What I Learned from Healing and Hope

(A soul-healing ministry of Reynolda Church)

I stood at a distance watching the little version of myself be swept up by the strong yet kind arms of this simply beautiful Jesus. He placed his hands on either side of my cheeks, causing me to look straight into His welcoming eyes as He held my gaze. The mature “me” watched as enormous, menacing arrows soared in our direction, apparently bent on destroying me (HE is invincible). Conversely, four immense shields raised on each side of us while He smiled at the child “me”. I was looking nowhere but into His eyes, yet the arrows flew and the shields raised, and as the arrows approached they become smaller and smaller until they popped off the shield like frail little toothpicks. All the while, that little girl had no idea what she was being protected from, as she simply enjoyed this secure space.

This was one aspect of a Healing and Hope session I experienced as Holy Spirit opened my subconscious up to places of fear originating way back when. He met me at a time past where fear began to grip me and He showed me His incredible armor, along with His tender love for me. This “vision” awakened a deep seated subconscious fear while simultaneously meeting me with the very remedy for that fear root.

“[His] perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jer.31:3)

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

For those who are not familiar with Healing and Hope, it is a focused time spent with 2-3 prayer ministers who have themselves gone through the process of healing and have been trained to help the recipient to experience the presence of the Lord and allow His Spirit to heal areas of our hearts that have been wounded. The model for this ministry is found in Luke 5:18-25 where a totally helpless, paralyzed man is ushered into the presence of Jesus through thoughtful friends. Jesus saw this man and He ministered to his spirit, soul, and body. This, I believe, is what He wants to do in and through each one of us. After all, it is what a good Father would want for each of His beloved children.

It seems to me that way too many “born-again” saints are on their way to heaven, but are living in a kind of hell in their current mindsets. They have been forgiven and set free, but they refuse to take the keys to unlock the prison they are in and they experience little joy and peace simply because they haven’t been transformed by the renewing of their minds. Reading the bible is a wonderful practice that allows truth to permeate our thought processes and sets the tone against the cacophony of this world. But specific healing for specific emotional pain is one of the goals we pray would be achieved during the sessions.

There seems to be a lot of chatter amongst Christians as to the authenticity of such an experience. The fear seems to lie on the lines of our own thoughts and perceptions being the route we take rather than the actual presence of God meeting us at the point of our need. If that is the case, maybe we need to be reminded of the mantras we voice, specifically, “It’s not about religion; it’s about relationship.” Well, it’s my experience and understanding that if I have a deeply intimate relationship with someone, they will speak to me in a very personal, deeply intimate way. Sometimes God uses words (rarely for me, though), sometimes He uses pictures or images, long-forgotten experiences that formed our identity, or sometimes it’s just an impression or a release of bitterness, unforgiveness, or fear.  Whatever the means He uses, the end result can run the gamut from understanding self better and possibly reveal where the negative emotions originate and where my reactions emit from to a complete healing of a traumatic experience and a path to the freedom that Jesus offers.

So, what have I actually learned from being a recipient and now a Healing and Hope prayer minister? I’ve learned that Holy Spirit is completely and utterly unpredictable and that He heals (through Christ and the Father) the way He chooses, that no 2 experiences are alike, that emotional healing is, in fact, not only feasible, but promised (Luke 4:18; Isa. 61:1), that there is great power in unified prayer, and that time after time we are privileged to enter into this awesome move of God on behalf of a fellow believer.

(If you are interested in finding out more about this ministry, please contact Reynolda Church at 336-723-0716 or healing.hope.reynolda@gmail.com)