What is Inner Healing?

You may have heard of the term “inner healing”. This term means different things to different people. The term “healing” is biblical but the term “inner healing” is nowhere found in the Bible. So when someone proposes ministering “inner healing” to you I suggest you first find out what they mean by “inner healing” and what methods they propose to us in order to do this ministry. Not all methods that people use are biblical. Some techniques that people use are rooted more in secular psychology, mysticism or even the occult. We should flee from the occult, be wary of mysticism and in many cases distrust the worldly wisdom of secular psychology – although I would have to say that some non-Christian psychologists can offer useful insights to Christians who are not thinking in good ways.

The “inner healing” ministry that we should be willing to embrace is the one where “inner healing” really mean the sanctification and transformation of the inner life through the cross and the resurrection life of Jesus Christ. People can be helped through prayer counselling where they are encouraged to do the following things:

1. Confess their sins as the Holy Spirit leads, recent ones as well as ones committed many years ago.

2. Repent or turn from their sins.

3. Forgive the ones who have wronged them.

4. Allow the cross to do its work in their lives to deliver them from the power of sin. People must reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God in order to break free of sin’s power. They must believe that their sins and sinful nature were dealt with at the cross of Christ, that Jesus took it for them, so they can go on to live in the freedom of God’s Spirit. The book of Romans chapter 6 is very important in this regard.

In response to this self humbling and facing of the truth, God will work by His Spirit and bring cleansing and a transformation in the life of the person receiving ministry. Often, a beautiful emotional healing is the result.

The more we learn to put off the old nature, the more the life of Jesus can shine through us. This is a big part of God’s purpose for our lives.