Some Necessary Theory: How and Why Inner Healing Works

For inner healing we use a scheme called Restoring the Foundations by Chester and Betsy Kylstra. This originated in America, and has its root in the work and teaching of John and Paul Sandford, who are pioneers in this area in recent years. There are two books you can get on this: the smaller one which is good if you are new to it (An Integrated Approach to Healing Ministry, ISBN 978-1852403560) or there is the full manual which goes into much greater depth (Restoring the Foundations: An Integrated Approach to Healing Ministry, ISBN 978-0964939820).

What is here in this section is, by nature, largely a summary. I have included topics that are more than are in the four areas in Restoring the Foundations (RTF), and I have also covered the basics of the Gospel, which we need to get established first anyway.

With all that I have done, and the prayers that I have prayed, I have not done it on my own. Whenever anything needs to be prayed or declared out loud (which is most of it), I do it with someone else, who is usually my wife. Also, it usually needs someone else to help guide me through the process, and to see the things I don’t see.

There’s one point I should make: a lot of what is described covers making decisions and receiving forgiveness. Technically, these things in themselves do not heal, but they remove the blockage that has prevented God from doing the healing. Because God is keener than we are to fix us, he usually moves without delay to heal. The following can be said to be true: one small step by man, one giant leap by God who’s kind. Sometimes when we go through the various steps, nothing much seems to happen. This is usually because there are other issues that need dealing with before the healing and restoration can take place.