Q & A with Francis & Judith

by Francis & Judith MacNutt
Fall 2014

Q: Sometimes I walk away from healing prayer ministry feeling 'dirty' even after praying the cutting free prayers you have taught us. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Cutting free prayers do not always take care of everything and there are several reasons why that is. We have a funny expression we use among the staff, and that is, in ministry we all 'play in the same mud puddles.' For example, if one of us walked away from a prayer ministry situation and went to a member of our team who was ministering in the same environment, a cutting free prayer might not be as effective. We occasionally go outside of the CHM family to receive the fullness of a cutting free prayer. When we’re in the same family ministering to one another, sometimes we may not have the discernment that is needed.

There are also some things that are simply bigger than the traditional clean–up prayers can handle. Often there are prayer sessions with so much darkness that a more thorough cleansing prayer is necessary. It is imperative that as prayer ministers we be diligent to use cutting free and cleansing prayers.

Lastly, often the issues encountered in a prayer session can hook into places in the prayer ministers’ own lives where problems, weaknesses, and wounds have not been fully healed. When this is discovered, ministry is needed in that area.

Q: What kind of underlying prayer support would you recommend to someone who is looking to start a ministry?

A: Number one: make sure you are under some kind of authority. Do not do this kind of work without an authority and covering in place. Number two: we cannot say enough about how important it is to have intercessors. We have over 500 intercessors from all over the world who pray for us, our staff, the ministry and all the prayer requests that come in. Judith learned the value of intercessors back when she was in private practice. When she first started, she had one person praying for her and that was great. However, Judith learned that she really needed a team of people providing a consistent prayer covering, especially while she was seeing patients. The difference it made in terms of operation in the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit was amazing. Judith saw so much more take place when people were interceding specifically. You have to have intercessors in place before you start!

Q: How would you suggest teaching about the Holy Spirit to a congregation that might be a little skeptical?

A: The worst thing you can do is tell a church or its leaders that they do not know the Lord or the power of the Holy Spirit. We think the best way to reach someone with the power of the Holy Spirit is to live a transformed life and let him or her witness that. That is what drew us into the life of the Spirit. When Judith was a young woman living in Jerusalem, she met two women at the Garden Tomb who were so bright and happy and joyful—they radiated Jesus. she looked at them and told them that she wanted what they had, which was the Holy Spirit.

When the disciples and apostles of Jesus received the Holy Spirit and flooded into the streets, what the people saw in them was a multitude of people with transformed lives. Scripture tells us that 3,000 people were added to the church that day. When people see Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in your life and they see that you are a loving person, they are attracted to that.

Also, begin to target your prayers specifically. Graham Cooke calls these target prayers "crafted prayers." Write out your prayers for the day and be intentional and focused about them.

When we start serving the leaders of our churches and let them know that we are there and we appreciate them, they begin to notice our transformed lives and that lives around us are being transformed. Once people notice these things, they will begin to wonder what is going on and they will become more interested in being a part of it. Pray for them; do not force anything on them. Live a transformed life and pray for them; those are the greatest weapons in the Kingdom.

Q: Do you have any insight on how to minister to individuals with a developmental disability like autism?

A: Once we prayed for a child with Down's Syndrome who changed dramatically during the prayer. We sent the family home and encouraged the parents to pray over the child while he was sleeping and to do soaking prayer. It took several years, but over time, the child was restored completely, even the facial features were healed. We have prayed for people with autism, ADD, ADHD, Asperger’s, etc. and it’s very important to ask for discernment from the Holy Spirit for each individual case. Sometimes a generational root is discerned so you will want to do the generational work to clear that. We find that with mental illness and some of the disorders, there is often a generational pattern. Identifying these repeated patterns is a good place to start. Then, just pray for guidance. Soaking prayer is also very effective. Praying for the physical brain is so important and for some reason that is intimidating to people. Many of the mental disorders have to do with the brain misfiring, so we must lay hands on the head and pray for the brain. God can change the brain and balance it.

Q: How do we address the area of salvation with someone who is terminally ill and you are not sure if they are saved?

A: The only person who can determine at any point if a person is saved or not is God. What you can say to a person is, "Are you at peace with God?" You can tell them that you are praying for their body but that you are also concerned for their spirit. You do not have to say things like, "If you die, do you know where you’re going?" Asking them if they are at peace is good enough. When people are facing death, they are often already looking at the areas in their lives where they are not at peace and are seeking to deal with those places. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your words. Remember when Jesus prayed for people, He did not ask them whether or not they were believers before He prayed. He prayed for them, healed them, and then gave them a chance to come into relationship with Him. Signs and wonders are meant to lead people to the Lord. Your presence with someone when they are sick can bring the presence of God and the hope of heaven will bring about change. The Holy Spirit will do it; do not ever be anxious.

Francis MacNutt is a Founding Director and Executive Committee member of CHM. Judith MacNutt is a Founding Director and President of CHM.