Healing Prayer - Virtually

by Sallie Rathbone

Our God is awesome and is always bringing us to new levels of insight as to His works.

The 1990s was a decade in which God led me into the Healing Prayer ministry in a big way.  I studied with some of the well known teachers in this ministry including Rita Bennett, Leanne Payne, and Francis & Judith MacNutt.  God used these teachers to prayerfully instruct me in many forms of healing prayer.

I experienced healing through the prayers of many.  A rather turbulent childhood resulted in several issues that were weighing me down.  The laying on of hands was therapeutic in so many ways.  The voices praying and listening for God's word, the touch of prayers through the hands of the ministers, and the presence of these ministers as God led me to healing.

Recently I was invited to experience soaking prayer. That prayer of prayer ministers lifting you up to the Lord.  That prayer when God speaks to you through these prayer warriors. That prayer when so deep hurts, even unknown to you until then, is healed.

The soaking prayer was wonderful in all those ways.  And it was done virtually.  Laying on of hands, yes from afar.  Voices praying, yes but from afar.  Touching of hands, yes but not a physical touch but a spiritual touch.  I felt a sense of peace like no other, a sense of His presence, and a stirring of my spirit.

As I said before God uses people to prayerfully instruct us in the many forms of healing prayer. God doesn't need voices, touch, or the presence of others to grant the requests of healing that are being lifted. All God needs is our prayers.

The Rev. Sallie Rathbone is a Deacon at Immanuel Anglian Church in Woodbridge, VA.