Prayer Ministry / Inte /
Elijah House Prayer Ministry

What is Elijah House Prayer Ministry?
Elijah House prayer ministry was founded through the pioneering work of John and Paula Sandford in transforming lives through prayer. It is primarily pastoral in nature, based on scriptural principles and led by the Holy Spirit. A key principle of prayer ministry at Elijah House will always include looking for the root causes that lie beneath the surface of most problems. Bitter roots, as we call them, are root issues that continue to feed those things in us that lead to broken relationships, habitual sin, and many other kinds of "bad fruit." Once roots are discovered, the prayer minister leads the person in prayer to the foot of the Cross, to forgive those who wounded him/her, as well as to receive forgiveness for judging, condemning, criticizing, etc.

What does the prayer minister do?
Elijah House has very gifted and mature prayer ministers on staff who minister by biblical principles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They minister to individuals, couples (premarital and marital), families and sometimes children. Their role in the healing process is to facilitate what the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in each individual. If you are new to Elijah House and its approach to ministry, we recommend you read Transformation of the Inner Man and listen to the audiocassette Introduction to Inner Healing, both authored and taught by John and Paula Sandford.

There are two sides to the healing process:

Bring to death (Sanctification)
Bring to life (Transformation)

Prayer ministers are "evangelists to the unbelieving areas of believers' hearts." In prayer, they will facilitate the application of the cross and resurrection life of Jesus to each area of the heart as it becomes ripe. (Ripeness is fully hating our sin and being ready to die to it). Each sinful practice of the old nature is actually an area in which the heart has not fully believed and appropriated the Good News. Through God's love, we help to establish and restore one's true identity in Christ, rather than promote a strong self-image. Without this process, we struggle to build our own self-image believing...I build it...I work on it...I am self-centered even in good works...I am vulnerable to the accuser...whereas the glory of Christian identity is that God builds it. By fully embracing Christ we can say, God is my defender and protector...I can rest in Him...I am emptied of self...I am free to set others free...I am an overcomer...I am a sinner saved by grace...I am loved, a treasure...in HIM I can do ALL things.

Whenever possible, there are two people involved in ministry sessions. One is the lead prayer minister, while the second person is either an intercessor, quietly praying throughout the session, or an intern learning prayer ministry. We believe a two-by-two model offers the most accountability, training and benefit to all involved. View the biographies of our prayer ministers.

Intensive Prayer Ministry Week
The Intensive week is our most effective format and consists of either 12 hours (four days) or 15 hours (four days) of ministry time. Homework is assigned between ministry sessions. This format has proven to be very effective as there are fewer distractions and the momentum of ministry is not lost in daily life. Much more can be accomplished in a shorter period of time in the intensive ministry week. This is especially a great option for those who have to travel a long distance.

Elijah House is not an in-patient facility or crisis center
Elijah House does not (nor is it equipped to) provide overnight or supervised care for mental illness, drug/alcohol addictions, suicide or other immediate crisis care situations. In such cases, your local hospitals, drug/alcohol rehabilitation centers or crisis centers are appropriate choices.

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