, soul and body-and not only the soul.

117

Materialism noun, 2 (Philosophy) the theory or belief that nothing exists except
matter and its movements and modifications; the theory or belief that consciousness
and will are wholly due to material agency. Oxford Dictionary
118
Rationalism noun Reliance on reason rather than intuition to justify one's beliefs
or actions; (philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge about reality can be obtained by
reason alone without recourse to experience; the doctrine that human knowledge can
all be encompassed within a single, usually deductive, system; the school of
philosophy initiated by Descartes which held both the above doctrines; the belief that
knowledge and truth are ascertained by rational thought and not by divine or
supernatural revelation. Collins Dictionary
119
Asceticism noun Severe self-discipline and avoiding of all forms of indulgence,
typically for religious reasons. Origin: mid 17th century: from medieval Latin
asceticus or Greek asktikos, from askts 'monk', from askein 'to exercise.' Oxford
Dictionary
120
Gnosticism noun A prominent heretical movement of the 2nd-century Christian
Church, partly of pre-Christian origin. Gnostic doctrine taught that the world was

Understanding the Church mainly as a structured

organization rather than as the Mystical Body of Christ
is an obstacle to Christian healing.

116

Saint Jerome translated sozo in this way in the key text on physical healing in
James 5:15 in the Vulgate, the only authorized Latin translation (a living language at
the time), which became THE Bible of the Latin Church until Vatican II in 1965.

47

heresies dating from the origins of Christianity, which

proclaimed the depravity of the human body and the need to
sacrifice the body for the good of the soul because the soul
was trapped in the body. For them, the heart of Christianity
is the Cross and suffering, rather than the love of God and
neighbour. Sacrificing the healing of the body for the
healing of the soul was not the practice of Jesus and is an
obstacle to the practice of Christian healing.

Of all the heresies of the pre-Nicene period, Montanism

(160240 AD) contributed the most to the indifference, or
even the hostility, of bishops towards the charisms.
Montanus and his followers lived in the expectation of a
great wave of the Holy Spirit. They exercised the gifts and
wanted to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. However, they
opposed and showed contempt for some bishops, and at a
council meeting in Asia Minor, these bishops condemned
them. Tertullian, the greatest Latin theologian of the time,
took the side of the Montanists and eventually left the
Church to join them, which caused widespread
consternation. Since the gifts were identified as Montanism,
by association, the charisms became suspect. Gradually,
over the next two centuries, the bishops hardened their
position against the gifts of the Spirit. Charisms ceased to
be taught as a normal part of Christian life. They stopped
using the baptism of Jesus as a model of Pentecost and
started presenting it as a model of Christian baptism. The
Church no longer spoke of gifts of the Spirit at Christian
initiation.
Montanism prompted the bishops not to speak of charisms
and ultimately to oppose them. Gradually, Christians lost
the anointing. This was probably a tactic from hell to
remove the Churchs most powerful tool of evangelisation.

Belief that praying for ones own healing is, in a way,

selfish, distant from God, incongruous, or even fleshly. This
is contrary to the healing ministry of Jesus and the apostles.
This belief can be a barrier to Christian healing.

20th Obstacle: Choosing Humility above Love

Seeking humility and chastity by putting too much
emphasis on mortification of the flesh and severe ascetic
practices may stifle compassion and love required for
the Christian healing of ones neighbour.
In the 5th century in the Latin Church, Christian thought
and practice originated increasingly with monks. A conflict
arose between prayer for healing and the pursuit of holiness.
Saint John Cassian wrote Conferences122, a book that was
mandatory reading at mealtime for a thousand years in all
Benedictine monasteries. In this book, Cassian speaks of
miracles and healings of the monks of the desert. However,
he then warns the monks against the charisms of healing.
He recommends that they avoid healing by saying that the
holy fathers used the gift of healing only when they were
forced to. He explained the dangers of these charisms: the
danger of losing humility, the danger of losing chastity, and
the danger of losing ones soul. He identified sanctification
with love, but the strong emphasis placed on the severe
mortification of the flesh to produce humility and chastity
among monks separated them from the suffering of ordinary
people. It hardened their hearts to the point that the monks
refused to pray for the healing of the sick, while attending to
the care of the sick according to Matthew 25.
Healing the sick is at least as important as their care.

Disapproval of legitimate Christian healing ministry due

to some real and recognised abuse is an obstacle to
Christian healing.
Another major factor that contributed to the disappearance
of charisms was infant baptism. Being so young, the newly
baptised did not, understandably, exercise the gifts of the
Spirit.

22nd Obstacle: Changing the Meaning of

Charisms
Distorting the meaning of charisms (if someone gives
alms, he has the charism of healing) or spiritualising the
charisms (if someone goes to church rather than to the
theatre, he just healed an invalid) are obstacles to the
practice of Christian healing.
After the disappearance of charisms because of dissension,
hostility, lack of charity, and lukewarmness, the leaders of
the Eastern Orthodox Church sought to rationalize their
loss. Saint John Chrysostom, knowing that the charisms
were part of our inheritance as gifts from the Holy Spirit,
could not accept their loss. Thus, he changed their
application. The gift of tongues became what the deacon in
the liturgy does when he intercedes for the people. The
charism of healing could be, for example, to give alms. This
practice still exists today where we like to invent new
meanings for the charisms of 1 Corinthians 12.

21st Obstacle: Not to Speak of Charisms

Avoidance or neglect of the teaching about the charisms
and healing, especially during Christian initiation, is an
obstacle to Christian healing and deliverance. This is
especially true in a local church where infant baptisms
are the norm because then it is more likely that the gifts
received in baptism remain unused.
created and ruled by a lesser divinity, the demiurge, and that Christ was an emissary
of the remote supreme divine being, esoteric knowledge (gnosis) of whom enabled the
redemption of the human spirit. Oxford Dictionary
121
Dualism noun The division of something conceptually into two opposed or
contrasted aspects, or the state of being so divided: a dualism between man and
nature; (Philosophy) A theory or system of thought that regards a domain of reality in
terms of two independent principles, especially mind and matter ( Cartesian dualism).
Compare with idealism, materialism, monism. The religious doctrine that the universe
contains opposed powers of good and evil, especially seen as balanced equals. (In
Christian theology) The doctrine that Christ had two coexisting natures, human and
divine. Origin: late Middle English (as a noun denoting either of the two middle
incisor teeth in each jaw): from Latin dualis, from duo 'two.' Oxford Dictionary
122
Saint Jean Cassian, The Conferences, 2nd conference of Fr. Nestore, xv, 2.

23rd Obstacle: Changing Purpose of the Gifts

Believing that the gifts (especially healing and miracles)
are extraordinary signs given by God only to certify the
sanctity of a monk is an obstacle to evangelisation, to the
lay apostolate, and to Christian healing.

48

Other prelates taught that the charisms are signs of great

sanctity rather than the tools normally given to any believer
by the Spirit to whom He wants, whenever He wants. Syrian
monastic tradition, a great influence in the Church of the
time, continued to maintain that the gifts are imparted at
Christian initiation but are not active immediately, only
after a very long journey. This tradition teaches that after a
long life of dedication in the monastic life, the gifts that
ultimately appear in a small number (but never among the
laity) are evidence to all of their eminent sanctity: the
greater the charisms, the holier the person.
It is as much a mistake to believe that only a saint can
pray for healing as to believe that only a saint can
preach, teach, or sing. Imagining holiness as a condition
for the charisms is incorrect and is an obstacle to
Christian healing.
Many in the Church had set up a deficient theology that
would dominate thinking in this area for centuries. It argued
that the gifts of the Spirit are not given to everyone in the
Church, but only to a few and only to manifest the holiness
of the individual. The call of the laity to holiness and the
mission of the Church diminished and almost disappeared.

sickness, nor death, is still able to draw a greater good from

these conditions. For 2,000 years, we have had many saints
whom God called to a ministry of physical suffering
redemptive sufferingin union with the redemptive
suffering of Jesus.
In our time, we know Marthe Robin, who lived paralyzed,
blind, bedridden, without food, without drink, without sleep,
whose body was frozen in the shape of the Cross, suffering
the mystical passion of Christ, with stigmata every Friday to
Sunday for 49 years. Yet she was always cheerful,
receiving, listening to, consoling, and advising visitor after
visitor. Through her condition, the Lord raised up a
worldwide ministry of Christian retreats that allowed many
people to find faith and grow in love of God and neighbour.
When Father milien Tardif visited her, he told us that he
did not offer to pray for her recovery because the physical
suffering was her ministry. It was her vocation. However,
this is a rare calling. It is a vocation.
the true meaning and value of suffering, of the pain
which is physical, moral and spiritualTo our human
questioning, the Lord responds with a call, with a special
vocation123. John Paul II (at the Shrine of St Lazarus, El
Rincn, Cuba, Saturday, 24 January 1998)
The world of human suffering is vast and diversified124
well beyond the disease. Jesus redeemed all human
suffering through love. The easy answers as to why people
suffer can cause much harm. John Paul II
At the same time, through his suffering, Christ taught us
to do good and do good to those who suffer. In this double
aspect he has completely specified the meaning of
suffering. John Paul II
Jesus came into this world to save man from eternal
damnation, which is the ultimate suffering, by submitting to
sin and death.
He overcame sin through obedience, which removed the
dominion of sin over man and gave man the possibility of
living in sanctifying grace.
Jesus then overcame the dominion of death over man by
His own resurrection, beginning the process of the future
resurrection of the body.
Finally, Jesus will eliminate pain for the elect, who will
receive final and eternal happiness in their union with God.
Jesus is the ultimate Good Samaritan.

In that context, the Christian, instead of healing diseases,

became a victim of diseases. He became impotent before the
illness of others. When the Holy Spirit was manifested in a
healing, it was a surprise, something new, an exception
rather than the rule. Anyone who healed the sick in his life
was no longer considered an ordinary or normal Christian.
After his death, he was considered a candidate for
canonization. Before declaring sainthood, popes demanded
at least two miracles after the persons death.

24th Obstacle: Clergy Opposing the Charisms

This is a major obstacle to healing when the Christian
church leaders (such as bishops and priests) reject the
gifts, would prefer their disappearance, or never talk
about them.
In the Latin Church, from the fourth century on, most
bishops were generally happy to see charisms fade from
view. They even encouraged their disappearance and found
good reason to do so. This process was gradual. However, it
was not universal.
The cures are needed at all times because it is through
healing that people discover the truth of the Gospel and
experience it, especially the resurrection of Jesus. The
miracles and healings testify to the faith that proclaims the
resurrection to eternal life. Saint Augustine

25th
Obstacle:
Misunderstood

Redemptive

For suffering cannot be transformed and changed by a

grace from outside, but from within. And Christ through his
own salvific suffering is very much present in every human
suffering, and can act from within that suffering by the
powers of his Spirit of truth, his consoling Spirit.
John Paul II Salvifici doloris
The name "Good Samaritan" fits every individual who
is sensitive to the sufferings of others, who "is moved"
by the misfortune of another.Help which is, as far as
possible, effectivesuffering is present in the world in

Suffering

If a person is called to suffer for the Kingdom of God, or

to learn a lesson, or to be punished, or for another reason,
then, we should not pray for his recovery. Francis
MacNutt
Physical healing is a great good, but there are other benefits
that are even greater. God, who does not cause sin, nor

123
124

49

John Paul II, Apostolique Letter Salvifici doloris, 1984.

Idem #5 to 8.

them or what He had done for them through Jesus. The text
of the Pastorals had no compassion for the sick person,
only concern about his eternal salvation. Instead of visiting
the sick like the Good Samaritan, bringing them comfort,
care, and healing, the bishops were to visit them as judges
to find their faults and sins that would explain the disease,
and add the torment of an impending judgement to the
squirming misery of a sick bed. At that time, there was no
effort to pray for the sick. Suffering a disease was perceived
as the Cross that one had to carry to follow Christ. One
offered ones body to save ones soul. This is not what Jesus
taught. It is in this context that the anointing of the sick
evolved. Healing, practiced by all Christians for hundreds of
years, became the sacrament of extreme unction, reserved
for priests and given only to someone about to die.
Then came conflicts between the Church and doctors. For
Church people, disease had only one cause: the patients
personal sin. Therefore, the patient, before seeing the
doctor, was to see the priest and had to confess his sins. The
four Lateran Councils127 established various restrictions
facing the care of patients. The fourth council in 1215
established civil laws stating that, under pain of
excommunication, all doctors, before starting the treatment
of a patient, must convince the patient to confess his sins. In
1566, Pope Pius V reintroduced this requirement. The
Archbishop of Paris, in 1707 and 1712, with the consent of
the king, gave the directive to physicians that the patients
family should bring the priest on the second day. Otherwise,
the doctor himself must bring him. If the patient refused, the
doctor had to immediately stop all treatment. Otherwise,
there were fines and loss of his licence. The French
Revolution put an end to these regulations.

order to release love, in order to give birth to works of

love towards neighbour, in order to transform the whole
of human civilization into a "civilization of love". John
Paul II Salvifici doloris Nos. 28-30
Sore Shoulder During a healing ministry, two men stood
before Fr. Peter Coughlin each with a sore shoulder. One of
them was healed immediately. Many people were healed.
Peter prayed with the other man three times to no avail. Fr.
Peter asked, Do you know what is blocking your healing?
He replied, I do not know. There was so much suffering in
the room that I offered my suffering to the Lord for them.
This is a block to healing. He chose to suffer the pain for it
to be a blessing to others who suffered. He was
disappointed not to be healed himself, but he chose to
endure and offered it to the Lord.

26th Obstacle: The Expiation of Sins by

Sickness
Considering a sickness to be only something to endure in
atonement for ones sins or to prevent future sins
distorts the teaching and practice of Jesus and becomes
a major obstacle to Christian healing.
St. Gregory the Great wrote the Pastoral Rule in 591AD.
For a thousand years, it was given to each bishop at his
ordination, along with a copy of the Bible and the Code of
Canon Law. It was a very good guide for priests and
bishops in many areas, except in the pastoral care of the
sick.
St. Gregory the Great taught that healthy people should
enjoy their health to do good and avoid evil, otherwise they
would lose their health. He advised the bishops to urge the
sick125 to consider themselves children of God because
Gods discipline corrected them. They should see the
enormous benefits of the afflictions of the body that wash
away their sins and restrain them from sinning further. To
the troubled soul, illnesses inflicted injuries resembling the
effects of self-flagellation used as penance. Why be
surprised that a man who has behaved badly suffers in his
body if God himself has suffered so much for doing good?
How could someone be ungrateful for suffering in his body
when He who lived among us without sin did not avoid a
lashing?
Gregory taught that illness is a punishment from God to
correct moral behaviour, nothing else. The sick person
suffers because of his sins. It is true that a majority of
reasons why the sick dont heal concern sin in the sick
persons life especially unforgiveness, hatred, and other
toxic emotions126.
Gregory completely abandoned the idea that illness is a
curse, the work of demons, which we must fight in the
Name of Jesus. His moralizing approach influenced all
ranks of the Church to encourage the sick to consider only
what they could do for God, never what God could do for
125
126

These regulations of the clergy regarding illness compelled

ordinary people to transfer their allegiance regarding health
from the Church to medicine.
The inability of the Church to heal the sick was justified in
theological and philosophical explanations. Confusion about
disease caused the typical Christian to embrace it as a
friend, a wolf in sheeps clothing. The Church taught that
the guilty party was the patient rather than the devil. Church
people thought they were blameless: they were in the right
and had nothing to change. On the contrary, sin in the ranks
of leadership of the Church prevented them, in imitation of
Christ, from manifesting His complete victory over the
devils work, which is disease. In fact, they needed to
repent.

27th Obstacle: Believing that Illness is From

God
In the Catholic Church, there are mixed feelings
regarding disease and the plan of salvation. First,
disease is an evil to be eliminated. Secondly, being sick
can be a time of grace. Sin leads to disease and disease
leads to death. Sin and death are the most formidable
adversaries of man.
127

Saint Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rules, 3rd part, section 13.

The archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome was the papal seat for more than
one thousand years.

See obstacles #4 to 8.

50

There are people who do not really want to be healed. They

were taught to believe that their illness is from God. Yet,
their disease is destructive and makes them unhappy and
depressed. Obviously, this is not a blessing from God.
However, because they believe the illness comes from the
Lord, they feel uncomfortable praying for healing. We
should not pray against the wishes of a sick person. Even if
we pray, there will be psychological resistance to healing.
The biggest obstacle to receiving a Christian healing is
believing that it is not Gods will to heal, or worse, that
God made the person sick. In the Church today, this
idea is widespread among Catholics and Protestants.
In the Old Testament, there are verses that suggest that God
sends sickness, disaster and death. Among others, there are
the curses of the Law of Deuteronomy 28: The LORD will
strike you with wasting and fever, with scorching, fiery
drought, with blight and searing wind, that will plague you
until you perish...The LORD will strike you with Egyptian
boils and with tumours, eczema and the itch, until you
cannot be cured. And the LORD will strike you with
madness, blindness and paniche will smite you and your
descendants with severe and constant blows, malignant and
lasting maladies. He will again afflict you with all the
diseases of Egypt which you dread, and they will persist
among you. Should there be any kind of sickness or
calamity not mentioned in this book of the law, that too the
LORD will bring upon you until you are destroyed. (Dt
28:22,2728,5961) God permits evil (such as sin, sickness,
and death) but He neither causes it nor does He authorise it.
Revelation in the Bible was gradual. Moreover, St. James
clearly exonerates God from doing evil: No one
experiencing temptation should say, I am being tempted by
God; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he
himself tempts no one. (Jm 1:13) Confronted by the
hardening of a man or of a people in sin, God withdraws
His protective hand from those who constantly reject Him,
which gives access to the forces of evil, such as demons, to
attack and bully those who belong to them.
In Jesus, God the Father is fully revealed. God, the
inspirer and author of both Testaments, wisely arranged
that the New Testament be hidden in the Old and the
Old be made manifest in the Newthe books of the Old
Testament with all their parts, caught up into the
proclamation of the Gospel, acquire and show forth
their full meaning in the New Testament 128 and in turn
shed light on it and explain it. Dei Verbum129 Jesus is
Gods will in action. Would you like to see God at work?
Look at Jesus! Would you like to hear God speak?
Listen to Jesus! Jesus clearly said, Whoever has seen me
has seen the Father. (John 14:9) So, of what consists
Jesus public ministry? Jesus went about doing good
and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was
with him. (Acts 10:38) Because Jesus is Gods will in
action, we must conclude that the will of God is to heal.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. (Jn
14:10)

The author of evil, and therefore of disease, is the devil

and not God. Let us remember that it is impossible to grasp
the revelation of God with one Testament; it takes both
Testaments. The New is hidden in the Old and the Old is
revealed in the New. It is only by examining and Old and
New Testament that we reach the full revelation.
Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by
becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed be
everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of
Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through
Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith. (Ga 3:1314)
Health and strength are better than any gold, a robust
body than untold wealth. No riches can outweigh bodily
health, no enjoyment surpass a cheerful heart.
(Sir 30:1516 NJB)
My dear friend, I hope everything is going happily with
you and that you are as well physically as you are
spiritually. (3 John 1:2 NJB)

28th Obstacle: God does not want to heal me

The belief that God sends disease or that He ordinarily
wants people to be sick is an obstacle to Christian
healing.
It is a barrier to Christian healing to believe that God can
heal but does not want to. The sick person may think that he
does not deserve it, that he was too wicked, too sinful. The
devil will raise all sorts of objections to healing.
This belief among Christians became widespread between
the 3rd and 4th century AD. Before that, from the time of
Jesus until the end of the age of the Apostolic Fathers,
healing was seen as the will of God for His ordinary
children. Many130 historians documented this dramatic shift
in beliefs. Vatican II began the renewal necessary to redress
a more tenable balance.
Since Jesus never, not even once, refused to heal a sick
person who asked for it, I must conclude that it is Gods
will to heal all those who ask Him. In other words, the
barriers to healing are in us personally and collectively,
not in God. Normally, if you can help a sick person
believe that it is Gods will to heal him, that God wants
to heal him, that asking God to heal him will result in a
healing, then that person will heal. All that you ask for
in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be
yours. (Mk 11:24)
Kenneth Hagin131 declared that during the twelve years he
was pastor of a community in Texas, he did not bury one
member of his congregation. He prayed with each sick
person until they healed. He found by experience how to
help them get their own healing. Sometimes, he had to
persist six months to allow members of his church to
receive their healing, but all eventually recovered.
130

128

See Morton Kelsey, Healing and Christianity, 1973; Francis MacNutt, The
Healing Reawakening: Reclaiming Our Lost Inheritance, 2005; Kilian McDonnell
and George Montague, Christian initiation and baptism in the Holy Spirit, evidence
from the first eight centuries, 1991.
131
Kenneth Hagin, Bible Healing Study Course, 1999, p. 17

See Matt. 5:17; Luke 24:27; Rom. 16:25-26; 2 Cor. 14:16

129

DV #16 : Text of the Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum,
i.e., the Word of God, #16

51

continued and said, We have to do the works of the one

who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one
can work. (John 9: 4) Jesus dispels any doubt about the
intentions of the Father: He came to fulfill Gods project. It
was not the disease, but healing of blind mans eyes that
bring glory to God.
The second text concerns the resurrection of Lazarus. Some
say he was sick for the glory of God. They base this
conclusion on the words of Jesus: This illness is not to end
in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God
may be glorified through it. (Jn 11:4) In addition, just
before He restored Lazarus to life, Jesus said to his sister
Martha, Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see
the glory of God? (Jn 11:40) Martha had not yet seen the
glory of God in the sickness and death of Lazarus. She
would see the glory of God manifest in the resurrection and
the healing of her brother. Not only did Jesus bring him
back to life, but He healed him of what had led to the death.

When you pray, do not express doubt. Do not say,

Lord, if it be your will, heal him. The nature of God is
to heal. The obstacles to healing are in us, in our midst,
not in God. The plan of God, as Jesus revealed to us, is
that the reign of the Father, the Fathers will be done
on earth as in heaven. There is no sickness or afflicted
in heaven. God heals. Rather pray, Lord, heal him
according to your will, according to your promises. May
heaven come to him and restore him to health. Amen.
The Lords Prayer that Jesus taught us is not merely Thy
will be done, (Mt 6:10) which is a half truth, but Thy will
be done, on earth as in heaven. With respect to healing,
Gods will is that we be as healthy on earth as we will be in
heaven. Just as it is the will of God that there be neither sick
people nor sicknesses in heaven, it is His will that there be
neither sick people nor sicknesses on earth. If the will of
God were on earth as it is in heaven, there would be neither
sick people nor sicknesses among us. The fact that this is
not the case is due to the rebellion against God of the human
race.

31st Obstacle: My illness is the correction of

the Lord
Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes
even despair and revolt against God. It can also make a
person more mature, helping him discern in his life what
is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is.
Very often illness provokes a search for God and a
return to him. Catechism #1501

29th Obstacle: It is the thorn in my flesh

In the three lists of problems that Paul met during his
ministry, disease is never mentioned.
(See 2 Cor 6:411, 11:2327; 1Co 4:913)
Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in
the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to
keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the
Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me,
My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness. I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for
when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:710)
It is true that God allowed Paul to have a thorn in the
flesh but it was not from God. It was from an angel of
Satan, to beat me. The Bible does not say that this was a
disease. Chapter 33 of the Book of Numbers discusses the
problems that the presence of the Canaanites would cause to
the Israelites: they would become as barbs in your eyes
and thorns in your sides. (Num 33:55) Here again, there is
no question of disease any more than Pauls thorn.
Wherever Paul went, the devil opposed him.

Although sickness may have positive consequences as a

demonstration of the faithfulness of the just person, and
for repairing the justice that is violated by sin, and also
because it may cause a sinner to reform and set out on
the way of conversion, it remains, however, an evil132.
The Vatican
Whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every
son he acknowledges. (He 12:6) The words discipline and
scourge refer to education, training, formation, upbringing,
and instruction. It does not mean disease. There are people
who say, I was sick and I learned a great lesson for my
illness. I am sure that a child who is burned by touching a
red-hot stove has also learned a lesson: he learned not to put
his hand on a hot stove. However, that is not how his
parents would have chosen to teach him something. Thus,
disease and disability are not the ways God uses to teach us.
It would be very cruel and God is not cruel. Disease is a
curse that comes from Satan. Health is a blessing that comes
from God. Have you ever been sick? Have you been
healthy? Which is better? Being healthy is much better than
being sick, is it not? Healing is a beautiful gift from God
and healing from God belongs to His children.
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give good things to those who ask him! (Mt 7:11) How
many parents want their children to be sick? Not one! We
do everything we can, absolutely everything we can to make
sure they eat well, they live well, and stay well. Jesus

30th Obstacle: I suffer for the glory of God

God is glorified through healing and deliverance, not by
disease and suffering.
Those who hold this position refer to one of two texts from
St. Johns Gospel. In the first, Jesus is about to heal a blind
man when His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this
man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus
answered: Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that
the works of God might be made visible through him. (John
9:23) Some conclude from these verses that the man was
born blind so that God may be glorified. However, Jesus

132

INSTRUCTION ON PRAYERS FOR HEALING by the

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH #1

52

live in any way trusting to Providence. However, all that

will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2
Tim 3:12 DRB)

teaches us in Matthew 7:11 that if parents on earth know to

give good gifts to their children, how much more will the
Heavenly Father do good things for his children! God is
able to give much more, infinitely more, to His children
than parents on earth can give to theirs. All good giving
and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow
caused by change. (Jm 1:17)
The thief (the devil) cometh not, but for to steal and to
kill and to destroy. I am come that they may have life and
may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 DRB) Disease
is not from God but the devil. I should say: Satan is the
oppressor, Jesus is the liberator. By the wounds of Jesus,
I was healed. Healing is Gods will. The will of God is
healing. Jesus came so that I may have life and may
have it more abundantly.
God sent His Son into the world for Him to destroy the
works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) Peter sums up the mission
of Jesus: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy
Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all
those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. (Acts
10:38) Jesus blames Satan for the infirmity of a woman who
was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
(Luke 13:11) He gives two good reasons why she should be
released from this affliction: first, because it is Satan who
has bound her; second, because she is a descendant of
Abraham. This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has
bound for eighteen years... (Luke 13:16) We too are the
descendants of Abraham (see Gal 3:7,29) and we do not
accept being bullied by Satan through illness or infirmity.
Jesus wants to heal us.

Many Christians have only partial and disconnected

knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. Influenced by certain
passages of the Old Testament, they always picture God as
an avenger, the author of plagues, diseases, wars, disasters
and death. They have not grasped that the biblical revelation
of the nature of God is progressive.
Too many Christians do not see clearly the enormity of
the sin of our first parents and its consequences for the
human race. They do not see how the devil then became
the prince of this world, how he has implement his reign
of sin, sickness and death. They do not grasp the
centrality and importance of the ministry of healing and
deliverance of Jesus and His Body, the Church. Jesus,
the last Adam, came to reboot the human race,
reconciled with God, where every member is inhabited
by the three Persons of the Trinity. Every member is
expected to continue the same ministry that Jesus
practiced during His three years in public life.
The flagellants133 of the Middle Ages are remarkable
representatives of this school of ascetical theology, which
has not yet disappeared. From the fifth century, most
religious orders recommended or required self-flagellation
as a regular practice for their members. The mendicant
orders of the 12th century included it in their penitential
processions and popular preaching. Flagellating oneself
until one drew blood became a popular practice of piety. In
the 14th century, the bubonic plague drove crowds of
fanatic people to parade along the city streets, flagellating
themselves violently to appease God while blaming the
authorities, the rich, the clergy and the Jews for the
epidemics. They attacked Jews, murdering thousands.
Finally, in 1349, Pope Clement VI prohibited them and
made the practices stop. Nevertheless, at the instigation of
the clergy, they reappeared from century to century. Many
clergy and laypeople today continue to promote physical
pain in order to please God.

32nd Obstacle: Its my cross

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow meWhoever is
ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be
ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of
the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23,26)
There are some who say, My illness is a cross sent by
God. God does not want to heal me. I must suffer for
the conversion of my children or for my sins. God calls
me to endure my illness, my infirmity. Its Gods will that
I suffer, not that I be healed. Usually these people consult
doctors and take their medication as they should. However,
they refuse to pray for their healing or ask others to pray.
Often, they are impatient, ungrateful, and even rude with
those who serve them. Some are imbued with a false
asceticism dating from the Middle Ages that has its roots in
Gnosticism and dualism.

Suffering has its place in Christian life, but it should not

displace the love of God and neighbour as the central role.
Jesus suffered and saved us by His Cross and resurrection.
He showed the depth of His love for us by giving His life
for us while we were still sinners.
However, Jesus did not suffer from illness: He suffered
persecution, rejection, betrayal, opposition, neglect, and
hostility. We must endure that Cross while we continue
to love our enemies as Jesus did. Jesus never said that
illness or infirmity was a cross that God asked us to
carrythat illness or physical suffering pleased His
Father. On the contrary, Jesus showed himself a
constant enemy of disease and infirmity. He always
healed, without a single exception, all who asked Him to
do so for themselves or for others. He blamed disease

Many Catholics today define suffering almost exclusively in

terms of disease and infirmity. Their faith is often so hidden
and so private that it does not bother anyone. The lifestyle
of these Christians conforms so well to that of the
surrounding society that it provokes neither opposition nor
persecution. Even their best friends do not know that they
are disciples of Jesus. It is not at all evident. They are
lukewarm (Rev 3:16) and are Christians only by tradition
and culture. They do not evangelise their communities and

133

Flagellant noun A person who subjects themselves or others to flogging, either as

a religious discipline or for sexual gratification. Origin: late 16th century: from Latin
flagellant- 'whipping', from the verb flagellare, from flagellum 'whip' (see flagellum)
Oxford Dictionary

53

and infirmity on the devil. He came to destroy the devils

work and fulfill the will of His Father in establishing the
Kingdom of God where healing of all illness is a sign.

Within minutes, he knew she would recover. The father

knew, too. Eyes full of hope, he said, She will get better.
John replied, I know. In twenty minutes, her condition has
improved greatly and few days later, she went home
completely healed.

33rd and Final Hurdle: Time of Death

The prophet Isaiah advised King Hezekiah, who was very

ill, to put his affairs in order for the hour of his death had
come. (Is 38:18) Hezekiah prayed tearfully to the Lord.
Then the Lord sent Isaiah to tell him, I will add fifteen
years to your life. (Is 38:5)

Long, Healthy Life The Lord offers us a full and long life
on the earth before giving us eternal life as an inheritance.
When speaking of my teaching, that is to say, the Word of
God, Wisdom personified announces, My son, forget not
my teaching, keep in mind my commands; For many days,
and years of life, and peace, will they bring you. (Pro 3:1
2) When speaking of wisdom and intelligence, two gifts
representing the Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit, the
Scriptures announce, Long life is in her right hand, in her
left are riches and honor;She is a tree of life to those who
grasp her, and he is happy who holds her fast. (Pro
3:16,18)

The human race is subject to the reign of death. There

is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every
affair under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to
die. (Ecc 3:1,2) The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
(1 Cor 15:26) Therefore, just as through one person sin
entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death
came to all, inasmuch as all sinned. (Rom 5:12)

In our current era, which is the time between the first and
the second coming of Jesus, the Lord shows that He wants
to give long life to His servants, The number of a mans
days is great if he reaches a hundred years. (Sir 18:9
RSV) Its a few years compared to eternity. The span of
our life is seventy yearseighty for those who are strong.
(Psalm 90:10) Christs return will begin a new heaven and
a new earth, (Rev 21:1) No child will die in infancy;
everyone will live to a ripe old age. Anyone a hundred years
old will be considered young, and to die younger than that
will be considered a curse. (Is 65:20 CEV)

For each of us, there will come a day when the Lord will
say, your time to die has arrived. Therefore, we must
not give false hope to the dying. Telling them the truth is
the greatest charity. It is time for them to put their
house in order and prepare to meet the Lord. We must
speak openly about this135. We must also help the
bereaved to heal their heart broken by the death of a
loved one136.

CONCLUSION
The Weeds in the Wheat Field

The Origin, the Reign, and the Abolition of Death

God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the
destruction of the livingFor God formed man to be
imperishable; the image of his own nature he made him. But
by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they
who are in his possession experience it! (Wis 1:13, 2:23
24) the whole world is under the power of the evil one. (1
John 5:19) For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ
shall all be brought to life. (1 Cor 15:22) For he must
reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last
enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor 15:25,26) Then
Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. (Rev
20:14)

The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who

sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep
(in the Middle Ages) his enemy (the devil) came and sowed
weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. (Mt
13:24,25)
Jesus came to bring the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, to
proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18) and for
more than two centuries, healing and deliverance were the
norm in the Church.
In the middle Ages, the devil came to sow weeds that
have stifled even the hope of a harvest of wheat. Instead
of harvesting healing and wellness, a multitude of
arguments encourage us to now accept illness as Gods
will.

The time of death can be postponed. One day, John

Wimber134 received a call from a young father crying,
asking him to come to the hospital to pray for his baby, who
was dying. The doctor told him she would not live until
morning. John replied that he would come immediately.
After hanging up the phone, John prayed, Lord, are you
calling this child to you now? In his heart, God said no. He
went to the hospital with the awareness of being a
representative of Christ, a messenger who had a gift for that
child. Upon entering his room, he perceived the presence of
Death. Silently, he said, Death: get out of here! He left
and the whole atmosphere in the room changed, as if a
weight had been lifted. He laid hands on the little one.

A Summary of These False Arguments:

About God Usually, God does not heal. Suffering and
disease are His will for nearly everyone. The attitude of the
Christian is to accept it and not to pray to overcome it. God

135
134

136

John Wimber, Power Healing, p. 162.

54

See teaching by Henri Lemay on Ministry to the Dying.

See teaching by Henri Lemay on Understanding the Process of Mourning.

has sent you this custom-made cross. Do not reject it

because it will bring you great glory in the world to come.

About Healing
Healing miracles are a remnant of a distant, superstitious
past. Its time to break with this pre-scientific age and
purify Christianity of these supernatural practices that
have no relevance in our advanced civilization.

About You
Even if God sometimes heals, it is not because of your
prayers for you are surely not good enough. After all, you
are not a saint!
Even if God sometimes heals, you should be above such
spirituality.
You do not want to associate with these extremely
emotional people; your way is purer than that, more
intellectual, more spiritual.
You do not need miracles to believe. Your faith does not
need the evidence that people who are less spiritual than
you need.
You can accept suffering in preference to healing. If God
gives you a choice between healing and suffering, take the
most perfect path, the royal road of the cross. Choose the
most perfect way of suffering.

Such arguments are deceitful like a growth of weeds that

blocks the sun of the Gospel. They cut the legs off the
Good News that Jesus brought to us. Healing is not at
the periphery of Christianity but at its heart. Whoever
denies the power of God to heal will quickly end up with
no evidence of Gods personal love for him. When they
do not see first hand that God loves them, they begin to
wonder if there is really reason to believe in Him.
Ultimately, they question whether God exists.
The result? Instead of evangelising in the Name of Jesus
with the power of the Spirit, we close our churches, for
lack of attendance.

55

TYPES OF HEALING
5. THE HEALING OF OUR IMAGE OF GOD
Francis MacNutt and Norma Dearing, adapted by Henri Lemay, April 11, 2013
I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.
Jer 1:12 NIV
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and
abounding in love. The LORD is good to all, compassionate
to every creature. (Ps 145:89)

A child whose father is absent and who suffers from a lack

of care, love and family education may think that
God is distant and aloof. As an adult, this child needs a
personal and intimate encounter with the Lord.
A nun, pious and very committed, did not want Francis
MacNutt to pray with her for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
She was ambivalent; she wanted it and did not want it. By
praying with her, Francis MacNutt asked, What kind of
relationship do you have with your father? She replied,
There is no problem here because he died when I was one
year old. Suddenly, Francis understood. Christian friends
said to her, wanting to comfort her at the age of five years,
God so loved your father, He picked him as one picks a
beautiful flower in a garden. The little girl then concluded
that it is dangerous to be loved by God; then He can kill
you. Therefore, its best not to let God get too close to you.
It would have been better to say that death had taken her
father from earth but that God had delivered him from death
to live forever with Him in heaven. Francis then prayed for
the healing of emotions of the little five-year-old girl. All
her reluctance disappeared.

One of the first obstacles to eliminate is the distorted image

one may have of God137. Many people are afraid to
approach God or do not want too much contact with Him,
even to be healed. The first consequence of sin for Adam
and Eve was to hide from God out of fear. Two factors that
influence healing ministry, either to make healing possible
or to prevent it, are:
How the prayer minister pictures God, and
How the sick person pictures God.
God is Spirit. What image do we have of Him? An old man
seated on a throne? No, not at all! To describe Him, we
must use analogies: He is like a good father. He is like a
good mother.

I. HOW THE IMAGE OF GOD IS

DISTORTED

People in spiritual authority have a great influence on

the lives of others. Spiritual abuse happens when someone
in authority seeks to control or manipulate another to do
what he wants. Therefore, when someone in spiritual
authority does what is evil, such as embezzlement or sexual
abuse, it causes offended people not only to leave the
Church but also to distance themselves from God for good.
What priests or nuns say or do can distort our image of God
and make us think that God is distant, authoritarian, cold,
oppressive, cruel, arbitrary, fraudulent, and unworthy of our
trust.
If someone has suffered sexual or authority abuse by a
representative of the Church, healing can take a long time
because the person in authority assumed the place of God.
The victim can often experience recurring confusion and
mistrust of God because his image of God is tainted.
Some statistics suggest that 25% of women were sexually
abused as children, half at home, mostly by the father or
stepfather. One consequence is the fear of closeness with a
man, such as her husband or even God the Father. There is a
deep anger. There are people who are afraid to approach
Jesus or the Father. They prefer Mary, who to them is less
threatening, gentler, and friendlier.
Before Vatican II, breaking certain rules meant mortal sin,
which distorted the image of God for some Catholics. For
example, to receive communion, one must have fasted since
the previous midnight. If someone took a bite to eat before
going to bed at about one oclock in the morning and went
to communion on Sunday morning, he was committing a
mortal sin, so he deserved eternal damnation in hell...for a
bite! If someone deliberately ate meat on Friday, he

Is the intellectual image we have of God adequate? Are the

feelings (excessive fear of God, for example) we have with
respect to God correct? Often, our feelings were distorted,
perhaps by our experience with our parents or guardians or
the Church; perhaps by suffering or trauma.

1. Our Projections on God

Humans tend to create a god in their image. To heal the
image we have formed of God, it is useful to be aware of
our projections. We may have ascribed to God urges or
feelings impossible to accept as our own. We may place in
God thoughts, desires, and passions, perhaps without
identifying them as such, and allow them an objective
existence in Him. Ask the Lord to reveal to you how your
childhood experiences lead you to project onto God feelings
and attitudes that do not really exist in God.
A child whose parents are arbitrary and unfair might think
that God punishes without warning and that He does not
think much of him. Such a child may think of himself as
evil and deserving to be abused. This persons basic trust
needs to be restored through prayer and Gods
unconditional love.
A child whose father has not earned his trust, who does
not protect his child from danger so that the child feels
neither safe nor secure, who allows others to hurt his child,
or hurts him himselfthat child may think that God is also
like that.
137

This paper was based on the writings of Francis MacNutt and Norma Dearing.

56

Faith in God the Father Almighty can be put to the test by

the experience of evil and suffering. God can sometimes
seem to be absent and incapable of stopping evil. But in the
most mysterious way God the Father has revealed his
almighty power in the voluntary humiliation and
Resurrection of his Son, by which he conquered evil. Christ
crucified is thus "the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the
weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Cor 1: 2425) It
is in Christ's Resurrection and exaltation that the Father has
shown forth "the immeasurable greatness of his power in us
who believe". (Eph 1: 1922). Catechism # 272

deserved hell. What a terrifying God! Does God really

consign people eternally to hell for having a sip of water or
taking a bite of meat?

2. The Problem of Evil

The problem of evil hinders the image we form of God. A
loved one has terminal cancer. We cry to heaven but there is
no answer. He dies! Where was God? A small child drowns
in a swimming pool. Where was God? Why did He not
help? This is a great mystery.
The Bible offers three perspectives on the problem of evil.
In the first instance, everything is attributed to God:
creation, which is good, but also evil (including wars,
disease, death, suffering, accidents, and disasters). Giving
God all the credit and blame, it seems, protects His
sovereignty.

Only faith can embrace the mysterious ways of God's

almighty power. This faith glories in its weaknesses in order
to draw to itself Christ's power. (cf. 2 Cor 12: 9; Ph 4:13)
The Virgin Mary is the supreme model of this faith, for she
believed that "nothing will be impossible with God", (Lk
1:37) and was able to magnify the Lord: "For he who is
mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name."
(Lk 1:49). Catechism # 273

In a second instance, the Bible introduces the theme of the

mystery of evil: Job is innocent and says he does not
deserve all the evil that befalls him. Moreover, God, without
explaining why, justifies Job against his accusers. Evil is a
mystery to which only God has the key. The Old Testament
says no more about evil.

"Nothing is more apt to confirm our faith and hope than

holding it fixed in our minds that nothing is impossible with
God. Once our reason has grasped the idea of God's
almighty power, it will easily and without any hesitation
admit everything that [the Creed] will afterwards propose
for us to believe - even if they be great and marvelous
things, far above the ordinary laws of nature138.
Catechism # 274

The third biblical perspective is Jesus. His contemporaries

were eager to solve the problem of evil (the tower in Siloam
falling and crushing people, and the guilt of the man born
blind, or that of his parents). Nevertheless, Jesus reiterates
that evil remains a mystery. However, Jesus does enlighten
us.
He is the human face of God. He shows us how God
reacts to evil: He healed the blind, the lepers, the deaf, and
the lame. He raised the dead and cast out demons.
He shows us that God gives good things, especially the
Holy Spirit, to those who ask.
Jesus announces the coming of the kingdom of God. He
came to destroy Satans kingdom by which evil entered the
world after the fall of our first parents. The root source of
evil, disease, and death, is not God, but the reign of evil
satanic reignin the fallen human world. It is not Gods
will that we are sick. We have to understand: there really is
a demonic power in the world. People get sick out of
ignorance, from weakness, and by traps.
In Jesus, God gives man the opportunity to change the
evil in the world. If someone is sick, it is part of a human
disorder. Sometimes, it is satanic. Ultimately, all the mess is
satanic, due to the evil in the world.
The mystery remains: why does God permit evil?
Strong faith gives us comfort and hope that all things
work for good for those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose. (Rm 8:28)
(God) is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or
imagine, by the power at work within us... (Eph 3:20)

Jesus shows us Gods reaction to evil in the world. He

shows the will of God: God wants health, wellbeing,
goodness, and thriving life. Evil and disease remain
mysterious because not everyone is healed and everyone
eventually dies. However, God in Jesus overcame evil, sin,
sickness, and even death. He promises that He will raise us
for eternity.

3. The Problem of Death

God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the
destruction of the living. (Wis 1:13)
God formed man to be imperishable; in the image of his
own nature he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death
entered the world, and they who are in his possession
experience it. (Wis 2:2324)
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees
the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I
shall raise him (on) the last dayWhoever eats my flesh
and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on
the last day. (John 6:40,54)
In my Fathers house there are many mansionsI go to
prepare a place for youI will come again and will take
you to myself: that where I am, you also may be.
(John 14:23)

For Christians, evil is a mystery we cannot completely

understand. The Catechism expresses this in its explanation
of the Mystery of the apparent impotence of God (See
paragraphs 272 to 274.)

138

57

Catech. R. 1, 2, 13.

 Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world and

by sin death: and so death passed upon all men, in whom all
have sinned. (Romans 5:12)
Therefore because the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, he (Jesus) also himself in like manner hath been
partaker of the same: that, through death, he might destroy
him who had the empire of death, that is to say, the devil:
And might deliver them, who through the fear of death were
all their lifetime subject to servitude
(Heb 2:1415)
For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be
brought to lifeThe last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1
Cor 15:2226)
The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades gave up
their dead. All the dead were judged according to their
deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of
fire. (Rev 20:13,14)
Do you want to know who God is? Study Jesus. He is the
help we need to understand God and His intentions.

II. HEALING OUR IMAGE OF GOD

Healing the false image we have of God requires three
changes in ones life:
To reconcile with God by forgiving those who hurt you;
by renouncing accusations against God and renouncing
the reasons for your anger against Him;
To adopt Jesus as the image of God; and
To put yourself at the service of Jesus/God to heal and
alleviate the suffering and injustice in the world.
Prayer
You, who pray with a supplicant, know that you are here on
behalf of God. Clothe yourself with Christ! Proclaim His
Word! Do you not know that God loves you? The Love of
God is in you. Let Jesus love through you.

1. Forgiveness: (Use the Four-step forgiveness

prayer (see p.101)
Can you renounce being angry with God? Many
people pray to God with all their heart for an important
favour and God does not appear to answer. They feel that
God has failed them. They are furious with God. I invite
you to repudiate all your pretences of anger against God.
For a long time, you have judged God through a distorted
lens, perhaps you blamed Him for the evil in your life. God
has allowed evil, but He is not its author. He is infinitely
more powerful than evil and He can make all things work
for the good of those who love Him. (See Rom 8:28.) For
your own good, you must give up your rebellion against
God.
Can you forgive your earthly father for the good that
he did not offer you and for the evil that he has committed
against you?
Can you forgive people who hurt youpriests, people
in authority, and others you should have been able to trust?
This is essential!
Can you forgive yourself? If God has forgiven you,
why do you refuse to forgive yourself?

4. Does God Care About You?

Yes, He cares about you as a good shepherd cares for his
sheep, especially the lost sheep. He will nurse the lost sheep
and take him on His shoulders. He is like a good and
generous father who awaits the return of his prodigal son to
rejoice with him. He waits to cover his son with kisses, to
restore him, and to celebrate his return.
Who Are You?
Even more than being the son or daughter of this or that
couple, or a husband or wife, or something else, you are the
beloved child of the Eternal Father. This is your greatest
treasure. Rather than allow others to define your identity, let
Jesus define who you are. What you will become is the
work of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit in you is
love: the love of God and love of neighbour. The Spirit in
you makes you cry out, Abba, Father! Moreover, it is
true: you are the child of God. God puts His Spirit in you so
you can follow in the footsteps of Jesus, talk like Jesus, act
like Jesus, live like Jesus, and be like Jesus.

Healing our memories: sometimes, we are tormented by

the shame of what we have done in the past. These hidden
things must become known. We must let Jesus into our past
so that He can free us from the pain of our memories. That
way, we can enter into the abundant life He has merited for
us. God already knows and understands our pain. When we
can love ourselves despite our imperfections and our
blemisheswhen we can love ourselves notwithstanding
our past and our present circumstancesonly then can we
know the love Jesus has for us.

Do You Think God Loves You?

Some Protestant preachers say that we are completely
corrupt. However, God created man in his image; in the
divine image he created him; male and female he created
themGod looked at everything he had made, and he found
it very good! (Gen 1:27,31) God makes us say, I praise
you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your
works! (Ps 139:14) Even if my father and mother forsake
me, the LORD will take me in. (Ps 27:10) Consider Jesus
who is looking at you: it is a look of love and tenderness. It
is the gaze of the Father. Whoever sees me sees the one
who sent me (the Father). (John 12:45) We are not corrupt
but we are deeply wounded. There is a lot of good in man, a
lot of bad, and many wounds. Our job is to let God make us
a new creature. The Father sees only His Son Jesus in us.

Breaking the Bondage:

When the image of God is distorted because of an abusive
relationship from the past, we must sever the emotional and
spiritual ties between the supplicant and the abuser. Where
other generations have suffered the same fate, seek
generational healing. Then, we must pray for the healing of
emotions of the person being ministered to. Finally, if the

58

person has engaged in alcohol or drug abuse or any other

addiction to self-medicate, we must pray for that, too.

Learn the Names of God to Know Who He Is

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the just man
runs to it and is safe. (Pr 18:10)
Our help is the name of the LORD, the maker of heaven
and earth. (Ps 124:8)
This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only
true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. (Jn
17:3)

2. Jesus: the Perfect Image of God, the Father

When Gods image is tarnished, distorted or wrong, it is
rare that this person has the same view of Jesus.
The presentation of Jesus in the four Gospels is the best
antidote to a distorted picture of God the Father. Jesus
is God. Jesus said, Whoever sees me sees the one who
sent me (the Father). (Jn 12:45) If someone thinks that
God is indifferent, even sadistic, regarding human
suffering, he should examine Jesus attitude to the
afflicted He met: He gave sight to the blind, He cleansed
the lepers and He restored their families, He healed the
lame and the infirm. He never refused to heal the sick.
All those suffering who went to Him for healing were
healed by Jesus. Everyone who has asked Jesus to heal a
friend or relative was granted that desire. Jesus came
among us, above all, to heal our relationship with God.
The human race is alienated from God. Jesus reconciles
us with the Father.
Jesus came to heal our alienation from God. Some have a
false image of God, a faulty understanding of Him. Others
have an emotional blockage to approaching God, such as
fear. By forgiving sins, Jesus repairs our alienation from
God. Jesus heals us of any obstacle to our union with God.
Moreover, Jesus frees us from the consequences of sin,
healing us of our disease, by delivering us from the grip of
demons, and giving us an early share in His resurrection.
Thus, we can have access to a better relationship with God.
We become a new creation: Gods children by adoption.
This new connection means a personal relationship with
Jesus. Through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, a
personal relationship with the Father is available to us.
Thus, our image of God, how we perceive Him, is
transformed. Taste and see that YHWH is good. How
blessed are those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8
NJB)
Recognise Gods Love in the Father Who Sent His Son
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him might not perish but
might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into
the world to condemn the world but that the world might be
saved through him. (Jn 3:1617)
Recognise the Cross as a Sign of Gods Love
The Father has sent Jesus to save us. Watching Jesus die on
the Cross, we see the Fathers love. As the Father loves
me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. (Jn 15:9)
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: For your
sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as
sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we conquer
overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will
be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord. (Rm 8:3539)

3. Receive the Power of the Holy Spirit to Serve Gods

Love
Let the person being ministered to know that he is
empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring the love of
Almighty God to deliver a world under the yoke of the
devil and evil. Jesus tells us, I will ask the Father, and
he will give you another Advocate to be with you
alwaysI will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
(Jn 14:16,18)
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first
installment of our inheritance toward redemption as Gods
possession, to the praise of his glory. (Eph 1:13,14) Other
translations render instalment as deposit139, guarantee, the
earnest, pledge or surety. God will fight evil in all its forms
through the disciples of Jesus His Son.
You become a disciple of Jesus by willingly receiving Him
in your heart and life as Savior and Lord. You will receive
power... (Ac 1:8) Receiving the Spirit of Jesus means that
Jesus lives in you to continue His mission through you to be
Saviour of the world. You, a member of His Body, which is
the Church, become a servant of the omnipotence of God
that wishes to love and do good to all His creatures.

139

Deposit noun 2 A sum payable as a first instalment on the purchase of

something or as a pledge for a contract, the balance being payable later; a
returnable sum payable on the hire or rental of something, to cover possible
loss or damage; (in the UK) a sum of money lodged by an election
candidate and forfeited if they fail to receive a certain proportion of the
votes. Origin: late 16th century (especially in the phrases in deposit or on
deposit): from Latin depositum (noun), medieval Latin depositare (verb),
both from Latin deposit- 'laid aside', from the verb deponere. Oxford
Dictionary

59

6. RENOUNCING THE OCCULT

Adapted from various sources by Henri Lemay, April 11, 2013
THE OCCULT: Involvement in the occult is one of the
favourite tricks of Satan against us. To practice the occult
means that to seek knowledge or power from a spiritual
source other than God. The danger of occult involvement is
that it appeals to our spiritual hunger, our innate desire to
seek the Lord, but it turns us away from the one true God
toward evil spirits, the world of demons. Satan draws us by
our rebellious nature.

had practiced magic collected their books and burned them

in public. They calculated their value and found it to be fifty
thousand silver pieces. Thus did the word of the Lord
continue to spread with influence and power. (Acts 19:18
20)
When Simon the magician tried to buy the Holy Spirit to
add to his bag of tricks, Peter said, May your money perish
with you, because you thought that you could buy the gift of
God with money. (Acts 8:20)
Saint Paul warns us about the last days: the one whose
coming springs from the power of Satan in every mighty
deed and in signs and wonders that lie, and in every wicked
deceit for those who are perishing because they have not
accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved.
Therefore, God is sending them a deceiving power so that
they may believe the lie. (2 Thess 2:911)

The devil attacks in the following ways:

Temptation The devil knows that if he can capture your
thoughts, he has obtained a great victory over you. Many
are slaves of deceit because they have allowed evil spirits to
rule them through obsessive thinking.
Oppression (opposition, harassment) Evil spirits will
oppose and obstruct preaching, charisms, conversions, and a
personal relationship between a Christian and the Lord and
with other Christians. They also cause disease.
Infestation (compulsion, obsession, slavery) The devil
tries to entangle people in bondage to him by taking partial
control of the body, mind, or emotions. His job is made
easier on children by the misconduct of their parents or by
their narcissism, greed, or (mostly hidden) lust for power.
Possession (very rare) A demon controls the will, the
acts, and the words of a person.

THE CATECHISM AND THE OCCULT

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, identifying sins
against the First Commandment, Thou shalt have no other
gods besides me (Ex 20:3), proclaims:
All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan
or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely
supposed to "unveil" the future. (cf. Dt 18:10; Jr 29: 8)
Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading,
interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of
clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire
for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other
human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden
powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear
that we owe to God alone. Catechism # 2116
All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to
tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and
have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for
the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to
the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be
condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming
someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of
demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism
often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for
her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called
traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil
powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.
Catechism # 2117

THE BIBLE AND THE OCCULT

The Old Testament forbids participation in the occult: Let
there not be found among you anyone who immolates his
son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer,
charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults
ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone
who does such things is an abomination to the LORD, and
because of such abominations the LORD, your God, is
driving these nations out of your way. (Deuteronomy
18:1012)
But upon you shall come evil you will not know how to
predict; Disaster shall befall you which you cannot allay.
Suddenly there shall come upon you ruin which you will not
expect. Keep up, now, your spells and your many sorceries.
Perhaps you can make them avail, perhaps you can strike
terror! You wearied yourself with many consultations, at
which you toiled from your youth; Let the astrologers stand
forth to save you, the stargazers who forecast at each new
moon what would happen to you. Lo, they are like stubble,
fire consumes them; They cannot save themselves from the
spreading flames. This is no warming ember, no fire to sit
before. Thus do your wizards serve you with whom you have
toiled from your youth; Each wanders his own way, with
none to save you! (Is 47:1115)

Regarding the occult, the Catechism says:

No. Do not do it. Do not go to it. See No. 2116 and 2117
Reject all forms of Satanism and satanic practices: they
are idolatry. No. 2115
Reject all forms of divination and spiritualism:
necromancy, horoscopes, palmistry, clairvoyance, and
mediums. No. 2116
Reject all magical practices and witchcraft, even for cures.
No. 2117
Reject all use of demons. No. 2117

When Christians began to evangelize in pagan territories, as

Paul and Silas did in Ephesus, they came in contact with the
practice of the occult. Many of those who had become
believers came forward and openly acknowledged their
former practices. Moreover, a large number of those who

60

 Reject wearing and owning amulets. No. 2117

Reject all practices the purpose of which is to
control/reveal the future or other people. No 2116, 2117

Many of these activities are clearly of the occult, but the

hidden nature of certain activities obscures their occult
nature.
Underline one or more of the activities you are suspicious
of, even if youre not sure they are of the occult and they
apply to you, to make sure you renounce all the possibilities
of occult or demonic influences in your life.
VICTORY OVER THE DEVIL
The devil can enter us through four doors
Physical or psychological trauma
The sins of our ancestors, especially our parents
Our personal habits of sins
Our personal involvement in the occult

DEFINITIONS FROM WORDWEB

Divination: The art or gift of prophecy (or the pretence of
prophecy) by supernatural means; soothsaying, fortune
telling.
Astrology: A pseudoscience claiming divination by the
positions of the planets and sun and moon.
Enchant Cast a spell over someone or something; put a
hex on someone or something; bewitch.
Esoteric: Confined to and understandable by only an
enlightened inner circle.
Magic: Any art that invokes supernatural powers;
sorcery.
Medium: Someone who serves as an intermediary
between the living and the dead; spiritualist.
Occult: Supernatural practices and techniques; mystic.
Necromancy: The belief in magical spells that harness
occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in
the world; Conjuring up the dead, especially for
prophesying.
Revenant: Someone who has returned from the dead.
Witchcraft: The art of sorcery.
Witch: A female sorcerer or magician; A being (usually
female) imagined to have special powers derived from the
devil; A believer in Wicca.
Hex: An evil spell; curse; jinx.
Spiritism: The belief that the spirits of dead people can
communicate with people who are still alive (especially via
a medium).

Every Christian has authority over demons by Jesus.

The Lord has given us the authority to bind the forces of
evil and free people from the devils grip. In my name they
(believers) will cast out demons. (Mk 16: 17)
The laity derive the right and duty with respect to the
apostolate from their union with Christ their Head.
Incorporated into Christs Mystical Body through Baptism
and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit through
Confirmation, they are assigned to the apostolate by the
Lord himself. Vatican II, Decree on the Apostolate of the
Laity #3
...but even in the program of their secular life let them (the
laypeople) express it by a continual conversion and by
wrestling "against the world-rulers of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness. Vatican II, Lumen
Gentium # 35
You have the power to bind and loose because you believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. What you must
do is hold yourself to that fact and use that authority as the
Holy Spirit will lead you. Every child of God has a measure
of this power but there is a fuller manifestation of that
power after being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Smith
Wigglesworth
A prerequisite for deliverance from evil forces that bind us
through occult practices is to destroy all objects and books
that were used. Many of those who had become believers
came forward and openly acknowledged their former
practicesa large number of those who had practiced
magic collected their books and burned them in public.
They calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand
silver pieces. (Acts 19:1819)

INVOLVEMENT IN THE OCCULT

1. All involvement in the occult leads to spiritual
confusion.
The confusion begins when we become open to asking for
help from spiritual forces other than God, and when we use
them or we consult them.
When we practise the occult, we violate the first
commandment You shall have no other gods besides me
(Ex 20:3) and Jesus commandment You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with
all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mk 12:30) (See
also Deuteronomy 6: 49, Mt 22:37, Luke 10:27.)
2. The bad things done in innocence and ignorance hurt
us as much as those done knowingly.
Satan set occult traps hidden around the world hoping to
see us fall.
Gods forgiveness is not only for our wilful sins but also
for our sins due to ignorance.
We must confess and receive forgiveness for our occult
practices committed knowingly or through ignorance.
3. O Holy Spirit, while I read the following list, call to
my mind all the occult involvements I have had of which
I must repent.

Deliverance
The demons are legalists, that is to say they will resist as
long as they believe they have the right to be there. For this
reason, the easiest way to minister deliverance is by taking
away the demons right to be there. Here are five steps to
rescinding demons rights:
1. Repent of sins
2. Forgive others their trespasses against us
3. Renounce sinful practices and destroy any object or
document related to the occult
4. Expel the demons and
5. Call a blessing upon the supplicant

61

7. INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL HEALING

Working paper by Henri Lemay, April 11, 2013
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Jesus had not only the power to heal, but also to forgive sins. (See Mk 2:512.)
He has come to heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of. Catechism # 1503

body and soul. Regular physical activity also brings many

benefits including physical healing of a considerable
number of diseases. We will explore this on another
occasion.

INTRODUCTION
1. Healing is Physical Healing140
The most basic form of Christian healing is physical
healing.
When someone speaks of healing, the first category that
comes to mind is physical healing: a blind man sees, a leper
is cleansed, and an invalid walks. This kind of healing is
most verifiable and obvious. Who can say he has seen of
sins forgiven, a demon expelled, someone born of the Spirit,
or an ancestor released? Such healings, which are real, are
not immediately obvious. Nevertheless, when a blind man is
given sight, a paralytic starts to walk and run, crooked
arthritic fingers regain their natural form, and a tumour
shrinks and disappears during prayer, anyone watching will
be astonished!

In the Lords healing team, there are doctors, nurses,

pharmacists, psychologists, priests, counsellors, exorcists,
charismatic intercessors, and prayer ministers. These folks
do not compete with each other. They are members of the
same team. The team belongs to the Lord: He alone heals
through whom He wants, whenever He wants.

I. IN THE BIBLE
1. The Old Testament
God heals. Having delivered the Israelites from bondage
in Egypt, the Lord reveals to them His identity: I, the
LORD, am your healer. (Ex 15:26) In Hebrew, it reads
YHWH Rapha, which literally translated, is I am the
LORD your doctor142.
Who pardons all your sins, heals all your ills, Delivers
your life from the pit, surrounds you with love and
compassion, Fills your days with good things; your youth is
renewed like the eagles. (Ps 103:35)

In the public mind, healing is associated with the restoration

of bodily health. In his book, The Words that Heal, Dr.
Larry Dossey cites cases where prayer was as effective a
healing tool as drugs or surgery. His book and many
others141 by doctors on physical healing eloquently describe
the power of prayer.

2. The Lords Healing Team

In their distress they cried to the LORD, who saved them in

their peril, Sent forth the word to heal them, snatched them
from the grave. (Ps 107:1920)

Prayer for physical healing should not exclude regular

physical exercise, a healthy diet, stress control, taking
medication, surgical procedures, and other normal
health management practices.
The list of psychosomatic illnesses is long and impressive.
Sacred Scripture is full of tips to regulate our emotions and
feelings, thus preventing them from destroying our bodys
health, happiness, and even life. We will give this a closer
look at another time.

Most healings in the Jewish Bible are physical healings:

Sarah is healed of her infertility in her old age (Gen 21),
God heals Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kings 5), King
Hezekiah was healed of a deadly disease (2 Kings 20), and
Tobit is healed of his blindness (Tobit 6:9, 11:1114).

2. In the Four Gospels

The Lords most spectacular instrument of healing is our

own being: spirit, soul, and body. One role of the human
spirit is to maintain a healthy body. The body has several
systemslymph nodes, white blood cells, antibodies,
hepatic and renal systemsto fight infections, bacteria,
viruses, parasites, and other pathogens that attack the human
body. God has placed in food a multitude of nutrients,
which, over time, are profoundly beneficial to the health of

The 3,777 verses of the four Gospels are full of supernatural

incidents in peoples lives because of Jesus. Of those,
40.3% (or 1,524 verses) tell of healings, miracles, and
other supernatural incidents143,
4.8% (183 verses) describe Jesus expelling demons,
27.5% (1,037 verses) show that Jesus healed people
with all kinds of physical, emotional, and spiritual
afflictions, and

140

This document was prepared by combining the following sources: Francis

MacNutt, Healing, 1999; The Power to Heal, 1977; John Wimber, Power Healing,
1987; Kenneth Hagin, Bible Healing Study Course, 1999.
141
Doctors who are authors of books on healing through prayer: Larry Dossey, Ces
mots qui gurissentle pouvoir de la prire en complment de la mdecine, 1995;
James P. Gills, M.D., Gods Prescription for Healing, 2004; Dale A. Matthews, M.D.,
The Faith FactorProof of the Healing Power of Prayer, 1999; S. I. McMillen M.D.,
None of these DiseasesThe Bibles Health Secrets for the 21st Century, 2004;
Chester L. Tolson, Ph.D., The Healing Power of Prayer, 2003.

142

The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, edited by Dr. J. H. Hertz, C.H., Chief Rabbi of the
British Empire, 1958, p. 274.
143
18,2% (689 verses) describe 15 miracles (changing water into wine, calming a
storm, multiplying bread and fish, etc.) and 43 supernatural events that were not
healings: the miraculous conception of Jesus, the appearance of angels, the
transfiguration, the resurrection, predictions of the future, etc.

62

who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics, and he cured

them. (Mt 4:23,24)
When it was evening, they brought him many who were
possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word
and cured all the sick. (Mt 8:16)
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching
in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
(Mt 9:35)
When the men of that place (Gennesaret) recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country. People
brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that
they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many
as touched it were healed.
(Mt 14:3536)
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the
mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the
mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and
he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw
the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame
walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the
God of Israel. (Mt 15:2931)
Great crowds followed him, and he cured them there.
(Mt 19:2)
After Jesus drove the merchants from the Temple, The
blind and the lame approached him in the temple area,
and he cured themthe children crying out in the temple
area, Hosanna to the Son of David! (Mt 21:14,15)
Just before the first miracle of the loaves, Jesus
disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved
with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
(Mt 14:14)
In Nazareth, where people did not believe in Him, Jesus
was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from
curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He
was amazed at their lack of faith. (Mk 6:56)
After the mission of the Twelve, where they had provided
healing everywhere, the crowds found Jesus had moved
away with His apostles. The crowdsfollowed him. He
received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured. (Lk 9:11)

15% (560 verses) of the 3,777 verses of the four

Gospels tell of 17 physical healings, 3 resurrections
from the dead, and 26 statements of multiple
healings by Jesus.
Jesus cleanses a leper in Mt 8:14, Mk 1:4045; and
Lk 5:1216.
Jesus restores health to the centurions servant who
was paralyzed, suffering dreadfully in Mt 8:513
and Lk 7:110.
Jesus healed the fever of Simon Peters mother-in-law
in Mt 8:1415, Mk 1:2931 and Lk 4:3839.
Jesus forgives sins, heals a paralytic in Mt 9:18, Mk
2:112 and Lk 5:1726.
Jesus heals a woman who haemorrhaged for 12 years
in Mt 9:1826, Mk 5:2534 and Lk 8:4348.
Jesus restores the withered hand of a man in Mt 12:9
14, Mk 3:16 and Lk 6:611.
Jesus heals the dropsy in Lk 14:16.
Jesus heals ten lepers in Lk 17:1119.
Jesus heals the blind man of Bethsaida in Mk 8:2226.
Jesus heals two blind men at Capernaum in Mt 9:27
31.
Jesus heals a mute demoniac in Mt 9:3234.
Jesus heals a deaf-mute in Mk 7:3137.
Jesus gives sight to two blind men of Jericho in Mt
20:2934, Mk 10:4652 and Lk 18:3543.
Jesus heals the son of an officer in Galilee in Jn 4:46
54.
Jesus heals a paralytic at Bethesda in Jn 5:146.
Jesus heals a man born blind in Jn 9:141, 10:1921.
Jesus heals a soldier in Gethsemane in Lk 22:4951.
Jesus raises the widows son at Nain in Lk 7:1117.
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus in Capernaum in
Mt 9:1819,2326; Mk 5:2124,3543 and Lk 8:40
42,4956, and
Jesus raises Lazarus in Jn 11:157; 12:1,911,1719.

In addition to the verses that describe Jesus healings, I

counted 14.6% (689 verses) that relate to Jesus
teachings on healing and deliverance. This means that
58.6% (2,213 verses) of the four Gospels relate to the
supernatural and 45.7% (1,726 verses) address healing
and deliverance. Based on the criterion of the weight of
verses, the arrival of the supernatural in the world with
Jesus is the overwhelming message of the four Gospels.
Christian healing is the most documented aspect of that
message.

The evangelist Matthew explains the meaning of Jesus

healings. First, he reported the fact that after a conflict with
the Pharisees about the healing of a man with a withered
hand on the Sabbath, Jesus withdrew from that place.
Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all. (Mt
12:15) Then Matthew, quoting the prophet Isaiah says,
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in
whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon himA bruised
reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not
quench, until he brings justice to victory. (Mt 12:18,20) By
healing the poor and lowly, who are so fragile, Jesus
manifests Gods mercy, goodness, and power used for
them. It draws all people to the Lord.

3. Multiple Healings by Jesus. (11 of 26 citations)

Jesus healed diseases and infirmities of all kinds and
expelled evil spirits, not for hundreds but probably
thousands of people during His three years of public
ministry in the Holy Land.
He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and
curing every disease and illness among the people. His
fame spread to all of Syria, and they brought to him all who
were sick with various diseases and racked with pain, those

63

4. The Signature of the Messiah

6. The Disciples of Jesus

How can one recognise the Messiah? When John the Baptist
sent his disciples to ask Jesus, Are you the one who is to
come, or should we look for another? Jesus said to them in
reply, Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind
regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good
news proclaimed to them. (Mt 11:36) Of the six signs
authenticating the mission of the Emissary of God, five are
explicitly physical healings.
By stating that the signature of the Messiah is physical
healing, Jesus revealed Gods nature: His merciful
goodness. Through the Incarnation, God rent the
heavens and came down among us to fight on our behalf
the great enemies of mankind: sin, sickness, death, and
the devil. The Messiah of God appeared among us to
defeat the works of the evil one and then He sent His
Body, the Church of God, invested in the power of His
Spirit, to continue His work until He returns to put an
end to the empire of evil and free men forever from
disabilities, diseases, sin, and death itself.

Jesus Commissions His Disciples

Jesus instructed His disciples to perform miracles, heal
the sick, expel evil spirits, speak in tongues, and speak in
His Name. The disciples obeyed.
There are more than 35 references in the New Testament on
the ministry of healing and deliverance by Jesus disciples.
Half of these are general statements. The Acts of the
Apostles and the Epistles relate: 13 instances of healing
with Paul, 4 with Peter, 2 with Barnabas and Paul, 2 with
Philip, 1 with Peter and John, 1 with Stephen, 1 with
Ananias, and 3 ascribed to apostles in general.
Jesus Commissions All His Disciples
Giving them the same powers and equal authority, Jesus
instructed all His disciples, regardless of their rank in
the Church, His Body, to heal the sick, cast out demons,
and preach the Good News: in sum, to exercise all the
charisms144 and faith.
To the seventy-two, Jesus said, Behold, I have given you
the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon
the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. (Lk
10:19)

It is remarkable that of the six signs given by Jesus to

identify the Messiah and the messianic people, only the
sixth signsharing the Good News through preaching,
teaching and evangelisationhas thrived in the Church
since the fourth century. Only the saints and the great
shrines have exhibited all six messianic signs throughout the
ages.

To all His disciples, Jesus said, These signs will

accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive
out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick
up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly
thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick,
and they will recover. (Mk 16:1718)

5. Vocational Calling to Healing

The First Evangelisation
The first evangelisation was achieved with signs and
wonders at the hands of disciples of all levels. Jesus
disciples often announced a healing and demanded that
the sick arise. They obeyed, were healed, and the region
was converted to the Lord Jesus. They went forth and
preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
(Mk 16:20)

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching

in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the
kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight
of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep
without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: the
harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the
master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them
authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to
cure every disease and every illness. (Mt 9:3510:1)
Recruiters for religious communities and clergy sometimes
misuse this passage from St. Matthew. They use it as if
Jesus call was addressed to candidates for religious life or
the priesthood. Although this call of Jesus also pertains to
consecrated religious and priests who are called to heal the
sick and cast out demons, this call is broader. It is a call for
all Christians to minister healing and deliverance.
The call on every Christian is to be a child of God JUST
AS JESUS IS. Jesus is the ultimate model for all
Christians. We are all called to a messianic mission
identical to that of Jesus: healing the sick, expelling
demons, and preaching the Gospel of the Fathers love
in Jesus through the Spirit.

How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?

Announced originally through the Lord, it was confirmed
for us by those who had heard. God added his testimony by
signs, wonders, various acts of power, and distribution of
the gifts of the holy Spirit (charisms) according to his will.
(He 2:34)
In Jerusalem Jesus lived inside of Peter and He continued
His ministry through Peter and all the apostles and disciples.
Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs
were done through the apostles...praising God and
enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the
Lord added to their number those who were being
saved. (Acts 2:43,47)

144

The Twelve: Mt 10:1, 7-8; Mk 3:14-15; 7:12-13; Lk 9:1-2, 6; The Seventy Two:
Lk10:9-12; All: Mt 18:1, 18-20; Mk 16:17-20

64

To the man invalid from birth, Peter said, I have

neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in
the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean, (rise and) walk.
Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him
up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
(Acts 3:67)
Many signs and wonders were done among the people
at the hands of the apostlesthe people esteemed
thembelievers in the Lord, great numbers of men and
women, were added to themthey even carried the sick
out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so
that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall
on one or another of them. A large number of
peoplegathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed
by unclean spirits, and they were all cured. (Acts
5:1216)
I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me. (Gal 2:20)
Persecuted, the Apostles asked God to work miracles,
especially physical healings it seems. They prayed and
thus pleased God. Lord, take note of their threats, and
enable your servants to speak your word with all
boldness, as you stretch forth (your) hand to heal, and
signs and wonders are done through the name of your
holy servant Jesus. As they prayed, the place where they
were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with
boldness. (Acts 4:2931)

II. SOME CONSIDERATIONS

1. Physical Healing remains a Mystery
Prayer for physical healing remains a mystery.
There is much abstaining from prayer for physical healing.
Why? One possible reason is that physical healing is still a
great mystery. Father Emilien Tardif often said that the first
question he would ask the Lord, once he was in heaven,
would be why some are healed and why others are not.

In Judea Peter healed a paralytic. Thus the people of Lydda

came to the Lord. (Acts 9:35) The people of Joppa became
believers because Peter raised a woman from death. (Acts
9:42) The mere announcement of the healings of Jesus, His
death, and His resurrection was enough for Cornelius and
his family to believe and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 10:3744)
Samaria The Samaritans believed in Him because Saint
Philip delivered people from evil spirits and healed the lame
and paralyzed. (Acts 8:6,7)
To the Ends of the Earth Wherever the disciples went,
healings and miracles opened the hearts of the Gentiles.
2.

At Corinth, Greece, Saint Paul was reassured to know

that the faith of the Corinthians was based not only on
his word but my message and my proclamation were
not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a
demonstration of Spirit and power. (1 Cor 2:4)
In Ephesus, Asia Minor And when Paul laid (his)
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and
they spoke in tongues and prophesiedSo extraordinary
were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands
of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his
skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them
and the evil spirits came out of them. (Ac 19:6,1112
Everywhere Paul described his ministry in his letter to
the Romans,: I will not dare to speak of anything
except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead
the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the
power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit
(of God), so that from Jerusalem all the way around to
Illyricum I have finished preaching the gospel of
Christ. (Rm 15:1819)

In Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch: The hand of the

Lord was with them and a great number who believed
turned to the Lord. (Acts 11:21)
At Iconium: They (Paul and Barnabas) stayed for a
considerable period, speaking out boldly for the Lord,
who confirmed the word about his grace by granting
signs and wonders to occur through their hands. (Acts
14:3)
The disciples restore their own by miracles. ...They
stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing
that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered
around him, he got up and entered the city. (Acts
14:1920)
In Thessalonica, Greece Our gospel did not come to
you in word alone, but also in power and in the holy
Spirit and (with) much conviction. (1 Thess. 1:5)

Kathryn Kuhlman, a 20th century Pentecostal with a

powerful ministry of physical healing, began her healing
services, saying, I do not really understand anything. I
know there are people standing in the back of the room who
do not believe a word of what I say; some of them will be
healed tonight. There is also a person here in the first row
who has absolute confidence that he will be healed but it
will not be tonight. I do not know why.
2. Gods Presence
I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I
now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who
has loved me and given himself up for me. (Ga 2:20)
Francis MacNutt understands that it is Jesus who lives
in him, who lays His hands through him. His hand is the
hand of Jesus that touches and heals. Jesus lives in you
also by the Holy Spirit. When you lay hands in Jesus
Name, it is Jesus, who lives in you, who lays His hands
through you. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today,
and forever. (He 13:8)
Remain aware of Jesus working through you by turning
your heart and your mind to Him in praise. Amen, amen, I
say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I
do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going
to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask
anything of me in my name, I will do it. (Jn 14:1214)

65

GodFather, Son and Holy Spiritis present in you and

everywhere around you. It is in Him, for Him, and with Him
that you live and act.

drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come

upon you. (Lk 11:20) Because the Lord does not choose
the capable but makes the chosen capable, ask Jesus to
baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
Healing, like all the charisms after all, is a manifestation, a
visible sign of the Holy Spirit. You will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8) Because
the Holy Spirit becomes visible through healing, just as the
wind is made visible by the movement of leaves on a tree,
praying invites the Holy Spirit to heal the sick person. Then,
the prayer minister should wait with expectant faith,
encouraging the Spirit occasionally with words like, Come,
Holy Spirit, come on (name of the sick person). The prayer
leader may encourage the person receiving prayer to stretch
out his hand in a gesture of receiving a gift.

3. The Principle of More or Less

Physical healing will occur more often if, during prayer,
you do not insist on an all or nothing healing. Assume,
rather, that healing will become more or less
apparent. Typically, recovery is gradual, not
instantaneous and complete.
Miracles Another reason why so few people pray for
physical healing is that they misunderstand the dynamics of
healing prayer. They do not distinguish between miracles
and healing. Miraculous cures exist and they happen more
often than you might think. They are the result of the
charism to work miracles or of one of the many other
charisms of healing.

5. Three Forms of Intervention of the Spirit

God heals through the Holy Spirit, by the anointing.
Sometimes, He does it spontaneously, often in response
to a prayer, and, most often, following the supplicants
statement of faith in the Word of God. It is only by faith
that a person keeps his healing.

An instantaneous and complete healing is probably a

miracle. There is a charism to perform miracles that can be
considered one of the many charisms of healing. Miraculous
healings often occur during large gatherings of
evangelisation. This was the case with Father milien
Tardif, who considered himself an evangelist, not a healer.
Miraculous healings are often spectacular, provoking
shrieks and tears of joy. They help the people in attendance
to realize that God exists, that He is present and that He
loves us. People are then disposed to open their heart, to
give themselves to Jesus, and to become His disciples. Jean
Pliya, a catholic of Benin, trains his evangelists in
miraculous healing as a tool of evangelisation. So does Bill
Johnson and many others. When we talk about healing in
the context of evangelisation (Level 5), we will have much
to say about miraculous healings.

Spontaneously Sometimes, the Spirit, in His sovereign

authority, heals spontaneously. Such was the case in the
Pool of Bethesda where lay a great multitude of sick, of
blind, of lame, of withered: waiting for the moving of the
water. And an angel of the Lord (perhaps St. Raphael; this
passage is read on his feast day) descended at certain times
into the pond and the water was moved. And he that went
down first into the pond after the motion of the water was
made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. (Jn 5:3
4 DRB) We find this form of healing given through the
relics of saints, shrines, and pilgrimage sites like Lourdes.
Those who go there often have the faith to receive a healing
by a sovereign manifestation of God, an anointing.
Sometimes, they are healed.

However, in the minds of too many Christians, physical

healing is always a miracle. This is why most have never
even tried such a prayer because it is too intimidating.
Others have tried it, but gave up too quickly from
discouragement and disillusionment. They were looking for
a miracle, expecting that the person being prayed for would
be completely or immediately healed. They falsely believe
that prayer for physical healing was operating under the
principle of all or nothing: either the sick person would be
completely healed or not be healed at all.

Following a Prayer More sick people recover after prayer

with laying on of hands, in the sacrament of the sick, or in
the exercise of charisms, than through spontaneous healing.
There is an anointing of the Holy Spirit that brings healing
to the person seeking healing, usually gradually.
In these first two forms of healing, the sick person must
wait for the anointing, the intervention of the Spirit, which
can (but does not always) happen.

In reality, most of healings resulting from one of the

charisms of healing occur gradually, step by step.
Furthermore, most healings are obtained, not through one of
the charisms of healing, but from the virtue of faith.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my
nameThey will lay hands on the sick, and they will
recover. (Mk 16:17,18)

Following a Declaration of Faith in the Word of God

Most often, the Spirit is manifested through an anointing to
heal the sick person because of his faith. Ordinarily, the
Holy Spirit heals in response to the confession of faith of
the person. There are more people who are healed by
hearing and agreeing with the Word of God than by the two
other ways. We will study this form of intervention by the
Spirit in detail (See Level three).

4. It is the Holy Spirit Who Heals

Keeping Your Healing Whether you receive your healing
through Gods initiative, prayer, or a confession of your
faith, you can retain your healing only through a continued

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. (Lk

4:14) If it is by the finger of God (the Holy Spirit) that (I)

66

At first, you might feel ridiculous. Thoughts like Do I take

myself for Jesus? come to mind. Some refuse to pray for
healing in humility. However, this refusal is not only a false
humility; it is, above all, disobedience of Jesus explicit
order to heal the sick: Cure the sick in it and say to them,
The kingdom of God is at hand for you. (Lk 10:9) Jesus
would prefer us to obey Him and imitate Him who is meek
and humble of heart (Mt 11:29) than to try to appear
humble while disobeying His explicit command to heal the
sick.

positive confession of faith. The devil will try to make you

lose your healing by the reappearance of symptoms. Many
people lose their healing when the devil shakes their faith
this way. You can heal by the words of your mouth, but you
will retain your healing only by the words of your mouth
that express the faith of your heart.
6. Two by Two
The Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent
ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended
to visit. He said to them, The harvest is abundant but the
laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send
out laborers for his harvestWhatever town you enter and
they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick
in it and say to them, The kingdom of God is at hand for
you.. (Lk 10:12,89)
Jesus sends out His disciples two by two. 40 years of
experience in the charismatic renewal has taught us that
a team of two gets more healings through prayer than
the prayer of one person. A well-trained healing team
that prays directly on a person in need gets better results
in physical healing than healings sought in a large
gathering.
During large gatherings for healing, one to five percent is
healed. That means 95 to 99% are not healed. These large
healing services are not the best way to get many physical
healings. Healing teams have much more success. In the
School of Healing founded by Francis and Judith MacNutt
in Jacksonville, Florida, there are about 50 people trained in
prayer for healing who pray five days a week yearlong for
healing. They found that:
20% are completely healed,
60% receive a partial recovery, and
20% are not healed.

A good friend of mine was suffering from a swollen knee

for two months. He could not bend it or kneel. His threeyear-old adopted daughter came to lay her little hands on
the swollen knee and said, Oh Jesus, his knee hurts so bad!
You have to heal him, please. Then she told her dad, I just
did a great prayer to Jesus. Within two days, all swelling
and pain disappeared and never returned. It has been nine
years.
In 1976, my wife and I participated in the national
conference of Full Gospel Businessmen145 in Toronto.
Someone asked us, as well as Colonel Fernand Bran and
his wife, to accompany him to a hospital. Two teenaged
girls involved in an automobile accident were in a coma.
The anxious families were in the emergency room. Fernand
and his wife prayed with one while Bonnie and I laid hands
on the other. While I was praying for her recovery, I noticed
the tears coming from her eyes. Then, after comforting the
families, we returned to the conference. A few months later,
at the Centre de lAmour in Plantagenet, Ontario, where I
was the director, a beautiful young woman came to me and
threw herself into my arms in tears. Because I did not
recognise her, she explained that she was the accident
victim with whom I had prayed in Toronto. She had
traveled 600 km with her parents to thank me. Even in her
coma, she had heard all my words. God had completely
healed her. The other girl was also healed.

The first change is that pain diminishes, but it happens

gradually. Then limberness gradually returns.
Structural changes follow, for example, in arthritics. For
hospitals, this would be a cost-effective treatment, where
it takes weeks or months to get results, while in prayer,
it takes 10 to 20 minutes. Francis MacNutt
Physical healing through prayer is not rare. It is the norm. A
miraculous healing is rare. The approach to physical healing
that we will explain shortly yields surprising results: pain
diminishes significantly, joints become supple, swelling
decreases, leg muscles strengthen, and health improves.
Some afflicted continue to limp but they feel better.

III. EXTENDED LAYING-ON OF HANDS

or SOAKING PRAYER
Touch is a Form of Prayer
Touch, without words, can be a form of prayer with its
own power. The power of healing does not always
depend on a vocalized prayer. The touch of Jesus healed
the sick. Francis MacNutt At sunset, all who had people
sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid
his hands on each of them and cured them.
(Lk 4:40)

7. Risking It
The faith necessary to pray for physical healing is
called risk. Our confidence in God is manifested
through action. John Wimber Do it, then. The signature
of the Messiah is physical healing. The signature of the
messianic people is also physical healing.
Prayer for physical healing is the simplest of all healing
prayers. For example, it is shorter than the prayer for inner
healing. However, it is harder for us all to think you can
pray for physical healing. We think it requires great faith. In
fact, this prayer requires more courage than faith.

Perseverance in Prayer
Sometimes, we do not pray long enough for patients with
chronic diseases. The transmitted power that gives life is an
irradiation of the life of God, It needs time to get through
Full Gospel Business Mens Fellowship International founded by Demos
Shakarian.
145

67

and overcome the diseases and the degradation already at

work, having killed the living tissue of the body. Francis
MacNutt

him for three days. The number of healings is truly

phenomenal. The only problem is finding 24 prayer
ministers with three days to devote to prayer. Francis
MacNutt146

Even Jesus had to pray more than once for the blind man at
Bethsaida. He took the blind man by the hand and led him
outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his
hands on him and asked, Do you see anything? Looking up
he replied, I see people looking like trees and walking. Then
he laid hands on his eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything
distinctly. (Mk 8:2326)

Place your hands gently on the head or shoulders of the

sick person. The laying-on of hands is done in silence or, if
there are prayers, followed by silence to be alert to
breakthroughs of the Holy Spirit. Father Benedict Heron
Then, if possible, place your hands on the clothes in the
area of the sickness. However, do not disturb or embarrass
the supplicant. Do not give people the opportunity to
slander. If a woman has a disease of the stomach or breast
cancer, the man who prays for her should ask her to put her
own hand on the affected part of her body. Then he can
place his hands on the hands of the woman. Avoid any
cause for suspicion. Father Benedict Heron

John Wimber observed that in the United States,

approximately :
30% of people report improvement after one
session of prayer for physical healing,
10% more report improvement after a second
session, and
more than 70% report improvement after ten
prayer sessions.
When God delays, keep the faith. Waiting is a test of
faith. When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth? (Lk 18: 18) The faith in question here is expectant
faith.

God Heals Through Touch

GodFather, Son and Holy Spiritlives in us. In a
way, (thats my point of view) the energy in this life can
overflow, can be communicated and can pass from one
person to another through touch. Francis MacNutt
Its like the radiation treatment of God...It is not surprising
then that the healing of chronic illness takes more than only
one prayer session. When I speak of time to pray, I mean
months or years of intermittent prayer or up to eight hours
of concentrated prayer at a time. This is what I call soaking
prayer. Soaking prayer conveys the idea of time required
for the life of God to ooze into the heart of something dry
that needs to be revived. Thats what happens with the
laying on of hands when we perceive that God asks us to
take the time to irradiate the disease with His power and
love. This is a very sweet prayer. Francis MacNutt
The term soaking prayer comes from the Rev. Tommy
Tyson, who was trained by Agnes Sanford along with
Francis MacNutt, John Sandford, and others.
You soak the person in the love of God with a prayer.
In thirty years of prayer for the sick, we discovered the
effectiveness of soaking prayer with an extended time of
laying on of hands. It is like a radiation treatment from
God as the disease is held in the energy field of Gods
love. It decreases until it disappears eventually.
Sometimes, that is exactly what we see before our eyes.
We found this approach so useful that we have instituted
a three-day seminar of intensive prayer to 12 people at a
time when each receives two intercessors who pray for

146

68

Francis MacNutt, Healing, p. 161.

8. HEALINGS FROM CONCEPTION TO BIRTH

Working paper by Henri Lemay, April 15, 2013
helpless as a young mother and cried, I do not want
another boy! I felt rejected by her. That was the injury in
utero that explained my panic attacks in reaction to
rejection by anyone. Since the age of 34, I have felt no
panic in the face of rejection. The Lord healed me.

INTRODUCTION
A prayer was written by Dr. Norma Dearing, director of
prayer ministry from 1991 to 2001, Christian Healing
Ministry, founded by Francis and Judith MacNutt. Norma
graduated magna cum laude in psychology from the
University of North Florida. We find that prayer explained
in her book, The Healing Touch, Chapter 8.

When we practice, God takes prayer seriously: He blesses

and answers our prayers.

1. Rejection
Because parents are not married or not married to each
other;
Because there was an insufficient time span since the
birth of the last child;
Because the child was conceived in lust, during
intoxication by alcohol, under the influence of drugs by
a parent;
Because pregnancy has forced the parents to marry;

Francis MacNutt says: You do what you can do.

I am a mistake. Im not wanted.

The same supplicant may receive this prayer more than

once with new results each time.

When the child is not wanted, the mother may contemplate

aborting the baby herself using a sharp object, If, for
example, this occurred in the month of November, this child
may grow up to experience a crisis or a tragedy every
November.

Norma gives two caveats:

1. You do not know the answers, and
2. You cannot heal anyone.

Prayer team surround the supplicant like a womb.

The first three months of life are the most important in our
lives. Judith MacNutt

The case of Matthew: When his mother became pregnant,

she was forced to marry the father. The father had to give
up a college football scholarship to get married. The mother
felt an enormous hatred and a lot of resentment toward
Matthew and expressed it easily. As a child, Matthew wet
his bed. As an adult he remembered the many times that his
mother woke him up at night, to check if the bed was
soaked, and administered a spanking and a scolding. When
he was a teenager, his mother screamed, You ruined my
life! Matthew suffered from rejection and low self-esteem.
He lacked confidence in himself. The inner healing sessions
revolved around healing the wound from conception to
birth. The Lord came to heal the emotional scars of wounds
received in the womb. Gradually, Matthew realized God
created him, that God had His hand on him, and that God
had a wonderful plan for his life. Then the prayer leader
invited the Lord into his painful memories to heal damaged
emotions. Gradually, he regained confidence in himself.

The young son of a couple often sang You are My

Sunshine to their next child in the womb. The birth was
difficult and the baby was expected to die. The boy came to
sing his song again and the baby recovered.
A little girl ran to put her arms around the leg of a doctor.
The mother knew that it was he who had attended the birth.
The little girl had recognised his voice in utero.
An old woman called Anna went to the hospital to take into
her arms any dying child to rock them and love them. Every
child she held survived.
Only about 30% of trauma injuries occur in utero. Judith
MacNutt

I. INJURIES
FROM CONCEPTION TO BIRTH

A 22-year-old man suffered from mental illness (paranoid

schizophrenia). He was the youngest of his siblings. After
the interview, Judith MacNutt could not find a cause. In
prayer, the Lord said, Rejection. She brought in his
parents. The mother, having been in her menopause during
the pregnancy, considered abortion. Judith prayed for the
man. He saw himself in the delivery room and Jesus was
there. Jesus was the first to receive him as he exited the
birth canal, to take him, and to tell him how much He loved
him. Then Jesus placed him in the arms of the Virgin Mary
sitting in the rocking chair. He was completely healed.
Judith MacNutt

Testimony of Henri Lemays Healing in utero

During my youth, I could not deal with rejection or the
threat of rejection. I would panic. I would experience cold
sweats, confusion, and near paralysis. At age 34, during a
laying-on of hands, I suddenly started crying without
knowing why. Agathe Jensen, who had laid hands on me
said, The Lord is healing you of a wound received in the
womb. A few days later, I consulted my mother about it.
She told me that while she was carrying me, she had trouble
with my older brother who was only two years old. She felt

69

happens frequently. Parents are disappointed and the child

perceives himself as a disappointment. There is confusion.
A child in the womb knows if he is desired. He may be
afraid to be born. Who wants to go to a place where they are
not wanted? In addition to prayer, when we invite Jesus to
come into the difficult situation, we can suggest to the
supplicant to say the following prayer every day: Lord
Jesus, help me to want to be born. Help me to move forward
and embrace life. Help me to choose life and to want to
come into this world that belongs to You. Give me your
peace.

2. Fear
A mother who desired to have children but had had
miscarriages finds herself pregnant again. She worries. She
is anxious. Will she carry this baby to term? The unborn
child feels the fear and anxiety of his mother and inherits
these sentiments. Satan can use such an opportunity to instil
fear in a child, which can afflict his whole life. If a
generational fear is added to the mix, that person may be
bound by all kinds of fears: fear of rejection, fear of
abandonment, fear of the future, fear of the unknown, and a
variety of other phobias.

If the pregnant mother is a prostitute, her child may have

hatred toward men.

The Case of Karen

If the pregnant mother is abusing alcohol or drugs, the child

can be infested with demons.

This young woman, having already received some inner

healings, had always been afraid of something. She was
always shy as a waitress in a restaurant, rarely looking
customers in the eye. To find out if there was a spirit of
fear, the prayer ministers asked her, When you experience
fear, do you hold the fear or does the fear hold you? She
replied, It is fear that holds me. My heart beats fast. I
cannot think straight or convince myself that there is
nothing to fear. Fear takes control of me. She was asked to
tell the story of her parents. As newlyweds, the father took
drugs and was violent, especially against his mother, giving
her black eyes and broken bones, among other things, while
she was pregnant. They prayed for Karen, asking the Lord
to manifest His presence to Karen during the time she was
in the womb. While we prayed, asking Jesus to come into
this time of terror and pain, Karen began to cry
uncontrollably. After a long period of strong groans, deep
peace came over her. Her countenance and behaviour
changed immediately. She was now free and had confidence
in herself. She was happy and felt safe. She could look
anyone in the eye. She became a teacher with all the
assurance to control her class with dignity147.

5. Trauma at Childbirth
This could result if the birth occurred during traumatizing
event, such as a natural disaster.
The Case of Lucille She was born during a hurricane. The
family was barricaded in the house. A hurricane raised the
roof off the house, killing an aunt, and injuring several
family members. Imagine the terror and anxiety of Lucilles
pregnant mother. She had to deal with the pain of childbirth,
the stress of a disaster, and the sorrow of tragedy. Lucille
grew up with serious fear of going out with boys, fear of
getting married, fear of getting pregnant, and fear of
childbirth, without ever understanding why.
In prayer, we asked Jesus to reveal His presence to Lucille
during the hurricane at the time of delivery. During the
silence, Lucille saw Jesus, kneeling beside her mother,
holding her hand lovingly. Lucille felt a deep peace invade
her experience as a little baby still in the womb. After a
time, she was born, and the Lord was there, ready to receive
her lovingly in His arms. She felt completely safe, happy,
loved and protected. A year after her healing, she was
married.

3. Mourning

Because the pregnant mother is caring for a dying

parent or child with terminal illness;
Because the pregnant mother loses her husband.

No matter what kind of birthnormal with the head first, or

with his head wrapped in the umbilical cord, or by
Caesarean section or forceps, or with complications of
blood Rh factorprayer ministers should invoke Gods
presence to ward off fear and heal any birth trauma.

Barbara Schlemon prayed for Judith MacNutt, who started

crying profusely. Barbara received the word of knowledge
that Judith carried the sorrow of her mother.
Darkness invades the womb after abortion or miscarriage.
The spirit of a deceased person or an evil spirit can cause
anorexia. We must pray for the healing of a miscarriage.

If the newborn child was separated from his mother for a

whiledue to sickness or incubation or surgery or any
additional traumainvite Jesus to fill the gap.

A high level of stress hormone in the pregnant mother can

produce depression in her and her child.

4. The Wrong Sex

Problems arise when parents want a child of one sex and the
mother gives birth to a child of the opposite sex. This
147

Dr. Norma Dearing, The Healing Touch, p. 141

70

9. INNER HEALING: WHAT IT IS AND HOW ITS DONE

Working paper by Henri Lemay, April 16, 2013

INTRODUCTION148

bitter roots to come back to life in us to defile others and

ourselves.
Moreover, here is what constitutes inner healing. It is
the discipline to dig deeply, guided by the Holy Spirit, to
discover the roots of bitterness that threaten to come
back to life, so as to crucify them on the Cross of Christ.

Inner healing is the healing of damaged emotions. It is more

than the healing of painful memories or remembrances (our
recollection of the past, from the age of two or three years).
It is more than the healing of deep wounds (those injuries
suffered in utero, at birth and in infancy).

2. Evangelise Unbelieving Hearts

Inner healing is an important path to holiness, the
ultimate way to establish each person in his redeemed
and sanctified human nature.

Another reason why we do not do what Jesus asks of us is

that there is a residue of disbelief or unbelief in our heart.
Take care, brothers, that none of you may have an evil and
unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God. (He 3:12)
At the time of our conversion, our reason and spirit heard
the Gospel and believed. However, some parts of the heart
may not have fully turned to the Lord. By limiting the grace
offered by Jesus, they run the risk of developing an evil
and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God.

I. WHY DONT WE DO
WHAT JESUS TOLD US TO DO?
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount addressed to His
disciples, Jesus gives wise advice: someonewho comes to
me, listens to my words, and acts on themis like a person
building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation
on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that
house but could not shake it because it had been well built.
(Lk 6:47,48) Jesus was not speaking only of the need to be
evangelised for conversion, otherwise He would not have
insisted on the need to dig, to dig deep. No. Jesus said to
those who called Him Lord to ask them the key question:
Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, but not do what I
command? (Lk 6:46)

Inner healing is first and foremost evangelisation. It is a

ministry that endeavours to bring good news to those
parts of the human heart that have not yet believed and
received salvation.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is
justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is
saved. (Rm 10:910) St. Paul declares that it is faith of the
heart, believe in your heart, not the faith of reason, that
justifies. Many Christians fail to live their Christian faith
because they believe with their head. Their heart has not yet
been conquered by the Good News. Righteousnesslife in
accordance with the will of Godcomes only by believing
in your heart. In all parts of the heart where the believer
really believes, the effect of the Cross of Jesus is manifested
through fruit of the Holy Spirit. This part of the heart is
crucified with Christ and can now manifest Gods
righteousness. However, in any part of the heart that does
not believe in the Gospel, that part has not permitted the
Cross of Christ to be effective and cannot live according to
the fruit of the Spirit.

The question is compelling: why is it that converts,

disciples of Jesus, do not do what He asked? There are
several reasons and each helps us understand what is
inner healing.

1. Discover the Bitter Roots

One reason why we do not do what Jesus asks us to do is
that we have not dug deep to find the residue of the old
man in us, which can stain and block the emerging character
of Jesus in us. We have not taken these contaminants to the
Cross to die and we have not rebuilt on the rock of His
nature.
See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that
no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which
many may become defiled. (He 12:15) When we invite
Jesus into our heart to be our Lord and Saviour, our sins are
forgiven and our sinful nature has received a mortal blow.
However, there remain the consequences of original sin.

Inner healing has the task of evangelising the

unbelieving heart of believers. This is to apply the power
of the Blood, the Cross, and the resurrection of Jesus to
those stubborn corners of the heart of believers who,
until now, have refused the redemption that their reason
and mind sought at the time of conversion.

3. The Process of Crucifixion

The problem is that this sinful nature refuses to stay dead. It

spring up. The Lord commands us not to allow these

A third reason that prevents us from doing what Jesus asks

of us is that we are not yet completely dead to ourselves. I
die daily. (1 Cor 15:31 DRB) I have been crucified with

148
John and Mark Sandford, A Comprehensive Guide to Deliverance and Inner
Healing, 1992, p. 49-54

71

Christ. (Ga 2:19) Those who belong to Christ (Jesus)

have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. (Ga
5:24) Christ crucifies us in Him (Ga 2:19) and we crucify
ourselves (Ga 5:24) to find ourselves in Him, having
renounced a life apart from Him.

5. The Purpose of Inner Healing: Neutralize

the Works of the Old Man149
The term inner healing may suggest that the Lord wants to
repair what is broken. The Lord does not want to repair our
souls. He wants to lead them to die to sin. The one who
sins shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4) Nevertheless, He does this in
a divine way.

Inner healing is a way to crucify any blockage to His

presence in ourselves. Through inner healing, we invite
Jesus to complete our transformation by crucifying in us
all that we are holding back from Him.

The Lord Jesus died for each of us by taking our place.

Thus, when we find a pattern or practice of sin in
someones heart, we must do more than just comfort
him and tell him that God has forgiven him. We must
commit this structure of sin to death on the Cross with
Christ. Think of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and
living for God in Christ Jesus. (Rm 6:11)

4. Powerful Tool of Sanctification

A fourth reason that prevents us from doing what Jesus asks
of us is that our reason has not been renewed and that we
have not yet been transformed.
The process of sanctification is included in the
transformation. Be transformed by the renewal of your
mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is
good and pleasing and perfect. (Rom 12:2) Sanctifying
ourselves is not the effort we make to be holier than others.
It is the process by which the Holy Spirit leads us
increasingly to death on the Cross and a new life of love in
Jesus.
The transformation is the process by which the Holy
Spirit transforms every evil thing in us into a blessing.
My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness. I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for
when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9,10) The
spirit of the Lord GOD is upon meTo place on those who
mourn in Zion a diadem instead of ashes, to give them oil of
gladness in place of mourning, a glorious mantle instead of
a listless spirit. They will be called oaks of justice, planted
by the LORD to show his glory. (Is 61:1,3) Ultimately, the
transformation means that Satan is defeated. All things
work for good for those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose. (Rm 8:28)

The Lord wants to kill our habits of the old self and replace
them with the power of His resurrection. Without the Cross,
there is no cure. The road to life passes through the road of
death. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces
much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever
hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
(Jn 12:24,25)

Inner healing does not erase the painful memories. It does

not change our history. Rather, it allows us to cherish even
the most painful moments of our lives because, for them,
the Lord has written indelible lessons on our heart and we
have thus been prepared to comfort all who were similarly
afflicted. (See 2 Cor 2:18 and He 1:3,4.)

II. HOW TO DO INNER HEALING

Inner healing is the counsel and prayer for the sanctification

and transformation of every Christian.
All the following words are inadequate to describe the
meaning of inner healing: healing of damaged emotions,
healing of memories, healing of remembrances, or healing
the wounded heart. Inner healing is to not only to comfort or
to heal emotional injury. By inner healing, we evangelise,
sanctify, and transform. We convert the character by
conforming it to the nature of our Lord Jesus. Living the
truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is
the head, Christ. (Eph 4:15)
The purpose of inner healing is to change peoplein fact,
the whole Body of Christ to mature manhood, to the extent
of the full stature of Christ. (Eph 4:13)

Inner healing is done by our listening to each other until

the Lord allows us to see the practices of our old nature
that have not yet died on the Cross.
It may be that a person thinks that he has forgiven the
offences of certain other people, especially important people
during our formative years, but listening to him and to the
Lord reveals that this forgiveness is far from complete. It
may be that defence mechanisms or childhood adaptations
lead us to act in a childish way. When I was a child, I used
to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I
became a man, I put aside childish things. (1 Cor 13:11)

We recognise that we are healed and transformed when

we can revisit our past with gratitude, including our
own sins and the sins of others against us.
The Lord takes many means to sanctify us and transform us
such as personal prayer, the sacraments, Bible reading,
events, good works, the testimony of our brothers and
sisters in Christ, and lessons. Inner healing is one of His
preferred means.

Col 3:9: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds DRB, you have
taken off the old self with its practices NAB; You have stripped off your old
behaviour with your old self NJB; you have put off the old nature with its practices
RSV.
149

72

Then again, bitter roots may have come back to life, defiling
others with contaminants without their knowledge and
reaping the harmful consequences that we cannot explain
without asking questions.

Let us apply to the sins of our childhood the two following

verses:
I have been crucified with Christ. (Ga 2:19)
Those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified
their flesh with its passions and desires. (Ga
5:24)

We became who we are through countless experiences and

by our response to each. Having grown old, these dead
structures lead us to act as if they were still alive. The Lord
uses inner healing, more effectively than other methods, to
kill these structures, leading us to health salvation.

When a child is under attack, he will protect himself by

developing common but misguided mechanisms to survive.
These are wrong methods that must be put to death on the
Cross. How? He must consider them to be dead. Jesus died
on the Cross in our place. Therefore, we crucify those bad
habits by believing that Jesus on the Cross put these coping
mechanisms to death. They no longer have any hold on us
after we have identified them and have repented of them.

1. Identify Evil and Repent

The first step towards inner healing is to identify these
old feelings, heart structures, ways of doing things, or
reactions. The second step is repentance. We must make
the decision to kill these remnants of the old man for
good reasons; primarily because of the Lord, but also
because of others around us who are afflicted and even
defiled with our dead way of being.

To do this, we must come to a perfect hatred of the evil that

has a claim on us. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is
good. (Rm 12:9) It is because we still love our sin that we
continue to hold on to it. If we hated it, we would abandon
it. Repentance is that process of arriving at a sufficient
hatred of our sin and our sinful nature, because when we do
not want them anymore, their death will come as soon as we
would consider them dead.

2. The Principle of Repentance

Psychology believes that we are conditioned by the events
of our childhood, essentially putting the blame on our
parents. As Christians, we know that we are responsible for
how we react to what has happened to us.

Repentance is a gift of grace. Only the Lord can reveal

the extent to which our sins separate us from Him and
hurt others. It is then that the hatred of our sins is
sufficient for us to turn away to let Him change our
heart. We then allow our sinful nature to be crucified
with Him.

God is kind and compassionate. As a father has

compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion
on the faithful. (Ps 103:13) He does not blame a child who
judges the reprehensible action of a parent. Moreover, the
law of sowing and harvesting, which is of immense benefit
to mankind, can play against one who sows evil. However,
the Lord does not want His children to destroy themselves.
In most cases, they will find freedom if they know of what
they must repent.

Demons are hard at work trying to discourage us from

hating our sins enough to put them to death on the Cross.
Once we realize that a spirit is interfering with our desire to
identify and repent of sin, deliverance becomes necessary.

3. Take Evil to the Cross

There is great benefit to discovering the sins of ones

childhood, but only if repentance follows. Repentance is
the main tool for inner healing.

Then we must pray for forgiveness and put these carnal

practices to death on the Cross. You have taken off the old
self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is
being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.
(Col 3: 910)

Repentance is not a feeling. It is not a bucket full of tears.

To repent is to regret the pain or injury that separated
us from the Lord and others by what is lodged in our
heart and by what we did. Repentance is to accept to die
to what we were and to accept that the Lord changes us
into what He wants us.
Repentance is more than simply seeing sin and regretting it.
Repentance is more than forgiving and receiving
forgiveness. All that is important; but it is not enough.

However, these things do not die easily. The problem with

living sacrifices is that they will try to slither down off the
altar.
Patience and perseverance are necessary to keep these
things on the Cross long enough for their control over
our feelings and actions to die.

4. Being Ripe

Repentance is to put to death on the Cross those bad

habits formed in us by those who have hurt us.
Repentance must kill the evil at its source; otherwise the
same root will continue to produce the same sins in
thought and deed.

Being ripe means that we have developed a hatred of our sin

so great that we are ready to break away regardless of the
price it will cost us. Its to want to become the rich soil that
Jesus describes in the parable of the seed as the word of

73

God, to become the ones who, when they have heard the
word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear
fruit through perseverance. (Luke 8:15)

The first diagnostic basis for inner healing is whether

the supplicant has or has not honoured his parents. In
every area of life and to the same degree as they did or
did not honour their parents as a child, life will go well
or badly for them. Whenever you pray for someone with
any problem, the road to recovery is always the same.
You listen to the details of the current problem and then
you explore the same areas in their relationship with
their parents.

To become ripe, the supplicant must have received

enough love to accept change. In inner healing, the most
difficult job for the prayer team is to give love
unconditionally, time after time, until the supplicant
becomes rich soil. Of course, only Jesus, who lives in us,
can love that way, and we have the joy of participating
in it.

If this person has honoured his parents in this area, life goes
well for him in the same area. If he has a problem for which
he is responsible in any degree, the cause is that he has
dishonoured one or both parents.

5. Restoring Life to Others by Love

Personal growth is uneven: three steps forward, two steps
back, stopping on a plateau, etc. In addition to the
individual, the one who suffers most in the process is the
one God chose to give us life through love. My children,
for whom I am again in labor until Christ be formed in
you! (Ga 4:19) When the person does not really want to get
out of his sin or his mediocrity, the one he attacks is the
same man who pledged to restore his life by love.

The diagnosis is simple at this point. Such certainty comes

from the absolute nature of Gods law. As one moves away
a little bit from the Basic Law of God-for example,
honouring parents, confusion appears in ones life.
The precepts of the LORD are honest, joy for the heart; the
commandment of the LORD is pure, light for the eyes. The
fear of the LORD is pure, lasting for ever; the judgements of
the LORD are true, upright, every one, more desirable than
gold, even than the finest gold; his words are sweeter than
honey, that drips from the comb.
Thus your servant is formed by them; observing them brings
great reward. But who can detect his own failings? Wash
away my hidden faults. And from pride preserve your
servant, never let it be my master. So shall I be above
reproach, free from grave sin.May the words of my mouth
always find favour, and the whispering of my heart, in your
presence, LORD, my rock, my redeemer. (Ps 19:814
NJB)

The prayer ministers must persevere until the

supplicant is ripe enough to take charge of his own life
and become an adult in Christ rather than a child.

III. THE FOUR SCRIPTURAL LAWS

The Bible tells us that a primary function of the Word of
God is diagnosis: Indeed, the word of God is living and
effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating
even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able
to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature
is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed
to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.
(He 4:1213)

2. Do Not Judge
The commandment to honour parents relates to the second
scriptural law, Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure
with which you measure will be measured out to you. (Mt
7:1,2)

Gods Word was not made by human thought, but by

eternal and unchangeable revelation, applicable to all
people in all ages. Gods laws are absolute. They are a
functional description of reality. The immutable laws of
God, therefore, are the tool we need to identify and see
inside of every human life.

The judgement in question here has a particular content. It is

not the kind of judgement by which we believe it is prudent
or not to get into the car of a reckless driver, or whether it is
permissible to trust someone in a financial matter, an affair
of the heart, or in a competition. In that sense, everyone has
to make judgements. Do you not know that the holy ones
will judge the world?Do you not know that we will judge
angels? (1 Cor 6:2,3)
The judgement in question here is rather the judgement
that proceeds from an impure heart: with blame, envy,
jealousy, condemnation, anger, or resentment. It is then
that the immutable law of God kicks in and has
consequences. Judging his or her parents with an
impure heart dishonours the parents and engages the
first two of Gods laws. Your judgement will be
measured against you and life will not go well for you in
this area.

1. Honour Your Father and Mother

The first scriptural law is useful in diagnosing the single
precept of the Decalogue with a promise. Honor your
father and your mother, as the LORD, your God, has
commanded you, that you may have a long life and
prosperity in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving
you. (Dt 5:16) This is a description of reality in every area
of life where you have honoured your parents; these areas
will go well for you. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Honour means obey, respect, love, and forgive. There are
parents who are not honourable but God asks us to try
anyway with all our heart.

74

His mercy. This will, by the Cross, stop the sins of our
childhood from yielding its harvest.

3. You Reap What You Sow

The first two preceding laws are associated with the third
immutable law: God is not mocked, for a person will reap
only what he sows, because the one who sows for his flesh
will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows
for the spirit will reap eternal life from the spirit. Let us not
grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our
harvest, if we do not give up. (Ga 6:79)
There is no exception. Every good deed sows a blessing
and reaps a blessing, and every evil deed sows
misfortune and reaps misfortune. We cannot lose the
reward or escape the retribution due to our carnal acts.
Those who think they can elude the results are
mistaken: the more time passes between the committed
sin and the required repentance, the more severe are the
consequences: When they sow the wind, they shall reap
the whirlwind. (Ho 8:7)
Children fail to understand proper parental discipline, even
from less abusive or dysfunctional parents. If they react by
sinning against their parents, they dishonour them. Thus,
they set in motion forces that will rebound against them
later.

4. You Become What You Judge in Others

So no matter whom you are, if you pass judgement you
have no excuse. It is yourself that you condemn when you
judge others since you behave in the same way as those
you are condemning. (Rom 2:1 NJB) The fourth
scriptural law states that we will become what we have
judged in others. If you judge someone, you condemn
yourself to do what you have judged in the other person
or some equivalent wrongdoing.
Jacques, a young man appeared before John Sandford. He
loved the Lord, he loved his wife, and he had fulfilling
intimate relations with her. Yet he went compulsively to the
bar where he met women and committed adultery with
them. I do not understand, he said, I love the Lord, I love
my wife and I want to be faithful. I do not even like the
taste of alcohol and sex with these women repulses me.
Why am I doing what I do not want to do? These words
parallel those of Saint Paul: For I do not do the good I
want, but I do the evil I do not want. (Rm 7:19)
In talking with him about his father, it became apparent that
Jacques father had been an alcoholic and adulterous. As a
child, Jacques hated these things and had judged his father.
Therefore, he had dishonoured his father. Life would not go
well for him in these areas. He would receive the same
judgement that he had passed on his father. The fourth
scriptural law took effect: he would act like his father until
his repentance of the judgement against his father gave him
his freedom. He repented of his judgement against his
father, and from that moment, he was free. He never again
felt such compulsions.

However, the consequences will not be felt immediately.

We do not collect at the same time we sow. The plant must
first emerge from the earth, it must flower, and produce fruit
that must then ripen. The harvest will not come until years
or decades later, long after the episode was forgotten.
Adults thus reap the enormous consequences of their sins
against their parents when they were only babies or
children. It does not seem fair. God is just, but since the
appearance of sin in the world, life is not fair.
That is why when the time came, God sent His Son Jesus
to take upon himself all our sins and atone for them on
the Cross. His mercy is waiting for one thing: that we
acknowledge and confess the sin that planted the seed
that has caused or will cause the poor harvest.
That is why everyone needs brothers and sisters in the Lord.
But who can detect his own failings? Wash away my
hidden faults. (Ps 19:12 NJB) Nobody sees clearly into his
own heart, to discern hidden motives. Counsel in the heart
of a man is like deep water: but a wise man will draw it
out. (Pr 20:5 DRB) It is the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, who
reveals what needs to be forgiven and crushed to death in
us. It is true that my conscience does not reproach me, but
that is not enough to justify me: it is the Lord who is my
judge. (1 Cor 4:4 NJB)
Prayer ministers are the servants of the Lord by whom
He reveals what is hidden so as to cover those things in

John Sandford was raised on a farm where he did many

chores. Nevertheless, his mother never complimented him
for his efforts. He judged his mother severely, and in his
childs heart he swore to himself that he would never treat
his children like that. Grown up, he could not compliment
his children as they deserved and needed. He was incapable
of affirming them until he realized his judgement on his
mother and repented of it. Then, everything changed.
We will see later how inner vows drive us to commit sins.
Here his inner vow to always compliment his own children
was inverted because of his judgement (never to be like her)
that dishonoured his mother.

75

10. RELEASE FROM UNHEALTHY SOUL TIES

Working paper by Henri Lemay, April 16, 2013
(See What Jesus did on the Cross # 67.) When the
light of Christ enters these unhealthy, dark, and lonely
sexual memories, He brings His love and peace. It
purifies and cleanses the body, mind and spirit. After
being ministered to, the supplicant will experience a
surprising glow and renewed alertness.

I. UNHEALTHY SEX TIES150

Rape, incest, sexual abuse, fornication, adultery,
prostitution, and homosexuality create unhealthy links
between those who are involved voluntarily or not.
God has so built us that for the first woman a man
enters, his spirit latches on to that woman to protect her,
provide for her, and bless her with his own love for the
remainder of his days. In like manner, a womans spirit
latches on to the first man who enters her to nurture and
fulfill him all her days, to bless him and bring forth
children to him and only to him. For that reason
Scripture says that he must marry her. If he does not,
and marries another, she is undone. From then on, her
spirit will be seeking to fulfill a man she can never
marry... The point is our spirit never forgets that first
unionor any other union. It still seeks each one with
whom we have had lain, however many that may have
been, no matter how long ago, nor how completely the
mind has forgotten them151.
John Sandford

We will revisit the issue of sexual relationships later by

examining the pitfalls of such sins as spiritual adultery,
sexual
defilement,
affairs,
attachment,
transfer,
homosexuality,
fornication,
adultery,
pornography,
voyeurism, masturbation, frigidity, and sexual abuse.

II. PRAYER FOR SELF-FREEING FROM

UNHEALTHY SEX TIES
In the Name of Jesus, by the power of His Cross and of
His Blood, I take the sword of the Spirit and I set myself
free. I cut the ties between me and all my sexual
partners of the past. In particular, I release myself from
(do not worry if you are unable to name them allJesus
knows them all).
I deliver myself physically, spiritually, emotionally, and
mentally from each of these people. I cut my ties not
only with these people but also with all the other people
with whom these people have had sex.
I place the Cross and the Blood of Jesus between me
and each of them. I pray that You, Lord Jesus, cleanse
and purify my thoughts, my body, and my spirit now
that I may walk in purity, redemption, and integrity.
Lord Jesus, fill me with the power of Your Holy Spirit
so that I may move forward full of grace and mercy.
Eternal Father, fill with Your love these dark and
lonely areas of my inner life. Above all, Lord, grant me
to become aware of the immensity of Your personal love
for me. I ask You, in the Name of Jesus, your Son.
Amen.

Ties are physical, emotional, and spiritual. They must be

broken.
Everyone carries these unhealthy ties within themselves
and they contaminate each new sexual relationship. Ties
with partners of our partners must also be broken.
We must pray for a cleansing and purification of the
spirit, soul, and body.
After these sex ties are cut, trans-generational healing is
often necessary. This involves asking for the purification
of sexual sins passed from one generation to another,
such as tendencies to adultery, incest, pornography,
sexual addictions, or homosexuality.
Then we must renounce any occult practices. Some
practices, like Satanism and witchcraft, involve sexual
contact with multiple partners, orgies, and bestiality,
often under the influence of drugs or alcohol during their
black masses or other sessions.
Where there is guilt, the person being prayed for should
repent of his sin and ask God to forgive him. The prayer
leader could suggest the sacrament of reconciliation.
Where there is no guilt because the supplicant was a
victim, we must pray for the healing of emotions. The
victim must be willing to forgive the molester.
For some, it is good to start with a prayer for healing
from conception to birth.
In all cases, we must pray for the healing of emotions.
We must ask the Lord to visit the memory of the
supplicant to heal sexual shame, guilt, and separation
from God. The Father sent Jesus to do precisely that.

III. SOUL TIES FROM UNHEALTHY

RELATIONSHIPS
Some relationships, without being sexual, are abusive and
dependent. The result is sometimes a soul tie or an
unhealthy connection cemented by manipulation and
control. The soul tie develops when a person blindly follows
someone and allows him or her to make major decisions in
the persons life. When someone is totally dependent on his
parents, a priest, a therapist, a doctor, a friend, or a
confidant to make all decisions on their behalf, or if he
makes decisions only according to what he thinks the other
person would make, he no longer hears God and he exposes
himself to spiritual abuse.

150

Norma Dearing, The Healing Touch, 2002 p. 167-181

John L. Sandford, Why Some Christians Commit Adultery: Causes and Cures,
1989 p. 24
151

76

Dr. Kenneth McAll gives the

concerning the possession syndrome:

following

analysis

Dr. McAll gives the example of Ruth, a widow in her

sixties, suffering from heart trouble for years. No treatment
(and she had several) had found the cause. Dr. McAll met
her over several days when she talked constantly and
frantically about her son, Rufus, without ever directly
answering Dr. McAlls questions. Finally, exasperated, Dr.
McAll said, It strikes to me that there must be something
wrong in your relationship with your son! She got up and
angrily insulted him and left his office, slamming the door.

A relationship between two people begun happily and

voluntarily on both sides, may reach a point at which
one partner becomes passive and totally dependent upon
the other. Frequently the passive partner is unaware of
the loss of his own identity and eventually is completely
unable to break away from the others control. This
state has been termed the possession syndrome. Many
of the patients referred to me over the past thirty years
suffered from this mental disease, which has meant them
living their lives to a greater or lesser extent under the
influence of someone else who might be alive or dead,
known to the patient or unknown152. Kenneth McAll

She wandered a long time to end up finally in a church to

rest. She sat down and heard a voice say, You have never
cut the umbilical cord of your youngest child! Angry, she
got up to confront Dr. McAll. She thought he had followed
her. However, she was alone in the church. She heard the
same voice repeating the same thing. She knelt down and
humbly replied, If this is true, Lord, I will do it now.
Immediately, she felt better, as if she had really taken a pair
of scissors to cut the cord.

Dr. McAll explained that the usual shock treatment

administered in such cases gives questionable results. Other
psychiatrists have had more success in breaking the
relationship between the controller and controlled if the
patient can participate consciously. Moreover, he adds:

Two days later, she received a letter from her 35-year-old

son Rufus. He was a schizophrenic in a psychiatric hospital,
450 miles away. Two days earlier, he had suddenly felt
freed. He was completely healed and was released from the
hospital. Since the age of six years since the death of his
father, his mother had taken control of his life by deciding
everything for him, including his career choice and his
choice of wife. His wife, in a sanatorium with tuberculosis,
felt better that day and, after tests, was released. They
resumed living together. Twenty years later, Ruth, without
cardiac problems, Rufus, without schizophrenia, and his
wife without tuberculosis were still healthy154.

If this break is brought about by transferring control

through prayer to God, this brings an acceptance of
Gods controlling power and gift of release153. K McAll
Indeed, God does not control the individual but rather
releases the control from the other person so that the
patient can regain control.
It is essential to diagnose each case to classify the
possession syndrome in either of the categories defined
below:
1.
2.

3.

III. EXAMINATION OF ONES

RELATIONSHIPS

The bondage of the living to the living is the most

obvious to diagnose.
The bondage of the living to the dead, whether to
ancestors, to those not related, to stillborn, aborted or
miscarried babies, or to those who once inhabited a
particular place now occupied by the living person,
can present considerable difficulties in diagnosis.
The bondage of the living to occult control is,
perhaps, the most dangerous evil to unravel.

1. Are your relationships healthy or unhealthy?

2. Do you think the Lord approves or disapproves?
3. Are there areas where you rely on someone more than on
the Lord?
4. Are there people who control you by guilt, shame, fear,
or manipulation?
5. Are there people whom you control by one or more of
these means?
6. Are gift exchanges with or without conditions in your
relationships?
7. Do you like to remind others of what you have done for
them?
If you answered yes to some of these questions, you would
benefit from one or both of the following prayers:

Deliverance is no one-step miracle pill to be swallowed on

impulse for an instant cure. It is rather, a long course of
treatment,
sometimes
painful,
to
be
followed
conscientiously and trustingly until a cure is effected,
although the final moment of release can happen suddenly
and dramatically.
Dr. McAll sees four stages in the release:
1. To cut the known bond to the controlling person, alive
or dead.
2. To forgive with all your heart.
3. To transfer control to Jesus Christ.
4. Make environmental changes essential to support the
above.
152
153

Dr. Kenneth McAll, Healing the Family Tree, 1982 p. 6

Idem p. 7

154

77

Kenneth McAll, Healing the Family Tree, 1984, p. 6-9

V. PRAYER FOR SELF-FREEING FROM

UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

PRAYER TO RELEASE OTHERS UNDER

MY CONTROL

In the Name of Jesus, by the power of His Cross and

His Blood, I cut all unhealthy soul ties with (his name). I
ask your forgiveness for allowing such a relationship to
develop in this way.

Lord Jesus, I ask your forgiveness for attempting to

control and manipulate others, especially (their names). I
now understand that it is a sin and I ask your
forgiveness by the Blood of Your Cross.

I bind my heart, my mind, and my soul to You, Lord

Jesus and none other. Place Your Cross, I pray, and
Your Blood between me and (his name). If this is helpful,
Lord, save and rebuild this into a healthy relationship.
Lord, show me if this relationship should be completely
severed: I am ready to do so. I give myself to You, Lord.
Thank You for dying on the Cross for me, for my sins.
May I walk behind you and you alone as Saviour and
Lord. Amen.

I acknowledge, Lord, that You are the Way, the Truth,

and, the Life; not me. I release my family, especially
(names) into your hands; I entrust them to You. I release
my friends, especially (names) into your hands; I entrust
them to You. Help me, I pray, not to seek to regain
control over them. Thank You, Lord, that You love
them perfectly, better than I ever could. Thank You,
Lord, that You can take care of them providentially, so
much better than I. Help me, Lord Jesus, to entrust
them entirely to You. Amen.

78

11. PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR DELIVERANCE

Prepared by Henri Lemay, Working paper, April 18, 2013

INTRODUCTION155

Catholics. The bishop appointed an inexperienced young

priest. Then this person was referred to another priest, a
Jesuit, in another city (St. Louis) who had never done one.
He took the manual The Roman Ritual of Exorcism and
followed it. The prayers angered the demon. They continued
for months until the demon left. Nobody died in the real
event, contrary to what was depicted in the movie where
two priests died.

Deliverance ministry is a way to remove barriers to

Gods healing power.
The growing demonic problem: Countless people have
fallen victim to the devil...It is necessary to know our
enemy, the devil and his demons, their tricks and the ways
they operate, their tactics, and their ways of thinking and
attacking. Father Peter Coughlin
Descriptive words: Here are some of the most common
terms to express the actions of Satan and demons:
temptation, ties, oppression or diabolical infestation,
obsession, harassment156, and demonic possession.
For more than forty years, people in the Charismatic
Renewal have been learning about deliverance. Here is
some wisdom from this experience.

Jesus empowers believers to cast out demons. The seventy

(-two) returned rejoicing, and said, Lord, even the demons
are subject to us because of your name! (Lk 10:17) Let us
remember that the Apostles were ordained priests on Holy
Thursday. They were baptized and believed that Jesus was
the Lord. Yet it was only after Pentecost that they were fully
empowered by the Holy Spirit for ministry. Priestly
ordination, even Episcopal ordination, does not in itself
automatically give the power to cast out demons. This
authority was given by Jesus to those who believe: in my
name they will drive out demons... (Mk 16:17) Usually, if a
priest does not know how to exercise his authority over
demons through his baptism and faith, he will not exercise it
either through his ministerial priesthood. However, if a
priest is aware, as a baptized believer in Jesus, of his
authority over demons, then the ministerial priesthood
substantially increases his authority over unclean spirits,
especially when he is appointed by his bishop. This
awareness of the believers authority over demons is often a
natural fruit of baptism in the Holy Spirit, both for the lay
person and the priest.

I. THE DANGER
1. Danger to Prayer Ministers
The dangers are real. Prayer ministers must learn to
protect themselves. Francis MacNutt
The dangers are real. Your car can suddenly fail for no
apparent reason while you drive to a deliverance or an
exorcism. There may be a crisis that breaks out in your
family that will pass as soon as the ministry is completed.
However, most of these attacks can be avoided if the
exorcist or the prayer minister for deliverance prays for
protection with the power of the Holy Spirit. He who takes
precautions, remains obedient to the Holy Spirit, and he
who acts with the power of the Holy Spirit has nothing to
fear and will feel safe and protected during his ministry.

Once a person begins expelling demons, the witches

covens of his region could decide to fight back. They will
curse him. He must learn to protect himself. They can send
one of their members to join his group to cause division, to
seduce sexually, to feed his doubts and to aggravate
weaknesses. We must all learn to protect ourselves every
day by saying a cleansing prayer after ministry.

Francis MacNutt, after thousands of cases of deliverance,

was attacked once by a woman, before he even started to
pray. She attacked him, struck his nose to make it bleed and
broke the cross he wore around his neck.

All Christians must know how to protect themselves and

their families against the attacks of evil spirits. They must
know how to repel their attacks. The Prayer of Protection
Before Ministry below is easily adapted to invoking a hedge
of protection around your family by changing the words us
and this ministry to us and our family. Pray it daily if
you are in this ministry.

There is always the danger of injury to a Christian during a

complex deliverance or to an exorcist during an exorcism.
However, some have exaggerated the danger, such as the
Jesuit Malachi Martin in his book, Hostage to the Devil,
1976 (p. 10). It chronicles the experiences of exorcists who
were not baptized in the Holy Spirit and lacked experience
and knowledge in inner healing and deliverance.

Here are two useful prayers for before and after deliverance
ministry.

The movie The Exorcist is based on a real case that

happened in 1950 in the United States. A Lutheran pastor
was approached by a person, but referred the matter to
155

I used the following sources: John and Mark Sandford, A Comprehensive Guide to
Deliverance and Inner Healing, 1992, p. 127-157; Francis MacNutt, Deliverance
from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual, 1995; Francis and Judith MacNutt, Course
notes from CHM; Derek Prince, They Shall Expel Demons, 1998; Neal Lozano,
Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance, 2003 p. 173-187
156
Harassment noun aggressive pressure or intimidation Oxford Dictionary

79

bitterness to leave. The confrontation with the demon will

produce manifestations: she may faint or speak with another
voice than hers. Even if he departed, he would return
whenever he could and the womans situation might be
worse than before. Instead, present her with the Gospel of
salvation so that she meets the Lord Jesus first. Later, the
deliverance would probably go smoothly after forgiveness
and repentance had removed the causes of her bitterness.

PRAYER OF PROTECTION BEFORE MINISTRY

By Francis MacNutt
In the Name of Jesus Christ and by the power of his
Cross and his Blood, we bind up the power of any evil
spirits and command them not to block our prayers. We
bind up the powers of earth, air, water, fire, the
netherworld and the satanic forces of nature.
We break any curses, hexes, or spells sent against us and
we declare them null and void. We break the
assignments of any spirits sent against us and send them
to Jesus to deal with them as he will. Lord, we ask you to
bless our enemies by sending you Holy Spirit to lead
them to repentance and conversion. Furthermore, I bind
all interactions and all communication in the world of
evil spirits as it affects us and our ministry. We ask for
the protection of the shed blood of Jesus Christ over us,
our families and this ministry.
Thank you, Lord, for your protection and send your
angels, especially St. Michael the Archangel, to help us
in the battle. We ask you to guide us in our prayers:
share with us your Spirits power and compassion.
Amen!

The supplicant may be injured unnecessarily if the prayer

minister does not address the causes that made the demonic
infestation possible. Some supplicants may take years to
recover from a deliverance or an exorcism performed
incorrectly. Some supplicants have died. These cases make
the headlines of our newspapers and discredit the good and
necessary ministry of deliverance.

II. SCOPE OF SATANIC EFFORT

The tripartite attack of the devil: The key trick of evil
spirits is likely stealth...They operate in three main ways:
temptation, opposition, and enslavement.
Father Michael Scanlan and Mr. R. Cirner
Temptation: The devil knows that if he can capture your
thoughts, he has won a great victory over you. Many are
enslaved to deceit because they have allowed evil spirits to
rule over them through obsessive thinking.
Opposition (oppression, harassment or infestation): Evil
spirits will oppose and obstruct preaching, charisms,
conversions, and the personal relationship between the
Christian and the Lord and with other Christians.
Enslavement (infestation, obsession or possession): The
devil tries to entangle people in bondage to take partial or
full control of body, mind, or emotions. His job is made
easier on children by parental misconduct or by narcissism,
greed, or (mostly hidden) lust for power.

PRAYER TO BE SET FREE

(to be prayed following ministry)
By Francis MacNutt
Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing with us your
wonderful ministry of healing and deliverance. Thank
you for the healings we have seen and experienced
today.
We realize that the sickness and evil we encounter is
more than our humanity can bear, so cleanse us of any
sadness, negativity or despair that we may have picked
up. If our ministry has tempted us to anger, impatience,
or lust, cleanse us of those temptations and replace them
with love, joy, and peace.
If any evil spirits have attached themselves to us or
oppressed us in any way, we command you, spirits of
earth, air, fire, water, of the netherworld or of nature, to
departnowand go straight to Jesus Christ for him to
deal with you as he will.
Come Holy Spirit: renew usfill us anew with your
power, your life and your joy. Strengthen us where we
have felt weak and clothe us with your light. Fill us with
life.
Lord Jesus, please send your holy angels to minister to
us and our familiesguard us and protect us from all
sickness, harm and accidents. Give us a safe trip home.
We praise you now and forever, + Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, and we ask these things in Jesus Holy Name that
he may be glorified. Amen.

According to Francis MacNutt:

100% of people are affected by temptation.
100% of people are oppressed by evil spirits: your car
may break down for no reason; electronic equipment
may stop working; your computer may lose all its data...
33% of people are infested by a demon: it is inside, it
makes things worse, it comes out through the mouth in
most cases; you will feel it rise in the body to exit.
Possession is rare. During complex deliverance, it may
happen that the supplicant will exhibit the symptoms of
possession while the demon resists.

III. BEFORE EXPELLING DEMONS

Because demons are legalists, before evicting them,
deprive them of all legal rights to stay.
Francis MacNutt
Demons are neither everywhere nor omniscient. Usually,
Christians are hidden from powers of darkness. Your life is
hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:3) Christians are also
protected: God will rescue you from the fowlers snare,
from the destroying plague, Will shelter you with pinions,
spread wings that you may take refuge; Gods faithfulness

2. Danger to the Supplicant

The supplicant is in danger of in a deliverance or
exorcism performed incorrectly.
Do not invade a soul unwisely. If an elderly woman, for
example, harbours bitterness from her youth and did not
accept the Good News, it is wrong to order a spirit of

80

is a protecting shieldFor God commands the angels to

guard you in all your ways. (Ps 91:3,4,11)

power to sympathize with the sufferings of others, to listen

to others without judgement and an ability to present Jesus,
who is the answer to all human problems.

However, some things expose Christians to satanic attack.

2. Generational Spirits
There are many kinds of demons, as we will see later. Here
are four major sources of attacks by demons and how to
take away their legal reasons to stay.

There are two categories of spirits that afflict one

generation after another: demons and souls of
Purgatory.
We addressed this in prayer forms on curses and the family
tree. Some forms of sin are passed from generation to
generation by demons that we inherited from the past. Thus,
there is a tendency to yield to such a weakness as anger,
violence, alcoholism, and others.

1. Spirits of Trauma
The spirits of trauma are the easiest to remove. Often,
after a ministry of inner healing, they leave without even
being expelled. However, sometimes it is necessary to
expel them.
Francis MacNutt believes that at least 80% of the evil spirits
that Christian Healing Ministry expels are the spirits of
physical or emotional trauma (such as rejection and incest).
These demons come into someone because he was injured,
often in childhood by grief, sadness, loneliness, fear,
depression, etc. These spirits are the easiest to remove.
Normally, after a ministry of inner healing, they leave
without even being expelled. Once the supplicant has
forgiven the offence and asked for forgiveness for judging,
the demon loses all legal rights to stay. After Jesus heals the
wound, the spirit of trauma often departs of its own volition.

3. Spirits of Sin
We must find and seal the door by which the devil
entered before expelling it. Neal Lozano p. 178179
For a demon of sin to come into someone, the person
normally must submit to the sin for a long time: hatred,
pornography, lust, bitterness, and other sins. In doing so, he
built, as it were, a house where a demon could come to
make his home and feel welcome. Or the person commits a
particularly violent or intense sin, like murder, for example,
or takes cocaine, so that a spirit of dependency moves in it
and makes his situation worse. Jesus tells us everyone who
commits sin is a slave of sin. (Jn 8:34)
Before expelling a demon of sin, the person must
regret his sin and repent of it,
identify the lies or strongholds what causes the
person to cling to the lie and the sinand renounce
them (we shall deal with the subject of strongholds in
Level two), and
confess the sin, renounce it, and even hate it.
One day, Donald, a young man, a friend of Neal and Janet
Lozano, asked them to pray for him. He had internal
conflicts, especially with his father. These problems began
to surface at his workplace. Donald asked for prayers of
deliverance. In the field, they began to cast out the devil.
Donalds face was contorted and took the appearance of
evil. Janet said, It is hatred. What was well hidden in his
soul had been exposed and hated the Lozanos for exposing
it. Neal ordered forcefully, In the Name of Jesus, I
command hate to leave. The spirit of hatred left
immediately and Donalds face returned to normal.
Suddenly, from behind the wall of the neighbours
apartment, came a cry and the sound of furniture thrown
down stairs.

For example, a woman can experience a lifetime of

rejection and also be tormented by a spirit of rejection. Her
mother did not want her and tried to abort her from the
womb. It is likely that the spirit of rejection has taken
residence in her. This woman is in no way guilty. She needs
an inner healing. To get it, she must forgive her mother and
others involved in the attempted abortion. The prayer
minister must bind the spirit of rejection and command it
not to obstruct the inner healing prayer. Then he should
pray for healing. If healing occurs, as it should normally,
the spirit of rejection should depart of its own volition.
Neal Lozano157 said that on the last day of a congress led by
John Wimber, a man who had a ministry of deliverance
prayed with him. The man asked the Lord to touch Neal.
Then he said, Do you feel that? For the first time, Neal
felt something in him, a part of his personality, was not
really him. He was familiar with it. It seemed like an old
friend he had known all his life. It no longer hid; it now felt
like a weight on his chest. The man asked, What
happened? Suddenly, Neals thoughts carried him to a
classroom. Something happened to me in first grade. I was
humiliated before the entire class. The man encouraged
Neal to forgive his teacher. In the Name of Jesus, I forgive
my teacher for humiliating me in front of the class. Then
the man said, In the Name of Jesus, I command the spirit
of rejection to leave Neal. The weight felt on Neals chest
rose to his head, then left. He was free. With actual
rejection, the fear of rejection left him. Now he knew the
name of the enemy and could resist his old habits. In the
months that followed, he saw that he had a new boldness to
pray for others, especially the prayers of deliverance, a new
157

The error was for Neal to proceed immediately to the

deliverance without first resolving the cause of the demonic
infestation in Donald. He had attended to the demon without
first attending to Donald, to the root, and to the door
through which the demon had entered Donalds life. Neither
did he seal the deliverance. Heres what he should have
done:
Assist Donald to repent of his sins: hatred of his father;
judgement against his father, etc.
Assist Donald to forgive his father.
Renounce the lies and the spirits behind the lies.

Neal Lozano, Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance, 2003 p. 144-145

81

 Pray for deliverance.

End with a prayer of blessing for Donald.

The laity derive the right and duty with respect to the
apostolate from their union with Christ their Head (...)
They are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord himself
(...) For the exercise of this apostolate, the Holy Spirit
(...) gives to the faithful special gifts as well (See 1 Cor
12,7) From the reception of these charisms or gifts, ...
there arise for each believer the right and duty to use
them in the Church and in the world for the good of
mankind and for the upbuilding of the Church. Vatican
II, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, #3.

4. Occult Spirits
These demons are the most stubborn and powerful. We will
study them at length in another chapter.
First, we must identify the contact, the practices, and the
involvement that the supplicant has had with the occult.
Using the Occult prayer form is a practical approach to
obtaining this information.
Next, the supplicant must repent and confess orally of each
occult practice that applies to him, one by one. If possible,
the Sacrament of Reconciliation should be suggested as a
means of expressing repentance and forgiveness. Otherwise,
the prayer minister can reassure him that the Lord has
forgiven him when he repented and confessed aloud these
occult practices.
Also, the supplicant must explicitly renounce each of these
occult practices and expel demons himself with words like
these: I renounce you, Satan, and each of these
practices and beliefs. In the Name of Jesus, I command
you to leave me now. Present yourself to Jesus for Him
to do with you as He sees fit.
Then, the prayer minister must unbind the chains of the
supplicant and seal the work in Jesus with words like, I
take the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and I
release you from any bondage to the occult world. I close
the door that is between you and this world, I seal it with
the Blood of Jesus and I barricade it with His Cross.

Let them (the laypeople) express it (their hope) by a

continual turning toward God and by wrestling "against
the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness Eph 6,12
Vatican II Lumen Gentium # 35
Binding and Loosing: You have the power to bind and
loose because you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son
of God. What you must do is to stick with what you have
and use that authority, as the Holy Spirit will lead you.
Every child of God has a measure of this power but there is
a fuller manifestation of that power after being baptized in
the Holy Spirit. Smith Wigglesworth
There are Christians who should not pray even for
simple deliverances:
Those who are particularly sensitive and who are
themselves prone to spiritual attacks;
Those who fail to distinguish between the need for
deliverance and the need for inner healing;
Those who love the experience of power (power trip) and
whose zeal to fight Satan takes the form of anger against the
victim asking for help;
The impetuous, those who make decisions too quickly,
those for whom everything is black or white, those who
trust excessively in themselves and who think it is faith;
Those who lack experience and knowledge.

Finally, we must proceed to a ministry of inner healing and

training to remove any personal cause that would have
predisposed the supplicant to turn to occult practices.
IV. HOW TO EXPEL EVIL SPIRITS158
1. Knowing How to Protect Oneself
All Christians must know how to protect themselves and
their families against the attacks of evil spirits.
(See above Danger to Prayer Ministers.)

We are often blind to our own flaws and limitations. We

think we can perform deliverance but remain blind to the
damage being done to the supplicants. We tend to remember
successes and forget, in a convenient manner, failures. For
this reason, you must be accountable to someone who can
freely correct you and tell you when you are unbalanced,
erratic or doing harm to people already injured.

2. Simple Deliverance
Most Christians can pray for deliverance for people who
are oppressed or slightly infested with evil spirits. Some
Christians are called to pray frequently for those who
are obsessed.

Here are 20 common methods for simple deliverance:

1. The petition of the Our Father: Deliver us from
evil. (Mt 6:13 DRB)
2. Make the sign of the Cross
3. Receive Holy Communion devoutly
4. Pray, especially before the Blessed Sacrament
5. Use holy water, baptismal water, or blessed salt
6. Ask the Lord to deliver the person from the evil
spirits
7. Ask the Lord to cover us with His precious Blood
8. Read aloud an episode in the life of Jesus taken
from a Gospel
9. Blow or breathe on the supplicant

He does thisin the Name of Jesus and with His

authoritythrough the laity whom He made His by a
continual conversion and by wrestling "against the worldrulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of
wickedness. Eph 6: 12
The authority for deliverance comes from Christ
himself: In my name they (believers) will cast out
demons. (Mk 16:17) Jesus deputises all believers: He does
thisin His name and with His authority.
158
Francis MacNutt, Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual, 1995, P. 140142

82

#2 This permission is to be granted by the local Ordinary

only to a priest who is endowed with piety, knowledge,
prudence, and integrity of life. Code of Canon Law

10. Ask the Virgin Mary to crush the head of the

demon beneath her heel
11. Appeal to angels, especially St. Michael, to repel
evil spirits
12. Invoke the intercession of saints for us
13. Laying-on of hands
14. Pray in tongues
15. Visit holy places (pilgrimages)
16. Visit men or women of God
17. Praise and worship the Lord, especially during a
prayer meeting
18. Wear a scapular or a holy medal
19. Make a simple entreaty: to urge or order the evil
spirit to leave, and
20. Rebuke the unclean spirit and command it to leave
in Jesus Name.

When you are dealing with a case of demonic possession,

refer the case to the authority of the bishop of your diocese,
who will mandate a particular priest to conduct a canonical
exorcism.
Prohibition of deliverance and exorcism in assembly: In
public meetings, it is not permitted without the permission
of the Ordinary, to directly disturb or try to discover the
identity of an evil spirit, or use in whole or in part the
formula of exorcism of Leo XIII against Satan and his fallen
angels. Cardinal Ratzinger.

V. DO NOT GIVE SATAN A STAGE

Mark Sandford159

3. Complex Deliverance

1. Demonic Manifestations

Only a few Christians, who have a formal deliverance

ministry, should pray for those who suffer from a major
infestation (obsession) of demons, usually caused by
involvement in the occult.

Do not demand or provoke manifestations of the

presence of a demon or of its departure. They like to
scare people, to get a new hold on them.
Some models of deliverance not only rely on the diabolical
manifestations but need them. Their focus is on the demons,
not the supplicant. Those who pray will tackle the demons,
confronting them and tormenting them with biblical
passages and religious objects until these demons flee. To
deliver a single person, such sessions are long (four or five
hours each) and may need to be repeated five or six
times160.

The Ministry of deliverance: Some are called to the

ministry of deliverance which is often linked to inner
healing ministry. Deliverance is much more a ministry of
compassion for the person attacked by an evil spirit than a
power exercised against the spirit that oppresses. Father
Rufus Pereira Through the deliverance ministry, people are
freed from the power of evil.
Here are the qualifications for devoting oneself to this
ministry:
Holiness, that is to say, someone who has broken with
sin, because evil spirits often know our sins and may
disclose them publicly, unless these sins have been
confessed and forgiven;
Wisdom and experience through an apprenticeship
in deliverance, which is the usual way to learn this
ministry;
Blessed with the charism of deliverance, this is the
authority to expel stubborn demons, authority that
comes from the charism of faith;
Empowered by the Holy Spirit because, when dealing
with powerful demons, we need a special spiritual power
from the baptism in the Holy Spirit to confront them
without fear of being ourselves invaded by demons.
Jesus said, it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out
demons. (Mt 12:28) It is only by the Holy Spirit that
you will succeed in driving out demons.

Sometimes, the demons make noise and attract

attention. (See Mk 1:26; Ac 8:7) We should not voluntarily
provide them the opportunity. In the episode of deliverance
after the Transfiguration, Jesus seemed to take care of the
possessed child before the arrival of the crowd, Jesus, on
seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean
spirit and said to it, Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again! Shouting and
throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became
like a corpse, which caused many to say, He is dead! (Mk
9:2526) Jesus appeared to act quickly before the arrival of
a larger crowd.
The demons are willing to give the illusion, by their noise,
that they are more powerful than God. Forgiveness,
repentance, and inner healing remove the power of evil
spirits. By disconnecting them from their legal source, they
leave with a whimper rather than with shouting. Your
encouragement to an evil spirit to manifest itself would only
provide it with a megaphone to publicize its power.

Note that the same criteria apply to priests who are called
by their bishop to perform formal exorcisms with the rare
people who are possessed by evil spirits.

2. Talking to Demons
Do not converse with demons. Mark Sandford

4. Formal Exorcism
Canon 1172 #1 No one may lawfully exorcise legitimately
the possessed without the special and express permission of
the local Ordinary.

159

This section is largely indebted to Mark Sandford, Deliverance and

Inner Healing, 1992, p.132 150.
160

83

Neal Lozano, Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance, 2003 p. 177-179

Evil spirits like to draw attention to themselves. They are

liars. Satan is the father of lies. (Jn 8:44) Even when they
seem to tell the truth, they introduce error. A striking case is
that of the confrontation in Acts 16:1519 at Philippi
between Paul and the slave-girl who had an oracular spirit.
She followed Paul and his companions, and she cried,
These people are slaves of the Most High God, who
proclaim to you a way of salvation. (Acts 16:17) Jesus is
not a way of salvation: There is no salvation through
anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.
(Acts 4:12) Jesus is the only way of salvation. Paul drove
out the demon and it left the girl at that hour. (Acts
16:18). Demons have no wisdom to offer. Encouraging
them to talk is inviting them to disrupt Gods plans.

Exorcism explicitly instructs to ask specific questions of the

possessed: the number and names of demons present; when
and why they entered the possessed; if its presence is a
result of spell, a curse (such as an enchantment through a
voodoo doll), a symbol of a sorcerer or occult documents. In
such cases, the possessed person must surrender them to the
exorcist or, if he has swallowed something, he must vomit
it. But the Roman Ritual deals only with formal exorcism of
the possessed which is a different situation than someone
who is simply oppressed or obsessed. The latter have the
exercise of their free will which the former do not.

Do not negotiate their departure with them, or meekly

request them to leave. You order them to leave in the Name
of Jesus.
The only thing of interest that a demon can say is
something that proves its point of entry, identity, or plan
of destruction. Neal Lozano p. 182
Demons are proud. They are proud of what they did. They
love to brag. In doing so, they may inadvertently help us
find the key to their expulsion or to the seal to put on the
supplicant. Once, after Francis MacNutt believed a ministry
was complete, heard a demon exclaim by the mouth of the
supplicant, What about me? Francis asked, What is your
name? He said, Vanity! Francis expelled him.

4. Cursing Demons

Nevertheless, asking the demons anything gives them an

opportunity to grandstand and boast the control they have
over their victims through their voice or their body.

Do not curse the demons. Mark Sandford

Twice (See 2 Peter 2:1011 and Jude 1:8,9) the Scriptures
instruct us not to blaspheme the Glories that is to say the
angels, even the fallen ones. The Bible gives no reason. One
can guess that wisdom would compel us to use our time, not
to damn evil spirits, but rather to praise God. The demons
do not merit in any way our focus. Also, do not stoke the
hatred they have for us with insults and threats. A simple
eviction is all that is called for.

VI. PEOPLE COME FIRST

1. People First, not the Demon

3. The Name of the Demon

The first priority of your ministry is relationships

between people, especially with the supplicant.
Mark Sandford
Deliverance ministry is not primarily a battle against
demons but a Christian relationship to rescue a child of
God.
In Bogota, Colombia, a young woman came to me with her
husband for prayer at the end of a True Life in God retreat,.
She was the last in line. As soon as I started to pray for her,
the diabolical manifestations burst out: face contorted,
uncontrolled movements of the body... Her husband
explained to me briefly that they are members of a Catholic
charismatic community involved in deliverance. His wife
had needed deliverance for some time but their community
had not been able to help her. Without saying another word,
he turned to his wife with anger and hatred in his face and
his voice and attacked head-on, the demons that infested his
wife. The virulence of his action took me completely off
guard. His wife backed up to the wall, fell down and raised
her arms to protect herself from the gestures and verbal
abuse from her husband. She was more afraid of her
husband than of the devil in her. I stopped him and asked if
he knew what he was doing. Yes, he replied, sure of
himself. I explained to her husband that it would be difficult
for him to be objective. It would be better if I led the
ministry and if he simply interceded in prayer. He willingly
accepted and moved away. I selected three people to help
me and sent away the others. The ministry lasted four hours.
Before you can cast out demons, you have to tear down the

Do not command a demon to identify itself.

Mark Sandford
The only scriptural precedent for believing this approach is
the case of man with an unclean spirit in the territory of the
Gerasenes in which Jesus asks, What is your name? (See
Mk 5:120; Mt 8:2834, Lk 8:2639) Who is Jesus
speaking to, to the man or the devil? Jesus, whose
discernment of spirits is perfect, knew that there were many
evil spirits in the man. If He spoke to the demons, He would
not have used the singular What is your name? Jesus wa
addressing the man and wanted him to take control of the
situation. Nevertheless, the demons controlled the man and
answered Jesus by the mans mouth, My name is Legion
for we are many. Jesus teaches that the devil is a liar and
the father of lies. (Jn 8:44) Why consult him? If you want
to know the demons names or how they went into
someone, rather consult the Holy Spirit.
Some authorities on deliverance maintain that when
they command a demon to reveal its name, the demon is
obliged to do so.
Moreover, the experience of many161 in deliverance
ministries shows that, when the prayer minister orders
demons to reveal their names, they obey. God has the power
needed to force them to name themselves. Francis MacNutt
says that in 80% of cases, the demons will reveal their
identity if we persist in demanding it. The Roman Ritual of
161

Reliable people do not hesitate and teach that it is useful, even necessary, to
command demons to identify themselves: Francis MacNutt and Derek Prince

84

homes they inhabit. By the word of knowledge, by

discerning of spirits and by asking her questions, the Lord
showed us many obstacles: hatred and conflict with her
stepmother, financial insecurity, insults and contempt from
the leader of their community, an abortion before their
marriage, and more. It was necessary that the young woman
take steps (repenting, forgiving, renouncing) to deal with
each situation because each entitled a demon to remain in
place. Simply casting out demons had not been successful in
her community.
Deliverance is much more a ministry of compassion for
the person attacked by an evil spirit than a power
exercised against the spirit that oppresses.
Father Rufus Pereira
Healing begins with establishing contact with someone. The
healing is complete when relationships are restored. When
Jesus met the father of the child tyrannized by a deaf and
dumb spirit, (see Mk 9:1428; Mt 7:1421, Lk 9:3742),
rather than immediately expelling the evil spirit, he made
contact with the father knowing that the father was probably
discouraged after years of seeing his son suffer. Jesus asked,
How long has this been happening to him? (Mk 9:21) In
his response, the father revealed his lack of faith: But if you
can do anything... Jesus saw that the problem was twofold:
there was the problem of the child but there was also that of
the fathers lack of trust in God, i.e., unbelief. Jesus first
took care of the father and said, Everything is possible to
one who has faith. (Mk 9:23) Once the father had declared
his faith and asked Jesus for help to overcome his
incredulity, Jesus expelled the demon and commanded him
not to return, and never enter him again! (Mk 9:25) Thus,
Jesus came also to the rescue of the father to strengthen his
weak faith by reassuring him that his sons trouble was over
for good. The childs father was able to establish a
relationship with God who sympathizes with our
weaknesses and wants to get closer to us. Jesus had
delivered the son of his demon and the father of disbelief.
God sees us as we will be at the end of our earthly sojourn.
Ask the Lord to show you the supplicant as He sees him: as
His child, as His servant. The current state of suffering and
enslavement of the supplicant is real but temporary. By the
Grace of God, his condition will change for the better.

2. Start with an interview

Begin ministry with the interview. Mark Sandford
Deliverance may sometimes be outside of the context of
inner healing. However, do not neglect to develop a rapport
with the supplicant prior to deliverance. Ask him to
complete The Occult Prayer Form. Ask questions. Listen to
his answers. Observe his reactions. Remain attentive to the
Holy Spirit. Is the supplicant afraid? Ashamed? Do nothing
to upset the supplicant. You are Gods representative to this
victim and God does not harass anyone.

3. Act Naturally
Be yourself and behave appropriately. Mark Sandford
I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All
this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a
share in it. (1 Cor 9:2223)
Do not be arrogant and do not mock or mimic anyone
during deliverance. Show no hatred or anger toward the
demons in case the supplicant feels targeted. When you pray
with a shy person; do not raise your voice, you may frighten
him. With tact and diplomacy, be yourself. Speak as you
normally do, pray as you speak normally.
VII. Deliverance Guided by the Holy Spirit
1. Methods
Do not be a slave to deliverance techniques.
Mark Sandford
There are several ways to perform a deliverance. Some
ways are inappropriate with certain people. Others are not
always necessary. Be guided by the Holy Spirit in each
case: He knows what to do and not do. Lets look at a few
methods.

2. The Tone of Voice

Normally, do not scream at demons. Mark Sandford
Regardless of the sweetness of the voice, the Name of Jesus
carries enough authority to push back demons. Normally,
there is no need to shout. Unless the Holy Spirit compels us
to, it is unnecessary. The evil spirits have no eardrums.
Jesus has authority over Satan and does not depend on the
volume of voice. However, in some cases, the Holy Spirit
may instruct you to speak forcefully during a deliverance.
Jesus rebuked him and said, Be quiet! Come out of him.
(Lk 4:35)

The reason you invite a supplicant to look you in the eye

during the ministry is to
Maintain your relationship with him
Prevent a demon from coming to the surface to affect the
Ministry
Permit the supplicant to more easily dominate his demons,
and
Discern spirits if a demon rises to the surface.

3. Discretion
Your audible voice is not always desirable.
Mark Sandford
It is not always necessary to bind or cast out demons out
loud. Sometimes, it is better to bind or cast out demons
under your breath, moving only your lips. For example:
If the supplicant does not believe in the existence of
demons and a demon obstructs the ministry;
If the supplicant is not ready to deal with sins that feed
the demons or the demons obstructs his judgement;
If the supplicant needs to hear more about Jesus than
about the devil.

Touch the supplicant during the ministry of deliverance

because your physical contact upsets demons, like holy
water and crosses. It encourages them to leave faster.
Nevertheless, touch mainly the head or shoulders, always
after asking permission. Do not touch inappropriately.
Judith MacNutt recommends not touching a paranoid
schizophrenic; they cannot tolerate it.

85

Many Christians have reported being attacked in their beds

at night by spirits choking them. Unable to speak, they
drove them away only by whispering the Name of Jesus and
they departed. The evil spirits know the Name of Jesus is
invincible.

It is useless to command them not to return. If the person

returns to his sin, the evil spirit, a legalistic being, has the
right to come back, whether we have disallowed it or not.
Do not send it to hell. Only Jesus can pass judgement, not
you. Send it to Jesus. Jesus will know what to do with the
evil spirits that you have evicted from someone.

4. Bind Before Expelling

VIII. DO NOT FEEL PUSHED INTO
DELIVERANCE

Sometimes, you have to bind the demons before you can

cast them out. Mark Sandford
At Capernaum, where Jesus delivered a man who had an
unclean demon, He gave two commandments: Shut up and
come out of him. (Lk 4:35) This is because the demon was
speaking through the mans mouth and attacked Jesus by
disturbing the meeting. Useless talking could become an
obstacle to deliverance. Thus, Jesus said to him, Shut up.
Then He drove out the demon.

1. When to Perform Deliverance

You are never forced to do deliverance in the field.
Never let Satan decide when and where will be the fight.
You decide that in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Mark
Sandford
You never know when a person can suddenly manifest the
symptoms of an infestation of evil spirits. During a prayer
meeting, laying on of hands, or a breakfast testimony, the
victims eyes may roll in their sockets, he may begin to cry,
or show other strange behaviour. What do you do? You ask
the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and what He wants you
to do. Sometimes, it will seem better to complete the
deliverance immediately. Among other things, you can lay
your hands on him and pray in tongues. However, it is you
who should choose the place and time where the
deliverance will be so that you can prepare well and choose
a team.

When you are dealing with someone who is not ready for
deliverance, it is useful to command evil spirits to cease all
activity. In doing so, the supplicant can more easily deal
with his sin, which gave rise to the diabolical infestation.
After he has repented and renounced his sin, deliverance
can go ahead and it will hold.
Other people may be ready to be delivered. For them,
binding before casting out is only a formality, not a
necessity. However, those who bind before casting out
never get hurt.

If you decide not to perform deliverance in the field:

Bind evil spirits;
Keep the curious away from the supplicant, inviting the
supplicant to another location;
Calm the supplicant, inviting him to regain control of
the situation, prompting him to look you in the eyes,
talking to him, engaging him in a conversation about
anything and everything;
Allow the supplicant to explain to you what is
happening, if he knows;
Take his phone number to set an appointment for
follow-up; and
Say a prayer of blessing over him.

5. Transferences
Its good to bind the evil spirits to prevent transferences.
Mark Sandford
Jesus taught that an expelled evil spirit lurked in the desert
and sought rest. Finding none, he said, I shall return to my
home from which I came. (Lk 11:24) The evil spirit may as
easily find another house and move close to someone else.
It does happen sometimes. It is not an inhabitation but only
oppression, an attack from the outside. The cleansing prayer
that one normally says after ministry usually prevents these
cases. Nevertheless, beware: do not yield to fear.

6. The Laying-On of Hands

In 1976, I received a phone call at Belcourt high school

from one of my students, a member of the youth prayer
group that I led. It is urgent, she said. We prayed
together when a visitor suddenly fell on the floor and started
to crawl like a snake. Come quickly! When I arrived at her
home, the man in his thirties, very distinguished-looking,
was still on the floor. Seeing me, he made hissing noises
with a face full of hatred of me. I had never seen this before.
The family had already summoned the parish priest, who
did not have a clue what to do. After he left, I thought of
Father Gaston Croteau. I phoned him and he told me to
bring the man to him. I told the young people to stop
praying, singing, and interceding. These activities just
annoyed the demons in the man and they manifested their
control over him. In a short time, the man regained control
of his behaviour and returned to normal. He allowed Father
Croteau to pray for him and to deliver him from his demons.
The gentleman remembered nothing of these events.

Do not prohibit the laying-on of hands for fear of

transferenrece. Mark Sandford
Some teach that we should not touch the supplicant. Neal
Lozano believes that this is a deception based on fear and a
focus on the demons. Touch does not give evil spirits
access; it is the sin of which we do not repent that does.
Jesus did not hesitate to lay hands on the woman bent over
by a spirit of infirmity. (See Lk 13:1017) The laying-on of
hands is holy and fosters good relationships; do not ban it
for fear of evil spirits. However, if someone is afraid to
touch someone with a demon, he should not touch because
his fear becomes a gateway for a demonic attack.
7. The Fate of Demons
Do not command the evil spirits never to return. Send
the demons to Jesus. Mark Sandford

86

immediate action to drive out the spirit of lust that comes to

the surface.
Allow Rest Deliverance ministry is tiring, even exhausting.
When you start, it is impossible to know how long a session
will take. Sometimes, it ends quickly. However, after a few
hours, it is good to be replaced, take a coffee break or go for
a walk to restore alertness.
Ability to Restrain a Person Strongly Influenced by Evil
Spirits It is rare but not unheard of for a powerful occult
spirit to take physical control of the supplicant, who
becomes violent and difficult to control with superhuman
strength. The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a
chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles
and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and
the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to
subdue him. (Mk 5:34) Ordinarily, there is little
disturbance if the prayer leader has taken the precaution of
commanding evil spirits to stay calm and not resist.
Employ a Variety of Charisms This is the main reason for
teamwork. There are four charisms to consider.
Spiritual authority to command demons: two people
can be substituted while the others will take a break or a
walk. We all have authority, but some have more
authority than others. Some have great authority, a
charismatic authority. The authority is a grace. This is a
form of charismatic faith.
Intercession: With two people or more, one can sing
praise to create an environment where the demons will
not want to stay. Before a heavy case, have many people
pray to accumulate spiritual power, so that the
supplicant receives a revelation from God or that God
sends people into his life.
Discernment of spirits: to see whether there is a
demon, to identify which one, and to know when they
are expelled and gone; uncover the demons (such as
mockery or lust) that are sent to block and hide the
presence of more powerful demons;
Words of knowledge.

2. Who will perform the deliverance?

Jesus is Lord. Every human belongs to Him. Trust in
Jesus for each case.
Apparent urgency should not compel you to perform a
deliverance. The case may be too complex for you. Suppose
a victim of satanic ritual abuse with multiple personalities
came to see you for help. If you have no knowledge and
training in this area, only spiritual pride would prompt you
to deal with it yourself. You must study and consult
experienced specialists to learn enough to start praying for
inner healing and deliverance.
There is also the time factor. Do you have the time to
devote to this case? A deliverance session, which also often
involves inner healing, may take several hours to several
months (one meeting per week). You have no right to
neglect your other responsibilities (your family, your job,
your apostolate). What does the Lord want you to do?

IX. COMPLEX DELIVERANCE162

1. Selecting the Team
The dynamics of the deliverance team is complex.
If possible, choose people who:
Know how to obey. They will not compete with each
other to see who will be in charge. Demons like to cause
confusion whenever they can.
Know how to complement each other with the use of
charisms, questions, prayers, and comments.
Lay hands on each other before beginning and at the end
before leaving.
Do not talk too much.
Like each other, know each other, and get along well
together.
Watch over each other because demons can attack one
and then the other. Sometimes, the team is under attack
(such as by conflict or confusion). Stop everything,
pray, bind, and cast out.
Work well in a team.

X. LOCATION OF THE DELIVERANCE

2. The Variety of Roles

There are holy places where deliverance is easier. These are

places dedicated to prayer. It must be a safe place, which
has been cleaned of the things by which demons can draw
strength. This place must be purified of all evil spirits by
driving them out using Sacramentals, deliverance prayer,
etc.

A deliverance team permits control of the atmosphere,

avoids scandal, restrains if necessary, allows rest breaks
and the exercise of more charisms.
Create an appropriate environment. One person could
read the Bible out loud. Another could quietly sing the
praises to God. A third could keep an eye out for demonic
attacks.
Less Opportunity for Scandal If a man is alone in
ministry with a woman, there is the danger of sexual
temptation. A spirit of lust, through a person under satanic
influence, can increase the danger already present. For
example, a woman supplicant can twist her hips and take
various alluring poses, which would be a distraction to the
men present. A woman on the team could then take
162

Francis MacNutt, Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual, 1995, P. 147156

87

12. SPIRITUAL ADULTERY AND ANTIDOTES

By John L. Sandford, adapted by Henri Lemay, April 22, 2013

I. INTRODUCTION163

There is an unfortunate naivet among Christians about

their sexual nature. They are ignorant of the forces in
human nature that can cause them to yield to temptation.
Therefore, they are ignorant of how the powers of darkness
can manipulate circumstances and sexual desires to plunge
them into trouble. Truly, My people perish for want of
knowledge. (Ho 4:6)

The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be

alone. I will make a suitable partner for him 164.
(Gen 2:18)
Spiritual adultery occurs whenever, in the course of
sharing, we grant to another than our spouse that
position of comfort and refreshment which belongs first
and sometimes only to him or her. (...) Whenever
spiritual adultery is persisted in, it leads inevitably to
full physical adultery. Physical adultery happens when
you go even further and you give him/her your body.
You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit
adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a
woman with lust has already committed adultery with her
in his heart. (Mt 5:2728)

Women are more vulnerable than men are to spiritual

adultery. Men have more walls and are generally less
communicative. Women seek relationships and feed on
communication.

3. Many Sexual Problems

Among these factors, often poorly understood, we will
study causes, roots, and healing of spiritual adultery,
defilement, ties and transfers that lead to affairs, fornication,
and physical adultery. We will also examine the causes, the
roots and ways to heal pornography addiction, voyeurism,
fantasies, and masturbation. Healing is also possible for
those addicted to homosexuality, lesbianism, rape, incest,
pedophilia, and sexual molestation.

1. To Risk So Much For So Little

The media regularly report that a Christian leader (priest,
bishop, evangelist, or pastor.) has engaged in sexual
misconduct. They are, apparently, powerful men of God.
They are responsible for the reputation of Christ in front of
millions of people. Why do committed Christians, filled
with the Holy Spirit, engage in adultery? Why do they risk
so much for so little? It seems that Christians are not better
protected against sexual sins than non-Christians. We
should not be surprised, because we are subject to the same
carnal desires. In addition, Satan is bent on bringing down
the followers of Jesus.

4. John Sandfords Experience

Spiritual adultery is rooted in the childhood wounds
that lead to sharing with people other than his/her
spouse all that needs to be comforted (wounds, fears,
and anxieties) or confirmed (hopes, revelations, and
intuitions).
John Sandfords mother was a critical and hurtful person.
Because she was dangerous, John had built walls to protect
himself, he had learned to avoid telling his secrets for surely
she would use them against him one day. Women ordinarily
remember personal issues better than men do. Once married
to Paula, these walls still in place prevented him from
opening his heart. For God created us with a need to share.
He said, It is not good for the man to be alone. (Gen
2:18) Then He created Eve to strengthen the heart of Adam.
However, John was afraid to let Paula go into his heart. He
was therefore vulnerable to spiritual adultery. Therefore, he
poured his need to share by telling others, men and women,
things he should have said first or only to his wife. He
shared all that in him needed to be comforted (wounds,
fears, and anxieties) or confirmed (hopes, revelations, and
intuitions).

2. Not seeking an affair but Fall Into it

Here, we are not talking about people, Christian or not, who
consciously seek adultery or deliberately engage in sexual
promiscuity. Here, we are looking only at Christians who
have truly given their lives to the Lord and who love and
serve the Lord with all of their heart: priests, monks, nuns,
lay leaders, Catholics, Protestants...Normally, they are
good, disciplined people. Often they are convinced that they
would never engage in sexual misconduct. However, they
can fall under the influence of progressively growing
conditions and pressures. What was once a controllable
desire has become a compulsive habit. They are out of
control. Because the will is always involved, everyone bears
some responsibility for his actions.

His two grandmothers had been dear to him and easy to talk
to. He could open his heart to them and tell them his secrets.
As an adult, John did not feel threatened by other women,
especially older women, and it was with them that he shared
his sorrows and joys. Paula learned many things about her
husband talking to these women, and it hurt her deeply
because she was the last to learn and was not the one to

163

John L. Sandford, Why Some Christians Commit Adultery: Causes and Cures,
1989, p. 16-32; John and Paula Sandford, Healing the Wounded Spirit, chapter 12;
John and Paula Sandford, Elijah House Training for the Ministry of Prayer
Counseling, Section Three p. 99-111; John and Paula Sandford, The Transformation
of the Inner Man, 1982, Chapter 15.
164
The French Rabbinic school translates: "the Eternal-God said, "It is not good that
the man should be alone; I will make him a helper worthy of him." The Osti Bible
renders the passage: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable
partner for him (literally, as one corresponding to him to express similarity and
perfect fit.)

88

whom John chose to share his confidences. John was naive

about the intentions and attention of women. He was totally
ignorant of spiritual adultery. Women clung to him without
his knowledge. Paula, very sensitive in the spiritual level,
perceived the presence of other women around her husband,
especially during their times of intimacy. Together, they
asked the Lord to reveal to them the root of this problem:
Lord, if there is still something in John that needs a
mother, and that these women feel invited to fill that need,
come heal that. Put Your Cross between John and any
woman who feels drawn to try to fill an aching void in his
heart.

His little ones, works through us as we meet His children in

His Name. We are vulnerable! The Lord is counting on our
ability to involve ourselves with the righteousness that
heals. However, those who come to us are perhaps not able
to keep their heart pure while in contact with us. The
understanding and compassion they receive from prayer
ministers when they open their heart may go far beyond
what their spouse can do. The seduction of their feelings
toward us is possible. They often idolise us. They can fall in
love with us. It is a false love but they feel it as real. Do not
be offended or shocked. Do not repel them. We must remain
upright. When the time has come for healing, discuss this
with the supplicant.
May each of us who prays for others pay attention to
spiritual adultery and learn how to respond with
honesty for the good of the people who depend on our
wisdom and our righteousness.
Some Christians get so involved with each other, without
realizing that physical attraction grows, that they
unconsciously fall into sexual temptation. If a Christian
persists in spiritual adultery, without fail, he will fall into
physical adultery. John Sandford said that after thirty years
of marital ministry to thousands of Christian couples
tormented by sexual adultery, he does not remember a
single case that had not begun by spiritual adultery.

His father became an alcoholic when John was about tenyears-old. John became the strong man to his mother, his
sister, and little brother. John became parentally inverted
(the child acts as the parent) where he was always on guard
at home to prevent chaos and someone getting hurt. For
him, the house was a place of tension. He learned to find
consolation elsewhere: in his garden and with his animals.
(He lived on a farm.) As an adult, he maintained the habit of
seeking his strength and his energy away from home. This
tendency had to die in him before he could open his heart to
his wife and find rest at home.

II. SPIRITUAL ADULTERY

2. The Anatomy of Spiritual Adultery
God through the Holy Spirit is your first and biggest
Comforter. Nevertheless, when He decides to console
you by a human, your spouse has the first and greatest
right to your heart. When believers, while they walk
together in the Lord, open their heart and renewed
spirit involuntarily to others by sharing what should be
said, first or only, to their spouses, they commit spiritual
adultery. The primary cause of physical sexual adultery
among well-intentioned Christians is spiritual adultery.

Loneliness, overwork, and thirst for communion lead a

Christian to a special friendship with a co-worker who
brings him relief and comfort. He bonds to her
emotionally without realizing that romantic feelings and
physical attraction grow between the two. All it takes is
one innocent and private opportunity, and passion for
each other will break out. These are the pitfalls to watch
for:
2.1 A gifted and anointed Christian leader (a leader of a
prayer group, prayer minister, teacher, prophet, priest,
musician, public speaker, or evangelist) takes on more
than the Lord asks of him, so demand for his services
grows.
2.2 He is constantly ministering, even sacrificing his
Sabbaths for the Lord. He neglects his personal
prayer time.
2.3 An aloofness develops between him and his wife. For
fear of breaking confidentiality, he stops telling her
everything, and soon he stops communicating with
her.
2.4 Because they no longer speak, their sex life loses the
glory that belongs to it.
2.5 He becomes emotionally hungry and thirsty.
2.6 He wants to be touched. He has an unmet need.
2.7 He begins to share his yearning by talking to a woman,
a colleague, a secretary, a supplicant, or music
minister.
2.8 Through this sharing, he gets his emotional life back,
although his spirit is dying. He has just given the role
of his wife to another.
2.9 Some friends warn him of the danger of this new
relationship but he does not listen.

1. Distinctly Christian Trap

Spiritual adultery is a distinctly Christian trap. Emotional
adultery, or adultery of the heart, can occur in anyone.
Emotional adultery may sometimes occur unintentionally
but it is usually an adulterers strategy to seduce someone.
They use eyes filled with emotions, gestures, touches,
suggestive words, and anything else to indicate their
intentions and invite consent. However, spiritual adultery
differs in this respect: at first, it is always involuntary. A
well-meaning Christian avoids opportunities approaching
sexual misconduct. Spiritual adultery slips into our lives
without our even noticing.
There is a profound difference between the helping
relationship found in secular society and in the Church. In
secular society, personal assistance professionals are trained
in detachment. Understandably, a psychiatrist who listens to
his patient in his office will take notes on his notepad only
until the 50-minute bell rings: end of the interview. Such
detachment!
The Christian helping relationship is different. There is an
involvement with the supplicant. Our Lord, full of love for

89

2.10 He is deluded and thinks he has found true love. He

engages in physical adultery.
2.11 He knows that what he did was wrong but it feels
very good. He does not understand why.
2.12 The anointing on his ministry increases instead of
decreasing. He feels even more perplexed. Do you
hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience
in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God
would lead you to repentance? (Rm 2:4) God seeks
to make him whole again by seducing him with His
goodness.
2.13 He lives in fear of being discovered.
2.14 Yet he wants to be discovered and unconsciously
does things to let himself get caught.

5.2 If your marriage is not strong and if you do not have

stability and unity with your spouse, cease to minister
to others.
5.3 If you are single, find yourself trusted friends with
whom you can regularly share.
Not just one but several friends,
Who will pray with you and will restore you.
5.4 Do your ministry as a team whenever possible.
When ministry as a team is not practical, ask others
to pray for you and for your ministry,
When ministry as a team is not practical, you should
pray a prayer of protection, and
Request permission of the supplicant to share his/her
intercessory needs with your spouse or friends.
Do your ministry with the door or the curtains open,
and
Make sure there are other people nearby.
5.5 Find appropriate situations for prayer to make sure you
are not alone:
5.6 Do not meet supplicants as friends between sessions.
Do not share meals or outings.
5.7 Equip yourself with an internal alarm:
Examine yourself regularly on a spiritual level, and
Be alert to signs of vulnerability.

3. A Typical Response
3.1
3.2
3.3

3.4

If his wife is Christian, she forgives him and gives

him another chance.
Now, he opens up to her and talks.
Because of his confession and their restored
communication, both believe he has learned his
lesson and he is a new man.
In reality, he has experienced remorse and sadness,
but not repentance and healing.

6. What to Do in Case of Spiritual Adultery

4. The response from people in authority over
him

6.1 Be neither surprised nor outraged. It is almost

inevitable.
6.2 Be aware that this may change. There are things you
can do about it.
6.3 Know that sometimes we have to offer love with touch
for those who cannot receive it otherwise. Physical
signs of affection are healing.
6.4 Touch the supplicant with the type of love that
encourages him/her to open to his/her spouse.

People in authority need to be firm in demanding the

suspension of any ministry, ending all contact between
the two concerned, mending, and inner healing.
4.1 The adulterer must acknowledge his fault to his
leaders.
4.2 His leaders should
give a him a sabbatical; he must cease to be in
ministry,
assign him small tasks that he must perform in
humility,
prescribe inner healing ministry to him to detect
dysfunctions that made him vulnerable, and
insist that the adulterous relationship be completely
discontinued...not even contact by phone would be
permitted.

6.5
Help her to see that it is God who takes care of her
through you: be transparent. Make your own the declaration
of St. John the Baptist about Jesus: He must increase; I
must decrease. (Jn 3:30 )
6.6 Help her to restore her relationship with her spouse.
6.7 Heed the warnings of your spouse and your friends.

4.3 If you do ministry with someone involved in spiritual

adultery:
Ask him firmly to immediately sever his relationship with
that person.
Ask him to stop praying for that person and find another
intercessor to pray for her.

7. When a supplicant is attaching herself to

you:
7.1 If you feel that the supplicant is getting attached to
you, be honest with her about the limits of this
relationship.
Tell her, for example: One of my jobs is to make
sure that you no longer need me.
Thus, you put the relationship into perspective.
7.2 Do not cut off the relationship abruptly. Many
supplicants could not endure another injury. Victims of
sexual abuse are most vulnerable.

5. How a Prayer Minister Can Avoid Spiritual

Adultery
You can preserve yourself from spiritual adultery by
inner healing, by opening your heart to your spouse,
with precautions, and with good friends.
5.1 Ask the Lord to put to death on the Cross all evil roots
in you that make you vulnerable.

90

7.3 Pray to protect yourself from defilement and keep up

your ministry if possible. Ask your spouse and your
friends to pray for your protection.
7.4 If you feel that you are clinging to a supplicant, invite
your spouse to come and pray with you for her and her
family.
Do not meet this person outside the context of
ministry and always in the presence of another, and
Get ministry for yourself to identify and deal with
the root of your attachment and pray for your
healing.

others and attack anyone who would give you good

advice.
8.9 Be most suspicious when the circumstances are such
you are no longer find yourself under the care or
influence of others. Realise that the human heart is
capable of duplicity and can produce seemingly
innocent circumstances. The heart is more devious
than any other thing, and is depraved; who can pierce
its secrets? (Jr 17:9 NJB) Deny yourself every
opportunity to be alone with a special member of the
opposite sex. Learn to recognise the increased
frequency of such coincidences as evidence of a
devious and depraved heart.
8.10 Finally, watch out for discord. When your heart is
engaged in spiritual adultery, you will find reasons to
disqualify the warnings of friends and listen to the
opinions of those who do not share your Christian
values. We are often naive about the needs and secret
motivations of others. This naivety prevents us from
recognizing the difference between an authentic
affirmation and manipulative flattery. You will
alienate long-time friends and you find new ones who
will tell you what you want to hear. Better is an open
rebuke than a love that remains hidden. Wounds from
a friend may be accepted as well meant, but the
greetings of an enemy one prays against. (Pr 27:56)

8. Here are the most common symptoms of

spiritual adultery.
The alarm bells will sound in you when you start feeling
close to someone in a way that belongs to your spouse:
you feel young, exuberant, you want to see her more
often, you want to please her, she understands you, you
can tell her anything, she affirms you, and she comforts
you.
8.1 You tend to share private and intimate details with
friends, especially with your special friend, before you
have spoken at length with your spouse. Nevertheless,
only your spouse, and no one else, should have the
privilege of taking care of your heart regarding your
revelations, intuitions, injuries, fears, anxieties, hopes,
and anything that touched your heart, and for which
you need reassurance or confirmation.
8.2 You devote a lot of time to someone of the opposite
sex, inventing all kinds of unnecessary reasons to work
beside her. Lust not in your heart after her beauty, let
her not captivate you with her glance. (Pr 6:25)
8.3 You find more delight in being in the presence of
someone other than your spouse. Thy eyes shall
behold strange women, and thy heart shall utter
perverse things. (Pr 23:43 DRB)
8.4 You start to think that someone else understands you
better than your spouse does. Then you want to talk to
her and end up not being able to communicate as well
at home.
8.5 Take care when you feel young and exuberant around
a particular person who is not your spouse.
8.6 Romantic Feelings: At first, you can transfer your new
vigour to your spouse and you believe yourself a better
lover at home. You may even attribute your new
ability to love at home to the beneficial effects of this
relationship at work or at church.
8.7 You refuse to hear the warnings of others. You
stubbornly insist on the fiction that the relationship is
platonic165 and you say your feelings are hurt that
others believe it is not. They will appear to you as
unable or unwilling to trust you.
8.8 You are aggressively on the defensive. In fact, you are
trying to convince yourself that there is nothing wrong
in this relationship, and then you project your anger on

III. ANTIDOTES166 TO SPIRITUAL

ADULTERY
The following antidotes will prevent spiritual adultery
before it happens or prevent it from happening again:
wisdom, fear, a small share group, good friends,
confiding in ones spouse, and recognizing the
symptoms.

1. Wisdom
The best antidote is wisdom. For the protection of wisdom
is as the protection of money; and the advantage of
knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
(Ecc 7:12) Simply knowing about spiritual adultery
becomes a great protection.

2. Fear
Learn to let fear keep you alert while you work and
share with others. You are a member of a Body, the
Church.
If spiritual adultery is so widespread and so deceptive, how
can we avoid it? How can I participate in a cell group, a
prayer group, a share group, a team; consult a priest; or lay
on hands for healing, if there is danger of spiritual adultery?
Such fear is well founded and is in fact a form of protection.
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (Phi
166

John L. Sandford, Why Some Christians Commit Adultery: Causes and Cures,
1989, p. 16-32; John and Paula Sandford, Healing the Wounded Spirit, chapter 12;
John and Paula Sandford, Elijah House Training for the Ministry of Prayer
Counseling, Section Three, p. 99-111; John and Paula Sandford, The Transformation
of the Inner Man, 1982, Chapter 15.

165

Platonic adjective 1 Of or associated with the Greek philosopher Plato or his ideas.
2 (platonic) (of love or friendship) Intimate and affectionate but not sexual. 3
(platonic) Confined to words, theories, or ideals, and not leading to practical action
Oxford Dictionary

91

2:12 ) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

prudent are all who live by it. (Ps 111:10) You must learn
to let fear keep you on alert.

Christ. Individualism is a trap from Satan. We need each

other. The way of the fool seems right in his own eyes, but
he who listens to advice is wise. (Pr 12:15) For lack of
guidance a people falls; security lies in many counselors.
(Pr 11:14)

Apprehension should not prevent you from opening up to

other Christians. If you do not share with Christians, you
will become more vulnerable to temptation. Christians must
learn to protect themselves while sharing with others.
Sharing with someone is not in itself adultery. Instead,
everyone must learn to share with others the cares of his
heart, in a more open and accurate way as each grows in the
Lord. However, spiritual adultery occurs when, in opening
your heart to another, you allow that person the role of
comforting and reassuring you, which belongs to your
spouse.

The Lord wants to see His people act as one body, His
Body. We, though many, are one body in Christ and
individually parts of one another. (Rom 12:5) The Lord
wants His people to love and help each other. Training in a
cell group is irreplaceable.

5. Talk to your spouse. Put your trust in

him/her.
Above all, do not isolate yourself from your spouse. Men,
the Lord gave us the following statement: The truly
capable womanwho can find her? She is far beyond the
price of pearls. Her husbands heart has confidence in her,
from her he will derive no little profit. Advantage and not
hurt she brings him all the days of her life. (Pr 31:1012
NJB) And women, the Lord says to you: Wives, be subject
to your husbands, as to the Lord. (Eph 5:22 RSV) and
also, The wife should respect her husband. (Eph 5:33)

We all will fall into spiritual adultery several times until we

learn what we can and cannot share with others. However,
as soon as you realize it, you must not stay in spiritual
adultery a minute longer without immediately repenting.
You will learn by making mistakes. You will perceive in
yourself a red light (a stop light) whenever you share
something private that you have not yet resolved with your
spouse. The alarm will sound the danger in you every time
you start feeling close to someone in a way that belongs to
your spouse. You must be determined to keep your heart
pure before God and your spouse, and not to exceed healthy
boundaries with another person of the opposite sex.

6. Know the Symptoms of Spiritual Adultery

(Review the list of 10 most common symptoms in II
above. Spiritual Adultery sections 8.1 to 8.10)

3. Small Share Group

IV. HEALING IS POSSIBLE

You and your spouse can join a small group that can warn
you and teach you about each other. Are you aware that
this womans feelings towards you are not what you think
they are? Over time, quite often you will be able to discern
it yourself. However, none of us can always discern. We all
need the advice and the perceptiveness of others to get us
there and to protect us.

There are five steps required for healing:

a) The person must give up the relationship
b) Pray for the separation of their souls and hearts
c) Pray for healing of bitter roots from infancy or
childhood that led the couple there
d) Encourage healing in the Body of Christ and the
family
e) There must be restitution.

4. Make Good Christian Friends in a Share

Group

However, there is a major obstacle to healing.

Individualism is a satanic trap. We need each other. The

Lord wants His people to love and help each other.
Belonging to a small share group is essential.
Join a cell group. Listen to what your brothers and sisters in
the Lord will say. Ascribe more value to their opinion than
to yours, especially when they see things in you that you are
certain are not there.

1. The Initial Problem

The power of spiritual adultery comes from self-delusion
that I have finally found my dream spouse. Obviously,
there is nobody who can embody such a dream.
Nevertheless, I am seduced. I think I have finally found
my perfect soul-mate. But it is his illusion.

Whoever believes he is in charge of his spiritual life is

greatly mistaken. let us rid ourselves of every burden
and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race
that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith. (He 12:12) It is Jesus
who is responsible for you and perfects you. Like living
stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a
holy priesthood... (1 Pet 2:5) You cannot build yourself up.
You are a living stone. You must submit the construction
job to the labourers of the Lord, your brothers and sisters in

We say healing is possible because healing does not

always come. Sometimes, the supplicant is so deceived and
blinded that he is no longer able to accept wisdom. Some
supplicants are humble enough, are not yet too self-deluded,
or are still able to recognise the strength of their deep and
hidden motivations. However, if his marital relationship has
become so offensive that he wants to get out, consciously or
unconsciously, only a strong determination not to throw

92

shame upon the Lord may keep His servant in pain on the
Cross long enough for the couple to heal completely.
Unfortunately, when someone comes for ministry in such a
case, he is so self-deluded about the true nature of his
situation that he is usually unable to hear reason.

may be difficult to get physical distance. If this is the case,

the two people involved must practice the discipline of
fierce emotional detachment or they will fail to overcome
the attraction they have for each other.
The possibility of self-delusion is great. The unconscious
forces involved are so powerful that no one can afford to
play with such fire. There are no heroes in this fight, only
surviving deserters. Victory is in staying apart. Because
once a person has walked on the sacred ground of the heart
of the other, paths have been formed in them that lead
immediately to forbidden physical hungers that seek
incessantly and craftily to be satisfied.

His illusion, the lie he believes, is as follows: I cannot live

without this woman! The reality is just the opposite: he
cannot live because of this woman. He should definitely
distance himself from his mistress and never see her again.
Unfortunately, his emotions do not allow it. Moreover, that
is when the healing is held up. Every man and woman has
accumulated in youth symbols of female and male ideals; a
dream nurtured by movies, novels, stories of
heroes/heroines, imaginary images, whims, and projections.
Each person searches unconsciously all his life for that
dream person. He realizes soon after marrying that his
spouse is not this perfect person. Almost all the power of
spiritual adultery comes from the illusion that he has finally
found his dream. Obviously, there is nobody who can
embody such a dream. However, he is seduced: he thinks he
has found her. That is his illusion. If he does not give her
up, it will ruin his life, his family, his ministry, and perhaps
even his eternal life.

Spiritual adultery is insidious so that one does not perceive

it as a sin. It is a trap that one falls into. People have been
fooled by something that, on the surface, seemed good: it is
a good thing to have deep relationships with others,
especially if one knows the person is of high morals. In
addition, these relationships are like a tonic for the soul. The
esteem of others swells our ego.
However, one must stop looking at the superficial benefits
to oneself to judge the duplicity of spiritual adultery. You
have to look at the harm it does to your spouse and feel her
loneliness, her grief, and her sense of betrayal. It is a sin
that must be hated for the harm it does to our loved ones.

The best thing friends can do after he rejects their warnings

is to undertake a spiritual battle for him, binding the forces
of evil that blind him and planting the Cross of Christ
between him and his failings.

3. Pray for the Separation of Their Spirits

The betrayed spouse must fight to save the marriage, must

warn repeatedly and must examine the situation to identify
factors that may have contributed to the deterioration of the
relationship. Request a prayer ministry to resolve any bitter
roots. Do not sulk and do not nag. Give no excuse to your
partner to leave. May your difficulties lead you closer to the
Lord, whose graces will make you more attractive and
sweet...the kind of spouse who is an invitation to find rest
and healing at home.

With the authority that Christ Jesus has given you, you
must separate their personal spirits from each other.
The third lesson of healing is that there must be prayers for
the separation of their personal spirits from each other.
Otherwise, their continued tie will be like a powerful
magnet that draws their invisible thoughts and feelings
towards each other. (See prayer form PRAYER FOR
RELEASE FROM UNHEALTHY SOUL TIES)

2. Renounce the Relationship

4. Heal the Bitter Roots that Led the Couple

There

Victory is in retreating, fleeing, deserting. The

adulterers must stay apart. They must sever contact and
completely abandon the relationship. Otherwise, they
will be unable to overcome the attraction they have for
one another. They must hate the sin for the harm it does
to their loved ones.

The roots can be numerous. Each root must be made to

die on the Cross. Then the life of the Risen One should
flow abundantly in each person. The guilty one must
persevere until he has learned to give his wife the role
she deserves as the guardian of his feelings and the one
who strengthens his heart.

I had made an agreement with my eyes not to linger on

any virgin. (Job 31:1 NJB)

The fourth lesson of healing is healing prayer for the

couple. Both spouses allowed (probably unconsciously) the
deterioration of the relationship in their marriage to the
point that one of them sought communion and intimacy
outside the marriage.

This is the first lesson of healing: people who have fallen

into a relationship of spiritual adultery, even though there
was no physical adultery, must release each other fully in
the Lord. They must sever all contact and completely
abandon the relationship. They must be prepared never to
see each other again. If they are of the same family (for
example, the spouses brother or sister), if they work for the
same employer or are members of the same prayer group, it

The tendency to spiritual adultery is a sure sign that a

person has bitter roots from unresolved father and mother

93

issues. In prayer, we must find and heal the following

wounds:

The most common form of idolatry is often found in

marriage. If one spouse was neglected, rejected, or abused
as a child, causing insecurity, it is likely that he will bond
unreasonably to his spouse. We all contain a hole that only
God can fill. If we do not meet Jesus, we will try,
unsuccessfully, to fill it unconsciously with someone or
something, such as friends, our children, sports, business, or
hobbies.

4.1 Your need to be a father or mother: every desire that

others have for you to parent and everything that
draws others to you in these roles.
4.2 Your need to have others find you beautiful, powerful,
wise, intelligent, and attractive.
4.3 Any need to defile, to excite, or to attract the attention
of the opposite sex.
4.4 Anything that attracts people of the opposite sex to
you.
4.5 Unconscious disdain for the opposite sex that drives
you to attract men/women so that you can reject them
unsatisfied.
4.6 Using spiritual adultery to punish your spouse by
giving to others what belongs to her.
4.7 Any need to flee home to find consolation,
strengthening, and support elsewhere.
4.8 Painful memories of life with your mother or father;
habits of avoidance; bitter roots of expectations and
judgements, such as the love of ones life being a
disappointment. Persevere until you learn to give your
spouse the role they deserve as the guardian of your
feelings and the one who restores your heart.
4.9 Deprivation from affection, abuse by critical and
hurtful parents, parents inability to appreciate and
encourage talent, a heart of stone, and inner vows not
to be vulnerable. A common inner vow in men is not
to tell his secrets to a woman. Boys make the vow to
escape the stifling control of their mother who forgets
nothing and reminds them of secrets to better control
them by making them feel guilty.

Some people expect more from their spouse than their

spouse can possibly give them. This is idolatry. There is no
one who can take the place that only God can and wants to
occupy. The spouse feels the weight of this demand and this
wounds his spirit. Hence, both feel anxiety and frustration.
There is stress in the marriage. A husband loves his wife.
He always wanted to be desired. However, he cannot be
happy and love his wife as he would like. His wife has
latched onto him and wants from him only what God can
give: happiness. He is blocked. His spirit perceives idolatry
and rightly refuses. The husbands confidence in his ability
to express his love and his identity as a husband are
compromised by confusion. He is unable to express his love
for his wife.
The husband should tell his wife, You ask me to give
you what only God can give you.

4.11 One Spouse

Father/Mother

Sees

the

Other

as

Often, a husband whose mother neglected to affirm him and

to give him affection, will idolise his wife. Worse, he will
regard her as his mother. A girl, rejected and neglected, will
tend to view her husband as her father.

4.10 One Spouse Idolises167 the Other

The husband should tell his wife, I am not your

father. We must heal the bitter root.
Healing must also include evangelisation of her heart to fill
the void that only God can fill. Her soul seeks fulfillment.
Not finding it, she feeds the resentment that manifests itself
by mechanisms of defence and aggression, which must be
put to death on the Cross. Only a full infusion of the
Fathers love can fill that void and heal the soul of the
injured child. Even if my father and mother forsake me, the
LORD will take me in. (Ps 27:10) That is the true healing.
Invite the Father to come fill the void. Then incubate it with
His love through your love until she can believe and feel
His fullness in her heart, independent of you.

Some brides latch on to their spouse too much and want

from him what only God can give them: happiness. This
is idolatry. The husband is blocked. His identity as a
husband is compromised by confusion and he becomes
unable to express his love for his wife. We must
evangelise the heart of this woman. We must invite the
Father to fill her heart with the love of a wife and
incubate her in His love through our love.
Idolatry is the source of many sins. If you steal, you put
more value on the desired object than on God. If you
commit adultery, you desire this woman more than God. If
you do not go to Mass on Sunday, you gave more
importance to whatever you have chosen to do than to your
obedience to God: cutting grass, transact business, buy
yourself a thrill, make a repair, or laze around. If you do not
tithe, Mammon is your god. No one can be the slave of two
masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or
be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot
be the slave both of God and of money. (Mt 6:24 NJB) If
you repel your children when they interrupt your program
on TV, you pay homage to your TV rather than to God.

4.12The Wife Unconsciously Transferred to

the Lord What Belongs to Her Husband
When the heart of a wife is unbalanced, much confusion
may settle there. The husband suspects adultery and may
react with violence. How can he compete with such a rival
as God? Some husbands have angrily left the Church. The
Sandfords prayed with several women so vulnerable for
having failed with their husbands that seducing spirits,
incubi, had convinced them that the Lord is their husband.

167

Idolise verb tr to admire or revere greatly; tr to worship as an idol; intr to worship

idols Collins Dictionary

94

They believed that they could unite sexually with Him.

These spirits had seduced the women to the point that they
experienced sexual arousal, even orgasm.

where the offence is public knowledge, a public confession

can bring healing to the community.

6. Atonement
4.13 Spiritual Adultery is Possibly the Most
Common Sin of the Charismatic Renewal

Atonement is a necessary act to restore the relationship

between loving hearts. It is done with the wronged
spouse, the family, and the community.

Some women find the security in their prayer group that

they should have found with their husband. The leader of a
prayer group, which is normally a father figure for the
whole group, can discover confused relationships and
feelings as women attach themselves to him
unconsciously or consciously with guilt.

When a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, if it is

maimed or dies while the owner is not present, the man
must make restitution. (Ex 22:13) A thiefshall restore
double. (Ex 22:24 DRB)
At his conversion, Zacchaeus said, If I have wronged any
man of any thing, I restore him fourfold. Jesus said to him:
This day is salvation come to this house. (Luke 19:89)

Conclude the prayer for the healing of bitter

roots
Once the issue of resentment is settled, the vacuum must be
filled with love. Later, the prayer minister may address the
frustrations and obstacles in each partner. Then, the prayer
minister can instruct them in the art of really opening up
and encountering each other. They no longer see themselves
as antagonists but as partners who, together, fight against
the obstacles in each other that seek to drive them apart.

If my neighbour borrowed my lawn mower and broke it,

and returned it to me without having it repaired, our
relationship would become strained. If he buys me a new
one, respect and friendship are renewed.
A fallen and restored husband owes it to himself to establish
a series of small but tender acts to win back the heart and
trust of his wife. The same principle also applies to a fallen
wife. He can even consult his wife to choose these acts to
better help the healing and restoration. Obviously, one
needs to avoid acts that appear vengeful or trite. Members
of the community could offer wise suggestions. The
atonement has to be severe enough to carve the lesson on
the heart of the guilty party and to reassure and rebuild the
trust of family members.

5. Healing in the Body of Christ and the

Family
There must be healing in relation to the whole family
and to the local community to which they belong.
Decisions about what appropriate actions should be
taken should not rest with only one person.
There are too many variables to discuss here. Those in
authority will decide how to proceed. In cases where sexual
adultery was not publicly known, those involved in the
healing process should discuss the matter privately. In cases

The atonement must be done in the community where the

offence occurred. Leaders can assign humble tasks for a
period or to a ministry to prisoners or alcoholics. Leaders
must identify an accountability partner who will ensure that
the assignment is done well and with the right attitude.

95

TOOLS OF CHRISTIAN HEALING

13. HEALING PRAYER TEAMS
After a prayer of thanksgiving, the group prays or
sings in tongues followed by silence
During the silence, all (except the supplicant) keep
their eyes open. Each remains attentive to what the
Lord is doing or wants to do. The archivist writes
down pertinent observations related to actions of the
Holy Spirit and the supplicants reaction.
The prayer leader asks the Lord for a grace for the
supplicant
The other team members intervene only when
inspired, that is to say when led by the Holy Spirit
The prayer leader regularly asks of the supplicant
what is being felt or experienced
The prayer leader silently prays to be attentive to the
promptings of the Holy Spirit
After ensuring that the supplicant is at peace, the
prayer leader prays for a blessing to come on the
supplicant to conclude the prayer session
The team leader invites a second supplicant to sit in
the chair and to identify a prayer request, appoints
the prayer leader and the assistant and the process
begins again. All members of the prayer team take
turn playing all roles.
At the end, all say the Prayer to be set free.

1. The Goals are to:

Pray for healing (of self and others)

Learn how to pray for healing
Learn how God heals
Become the Lords servant healing for others
for ourselves, and
Be open to the charisms of healing.

and

2. Each team member must:

Commit to maintaining confidentiality on all

personal information he learns about the supplicant

and about the other team members
Consider first the good of others
Work in collaboration with other team members
Work in submission to the team leader and the prayer
leader
Be honest and true regarding interpersonal
relationships
Remain aware of interpersonal difficulties within the
group
Recognise that true healing comes not from what we
do but by the work of the Holy Spirit through the
Body of Christ made possible through prayer,
Recognise and celebrate the growth of each group
members
In case of conflict within the team or with the team
leader, speak discretely to the supervisor of the
practices.

4. Roles within the prayer team

Within each team, there is rotation of the prayer leader,
the assistant prayer minister, the supplicant and the
archivist. The team leader assigns to each person their
roles during each prayer session. Here are the roles
descriptions within the team:
A supplicant needing prayer indicates his need, such
as physical healing, inner healing, or forgiveness.
The prayer leader leads the prayer using the prayer
forms provided and in obedience to promptings of the
Holy Spirit. The prayer leader is responsible for the
ministry and its progress. The prayer leader must be
attentive not only to the supplicant but also to the
assistant prayer minister and to the archivist, who
may receive inspirations from the Holy Spirit useful
to the ministry underway.
The assistant prayer minister supports the prayer in
obedience to the Holy Spirit: normally, the assistant
intervenes only when invited to do so by the prayer
leader after the assistant has motioned a desire to
speak based on an inspiration from the Holy Spirit. If
the team does not have a archivist, the assistant prayer
minister takes notes.
The archivist intercedes through silent prayer and
takes notes on charisms but does not normally
intervene. If the archivist receives something believed
to be from the Holy Spirit, the archivist discreetly

3. The prayer team in action

Everyone greets their fellow team members and
offers them a holy hug or a friendly handshake
Short time of prayer: praise + invocation of the Holy
Spirit
All say A prayer for protection before ministry
Everyone offers himself to the Holy Spirit as an
instrument of His mercy
A team member offers to be the supplicant, sits in the
chair and briefly states a prayer request, such as a
physical healing or a forgiveness to give
The team leader leads the prayer or appoints a prayer
leader and an assistant
The prayer leader and assistant anoint each others
hands with oil; then one of them anoint the supplicant
on the forehead with permission
The prayer leader and his assistant lay hands on the
supplicant after asking permission

96

signals the prayer leader and asks for permission to

intervene.
Everyone remains on the same team throughout Level
One training. To change teams, you must speak to the
supervisor.

the opportunity to practice each role several times

during Level One, including the team leader.
At each practice, you first identify the supplicant
(someone who offers to be), then you appoint the
prayer leader, then the assistant prayer minister and
finally the scribe.
You are the keeper of the archivists notebook.
Include in this notebook all confirmations of the
authenticity of inspirations and charisms. You
provide it to each assigned archivist. You keep it on
you and you always take it to lunch/dinner meetings
with Henri Lemay.
You keep the training session leader (or the
supervisor) informed about your team, such as
successes, charisms exercised, and challenges.
You participate in lunch/dinner meetings of team
leaders with the training session leader (or the
supervisor).

5. The role of the archivist is to take notes

about:
diseases, problems, etc. Raised by the supplicant
insights, words of knowledge, prophecies, visions,
signs of compassion, biblical passages, etc. received
by the various team members;
improvements, healing, deterioration, feelings, etc.
reported by the supplicant.

6. The role of the team leader

You watch out for the welfare of the members of your
team like a shepherd. You interest yourself in
everyone: their needs, their efforts, and their
successes.
You make sure that each member of your team has a
turn to receive prayer ministry, to be the prayer
leader, to be the assistant prayer minister, and to be
the archivist. Each member of the team should have

7. Organization practices
Each participant is part of a team of four.
Team leaders are appointed by the organizers of the
session.

Each team leader reports to an assigned person.

97

14. WHY WE BLESS SOMEONE

Prepared by Henri Lemay, April 24, 2013
May the LORD bless you and keep you.
May the LORD let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the LORD show you his face and bring you peace.
This is how they must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them. (Nb 6:2427 NJB)
LORD in capital letters, is the translation of YHWH in
Hebrew. This is the personal name of El God, the God of
Israel. It means, I am who am or simply Yah, I Am.
This is the name for God that occurs most often in the
Bible. For centuries, the Jews, out of respect, never say that
word, the Tetragrammaton. They say, Adonai, translated
into English by LORD and French by SEIGNEUR.
One of the priestly functions is to bless, that is to say
to speak words that draw Gods favour on the people (or
person)168.
Through our baptism, we become priests, prophets, and
kings. Lay people also are called to bless. St. Thomas
Aquinas defines Gods love as the will to do good to
someone, to speak well to him and to do good to him.
Benediction = bene dicere, to speak well.

Kingdom with such an open attitude, without debate, we

enter immediately into the Kingdom. Let the children come
to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs
to such as these. (Mk 10:14)
By blessing someone, we transmit to him personally
what God the Father works through Jesus in the Holy
Spirit: choosing him, redeeming him, giving him Christ
as leader, and assuring him of his inheritance in heaven.
He became the property of God by receiving the Holy
Spirit.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in
the heavens. (Eph 1:3)
Our election by God and our adoption as sons: He
chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be
holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us
for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with
the favour of his will; (Eph 1:45)

Keep your gaze fixed on the supplicant; keep your eyes

open
To love him in the Lords Name, and
To discern what God is doing in him.

Our deliverance, our redemption: In him we have

redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace. (Eph 1:7)

To bless someone, pronounce upon him:

The Name of Eternal Father who created him and
adopted him as His child, who loves him constantly;
The Name of Jesus the Lord, the Saviour, his
Shepherd, his best friend; and
The Name of the Holy Spirit who dwells in his heart,
who sanctifies him, transforms him and shares with him
Gods divine nature.

Everything is subsumed in Jesus: He lavished upon us.

In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the
mystery of his will in accord with his favour that he set forth
in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all
things in Christ, in heaven and on earth. (Eph 1:810)

Blessing someone by recalling all the blessings of God for

that person, by affirming the goodness and Providence of
the Lord: His conception, birth, the major stages of his life,
his health, his career, his baptism, his confirmation, his
many communions, his conversion, his outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, his healing of the past, his ministry... In so
doing, attribute all he does that is good and all the good of
his life to God because God alone is good.
When you bless someone, that person somehow receives
the Kingdom.

Our heritage, heaven, the promised land awaits us: In

him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the
purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according
to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the
praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. (Eph
1:1112)
We become the property of God through the gift of the
Spirit: In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13)

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom

of God like a child will not enter it. Then he embraced them
and blessed them, placing his hands on them. (Mk 10:15
16)
It is not the innocence of children that enables them to
receive the kingdom, but their total dependence, obedience
and availability. By welcoming the good news of the
168

Note from the Osti version of the Bible.

98

PRAYER FORMS
15. BLESSINGS-Prayer Form
Prepared by Henri Lemay, April 29, 2013
1. Blessing of the Levitical Priesthood
The LORD will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by
bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the
you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your
kindly and give you peace! (Nb 6:2427)
side, ten thousands at your right hand but it will not come
2. Blessing of the Trinity I bless you in the Name of the near you. Make the Most High your dwelling and your
Father of Jesus. He is your Father. He created you and He refuge and no harm will reach you. He will command His
adopted you as His child. He loves you unfailingly and His angels to guard you in all your ways; they will carry you in
smiling face shines on you to give you His mercy and their hands. May you be able to tread upon the lion and the
peace. I bless you in the Name of Jesus your Lord, your viper, trample the young lion and the serpent. May the Lord
Saviour, your Shepherd, your best friend. He chose to make deliver you as you cling to Him. He protects you, because
His home with His Father in you. I bless you in the Name of you know His Name. May the Lord answer you because
the Holy Spirit who lives in your heart. He gives you eternal you invoke Him. May the Lord be with you in distress, may
life, divine life, which sanctifies you, transforms you and He deliver you, may He glorify you, may He satisfy you
makes you like Jesus.
with long life and show you His salvation. (Is 54:17) No
3. Blessing of Faith, Hope, and Love May the LORD weapon that is formed against you will prosper: and every
bless you with the assurance of His love and His grace. May tongue that resists you in judgement, you will condemn
the LORD bless you with a powerful and profound faith. This is the inheritance of a servant of the Lord like you.
May the LORD bless you with an outlook full of hope about 11. Blessing for Future Family Life- The LORD bless
the future. May the LORD bless you with His favour and you with a good spouse; grant you long life and good health
the favour of man.
together. May He bless you with healthy communication
4. Blessing of Health, Happiness, and Success May the with each other, with harmony. May you bless each other
LORD bless you with robust health and long life. May the with kind words, to love each other tenderly. May the
LORD bless you with happiness and success, peace, joy and LORD bless your home. May it be a sanctuary of rest and
love; with security, creativity and a disciplined life. May the renewal, a haven where laughter and the sounds of joy burst
LORD bless you with courage, with the freedom shared by forth, where love and unconditional acceptance of one
the children of God, with His protection and His wisdom.
another are ever present.
5. Blessing of the Bible May the Lord bless you with 12. Blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 28- The LORD
love and understanding of Scripture, with a sweet and bless you in the city, and blessed are you in the fields.
frequent intimacy with Him.
Blessed be your offspring. Blessed are you when you come
6. Blessing of a Mission May the Lord bless your hands in and blessed be you when you leave! May the Lord grant
to rescue, heal and bless; may He bless your ears to hear that your enemies who rise up against you be smitten before
Him and to hear the cry of His children. May the LORD you: they shall arrive by one path and flee before you by
bless you with a heart obedient to His Spirit.
seven! The LORD commands the blessing upon you in your
7. Blessing of the Fruit of the Spirit May the Lord bless barns, and in all the enterprises of your hands. The LORD
you with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, bless you in this country that He has given you, may He
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self raise up for you a holy people. May the LORD make you
control.
abound of the fruits of the land that the Lord gave you. May
8. Blessing from Psalm 23:6 (RSV) Surely goodness and the LORD open for you a beautiful treasure, the heaven to
mercy shall follow you all the days of your life; and you give rain in its season and to bless every work of your
shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
hands. May the Lord give you to lend to others and not
9. Psalm 27 The LORD is your light and your salvation, make you to borrow. May the Lord make you the head and
the LORD is the fortress of your life, for He has hidden you not the tail, may you be on top and not on the bottom. The
under his roof on the day of evil. Seek the LORDs face for LORD bless you with feet that walk in holiness and steps
He is your strength and shield. Though your father and that follow His precepts, with hands that lavish tender
mother forsake you, the LORD will receive you. You will blessings on the underprivileged, those who are in need,
see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. with a humble heart, receptive to things of God, with a
Wait for the LORD, be strong and take heart and wait for strong mind, disciplined and full of faith.
the LORD.
13. The Will of the Father through Jesus- Ephesians 1
10. Psalm 91May you dwell in the shelter of the Most Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
High, may the LORD make you a home in the shadow of who has blessed you in Christ with every spiritual blessing
the Almighty, for He is your shelter and your fortress, the in the heavens. (Eph 1:3)
God in whom you trust. May He will deliver you from the God chose you- He chose you in him, before the
snare of the fowler and from the deadly plague, hide you foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish
under His feathers; May He shelters you under his wings. before him. In love he destined you for adoption to himself
May His faithfulness be your armour and your shield. You

99

through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favour of his will.

(Eph 1:45)
Deliverance and Redemption- v.7 In Jesus you have
redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace.
All is Summed Up in JesusGod lavished upon you, in all wisdom and insight, he has
made known to you the mystery of his will in accord with
his favor that he set forth in Jesus as a plan for the fullness
of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on
earth. (Eph 1:810)
His legacy, heaven, the promised land, awaits youIn Jesus you were also chosen, destined in accord with the
purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according
to the intention of his will, so that you might exist for the
praise of his glory, you who first hoped in Christ. (Eph
1:1112)
Became the property of God through the Spirit-. In
Jesus you also, who have heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, you
were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13)
14. Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation from Ephesians 1O Father of glory, o God of our Lord Jesus Christ, give
(name of supplicant) a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of
insight into mysteries and secrets, so as to bring him to a
full knowledge of Jesus. I pray that the eyes of his heart will
be flooded with light so that (name of supplicant) can know
and understand the hope you have called him to share in
Jesus, the glorious inheritance promised to believers, and
how tremendous is the power available to him who puts his
trust in the Messiah Jesus. It is that same mighty power that
You exerted when you raised Jesus from the dead and
enthroned Him at Your right hand in Heaven, far above
every Sovereignty, Authority, Power or Dominion, or any
other name that can be named, not only in this age but also
in the age to come. You have placed everything under the
power of your Son and have set Him as supreme Head to
the Church, which is His body, in which lives fully the One
who is the Author and Giver of everything everywhere.
(Eph 1: 1723)

15. The Inner Man- For this reason, then, I bow my knees
before you, Father, from whom all fatherhood, in heaven
and on earth, derives its name. Out of the rich treasury of
your glory, strengthen and reinforce (name of supplicant)s
inner being with mighty power by the Holy Spirit Himself
indwelling his (her) innermost being and personality, that
Christ through faith will make his permanent home in his
(her) heart; that planted in love, and built on love, (name of
supplicant) may be able to grasp, with all the saints, what is
the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of
Christ; that experiencing this love, which surpasses all
understanding, (name of supplicant) may be filled and
flooded with God Himself. To you, Father, who is able to
do far more than (name of supplicant) could ever dare to ask
or even dream of, infinitely beyond (name of supplicant)
highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes, according to
your power at work in him (her), glory be to you from
generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus
forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:1421)
16. Blessing of Christ, Our Hope of Glory-

O Heavenly Father, we ask that you fill (name of

supplicant), with all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in
full knowledge of your will, so he can lead a life worthy of
you and pleasing to you in all he does. May he always
produce all kinds of good works and grow in the true
knowledge of who you are. Driven by your powerful
energy, by the force of your glory, may he persevere and
endure until the end of the race. It is with delight that I
thank you, Father, for having enabled (supplicant) to share
in the inheritance of the saints who walk in your holy light.
Indeed, you have wrested him from the dominion of
darkness and you have transferred (supplicant) into the
kingdom of your beloved Son in whom (name of
supplicant) has redemption and forgiveness of sins. Lord,
you have kindly let (supplicant) know the riches and glory
of this mystery: Christ in (name of supplicant) is his (her)
hope of glory. Convey to him (her) the fullness of
intelligence so that (supplicant) may penetrate the mystery
of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge. Make (supplicant) walk in Jesus, rooted
and grounded in Jesus, strengthened in the faith. For in
Jesus dwells the fullness of your divinity and (supplicant)
is, by being in Jesus, participating in His fullness, He who is
the ruler of all powers and principalities. It is in Jesus that
(supplicant) was fully circumcised by the stripping of His
fleshly body. For such is the circumcision of Christ: buried
with Christ through his baptism, (supplicant) is also
resurrected with Jesus, because he believes in your strength,
O Lord, you who raises Jesus from the dead. You revive
(supplicant) in Him. You have forgiven all his sins, You
settled his debt that the Commandments demanded from
him, You made it disappear, You have nailed his due to the
Cross. Jesus disarmed the principalities and powers, He
publicly dispatched them for all to see, He dragged them
through the triumphal procession of His Cross. O Father,
(name of supplicant) clings to Jesus, the Head, whose whole
Body receives food and cohesion, by joints and ligaments,
to achieve growth that you give it yourself. (Name of
supplicant) died with Christ to the elements of this world.
Father, because (name of supplicant) is risen with Christ, he
ponders and studies the things above, where Christ is, not
the things of the earth. Because he died, his life is now
hidden with Christ in You. Give him (her) your strength to
kill in him (her) the impurities that belong to the earth:
guilty passion, evil desires, greed, anger, irritation, rage,
malice, slander, coarse language, and lies. He (she) rejects
all this. (Name of supplicant) was stripped of his (her) old
nature with its practices and is clothed with the New Man,
who, to receive your knowledge, continues to be renewed in
Your image. You are the Creator. Because you have chosen,
elected, sanctified, and set apart (name of supplicant), I give
him (her) the mantle of compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, patience, and above all, of love, the perfect
bond. May your Word dwell in him (her) in abundance in
all its richness in the Spirit through Jesus Your Son, my
Lord. Amen. (Col 13)

100

16. FOUR STEP FORGIVENESS PRAYER -Prayer Form

From Francis MacNutt adapted by Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013
Instructions are in italics. What you say is in bold. Change the supplicant has exhausted all his faults, ask him, Raise
the masculine to the feminine as applicable.
your hands to offer and release all these irritants to the
Prayer before ministry (without the supplicant).
Lord. The prayer leader and his assistant each hold one of
Anointing with Oil: Request permission to lay hands on the supplicants hands and scoop out and throw away all as
him, to anoint him with oil and to pray in tongues.
is it were filth. At this point, say the following prayer:
The prayer leader anoints the hands of his assistant and Prayer leader: Lord Jesus, we ask you to pour your love
dedicates them to the Lord, the assistant does the same for and healing power on these things. We ask that you take
the prayer leader. With his permission, the assistant anoints them away, take care of them, and remove this entire
the forehead of the supplicant, saying, May the Holy burden from (name of supplicant). Lord, we thank you
Spirit take hold of you to show us that for which we for healing all pain and injury. Amen! Pray in silence
should pray.
(in tongues) for a while. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.
The prayer leader and the assistant lay their hands on the
supplicant and the prayer leader says, O Holy Spirit, Step 3: Offer to God all the desires of your heart for
come visit (supplicants first name), fill him with your this person. Present him (her) to the Lord, and tell the
presence, grant him the grace to forgive, and heal all his Lord all the desires of His heart for him. You can say,
wounds... Pray in silence for some time.
for example, Lord, this is my father and this is what I
The prayer leader says, The process of forgiveness will would like You to do for him. If the person has died,
be done in four steps to remove as many obstacles as there is no harm in praying for him and still asking the
possible. Whom must you forgive and why? When the Lord to bless him according to the desires of His heart.
damage is severe, you must give the supplicant the Place each blessing in your hands. When he is finished,
opportunity to tell his story. Alternatively, you can jump to tell him, Raise your hands to offer all these blessings to
the prayer of forgiveness.
the Lord. The prayer leader and his assistant each takes
one of the supplicants hands. At this point, say the
Step 1: Offer to God the things that trouble you about following prayer:
the person you want to forgive. Bring your hands close Prayer leader: Lord, we entrust to You (name of
to each other, forming a bowl, and place in it all the supplicant). We thank You for Your love for him and
wounds that you will give to the Lord. For example, if Your desire to do good for him. Soak (name of person the
you need to forgive your father, make a list of all the supplicant has forgiven) in Your perfect will. Pour Your
things he did that upset you, that offended you, that hurt love over him and cover him with Your healing power.
you. It is important that you call out every single offence We entrust him to Your care. Amen! Pray in silence (in
tongues) for a while. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.
that you place in your hands.
When the supplicant is finished (and make sure that he is all
done), tell him: Raise your hands to offer and release all Step 4: Present to the Lord the desires of your heart for
those irritants to the Lord. The prayer leader and his yourself. Offer yourself to the Lord. Express every
assistant each hold one of the supplicants hands and scoop desire of His heart for youthose things you would like
out and throw away all as if it were filth. Then, laying their to see Jesus do in your life today. Say all these things out
hands on him, they continue tp pray:
loud and place them in your hand. When he is finished,
Prayer leader: Lord Jesus, we give you each of these tell him, Raise your hands to offer all these blessings to
things and we ask you to take them and pour on them the Lord. The prayer leader and his assistant each hold
your love and healing power. We thank you, Lord, you one of the supplicants hands. At this point, say the
who have the power and grace to mend them. We ask following prayer:
you, Lord Jesus, to remove all pain and injury caused by Prayer leader: Lord Jesus, we hand over to You these
each of these things in the heart, mind, and spirit of desires and we ask that You pour into them Your love,
(name of supplicant). We ask you to lift away from his mercy, and grace. Thank You that (name of supplicant) is
shoulders the burden of these things. Lord, we give you willing to entrust them to You. Surround him with Your
all these things and we are sure you will take care of holy angels. Help him to know how much You love him.
them. Thank you, Lord, for taking away each of these Protect him, Lord, and see this healing to its completion
things. Amen! Pray in silence (or tongues) for a while. in the coming days. Amen!
Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.
Pray in silence (in tongues) for a while. Remain docile to
the Holy Spirit. Finish the prayer by asking the supplicant
Step 2: Offer to God all the things you have done that to share with you how he feels and how he experienced this
offended the person whom you forgive. Cup your hands ministry. If the supplicant is troubled, you should pray with
again and place in them the things you have done that him until the trouble has passed. Pray until he responds
have offended, hurt, or upset the person you have positively and is at peace. Pray on him a prayer of blessing.
forgiven. Imagine and verbalise a list of these things and Post-ministry cleansing prayer.
place them one on top of the other in your hands. When

101

17. PHYSICAL HEALING: SOAKING PRAYERPrayer Form

By Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013
Instructions are in italics. What you say is in bold.
Change the masculine to the feminine as applicable.

continue to soak the supplicant in prayer for intervals of

5 to 10 minutes.
Between each step, ask the supplicant for information
on what is happening.
If nothing happens, continue to soak the supplicant in
prayer for about 5 minutes. Then, ask him for
information on what is happening.
If nothing happens, say a final prayer invoking Gods
blessing on the supplicant.
Seek the advice or encouragement of the Holy Spirit
before you commit long term to soak the supplicant in
prayer.

HOW TO SOAK SOMEONE IN PRAYER

Prayer before ministry (without the supplicant)
Anointing with oil:
Request permission to lay hands upon him, to anoint
him with oil, and to pray in tongues.
The prayer leader anoints the hands of his assistant and
dedicates him to the Lord; the assistant does the same for
the prayer leader. With his permission, the assistant
anoints the forehead of the supplicant, saying, May the
Holy Spirit take hold of you and show us what He is
accomplishing in you.
The prayer leader and the assistant lay their hands on
the supplicant, and the prayer leader says, O Lord
Jesus, come visit (supplicants first name), fill him with
Your presence and heal him of all his wounds... Pray
in silence for a while.
Prayer is done in pairs: the prayer leader and his
assistant. If there are other people, they are silent prayer
intercessors or observers.

Long-term commitment
to soak someone in prayer
Who: a parent for his sick or deficient child; a spouse
with multiple sclerosis; or a prayer team with a weekly
prayer appointment with someone.
How long or how often you might soak someone in
prayer:
o Pray daily for 5 to 10 minutes,
o or once a week for 6 months for 15 to 30
minutes,
o or a half day,
o or a full day.
You can alternate between periods of song and of
silence. You can read passages from the Bible, especially
texts on healing. You can pray in English or in tongues.
After an hour of prayer, you can take a break and then
continue to pray. You can repeat this cycle as long as you
can or want.
Prayer is demanding: you have to set limits and rest
Francis MacNutt
If the team has more than two prayer ministers, one can
replace a tired member.
If there is no more progress in healing, you just hit an
obstacle to overcome (for example, to forgive someone),
or it is a signal that the prayer is coming to an end.
Always complete a prayer session for someone by
caling the Lords blessing upon them and by assuring
them of Gods love.

Single session of soaking someone in prayer

What do you ask of the Lord? Of what would you
like Him to heal you? Listen to the response.
The prayer leader and his assistant lay on their hands
and the prayer leader says, Lord Jesus, come visit (his
first name), fill him with your presence and heal Him
(according to the response of the supplicant or by being
guided by Holy Spirit.) Allow a period of silence.
Eternal Father, I pray to fill (name of supplicant) with
your Holy Spirit. O Holy Spirit, manifest yourself to
(name of supplicant) in the healing of his illness. Thank
you Lord. Pray in silence a few minutes. Continue the
laying on of hands in silence while everyone assumes a
comfortable position. All keep their eyes open, except the
supplicant.
After 5 to 10 minutes, ask the supplicant, Is there
something happening in you? Do you feel anything?
Does it hurt less? Do you feel warmth? Is it more
limber? What do you think? Listen to the response.
If something has happened, support the work of healing
started by the Father as Jesus modeled it. (John 5:17,19,
8:2829, 14:1014).It is probably a sign from the Lord to

Prayer after the ministry (without the supplicant)

Most of this material come from Francis MacNutt, in his
book, Power to Heal, 1977, and Norma Dearing, The
Healing Touch: A Guide to Healing Prayer, 2003.

102

18. THE OCCULTPrayer Form

Adapted from various sources by Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013
19. Have you ever asked a spiritualist, a healer, a hypnotist,
INSTRUCTIONS
Circle each activity in which you participated, whether or a shaman to heal you? Have you sought healing spells,
merely out of curiosity or knowingly:
amulets, incantations, or elementals? Have you practiced
I. DIVINATION:
Reiki?
20. Have you ever practiced levitation of objects or people,
Seeking forbidden sources of knowledge
(Deuteronomy 18:916; Daniel 2:2628, Isaiah 2:6, 47:1015, Micah 5:12,
telepathy, or astral travel or an excursion of the soul
Acts 16:16)
(your soul leaves the body to visit elsewhere)?
1. Divinations: Have you asked a fortuneteller a 21. Are you able to remove warts or stop bleeding? Have
parapsychologist, or a palm reader to tell you your future? you inherited any healing powers?
Have you used a crystal ball or read tealeaves? Have you 22. Do you have a penchant for superstition or a
engaged in any divination?
fascination with evil?
2. Have you followed your horoscope or an astrological
chart to predict your future? Have you read other types of
IV. CONTACT/ASSOCIATION
signs related to your birth?
23. Do you own books on astrology or fortune telling? Do
3. Have you ever had a tarot card reading? Or fortune you own a zodiac-themed necklace or jewelry?
telling cards? Or cartomancy?
24. Have you received an amulet or other object from a
4. Have you played with a Ouija board?
person involved in the occult?
5. Have you ever consulted a psychic or a numerologist in 25. Do you have a picture or statue of Buddha, a Hindu
person or by phone?
god or goddess, or a pagan god as a decoration in your
6. Have you ever been a sorcerer? Have you used the swing house?
of a pendulum, a wand (such as in water witching), or a 26. Have you been a member of the Freemasons (including
crystal to find something?
the Shriners, the Star of the East, de Molay, the Rainbow
7. Have you ever acted as a medium?
Girls, The Rosicrucians, or a theosophy group)?
8. Have you practiced automatic writing?
27. Are you bound by vows or oaths that carry risk threats
II. SPIRITISM:
Contacting the supernatural realm is forbidden
(1 Sm 28:711; 2 Kings 21:6; Is 8:1922, Lv 19:31 and 20:6)

9. Have you ever attended a sance? Do you believe in

reincarnation? Have you participated in a reincarnation
reading?
10. Have you been a follower of Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon,
Shirley MacLaine, L. Ron Hubbard, or any New Age
author?
11. Do other people go to see soothsayers or occultists on
your behalf?
12. Have you practiced transcendental meditation or yoga
(kundalini, chakras, third eye, tantric, or Kama sutra)?
13. Have you ever participated in mind control of an
animal or a human, extra-sensory perception (ESP), or
hypnotism?
14. Have you ever sought or communicated with
apparitions from the afterlife?
15. Have you ever used a spell or amulet for your
protection and as a good luck charm?
III. WITCHCRAFT:
Searching forbidden sources of power

that could injure you if you transgress them? Have you

bound yourself by objects (such as rings, chains,
uniforms) that are the symbols of your membership?
28. Have you eaten a food or participated in a ritual as a
sign of an implicit pact, tacitly or indirectly, or
taken/consumed something that was devoted to idols?
29. Do you have books on channelling?
30. Have you ever been in an intimate (sexual)
relationship with someone involved in witchcraft or
other occult practices (e.g. a warlock or a witch)?
31. Do you have an object in your home that was given to
you by someone involved in the occult?
32. Have you received a psychic massage, such as reiki,
Esalen, Jin Shin Do, or Shiatsu?
33. Do you own unhealthy video or audio recordings or
computer games or programs? These genres include horror,
vampire, Wake fatal or Pavilion of oblivion? Zen
relaxation music or Dream Sleep? Unhealthy books such
as The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and The Psychic
Sphere by Luc Desloges or Toward Luck by Henri
Premont?
34. Do you commit yourself to destroying these binding
objects and breaking these ties?

(Gal 5:1920; 1 Sam 15:23, 28:7; 2 Kings 9:22, 2325; 1 Chronicles

10:13; Is 8:19, 19:3, 29:4; Mi 5:12)

V. TIES TRANSMITTED BY ANCESTORS

16. Have you studied books on witchcraft?

17. Have you cast spells? Have you participated in such
occult games that use extrasensory perception (ESP), or
cast spells (such as Pokemon and Dungeons and Dragons)?
Have you tried telepathy or hypnosis?
18. Have you ever practiced black magic or cursed
someone? Have you practiced white magic? Have you used
voodoo?

(Ex 34 :67; Num 14:1719; Dt 5:810; Jos 22:1629; Ps 33:11; Jer

11:1013; Acts 2:3839)

35. Might one of your ancestors have been involved in

witchcraft, a pagan religion, or telling fortunes?
36. Might one of your ancestors have been a member of
the Freemasons, the Rosicrucians, the alchemists,
hermeticism, or druidism?

103

VI. SATANISM: Worship of the devil

(2 Chron 2:15; Ps 106:37; 1 Cor 10:2022; Rev. 9:2021,
13:4)
37. Have you ever attended a meeting of sorcerers or
witches?
38.Have you listened to music that contains evil or
satanic influences, such as AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Black
Sabbath, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana,
Rolling Stones, Marilyn Manson, Harvey Danger, and
Carlos Santana? Have you attended their concerts?
39. Have you ever belonged to a group of
warlocks/witches?
40. Have you ever attended a Black (satanic) Mass?
41. Have you ever made a promise/pact with Satan?
42. Have you ever made a blood oath with Satan?
43. Are you a victim of satanic ritual abuse (SRA)?
44. Have you ever worshiped in a pagan temple?
VII. EVIL PRACTICES
Practices that invite spiritual oppression/obsession
45. Have you participated for a prolonged duration, in
activities that create dependency and oppression through a
spirit of sin: alcohol, drugs (such as marijuana, LSD,
cocaine,
crack),
pornography,
homosexuality,
masturbation,
adultery,
hatred,
despair,
and
unforgiveness?
46. Have you been intensely involved in activities that
oppress through an evil spirit of sin: seek, undergo,
encourage, advise on, or participate in an abortion; plan, or
desire to attempt suicide or murder?
47. Have you ever been in a drug-induced state when you
experienced an excursion of the soul?
The difficulty with this kind of subject is that some people
tend to go to extremes: some may be frightened and
exaggerate the power of evil, while others may reject any
notion of evil because these people see the devil
everywhere. Let us be clear: if, in the past, a person had a
rabbits foot for luck, it probably has not been harmful to
him, but if he was a member of a group of sorcerers, he will
certainly need deliverance, and probably over several
sessions. The questions in this list are not of equal
importance, but we tried to make the list complete.
OPENING PRAYER
The supplicant says: Heavenly Father, in the Name of
Jesus, I give you permission to examine my heart for
anything evil. I commit, with respect to all that you
reveal, to repent and to forgive. I dedicate this time of
prayer to you and I ask your Holy Spirit to take the lead
and, in the Name of Jesus, I bind all evil spirits and I
command them not to interfere. Amen.
RENOUNCING THE OCCULT
The supplicant says: Eternal Father, in the Name of
Jesus, your Son, I confess and I repent of my
participation in (name them by category). I ask you to
forgive me for my involvement and that of my ancestors
in these beliefs and activities. I acknowledge that these
practices are sins and I renounce them. I separate myself
from the choices of my ancestors in these areas and I

submit to You, Lord. I promise to destroy all objects,

books, and documents connected with the occult, false
religions, and spiritism. I decide and I choose to forgive
myself and forgive my ancestors for our involvement in
those practices.
In addition, I release myself from those beliefs and
activities. In the Name of Jesus, I cancel all the authority
and all the power that Satan had gained over me and my
life by those beliefs and activities and those of my
ancestors because God has forgiven me and because I
have forgiven myself. In the Name of Jesus, I command
all evil spirits to leave me. Go to Jesus for Him to deal
with you as He sees fit.
Come, Holy Spirit, heal my spirit, my soul, and my
body. In the Name of Jesus, I command the shame, guilt,
regret, sadness, fear, and grief that are attached to those
memories to depart.
In the Name of Jesus, I command my body to calm
down, to be at peace, to be in good order, and to heal.
Come, Holy Spirit, heal my heart and heal my body. O
Holy Spirit, reveal to me the truth about this situation.
Amen (Be silent for about 30 seconds.)
The prayer leader says, In the Name of Jesus, all those
practices are forgiven as if they had never taken place. I
take the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and I
release you from any bondage to the occult world. I close
the door that is between you and this world, I seal it with
the Blood of Jesus, and I barricade it with His Cross.
The supplicant chooses another category of occult or
spiritualist activities and beliefs and repeats the prayer of
renunciation.
CLOSING PRAYER
The supplicant says,
Heavenly Father, in the Name of Jesus, our Lord, I ask
You to forgive me of all my occult and spiritist beliefs
and activities. I have decided in my heart and I choose to
forgive all those who have offended me. I release them
all from any obligation to me and I cancel all their debt
to me for what they did.
In the Name of Jesus, I cancel all the authority and all
the power that Satan had gained over me by those occult
beliefs and activities and those of my ancestors because
God has forgiven me and because I have forgiven
myself. I command the Principality of occultism and all
his armour to depart from me immediately. Come, Holy
Spirit, heal my mind, my soul and my body. O Holy
Spirit, reveal to me the truth about this situation. Amen
(Be still for a minute).
The prayer leader asks:
How do you feel? What is happening in you? (The
supplicant answers. Follow up appropriately.)
The prayer leader says: Move forward cautiously in
your healing. Ask the Lord for His protection. Remain
close to His Word and His people. Destroy all objects
and books connected to the occult, false religions, and
spiritism. These spirits seek to return. You must learn to
say no to them and say yes to Jesus.

104

19. CONCEPTION TO BIRTH-Prayer Form

From Francis MacNutt adapted by Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013
(Instructions are in italics. What you say is in bold. Change the masculine
to the feminine as applicable. Throughout the prayer, let the supplicant
speak and then respond to what he says, not by teaching or testimony, but
rather through prayer. Soak him in the love of God.)
Prayer Before the Ministry (without the supplicant)
Ask the supplicant for permission to lay your hands on him, to anoint him
with oil, and to pray in tongues. Briefly explain the process to the
supplicant:

Your subconscious retains all that you experienced in

the womb, the good and the bad. We will invite Jesus to
come visit you in every situation you have experienced.
We will ask Him to heal all the wounds you suffered
from conception to birth month by month.
Are you ready to accept His healing? (Listen to his
reply)
We will have a moment of silence after each step.
Please tell us the ideas, images or feelings you experience
during this prayer time.
Gently enquire about the process of the supplicants birth.
Ask the following questions:
How did your parents welcome you as a baby? Did you
arrive at a good time for your parents?
Did your mother have a miscarriage or an abortion
before you were born?
Were you born at full term? This will determine the
number of months for which you will pray.
Were there difficulties during pregnancy or
childbirth?
Begin the prayer: The prayer leader anoints the hands of his assistant
and dedicates them to the Lord. The assistant does the same for the prayer
leader. The assistant anoints the forehead of the supplicant, saying,

May the Holy Spirit take hold of you to show us that

for which we should pray.
The prayer leader and his assistant lay their hands on the supplicant and
the leader says,

O Holy Spirit, come visit (his first name), fill him with
Your presence and heal all his wounds... Pray in silence
for a while.
Conception and the First Month
Lord Jesus, I invite you to visit (his first name) at the
moment of conception. (Short pause)
(The prayer leader invites the supplicant to open his hands.)
Imagine an egg from your mother in one hand and the
sperm from your father in the other: join your hands
together. Tell him, It is at this precise moment that you
were conceived. God breathed on you. (Breathe on his
hands.) The breath of God created your immortal
soul.
(Affirm the supplicant) Before being formed in the
womb, God knew you. God created you in order to have
a loving relationship with you in this life and forever.
God is your first and true parent, and it was He who
placed you in a family on earth. Hear God calling your
name. Indeed, the Word of God says, The LORD called
me from birth, from my mothers womb he gave me my
name. (Isaiah 49:1). His Word also says, He chose us
in him, before the foundation of the world. (Eph 1:4)

God formed your being. God said to you, Thou art my

son, this day have I begotten thee. (Ps 2:7 DRB) Repeat
after me, You are my father, my God, the rock of my
salvation. (Psalm 89:26 NJB) You formed my inmost
being; you knit me in my mothers womb. I praise you, so
wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My
very self you knew. (Psalm 139:13,14)
The prayer leader prays for deliverance from generational
problems.
In the Name of Jesus, I release you from harmful
physical, psychological and spiritual ties from past
generations. I place the Cross of Jesus and His Blood
between you and your ancestors to block any
vulnerability to alcoholism, compulsions, temptations
such as incest, addictions, mental instability, congenital
diseases such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart
problems and high blood pressure, as well as
involvement in the occult and spiritism, in you and your
children. Pray in silence. Keep your eyes on the supplicant, to love
him in the Name of the Lord and to discern what God is doing. Do not rush
this process. If you see a sign regarding the supplicant, ask the Lord when
you should interrupt the silence to ask the supplicant what he is
experiencing. Try to be sensitive to the reactions of the supplicant. Pray for
each issue raised by the supplicant by inviting Jesus to come.

Second Month (Gender Identity + Presence of God)

Towards the end of the second month, it is obvious
what sex you are. Have you ever regretted being male?
(If no, proceed immediately to the Word of God.)
(If yes, tell the supplicant,) It is God who has
determined your sexual identity. He created you for
a reason. It is as a (man) that He wanted you to be
His representative on earth to love and serve. Lord,
reassure (him) that You wanted him to be this sex
and that (he) pleases you greatly.
The word of God tells you Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.
(Jer 1:5). Thus says the LORD who made you, your help,
who formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob, my
servant, the darling whom I have chosenI will pour out
my spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your
descendants. (Is 44:2,3) Lord, envelop this child in
your Holy Spirit. In this way, (his first name) will soak in
your presence. May (he) live, may (he) move, and may
(he) find his being in You, so that Your Holy Spirit
becomes a barrier between (his name) and all negative
thoughts, emotions, or words from his mother or
father. Again, allow a moment of silence in which God can act. Keep
your eyes fixed upon the supplicant to know when to move on to the third
month.

Third Month (Equipping for Life)

The Lord gives you a rich and diverse human nature.
Lord Jesus, fulfill (supplicants name) and fully awaken
in (him) all the gifts, talents, skills, tools, and charisms
that (he) will need to accomplish his mission on earth.
Take a moment of silence, watch the supplicant, and wait
for the right time to continue.

105

Fourth Month (Presence and Love of God)

Your mother felt you move for the first time. Remind
the supplicant, if necessary, that God is his first parent and
that God loves him. Lord, grant him awareness of your
presence, your protection, and your peace throughout
his growth and development. Pray in silence.
Fifth Month (Prayer for Parents + Healing Emotions)
Are your parents still alive? Listen to his reply. Your
presence in the womb begins to appear. Let us pray for
your mother. Thank You, Lord, for his mother, for life,
and for the food she bought for him. (Name more things
she did deserving thanks.) Let us also pray for your
father. Thank You, Lord, for his father...(Name things he
did deserving thanks.)
Lord, heal the emotions of the baby. Deliver him from
all spirits of anxiety, rejection, grief, and deliver his
spirit from all anxiety, rejection, and grief. (especially in the
case of a spirit of death caused by abortion or a miscarriage in an earlier
pregnancy. Be guided by the Lord in your prayer and your gestures. (When
appropriate, gently ask him,)

Do you see or feel anything? (If there is nothing, ask

him,) What are you thinking? (Again, be still to allow space
for the Lord to do His secret work. Be sensitive to the supplicant to know
when to proceed to month 6.)

Sixth Month (Blessing the Baby)

Lord, I ask you to give (his first name) the fullness of
your gifts and life in abundance. Assure (his first name)
of your love and your grace. Give him self-control,
courage, and creativity. Bless (his first name) throughout
his life. Give him a strong faith, ears to hear, eyes to see,
and good health. Fill (his first name) with happiness and
peace. May his personality be pleasant and filled with
the fruit of your Spirit. Give (his first name) wisdom,
success, and long life. May all Gods promises come true
in you. May the Lord grant you the desire of your heart.
(Ps. 21:3) May the anointing of God overflow in your
life. Then pause to allow the Lord to act. Be sensitive to the supplicant
to know when to proceed to the seventh month.) (If the baby was not born
at full term, stop at the last month of his gestation and share the
information in the next steps as the Holy Spirit guides you.

Seventh Month (Growing Up Under the Loving Gaze of

the Father)
You are hidden from the world but God your Father
looks at you with love. All parts of your body are now
complete. Your ears hear, your eyes see, your lungs are
functioning; your blood can circulate oxygen. The Word
of God tells you, My bones were not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the
depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your
book all are written down; my days were shaped, before
one came to be. (Psalm 139:15) (Its time to pray for a happy old
age, alert and active.)
Do not blame a congenital problem on God. These things are the result of
a world separated from our Creator.
Allow a moment of silence to let the Lord act. Watch the supplicant to see
signs of the action of the Holy Spirit. At the appropriate time, proceed to
the eighth month.)
Eighth Month (Living Under the Watchful Eyes of the Father)

your arrival. Here is what the Lord says, As a mother

comforts her son, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you
shall find your comfort. (Is 66:13) Just as you know not
how the breath of life fashions the human frame in the
mothers womb, so you know not the work of God which
he is accomplishing in the universe. (Eccl 11:5) Repeat
after me: On you was I cast from my birth, from the
womb I have belonged to you. (Psalm 22:10 NJB) Make
known to me your ways, LORD; teach me your paths.
(Psalm 25:4)
Ninth Month (To be Born in the Presence of Jesus)
You have come to the time of your delivery. What are
you feeling? Fear, anxiety, excitement? Listen to his
answer and then say, Lord, fill (name of supplicant) with
your peace. It is now the fullness of time, the time has
come for him to be born. Are you ready to be born? If
the supplicant is not ready, it is perhaps because he perceived that the
world was dangerous and he does not want to risk entering it. If this is the
case, tell him,

The Word of God says: On you was I cast from my

birth, from the womb I have belonged to you. (Psalm
22:10 NJB) Repeat after me, Lord Jesus, help me to
want to be born. Help me to move forward and embrace
life. Help me to choose life and want to come in this
world that is yours. Give me your peace.
When the person is ready to be born, pray this,
Come Jesus, manifest your presence and your peace
at the time of delivery. Allow a time of silence after every prayer.
Perhaps the supplicant can see Jesus. Often, the Lord manifests His
presence by a bright light or a sense of peace. If the supplicant seems to
experience something, ask him to elaborate.

Lord, calm (his first name) of any fear or anxiety

during the birthing process. Free him of any guilt over
the pain of his mother. Jesus, receive (his name) in your
hands, so that (he) may feel your strength, your
sweetness, your warmth. May he know that he is safe
and sound in you. Allow a moment of silence and pray
that the supplicant will see or feel the presence of Jesus.
Jesus, be the first face that little (his first name) sees
and the first voice that (he) hears. Jesus, nestle (his first
name) against you so that (he) feels your presence and
connects to you as a newborn. (Short pause)
Lord, let him see your big smile. May he hear you say,
Im glad you are now born. Im glad youre (a beautiful
little boy). Im proud of you and you belong to me.
No matter what kind of birth took place, invoke Gods presence to ward
off fear and heal any birth trauma. (Short pause)
If the newborn child was separated from his mother for a while, invite
Jesus to fill the gap.
If the mother died at birth, ask the Lord to free the baby from guilt and
make him understand that it was not his fault. (Short pause)

Thank you Lord for creating (his first name).

Thank you, Lord, for the plans and purpose You have
for the life of (his first name). (Allow a moment of
silence.)
Once you have finished the prayer, ask the supplicant to share with you
how he is feeling and to describe his experience during this ministry time.
Continue to pray for a positive response.

You and your mother are united psychologically. You

grow quickly and you take more and more space in the
womb. It is getting tight. Your parents make plans for

106

20. UNHEALTHY SOUL TIESPrayer Form

From Norma Dearing, adapted by Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013
Instructions are in italics. What you say is in bold. Change
the masculine to the feminine as applicable.
Prayer before ministry (without the supplicant)
Anointing with Oil: The prayer leader anoints the hands of
his assistant and dedicates them to the Lord; the assistant
does the same for the prayer leader. The assistant anoints
the forehead of the supplicant, after seeking permission,
saying, May the Holy Spirit take hold of you to show us
what we should pray for. Pray in silence.
The prayer leader and his assistant lay their hands on him
and the leader says, O Holy Spirit, come visit (his first
name), fill him with Your presence and free him from all
unhealthy relationships. Pray in silence for a while.

If necessary, pray for deliverance from generational

influences. If necessary, help him renounce the occult. (See
Occult prayer form.) End with prayers for healing emotions.

II. SOUL TIES FROM UNHEALTHY

RELATIONSHIPS
A review of the supplicants relationships
1. Are your relationships healthy or unhealthy?

I. PRAYER OF RELEASE169:
UNHEALTHY SEX TIES

2. Do you think the Lord approves or disapproves of

your relationships?

If we are dealing with personal sins, he must repent and ask

forgiveness.
Prepare a list: Because the ties must be cut with each past
sexual partner, whether there was consent or not, it would
be useful, before starting the prayer that follows, to prepare
the list. To maintain the confidentiality of partners, the
supplicant may give only the first name or initials. It would
also be good to note if there is still an attachment of his
heart of any of them. Only after that exercise should you
proceed to the following prayer.
The prayer leader says: In the Name of Jesus, by the
power of His Cross and His Blood, I take the sword of
the Spirit and I release you, (name of supplicant). I cut
the ties between you and all your sexual partners of the
past. In particular, I release you from (use first name or
initials only that the supplicant has given you.) Do not
worry if youre unable to name them all: Jesus knows
them all. (When he has finished, pray in silence.)
The prayer leader says: I deliver you physically,
spiritually, emotionally, and mentally from each of these
people. I release you from not only these people, but also
from all people with whom these people have had sexual
relations. (Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader says: I place the Cross and Blood of
Jesus between you and each of them. I pray you, Lord,
cleanse and purify the heart, mind, body and spirit of
(name of supplicant) so that (he) may now walk in purity,
redemption, and integrity. (Pray in silence.)
Lord Jesus, fill (name of supplicant) with the power of
your Holy Spirit so that (he) can move forward full of
grace and mercy. (Pray in silence.)
169

Eternal Father, fill (name of supplicant) with your love.

Penetrate especially those dark, lonely areas of his inner
life. In particular, Lord, grant him awareness of the
immensity of your personal love for him. I ask this of
you, in the Name of Jesus, your Son. Amen. (Pray in
silence.)

3. Are there people on whom you depend more than the

Lord?
4. Are there people whom you control by guilt, shame,
fear, or manipulation?
5. Are there people who control you by one or more of
these means?
6. Are gifts exchanged with conditions in your
relationships?
7. Do you like to remind others of what you have done
for them?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you
would benefit from one or both of the following
prayers.

III. PRAYER OF RELEASE:

UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
The prayer leader says, In the Name of Jesus, by the
power of His Cross and His Blood, I cut all unhealthy
ties between (name of supplicant) and (the other name).
(Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me:
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for allowing such a
relationship to develop in this way. I bind my heart, my
mind, and my soul to you, Lord Jesus, and to no one
else. (Pray in silence.)

Norma Dearing, The Healing Touch, 2002 p. 167-181

107

The prayer leader prays, Lord Jesus, I pray you put

your Cross and your Blood between (name of supplicant)
and (the other name). (Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me:
If this is useful, Lord, save and rebuild this relationship
in a healthy way. If it is necessary, Lord, show me that
this relationship has to be completely severed: if so, I am
ready to do this. I give myself to you, Lord. Thank you
for dying on the Cross for me, for my sins. May I walk
behind you and you alone as Saviour and Lord. Amen.
(Pray in silence.)

IV. PRAYER OF RELEASE FOR SOMEONE

UNDER YOUR CONTROL
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me:
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for attempting to control
and manipulate others, especially (their names). I now
understand that this is a sin and I ask your forgiveness
by the Blood of your Cross. (Pray in silence.)

The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me: I

acknowledge, Lord, that you are the Way, the Truth,
and the Life. I am not. I release my family, especially
(names) into your hands and I entrust them to you. I
release my friends, especially (names) into your hands
and I entrust them to you. (Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me:
Help me, I pray, not to seek to regain control over
them. Thank you, Lord, because you love them better
than I can. You love them perfectly. Thank you, Lord,
that you will care for them by your Providence, so much
better than I could. Help me, Lord Jesus, to entrust
them entirely to you. Amen. (Pray in silence.)
When the prayer is finished, ask the supplicant to share with
you how he is feeling and what he experienced during this
ministry. If the supplicant is upset, you must pray with him
until he is at peace. Pray until he responds positively. Pray
a prayer of blessing.
After-ministry cleansing prayer (without the supplicant).

21. UNHEALTHY SOUL TIESSupplicants Prayer form

By Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013

RELEASE FROM UNHEALTHY

RELATIONSHIPS

you and you alone as Saviour and Lord. Amen. (Pray in

silence.)

The prayer leader says, In the Name of Jesus, by the

power of his Cross and his Blood, I cut all unhealthy ties
between (name of supplicant) and (another name). (Pray in
silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me:
Lord Jesus, Im sorry for allowing such a relationship to
develop to this point. I bind my heart, my mind and my
soul to you, Lord Jesus, and to no one else. (Pray in
silence.)
The prayer leader prays, Lord Jesus, I pray that you
place your Cross and your Blood between (name of
supplicant) and (another name). (Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after me:
If this is helpful, Lord, save and rebuild this relationship
in a healthy way. If necessary, Lord, show me that this
relationship has to be completely severed. If so, I am ready
to do this. I give myself to you, Lord. Thank you for dying
on the Cross for me, for my sins. I hope to walk behind

RELEASE OF SOMEONE
UNDER MY CONTROL
Lord Jesus, I ask Your forgiveness for having
attempted to control and manipulate others, especially
(their names). I now understand that this is a sin and I
ask your forgiveness by the Blood of your Cross.
I acknowledge, Lord, that you are the Way, the Truth,
and the Life. I am not. I release my family, especially
(names), into your hands and I entrust them to you. I
release my friends, especially (names), into your hands
and I entrust them to you.
I pray that you help me not to seek to regain control
over them. Thank You, Lord, because you love them
perfectly, better than I ever could. Thank you, Lord,
that you will take care of them by your Providence, so
much better than I ever could. Help me, Lord Jesus, to
entrust them entirely to you. Amen.

108

22. OUR IMAGE OF GOD-Prayer Form

Francis MacNutt and Norma Dearing, adapted by Henri Lemay, April 30, 2013
Instructions are in italics. What you say is in bold. Change
the masculine to the feminine as applicable.
Before-ministry prayer (without the supplicant).
Anointing Oil: The prayer leader anoints the hands of his
assistant and dedicates them to the Lord. The assistant does
the same for the team leader.
The assistant anoints the forehead of the supplicant after
asking permission, saying, O Holy Spirit, come visit
(his first name), fill him with your presence, grant
him the grace to forgive, and heal all his wounds...
(Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader says, The process of forgiveness
will be done in four steps to remove as many
obstacles as possible.

TO RENOUNCE RESENTING GOD170

The prayer leader says, Would you be willing to give up
wanting to get back at God for any reason? We must
give the supplicant the opportunity to tell his story.
Alternatively, you can jump to the prayer of forgiveness.
Step 1: Offer to God the things that upset you and why
you are angry at God. Cup your hands and place all the
reasons for your anger with God in them. You will offer
them to the Lord. It is important that you name every
single one of them out loud as you place it in your
hands.
When the individual has completed this process (and make
sure that he has named every reason), tell him, Raise your
hands to offer and release all these reasons for anger to
the Lord. The prayer leader and his assistant each hold
one of the supplicants hands. Then, laying hands on him,
pray,
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we give you each of these things
and we ask you to take them and pour on them your
love and the power of your healing. We thank you, Lord,
that you have the power and grace to repair these
things. We ask you, Lord Jesus, to remove all pain and
injury caused by each of these things in the heart,
thoughts, and feelings of (name of supplicant). We ask
you to lift away from his shoulders the burden of these
things. Lord, we give you all these things and we are
confidant you will take care of them. Thank you, Lord,
for taking each of these things. Amen! Pray in silence
(or in tongues) for a while. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.

one on top of the other in your hands. When he has

completed his list of wrongs, ask him, Raise your hands
to offer and release all these actions that harmed your
relationship with the Lord. The prayer leader and his
assistant each hold one of the supplicants hands. At this
point, say the following prayer:
Prayer leader: Lord Jesus, we ask you to pour your love
and healing power on these things. We ask you to take
them, to take care of them, and to remove this entire
burden from (name of supplicant). Lord, we thank you
for healing all pain and injury. Amen! Pray in silence
(or in tongues) for a while. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.
Step 3: Offer to the Lord all the desires of your heart
for Him. Present them to the Lord, and tell the Lord all
the desires of your heart for Him. You can say, for
example, Lord, I wish that you be victorious over evil in
all its forms. Name every blessing and place them in
your hands. When he finishes, tell him, Raise your
hands to offer all these blessings to the Lord. The prayer
leader and his assistant each hold one of the supplicants
hands. At this point, say the following prayer:
Prayer leader: Lord, we entrust to Jesus the
relationship of (his name) with you. We thank you for
your love for him and your desire to do good for him.
Soak (name of supplicant) in your perfect will. Pour your
love over him and cover him with your healing power.
We entrust him to your care. Amen! Pray in silence (or
in tongues) for a while. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.
Step 4: Present to the Lord all the desires of your heart
for yourself. Offer yourself to the Lord. Tell Him what
you would like to see Jesus do in your life today. Say all
these things out loud and place them in your hands.
When he has finished, tell him, Raise your hands to offer
all these blessings to the Lord. The prayer leader and his
assistant each hold one of the supplicants hands. At this
point, say the following prayer:
Prayer leader: Lord Jesus, we commend these desires to
you and we ask you to pour on them your love, mercy,
and grace. Thank you that (name of supplicant) is willing
to entrust them to you. Surround him with your holy
angels. Help him to know how much you love him.
Protect him, Lord, and bring to completion this healing
in the days ahead. Amen! Pray in silence (or in tongues)
for a while. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit.

Step 2: Offer to God all the things that you did that
troubled your relationship with the Lord. Cup your
hands again and place in them the things that you have
done that have hurt or upset your relationship with the
Lord. Say out loud a list of these things and place them
170

Norma Dearing, The Healing Touch: A Guide to Healing Prayer, 2003, p. 47-57

109

FORGIVING PEOPLE IN AUTHORITY

If the supplicant must also forgive his father, his

grandfather, a teacher, a priest, a nun, or any other person
in authority, repeat the four step forgiveness prayer for that
other person.

PRAYER OF RELEASE FROM SOUL TIES

FROM UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
WITH PEOPLE IN AUTHORITY

The prayer leader says, In the Name of Jesus, by the

power of his Cross and his Blood, I cut all unhealthy
ties between (name of supplicant) and (another name).
(Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after
me: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for having allowed such
a relationship to develop so far. I bind my heart, my
mind, and my soul to you, Lord Jesus, and to no one
else. (Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader prays, Lord Jesus, put your Cross
and your Blood between (name of supplicant) and
(another name). (Pray in silence.)
The prayer leader tells the supplicant, Repeat after
me: If this is useful, Lord, save and rebuild this
relationship in a healthy way. /If necessary, Lord,
show me that this relationship has to be completely
severed. /I am ready to do this. /I give myself to you,
Lord. /Thank you for dying on the Cross for me, for
my sins. I decide to walk behind you and you alone as
Saviour and Lord. Amen. (Pray in silence.)

PRAYER OF RELEASE FROM

UNHEALTHY SEX TIES WITH PEOPLE IN
AUTHORITY
If it is a case of sexual abuse (incest, rape, molestation, etc.)
when the supplicant was a child, there is no personal guilt.
The supplicant was a victim. You must help him understand
this. If it is a case of personal sins in adulthood, he must
repent and ask Gods forgiveness. Only then, pray the
following prayer:

In the Name of Jesus, by the power of his Cross and

his Blood, I take the sword of the Spirit and I release
you, (name of supplicant), by severing ties between
you and these sexual predators from the past. In
particular, I release you from (first name or initials
only that the supplicant has given you.) Do not worry if
you are unable to name them all. Jesus knows them
all. (When he has finished, pray in silence.)

I deliver you physically, spiritually, emotionally,

and mentally from each of these people. I release you
from not only these people, but from all people with
whom these people have had sex. (Pray in silence.)
I place the Cross and Blood of Jesus between you
and each of them. I pray, Lord, that you cleanse and
purify the mind, body, and spirit of (name of
supplicant) so that he may now walk in purity,
redemption, and integrity. (Pray in silence.)
Lord Jesus, fill (name of supplicant) with the power
of your Holy Spirit so that he may move forward full
of grace and mercy. (Pray in silence.)
Eternal Father, fill (name of supplicant) with your
love, especially in those dark, lonely areas of his
inner life. In particular, Lord, grant him an
awareness of your personal love for him. I ask this of
you in the Name of Jesus, your Son. Amen. (Pray in
silence.)

What more do you want to do, lord?

Before finishing the prayer session, ask the Lord, Lord, is
there anything else you want to do for (name of
supplicant) today?
Then, remain silent before the Lord to hear what He wants
you to do: a deliverance (if an evil spirit is involved), an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, physical healing, emotional
healing, or inner healing. Then, respond to what you
receive from the Lord.
It is quite possible that the PRAYER OF DELIVERANCE
FROM GENERATIONAL INFLUENCES is necessary.
Nevertheless, it would be too much to do it now. It will be
possible another time. If necessary, help him to
RENOUNCE THE OCCULT (See Occult Form ), but during
another session. It would probably be useful to also later
minister to him the PRAYER FOR HEALING
EMOTIONS.
Finish the prayer by asking if the supplicant would like to
share with you how he is feeling and how he experienced
this ministry session. If the supplicant is upset, you must
pray with him until the trouble has passed. Pray until he
feels positive about the experience. Pray over him a
blessing: love, peace, and joy.
After-ministry cleansing prayer (without the supplicant).

110

23. GENERATIONAL HEALING MASS

Adapted by Henri Lemay from Jean Pliya, 6 June 2010
(Liturgies are also available in Rev. John H. Hampsch, CMF, Healing Your
Family Tree, Claretian Teaching Ministry, 1999, 300p.Father Robert de
Grandis, Intergenerational Healing, S.N., 1989, 136p.)

The Introductory Rites

All stand. The Priest approaches the altar with the ministers
and venerates it while the Entrance Song is sung followed
by singing in tongues and 15 seconds of silence (prophecies
possible).
Sign of the Cross
All make the Sign of the Cross as the Priest says,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. The people reply: Amen.
GREETING
Then the Priest greets the people: Either:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Or: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Or: The Lord be with you.
The people reply: And with your spirit.
The Priest, or a Deacon, or another minister, may very
briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day. A few
words of welcome and short admonition to give the meaning
of the Mass:
Do not forget: you are attending Mass for yourself and also
in proxy for your departed ancestors and loved ones. You
will ask God for forgiveness and you will forgive on their
behalf. You will receive Communion in the Body of Christ
for them and for yourself.
PENITENTIAL ACT
PRIEST: We pray, Father, that You send your angels to
find all our ancestors and draw them to Your altar in this
place, to participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the risen
Christ. We ask this in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Amen
ALL: (Prayer of forgiveness in the Holy Spirit)
Eternal Father, with the help of Your grace, I have
decided to forgive unconditionally, from the bottom of
my heart, all who have offended or hurt me, rejected or
persecuted me, harmed or opposed me, intentionally or
unintentionally I forgive all my enemies and my
ancestors. I give up any resentment, bitterness, desire
for revenge, blame, hatred, and rebellion.
I forgive in particular (say the names of people who have
offended you, even if they have died.)
I especially forgive those who hurt me most in life; I
forgive anyone who has used against my loved ones or
against me, evil forces such as witchcraft, sorcery,

poison, fetishism, magic, plots, or abuse of authority, to

cause failure, sickness, or to endanger life.
Today, I forgive these people and I pray that you bless
them in all things and at all levels. In the Name of Jesus,
I release them from any debt to me, I make peace with
them, I bless them, and I entrust them to your mercy.
Lord, I pray that you forgive my sins against you and
against my neighbour, especially my fears, my doubts,
my complaints, my self-pity, my despair, my
discouragements, my accusations, my criticisms, and my
judgements of others. Heal me of injuries that others
have caused me and break all the ties that bind my
freedom as a child of God. Thank You, Lord, for the
forgiveness, peace, and joy that you grant me now.
ALL: (Confiteor) I confess to almighty God and to you,
my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in
my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and
in what I have failed to do, And, striking their breast, they
say: through my fault, through my fault, through my
most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary everVirgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers
and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
ALL: Thank You, heavenly Father, for the gift of life
and all property with which You have blessed us in the
family You have chosen for us from the moment of our
conception. You know, Lord, the suffering and
difficulties we face in our families.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the suffering servant who
took upon Himself the iniquities, the faults, and the
punishment of all, and in exchange, you offered us
healing and freedom. He shall take away the sins of
many, and win pardon for their offenses. (Is 53:12). In the
spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison. (1 P 3:19
NJB) God freed him from deaths bitter pangs and raised
him up again, as it was impossible that death should keep
its hold on him. (Acts 2:24)
I come before you, Eternal Father, on behalf of all living
and deceased members of my family. Please accept me
as their spokesperson. I pray you cover them with the
precious Blood of your Son Jesus that reconciled us with
you, the Father of mercies and of all consolation. All
this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through
Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Cor
5:18) I invoke the Grace of His Cross over them all. I
raise and place the Cross of Jesus in all the generations
that have preceded me. In the Name of Jesus, I forgive
them and bless them.
By the pierced Heart of Jesus, I ask forgiveness for my
ancestors for the offences, accusations, rejections, lack of
love, violence, injustice, neglect, and abandonment
toward them.
Now, merciful Father, I confess the sins and iniquities of
my ancestors. I repent for them. I repent for any

111

murder, abortion, or injustice they have committed, for

any family quarrel they had, on matters of rights and
property that have divided us.
I repent of any moral perversion or any involvement
they had in the occult, spiritism, and esotericism. I
detach myself from these involvements and I renounce
them. In their name, I reject Satan and all his evil
works. I repent in particular of their transgression of the
first Commandment of God and their worship of false
gods and idols. I renounce and formally stand against all
their bad practices and break, in the Name of Jesus, all
the consequences of their spiritist and mental ties.
Heavenly Father, by your mercy, forgive all their sins.
May the Blood of Jesus wash away all iniquity and cut
all our evil ties. By the grace of the Eucharistic sacrifice
of Christ crucified for them, reconcile them with the
living and the dead, and may they come into the peace
and communion of your love, in the eternal joy of the
risen Christ.
In the Name of Jesus, may all their descendants affected
by their disobedience and rebellion be released from
every curse, and be healed and delivered. Let not their
sins plague my family any longer.
I also ask forgiveness of all the deceased children from
premature deaths, stillbirths, and especially the aborted
babies, for whom we have not prayed or had Masses
said.
May Jesus welcome them into His pierced Heart! May
Mary, the Immaculate Mother, take them in her arms
and console them! May we be released from all burdens
from their families that encumber us.
PRIEST : Now, in the Name of Jesus and by His authority,
I come against and I break every curse spoken against any
member of our families. I call on us the Blood of Jesus. In
the Name of Jesus, I break all inherited negative psychic
influences, and any demonic ties or dominations present in
our family lines because of the disobedience of any of our
ancestors.

PRIEST (The Collect, either of the day or this one): Lord,

our God, you sent us your Son Jesus into our darkness, He
brought us the light of His life. May He wake us now from
all sleep, may He raise us from all death. By His graces, we
will live for you and we will walk towards your kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever.
ALL: Amen.
Liturgy of the Word: (Readings of the day)
Homily
The Nicene Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of
heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten
Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from
God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made. For us men and for
our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the
Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and
became man. For our sake he was crucified under
Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and
rose again on the third day in accordance with the
Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the
right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to
judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have
no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the
Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has
spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy,
catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for
the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the
resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to
come. Amen.
INTERCESSIONS

All: I renounce all the works of Satan and the occult

practices of my ancestors and I embrace Jesus Christ,
my Lord and Saviour, now and forever.
PRIEST : In the Name of Jesus Christ, I decree as severed
all ties between us and each member of our families, living
or dead.
ALL: O Lord our God, we thank you, we bless and
praise you. Amen!
PRIEST (Absolution): May almighty God have mercy on
us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen
PRIEST Blesses congregation with Holy Water
As appropriate, sing a hymn.
ALL: The Gloria
.

PRIEST: Sharing the same faith and love, united in the

same Spirit and hope, let our prayers ascend to God in one
voice.
PRAYER INTENTIONS (The Prayer of the Faithful)
RESPONSE: Lord, hear our prayer.
1) For the Church, the Pope, bishops, priests and all the
people of God, Lord, we pray:
2) For all people suffering, Lord, we pray:
3) For all people, that they receive salvation in Jesus Christ
and the Good News of the Gospel, Lord, we pray:
4) For all our ancestors: grant them eternal rest, O Lord we
pray:
5) For the people gathered here, for their families and their
communities, Lord, we pray:
PRIEST: CONCLUDING PRAYER: Lord, gather all
your children to you, grant them rest and eternal peace and
shine upon them the light of your face. May they exalt and
celebrate your glory with the angels in heaven who sing to
your glory without end! We ask this through Jesus Christ,

112

your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. ALL: Amen!
PROCESSION OF GIFTS (Someone carries up the
offering, the genealogical records, and lists of the living
ailing or bound people. The latter is placed at the foot of the
altar.)
PRIEST: (The priest receives the family trees and places
them on the altar and says the following prayer)
Lord, welcome all these souls in your infinite mercy, on the
altar of the sacrifice of your Son, they are united to Him in
His death and resurrection. Give eternal rest to the dead and
renew the health and good order of the living. We ask this
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
ALL: Lord Jesus, we present the dead who are known
and unknown to us in our family tree and we entrust
them to your holy mercy. Allow them to experience our
love and our forgiveness and may they enter in Your
love and Your forgiveness.

of Christ and all our deceased. Remember all deceased

ancestors and descendants of the families whose family
trees were presented to You on this altar. Do not abandon
them now to the depths to which their faults have plunged
them. Hear the prayer of Your Church and fulfill her hope
by giving them full deliverance.
For our deceased brothers, for men who left this world, and
of whom you know their righteousness, we pray. Receive
them in your kingdom, where we hope to enjoy your glory,
all together for eternity, through Christ, our Lord, through
Whom you give the world all graces and all good.
OUR FATHER (Sung.)
COMMUNION, TIME OF THANKSGIVING
(PROPHECIES/WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE POSSIBLE)
ALL: With all my heart I desire to obey you and with
the help of your Grace, I desire, Lord, to bless, to do
good, and to become an instrument of your peace. Jesus,
my Lord and Saviour, I want to live in your powerful
communion of saints forever.

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS (bread and wine)

PREFACE IV The Priest continues with the Preface.
The mystery of salvation in Christ. The following Preface is
said in Masses that have no proper Preface, and for which a
Preface related to a specific liturgical time is not indicated.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always
and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy,
through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, your Word through
whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Saviour
and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the
Virgin. Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy
people, he stretched out his hands as he endured his Passion,
so as to break the bonds of death and manifest the
resurrection. And so, with the Angels and all the Saints, we
declare your glory, as with one voice we acclaim:
The Priest concludes the Preface with the people singing or
saying aloud THE SANCTUS:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth
are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is
he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the
highest.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER (choice of presider)
At the commemoration of the dead, the priest says,
Remember our brothers and sisters who died in the peace

Lord, I thank you for the gift of life, for my parents and
ancestors whom you have given me, for my genetic code,
my conception, my gestation, for my years past and
future in my life. By your precious Blood, purify my life
of all defilements in time and space, and conform it to
your merciful loves project. Heavenly Father, may this
prayer reach you in the power of the Holy Spirit for the
glory of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer.
Amen!
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
PRIEST: Lord, King of heaven and earth, direct and
sanctify, ordain and govern our hearts and our bodies, our
thoughts, our words, and our actions. Call us to follow your
will and Your decrees, so that all of the souls of our
departed may enter into your kingdom, freed from all
enslavement that had kept them from your presence. Give
them eternal happiness. For us, your servants, while in this
world and forever, may we live by your Grace, free, and
saved. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
ALL: Amen.
BLESSING and DISMISS

113

24. GenogramINSTRUCTIONS
Prepared by Henri Lemay, 13 March 2009
observed. Some problems are transmitted vertically, such as
GENERAL
1. To pray for generational healing is to do as Moses did:
He (God) would have decreed their destruction, had not
Moses, the chosen leader, Withstood him in the breach to
turn back his destroying anger. (Ps 106:23) This is to stand
in the gap for our families and to repent of anything we
know that displeases God. It is also an opportunity to pray
for the purification of these destructive forces that affect us,
our children, and other people close to us.
2. Healing begins by identifying generations of recurrent
illnesses, patterns of repetitive sins, and destructive and
unhealthy relationships.
3. Then, we come before God in personal prayer, during the
Eucharist, or in a ceremony where genograms are presented
to the Lord and then burned.
4. Two particularly useful tools to bring to the Eucharist are
the Genogram Form and the Occult Form .
5. Pray to renounce the occult: In the Name of Jesus
Christ, I repent and I renounce all satanic, occult, pagan, or
New Age practices in which I or any member of my family,
past or present, is involved. I renounce, on my own behalf
and on behalf of my family, any satanic involvement
directly or by seeking knowledge or power, or both, from
sources other than the Holy Spirit, through contact with the
dead, by occult games, by occult or religious organizations,
and all other practices that might have involved occult
spirits. I renounce them in the Name of Jesus Almighty.
Amen.
PROCEDURE
Here are some useful practical steps before the Lord.
1. Renounce anything that is contrary to the Lord.
2. Renew your baptismal vows.
3. Ask Jesus to forgive your familys occult practices, habits
of sin, and destructive and unhealthy relationships.
4. Pray for the healing of sins and weaknesses. Pray that the
Holy Spirit neutralizes them.
5. Personally forgive your ancestors for all these activities
or sins.
6. Ask the Lord for forgiveness for any judgement on your
part against your ancestors or your family and your
involvement in these types of behaviours and for any bad
influence you have had on others.
7. Invite Jesus to come in these situations and to reign in
them as Lord and Saviour.
8. Understand that the severity and long duration of these
situations will require a repetition of these steps.
THE FAMILY TREE
1. Before you begin, invite the Holy Spirit to guide you and
direct you as you remember family relationships and the
stories of your ancestors.
2. Begin at the bottom of the genogram with your name,
your spouses name, and a list of all your problems. If you
are divorced, add the name of your ex. Do the same for your
children, your parents, your brothers and your sisters. Go
deep into the genogram as far as you can remember, writing
the kinds of behaviours and recurring problems you have

from grandfather to father, and others horizontally, like aunt

to aunt or cousin to cousin.
3. Some problems are obvious while others are known only
to God. Do not worry about what you do not know. Jesus
will reveal what you need to know and He will restore to
health what He reveals. Prayer for the generations can heal
great traumas of the past without you knowing what
happened. Moreover, if the situation in your family is not
adequately resolved, continue your intercession. Prayer for
the generations must be repeated often for a genealogical
line.
4. Go back at least four generations-even if you do not
know all the names. If possible, check with older members
of your family for stories about ancestors.
5. Once the tree is complete to the best of your knowledge,
look for issues repeated from one generation to another. The
lists below may help you to do this. (See also the Occult
Form .)
6.Remember to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the
truth. He can tell you something that is not on the list. Ask
Him where and when problems started. Put in writing
everything He reveals. This is how you will break the chain
of problems that are passed from one generation to another.
7. Unusual or violent deaths such as suicide or attempted
suicide, tragic deaths (accidents, war, drowning, fire, mental
institution, jail, neglect, and abandonment), abortion,
miscarriage, stillbirth, unburied, no funeral, no mourning,
too grieved, and premature (before old age).
8. Hereditary diseases such as allergies, Alzheimers,
anorexia, aphasia, bulimia, breast cancer, blindness,
diabetes, dyslexia, epilepsy, miscarriages, haemophilia,
obesity, multiple sclerosis, scoliosis, sterility, deafness,
disturbances (cardiac, cardiovascular , spine, lung, skin,
kidney, ulcer, sight), and mental illness (neuroses,
psychoses).
9. Hereditary behaviour such as abuse (physical, sexual,
and emotional), adultery, alcoholism, arrogance, abortion,
bestiality, black sheep, conquest, crime, criticism,
addictions (drugs, food, sex), disobedience, depression,
distraction, divorce, stubbornness, slavery, fornication,
hatred, hostility, homosexuality, idolatry, incest, unhealthy
power ties, manipulation, massacre, materialism, lies,
cultural wickedness, grinding poverty, paranoia, indolence,
poverty, fear, phobia, pornography, sexual promiscuity,
prostitution, racism, resentment, cult, suicide, shyness,
treason, rebellion, revenge, and violence.
10. Uterine injury such as abandonment, adoption,
ambivalence/rejection (by a parent), attempted/botched
abortion, anxiety/fear of the mother, conception (from rape,
incest, lust, out of wedlock), difficult pregnancy, disease
(mother or foetus), preceded by miscarriage or abortion.
The Eucharist is an especially powerful way to stop these
destructive recurrences in our families. There are different
models.

114

115

CHRISTIAN HEALING, LEVEL ONE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL TEACHINGS
1.
2.
3.
4.

3 to 55

Foundations of Christian Healing

The Name (HA SHEM) of Jesus
The Authority of the Believer
Obstacles to Healing

TYPES OF HEALING

3
23
34
41
56 to 95

5. Healing of our Image of God

6. Renouncing the Occult
7. Introduction to Physical Healing
8. Healing from Conception to Birth
9. Inner Healing: What it is and How its done
10. Release from Unhealthy Soul Ties
11. Practical Advice for Deliverance
Prayer Before and After Ministry
12. Spiritual Adultery and Antidotes
TOOLS OF HEALING

96 to 98

13. Healing Prayer Teams

14. Why to Bless Someone
HEALING PRAYER FORMS

56
60
62
69
71
76
79
80
88

96
98
99 to 115

15. Blessings Prayer Form

16. Four Steps Forgiveness Prayer Form
17. Physical Healing: Soaking in Prayer
18. The OccultPrayer Form
19. From Conception to Birth Prayer Form
20. Unhealthy Soul Ties Prayer Form
21. Unhealthy Soul Ties Supplicants Prayer Form
22. Our Image of GodPrayer Form
23. Generational Healing Mass
24. GenogramInstructions
25. Genogram
26. Table of Contents

116

99
101
102
103
105
107
108
109
111
114
115
116