participants from the transcribed data is recorded in Appendix 21. A summary of the research findings of the four aspects of healing reported by the seven participants is shown in Appendix 22, it provides an overview of the different signs of healing for the four aspects of healing they experienced. The different signs of healing include: no sign (H0), some signs (H1), significant signs (H2) and outstanding signs (H3). I recognize that this is a subjective assignation of the participants’ healing experiences. However, it is not intended to make a quantitative measurement of their healing experiences. I used this assignation in order to allow me to have a language to describe the differences in their healing experiences, and thus support my qualitative answering of the research question. The seven participants are assigned as F1, F2, F3, F4, M1, M2 and M3 where
‘F’ and ‘M’ stand for female and male respectively. The quotations from their
transcribed data in the thesis will be referenced by using their assigned names as above.
Their main issues needing prayer were: F1 (chicken phobia), F2 (depression caused by fear of upcoming surgery for epilepsy), F3 (jaw pain and grief for deceased mother), F4 (tone deafness and fear of the comments of others), M1 (addiction to pornography and masturbation), M2 (forgiveness for father) and M3 (lower back pain and shoulder pain).
The research findings of the four aspects of healing will be discussed throughout the chapter. Table 4.1, Table 4.2, Table 4.3 and Table 4.4 show the summaries of the research findings of the participants’ healing experiences in physical, psychological, spiritual and social healing respectively.
Physical Healing
– Healing of Body Illnesses and Pains
Table 4.1 below shows a summary of the reported physical healing of the seven participants during and after the prayer healing process in the four interviews.
Summary of the Research Findings of Physical Healing Reported by the Seven Participants in the Four Interviews
Participants
M = Mentioned in the interview P = Prayed for in the interview
H0 = No sign of healing; H1 = Some signs of healing; H2 = Significant signs of healing;
H3 = Outstanding signs of healing
NM = Not Mentioned; NP = Not Prayed for; NA = Interview not attended
Table 4.1: Summary of the research findings of physical healing reported by the seven participants
All participants, except M1 and M2, mentioned their physical illnesses in the pre-praying interview. M1, M2 and M3 had not had prayer for physical healing, but, outstanding signs of healing in M3 with no lower back pain, less shoulder pain and good sleep quality were reported in the post-praying interview. There was no sign of physical healing reported regarding the epilepsy of F2 and the tone deafness of F4 in both the praying and the post-praying interviews. However, F2 reported some signs of healing and F4 reported significant signs of healing in the follow-up interview. The number of minor seizure that F2 encountered had decreased. In F4, her pitching ability had improved significantly with more practice, she could catch the singing voices and notes of her worship team members, and that had never happened before. In M1, the frequency of watching pornography and masturbation decreased from two times a week to one time per two weeks as described in the post-praying and the follow-up interviews.
The physical healing reported in F1 and F3 was obvious. When F1 thought of or saw chickens, even in photos, her physical symptoms included stiffness, fast heart rate, dizziness, flaccid in legs, fear and headache. In the praying interview, her hands
became totally numb when praying, but sensation returned and she felt relieved after praying. At the end, her body relaxed and headache settled. In the post-praying interview, F1 indicated that the feeling of fear and the fast heart rate had disappeared when thinking of chickens and seeing chickens on a mobile phone. In the follow-up interview, F1 reported that she no longer felt flaccid or weak in the legs when she saw chickens. Neither did she feel dizziness or an increased heart rate when she thought of chickens. She could walk near a chicken without fear, and that had never happened before. F3 had jaw problems including constriction and pain accompanied by a
cracking sound when opening the mouth. During the praying interview, F3 could open her mouth easily and feel less tension and pain in the jaw when opening the mouth,
though the cracking sound was still there. In the post-praying interview, F3 reported that her jaw could open wider and more easily with less pain and a reduced cracking sound. In the follow-up interview, F3 shared that the jaw pain had decreased by 75 per cent with no cracking sound when opening the mouth. She could clearly hear her own and the voices of others in a worship choir, and that had never been the case before.
Psychological Healing
– Healing of Emotional Damage and Cognitive Function
Table 4.2 below shows the summary of the reported psychological healing of the seven participants during and after the prayer healing process in the four interviews.
Summary of the Research Findings of Psychological Healing Reported by the Seven Participants in the Four Interviews
Participants
Pre-praying Praying Post-praying Follow-up
F1 -Touch chicken photos
-Aware of
M = Mentioned in the interview P = Prayed for in the interview
H0 = No sign of healing; H1 = Some signs of healing; H2 = Significant signs of healing;
H3 = Outstanding signs of healing
NM = Not Mentioned; NP = Not Prayed for; NA= Interview not Attended
Table 4.2: Summary of the research findings of psychological healing reported by the seven participants
All the participants had mentioned and prayed for psychological healing. They all reported significant signs of healing during the praying interview while many of them reported some signs of healing in the post-praying interviews and outstanding signs of healing in the follow-up Interviews.
The chicken phobia of F1 was serious. In the praying interview, F1 ‘saw’ imagery (a set or group of images) revealing a larger than normal chicken head which made her very frightened. After praying, she shared that the size of the chicken head changed to normal and she could even look at its eyes with peace and calmness. The fearful images of the nightmares which she had had for a long period of time gradually faded away.
She smiled and felt relaxed, and she felt she was not afraid of chicken as before. In the post-praying interview, F1 reported that she could look at, and touch, images of chickens on a mobile phone screen without fear, and that was something she could not do before. When she thought of chickens again, her fear had greatly diminished. She felt happy to get rid of her fear of chickens, and she now had more confidence in preparing for a mission trip to a village with a lot of chickens. In the follow-up interview, F1 reported that she felt absolutely no fear when thinking of chickens, and she could watch a video about a cartoon chicken dance which she could not stand for a second before.
Moreover, she could look at real chickens, and she could take pictures with real chickens and chickens in poster without any fear.
F2 had a fear of an upcoming surgery for epilepsy. In the praying interview, F2 experienced seven sets of imagery in total that had contributed to most of her
psychological healing. The first image (a row of sharp teeth) revealed her fear of the coming surgery; the second image (God in the operating room) enabled her to feel comfort; the third image (F2 and God stood on two separate mountains) enabled her to let go of her self-belittlement and concentrate on the guidance of God; the fourth image (she poured wine onto the vessels of others) delighted her that she could pass on her
service to others; the fifth image (she drove a car upon the sea) excited her with hope of her fantastic future; the sixth image (she rose up from her wheelchair and walked up to a pulpit) comforted her that she could continue to serve God in her mission. The seventh image (she and her husband hugged each other) which came after forgiving her husband, made her feel that she had forgiven her husband wholeheartedly. She reported that she felt energized, and she could let go of her fear of the upcoming surgery and her anger towards God. In the post-praying interview, F2 reported that she felt more relaxed and calm on her own but would cry sometimes for no apparent reason. In the follow-up interview, F2 shared that she felt peace and calm in facing the surgery the following month. She understood that her anger towards God was in fact the anger she felt towards herself. The re-appearing of the above second and the fourth images in her prayer time was comforting and soothing. Her loneliness had gone and she could slow herself down to enjoy the daily living, and that was a joy she could not feel before.
F3 suffered from jaw pain and prolonged grieving for her deceased mother. In the praying interview, her first image (two dark holes disappearing) made her feelings of emptiness and sadness which were caused by the lacking of parental love vanish gradually. Her second image (hiking in beautiful scenery) delighted her, and that allowed her to forgive her mother willingly and discarded the craving she had for the love of her mother. In the post-praying interview, F3 reported that she had no more grudge against her mother, and instead, she had feelings of gratitude and peace. She felt happier within herself and would attend a course concerning personal growth. In the follow-up interview, F3 recognized that her emotions affected her jaw pain; she prayed for positive emotions more often. When thinking of her deceased mother, she felt peace.
Her doubt regarding the love of her mother for her had completely gone. She could also deal with the entangled feelings towards her father who was still living with her. She recognized the progress and her confidence in her work. She had participated in two
courses, one for personal growth and the other for learning the theology of worship, which helped her to be more intimate with herself and God. She affirmed that prayer healing had been so important for her to experience the goodness of God and to have personal growth.
F4 reported painful feelings related to her tone deafness and the comments she received about her singing from others. In the praying interview, F4 experienced, in total, nine sets of imagery contributing to most of her psychological healing. The first image (a hiding boy) helped her to be free from her false guilt about the death of her elder brother; the second image (she wore pink cloth) made her feel calm and charming again; the third image (hands and holes were disappearing on a the dark wall) made her feel peace and enabled her to let go of the bondage she felt to worship her dead brother;
the fourth image (a milling machine breaking down corns) confirmed her hard working character and made her put down her eagerness to protect men; the fifth image (she was outside a house surrounded by beautiful scenery) energized her to explore outside without worrying about the comments of others; the sixth image (a swimming pool with people swimming in it) encouraged her to relate to other people; the seventh image (a ferry moving fast) strengthened her with confidence in facing future; the eighth image (at her home when she was small) further delivered her from the bondage she felt to worship her dead brother; the last image (people rescuing her grandmother) illustrated her wish to know the circumstances of her grandmother’s death. After that, she felt energized and could face her handicap (tone deafness) in singing. In the post-praying interview, F4 reported that she accepted that the comments from her teacher on her singing were for her benefit and not to criticize her. She could let go of the emotional stress caused by her controlling mother. She could adjust her expectations of her daughter after letting go of the burden of the expectations she had from her mother. In the follow-up interview, F4 described that she could sing freely despite the staring and
comments of others, instead she concentrated on the impact of the songs on her spiritual growth. She understood that her craving for the acceptance of others was in fact the manifestation of her craving for the acceptance of her mother from whom she would never be able to receive. She reported that all sets of imagery she saw were helpful for her healing and important for building up her intimate relationship with God.
M1 reported strong feelings of guilt regarding his reliance on pornography and masturbation, and that resulted in anger towards himself and low self-image as he felt a hypocrite. After the praying interview, M1 experienced joy and cleanliness, and felt brighter in his surroundings. In the post-praying interview, M1 reported that he felt less guilt and less self-condemnation and improved self-image and augmented
self-confidence in facing the temptation of lust. He also understood the reason for his anger towards himself and negative mood in him. He reported that he felt more
satisfaction and accomplishment in daily living. In the follow-up interview, M1 shared that he had more self-acceptance and self-confidence with improving self-image. The guilty feeling and the dread of seeing himself as a hypocrite had diminished. The strong desire of watching sexy women on the street had greatly decreased, and he was attracted more to his wife both physically and mentally. He had more awareness of the
temptation from pornography when under pressure at work and when experiencing relational difficulties with his wife. He recognized his weakness and limitation in walking with Christ in his Christian faith, but he felt more self-acceptance and self-confidence to do so.
The healing experiences of M2 came from praying for forgiveness towards his father and himself. In the prayer for forgiving his father, M2 experienced physical pain in his chest, but gradually, he felt alleviation and could forgive his father. After
forgiving himself in prayer, he did not feel guilty for the past and accepted his
limitations, and felt relieved. He was aware that his attachment to his father seemed to
have disappeared. Then, he prayed for his father, his own wife and his two sons. In the post-praying interview, M2 reported that he had accepted his father and his pain regarding his past had gone. He felt relaxed, pain free, soothed, peaceful and positive when thinking of his father. He understood that there were things that his father could not do and he needed to accept these. He had let go of the craving for the impossible expectations he previously had of his father, and he had more strength to help his father practically. He admitted that his father had loved him. In the follow-up interview, M2 stressed that he had no negative feelings when thinking of his past and his father. He had completely let go of his craving for the love of his father. The Bible verse John 12:24 ‘wheat died in the soil’ helped him to acknowledge that his painful experiences from his father had died.
M3 considered his tangled and negative emotions towards his colleagues and his family members. In the praying interview, M3 discovered that the situation in his work place was similar to his upbringing at home. In prayer, he felt comforted and was able to loosen up. In the post-praying interview, M3 reported that he acknowledged more of his own emotions and his limitations, and would not force himself to be perfect before his colleagues. He had more confidence in his daily communications and interactions with them. He recognized that it was no big deal to ask for help. He stated that, in the praying interview, his psychological healing would subsequently lead to his social and physical healing. (M3 did not attend the follow-up interview)
Spiritual Healing
– Healing of Deliverance from the Bondage to Evil Spirits
Table 4.3 below shows the summary of the reported spiritual healing of the seven participants during and after the prayer healing process in the four interviews.
Summary of the Research Findings of Spiritual Healing Reported by the Seven Participants in the Four Interviews
Participants P = Prayed for in the interview
H0 = No sign of healing; H1 = Some signs of healing; H2 = Significant signs of healing;
H3 = Outstanding signs of healing
NM = Not Mentioned; NP = Not Prayed for; NA = Interview not Attended
Table 4.3: Summary of the research findings of spiritual healing reported by the seven participants
Among the seven participants, only F1, F3, F4 and M1 mentioned spiritual issues which were being prayed for. The chicken phobia of F1 started when she was two years of age. In the praying interview, F1 felt comfortable after she had renounced the negative emotional attachment to her mother. After she had been able to forgive those who had frightened her when she was a child at primary school with quails, she had less anger towards them. In repudiating the scary dreams of chickens, she felt very
relaxed. When repudiating the fearful parts of chickens (the cockscomb, mouth and head), she broke down in tears and cried so hard that her hands were totally numb and stiff. After the prayer of deliverance, she reported that the enlarged cockscomb of the chicken changed to normal size, and she saw the chicken become a natural and normal creature. She claimed that the root cause of her chicken phobia came from seeing the
‘red beard’ under the chicken head. In continuing praying, her heart rate was still fast but her body was totally relaxed. After the prayer of deliverance again, she experienced stillness with a white coloured background in her mind. Then, she ‘saw’ the image of herself as a child crying after being pecked by a chicken, and her mother came to hold and comfort her. Moreover, she ‘saw’ the images of the head and eyes of a chicken in a close up, and there was no fear but peace. The fear of chickens had diminished and the images of the scary dreams faded so they became blurry and she could not see them. In the post-praying interview, F1 reported that she had a dream of several chickens but without any fear. There was stillness and peace, no fast heart rate or any numbness or stiffness of the body. She believed that God had healed her and would protect her. In the follow-up interview, F1 shared a dream that a chicken came under her table near her feet while she was eating but she had no fear. When she woke up she said to herself,
“Why am I not afraid?” (F1, p.70). She found herself bolder than before when facing chickens in real life after the dream. She felt that God loved her so much and she was more intimate with God. She reported that she had been delivered from the bondage to chicken phobia that had been imposed by evil spirits.
The spiritual healing of F3 concerned the breaking of the curse of drinking
talisman water. A lock of her hair was cut off by her mother to make a burnt offering to a Chinese god, for her mother believed that the sickness of F3 came from some kinds of evil. F3 was forced to drink the talisman water mixed with her hair ash for recovery.
talisman water. A lock of her hair was cut off by her mother to make a burnt offering to a Chinese god, for her mother believed that the sickness of F3 came from some kinds of evil. F3 was forced to drink the talisman water mixed with her hair ash for recovery.