Jesus discerned the Father’s will in each and every situation and so could act and minister confidently and with authority. We share this ministry with the Holy Spirit and we must be open to his leading at all times.

1. Always minister in Groups of 2 or 3 – Make sure, as far as you can, that there is someone of the same sex as the person you are praying for in the ministry group.
2. Pray on the basis of Scripture – What has God revealed about himself? Invite the Holy Spirit to be present and then wait for Him.
3. Pray with Compassion, understanding and sensitivity – Always respect the dignity and integrity of the person. Some prayer can be manipulative and invasive; prayer should be addressed to God, not aimed at the person. Always explain what you are doing and ask their permission.
4. Prayer should be short and to the point – Address the person’s presenting problem, using their words where appropriate. Learn to use silence and keep your eyes open to see what the Holy Spirit is doing. Leave it with God and the person. Tears, for example, may be tears of repentance, of joy, of deep inner hurt, or on the behalf of others. Don’t jump to conclusions as to what is happening.
5. Pray according to your measure of faith – Break the prayer request down into manageable proportions. If you are confronted with ‘great’ or confusing needs, focus on particular aspects, e.g. relief of pain, a good night’s sleep. Persevere, whether or not you see signs of people being touched, there is great value in ’soaking the person’ in prayer.
6. Always ask God what you should be praying for – Our desires, longings, hopes for another Person, may not necessarily be right for them, or the timing may be wrong. With elderly people it may be right to pray for their release. Often relatives want to cling on to them and not let them go.
7. Use imagination – Visualise what you are praying for, e.g. for the person to get better, relationships being healed, or fear being removed. Visualise Jesus laying hands on them, or his love and light surrounding them. Speak in the name of Jesus and if you feel prompted by the Holy Spirit, address the problem and ‘command it to go’.
8. Listen to God while you are praying – Ask the Lord for discernment before praying. The Holy Spirit may give you verses of scripture, words, a picture, or a clear thought; share these in a sensitive manner with the person as a means of help and encouragement. Then offer them back to God in prayer.
9. If a person falls and ‘rests in the Spirit’ – remember that they can still hear and respond, stay with them and keep praying for them quietly or in tongues. God is at work, so just allow him to deal with the person.
10. Never seek to ‘exorcise’ anyone – If you feel there is the power of evil present, simply pray for the person and then refer them to a senior leader to deal with. There are strict Diocesan guidelines to be followed in cases such as these.
11. If the person becomes noisy or deeply distressed – Take them to a quiet place and allow them to regain their composure (cool it!). Be prepared to ask for help from a more experienced member of the Ministry Team
12. Don’t ever tell anyone to abandon their medication or any aid – Only their doctor or medical advisor has the legitimate authority to do that.
13. Stop ministry when the Holy Spirit stops – Check with the person how they are feeling, do they want any follow up, practical help etc?. Always finish the time of ministry asking God for the person’s and your own protection.
14. Finally – Be willing to be prayed for yourself, especially at the end of a sustained time in which you have been giving out. Watch out for your own burnout and spiritual counter-attack. Remember that prayer ministry is confidential in nature. If you feel that for pastoral reasons you need to share the burden of what has been prayed for (e.g. suicidal thoughts) always ask permission to brief someone in pastoral leadership.

John Lambert, November 2008

Acknowledgements – Saint Alban’s Group for Ministry of Healing, Saint Andrew’s and All Saints Dibden Purlieu, Saint Andrew’s Chorleywood, Saint Denys Southampton, Saint Michael’s Paris.