20 Encounters with God that will heal Your life

© 2005, George Hartwell M.Sc.
www.HealMyLife.com, (416) 234-1850

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20 Encounters with God that will heal Your life by George Hartwell M.Sc.

A healing encounter with God brings life transformation. One does not remain unchanged after an encounter with God, no matter how gentle. Life is not the same. The long standing root of unbelief (misbelief, lie) and the pain it caused is gone. We look at life with new eyes; with God's eyes. In the blink of an eye bitterness is gone and replaced with sweet compassion. Our spirit has sweetened. The water we offer is good.

At one level only God can heal my life. But God likes partners. Christian counsellors skilled at prayer therapy help establish the connection and God pours out His Spirit or sends His word and heals us. These connections, these healing encounters with God, are what we are looking at here.

Over time and after working with many different people dealing with many diiferent and the same problems, Christian prayer therapists are able to outline some of the prayer encounters that they have crafted, when they use them and how they use them.

Marriage Transformation

These processes are effective for a lot of situations, such as, addictions, sexual addictions, core identity issues, and blocks to marital intimacy.

Marriage Transformation processes work for all kinds of couple relationships. Each life transformation process takes you one step closer to marital community, unity and happiness.

Check over the unhealthy patterns in the following descriptions and how I deal with them using a healing prayer encounter with God.

1 Put it on the Altar. Altar

Allows the offering of something to God, putting our burdens in His care and letting go of control of the outcome. It is a Biblical picture of dedicating something to God. Psychologically it allows us to experience "Let go and Let God." This is a good first step toward letting God be part of one's marriage, relationships, family, community rather than working it all out oneself. You thus give God the right to move, to heal, to save, to deliver, to counsel, to comfort and to enhance communication.

2 Right to be right.

The right to fight to be morally superior, to get the last word in every argument, to be better than the other in knowledge, skill, memory, etc is yielded.

3 King of the Castle

The right to be lord, "king of the castle," 'top dog,' the one with the most control, power or say is laid down in this prayer encounter. Control, (need for dominance) usually out of fear, destroys love; just as perfect love casts out fear. Love does not 'Lord it over the other.'

4 "Here comes the Judge"

In this prayer encounter one steps out of the role of Judge, giving up the right to judge others, to condemn, accuse, label and rail at their weaknesses. This resigning as Judge comes out of the recognition that when we judge we usurp God's right to be Judge. It is hard to live with a judge, is it not?

5 Self Image

God cannot bless you and your relationships, at least not fully, until it stops being "All About Me." God, we know, has little tolerance of idolatry. God acts to shake down our idols. When God acts we are humbled. We eat grass. Restoration requires a change of heart, a dying to "Self-Image" so that it is not 'All about me.' If you would rather that God did not have to humble you, you can humble yourself with this prayer encounter. Things go much better, in many ways, when we die to our need for (worship) constant acknowledgement, affirmation, and positive feedback.

6 Saviour No More.

A prayer encounter for stepping out of the role of family Saviour - the one who sacrifices to keep peace, who diminishes their own needs and focuses on others to 'keep it all together.' It is unhealthy, unbalanced and, ultimately idolatry to be stuck in the role of "Family Saviour." It eats away at our relationship with God, intimacy, community and our own physical and emotional health. Do you want to wait for an emotional breakdown, burnout or stroke to make the point that this is not healthy?

7. Autonomous Mind

The mind becomes an idol when intellect is our source of security and our way of staying in control of life. The analyst, the thinker, the answer man, the 'know it all' often trusts mind over God; relies on self. This independence from God (autonomy) could be called sin. This means something is unhealthy, out of balance. There might be the pride that comes before a fall.

8 Partner on a Pedestal.

It is unhealthy for you or your partner, pastor, leader to see them as a god (goddess.) We know God has zero tolerance of idolatry and wants proper place in our lives but do we realize that we put another under an intolerable burden if they are to meet all our needs. Frustration and anger; hurt and disappointment; withdrawal and disconnection; obsession with the other; pleasing the other (with loss of our own true identity) are some of the results. Often this goes back to a history of disappointment with a parent that left our inner Child yearning and hoping for our parent's approval, love, acknowledgement or faithfulness (non-abandonment).

9 Release Expectations

This prayer encounter is way to tackle the problem that we are expecting of our partner only things that God can provide. The purpose of the prayer is to refocus on God as our primary source.

10. Cut Umbilical Cords

A relationship involves both healthy and unhealthy holds, attachments and control mechanisms. Cutting unhealthy bonds, cords and attachments is freeing. It frees us from unhealthy relationship patterns and pressures. In the freedom from unhealthy ties (picture spiritual umbilical cords) a healthier more vibrant relationship can grow.

Information about additional Prayer Encounters follows

Deliverance Prayer Encounters

Prayer Encounters in Listening Prayer Therapy effect deliverance from evil while minimizing the attention given to darkness. Jesus is invited to do the deliverance and He does. Simple. Gentle. Clean. Quiet. Beautiful. Glorious.

11. Jesus steps in between

On learning that a wrong spirit is present because of a connection with another person, invite the person to picture the two persons and then to ask Jesus to step in between.

12. Replace the wrong spirit with Jesus' Life

When doing the healing of memories one first invites Jesus Truth to replace the negative belief. If there remains a strong negative feeling in the memory invite Jesus as the Life to replace that feeling.

13. House Cleaning

Given that 'Jesus stands at the door and knocks' invite Him in and ask Him to clean up the house. Let Him do it. Designate a room filled with the wrong feeling and ask Jesus to clean it up.

Idolatry Prayer Encounters

A good way to increase communication with God is to pull down idols - those things that get in the place of God in our life. Some of the above can be seen in terms of pulling down idols: "Autonomous Mind," "Self Image," "Saviour of the Marriage," Partner on the Pedestal" and "Here Comes the Judge."

14. People Pleaser

The 'People Pleaser' fears people. That is to say people define how I act, what is right and who I am. People are my focus and the source of my hope for love and affirmation. It might be wise to die to the 'People Pleaser' identity and find out what one's identity in Christ is.

15. Cleanse the Temple

One image of the idol is some object we worship. This person or object has been invited or allowed into the sacred space within that is reserved for God. Since Jesus cleansed the Temple we know He can cleanse the temple within of those idols that interfere with our knowing and worship God in spirit and in truth.

Inner Child Work

Our inner person can be called our inner man, our inner child, our heart or our human spirit. Language cannot be more precise when we speak of inner truths. It is not a case of right or wrong but of communicating as clearly as we can.

16. Broken Heart

When a person has a broken heart invite them to put their heart in Jesus' hands and leave it there. He can mend our broken hearts. He can help keep us from hardened hearts.

17. The Safe Place

Imagine a place where you feel safe to meet with Jesus. For some it is a nature setting: a beach, a garden or a field. Some need a special sphere that they can go into with Jesus to be safe. For meetings of our little child (of different age levels) it helps to have a designated safe place. Sometimes just going there to be there with Jesus, to play or to talk is a great healing experience.

18. Play Time with Jesus

Children need a chance to play. In 'Inner Child Work' that often means taking time to play with Jesus. Jesus can use these times to lead our child into needed healing experiences or just needed fun times. This lets our inner child become comfortable with Jesus, with ourselves and with playfulness.

19. Grief and Comfort

Children that have been deeply wounded or shocked need comfort. This means time in the arms of Jesus the Comforter. Do not rush this prayer encounter. Leave the child in Jesus arms for ongoing comfort between sessions. It heals; strengthens and bonds one to Jesus.

20. Healing Dreams and Memories

The Holy Spirit can bring to recall key memories that need to be dealt with. A good starting place is the strongest feeling in a dream, on in one' life, or that occurs just before a problem behaviour. Discover the feelings and thinking resident in the memory. Invite Jesus for His truth to get liberating truth to replace the imbedded negative belief.

Prayer Encounter Components

Introduction

Start a session with prayer inviting God's presence, protection and guidance. A time of sharing helps you to find the focus. Be sure to find out what the person wants to change in their life.

Declaration of Intent

Have the person state to God what they would like to have cleaned up in their life.

Proclamation of who is in charge of the process

Have the person declare that Jesus in charge and that He is Lord, Healer, Savior and Deliverer. Especially do this if the person prays for God to "help" them with their problem.

Forgiveness Scene

A.If it is appropriate ask the person to ask God for forgiveness for their part in this problem. (Only if it is clear to them that this would be appropriate.)

B.It may help the person to picture himself or herself with Jesus asking for forgiveness and asking him "Do you forgive me?" Have them notice His response and report this to you. Tell them whenever they put a prayer into picture form to wait for the response and to report to you what is happening.

Set the Scene

Translating the stated problem into a picture always helps engage the Healing presence of Jesus. Talk to them about what picture would work for them to put this need into picture form. Have them do it and tell you what happens.

Consolidation of Identity

After any inner healing ask them to report on their feelings. Deepen the experience and report of positive feelings. Have positive feelings stated as "I am -----" statements to state the new identity. Ask them what it would be like to life their life with these feelings and this new sense of who they are. Ask them to imagine a day in their life with these feelings. Does this picture come clear and how does it feel? Also picture a week, a month and 3 months with these feelings and this new identity. Have them write down the "I am" statements to review daily and to start each day be imaging what it would be like in this new identity.