About Finding Inner Peace

"Raphah Ministries" believes in the healing of the whole person - restoration not only of the body but soul and spirit as well."

Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). This 'abundant' life, one filled with meaning and purpose, is for all who trust in Him. Abundant life is not only amazing - it is also amazingly elusive.

But this is exactly what the founders of Raphah Ministries, a non-denominational Christian healing and discipleship ministry, have set out to help people achieve - 'abundant' life.

"We at Raphah believe that the 'abundant' life is God's will for us," says Rev. Vincent Lau, one of the founders of the ministry. "Unfortunately, many faithful Christians are living far below their potential as disciples of Christ - certainly not attaining the 'abundant' life which Christ described."

In many cases, they are still nursing past hurts and wounds that have not resolved or healed. While most physical hurts respond well to the body's natural healing abilities, emotional and psychological hurts are a different kettle of fish.

"The wounds in the inner man - the spirit and soul (mind, emotion and will) - are just as real and disabling as broken bones," Rev. Lau elaborates. "Because many healing prayers have focussed on healing of the body or deliverance from demonic intrusions, inner issues have often been neglected."

Raphah Ministries believes in the healing of the whole person. But healing of the wounded spirit and soul is at the forefront of its ministry. The ministry's main objective is to heal and restore "wounded" believers through God's Word, biblical counselling and Spirit-enabled prayer. Hence its tagline, "Healing Hearts, Rebuilding Lives."

According to Rev. Lau, there are countless Christians disabled by all manners of struggles and conflicts. "They are 'hanging in there,' silently fighting disappointments, failures, broken relationships, depression, rejection, suicidal thoughts, sexual sin, betrayal, guilt, condemnation and the list goes on," he explains.

The philosophy of Raphah Ministries is founded on the passage in Isaiah 61:1-3:

"The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

Raphah's model is patterned after Jesus, who preached, healed and delivered. "For healing and restoration to occur, believers must fully understand and apply the truth and power of God's Word, including the redemptive work of the Cross," he explains.

"Dysfunction, whether spiritual or psychological, is often due to wrong choices," says Rev. Lau. "A Christian must be prepared to deal with the roots of many unresolved issues that lock him in the past and prevent him from moving forward. To receive healing, he needs to obey God and realign himself to His will. Only then can he embrace his God-given identity and purpose."

Some might wonder if Raphah Ministries also deal with deliverance from demons. Rev. Lau says, "Many unresolved hurts can become spiritual and psychological strongholds, which in turn may attract demons. If demonization occurs, the afflicted person will need to be set free from demonic intrusion and healed of psychological wounds. However, psychological strongholds do not invariably lead to demonization. Neither is demonization invariably associated with psychological strongholds (although the probability is great). The line of approach in ministry is therefore unique for each counsellee. However, in every case, recognizing the reality and the power of the spiritual realm is critical for lasting deliverance and freedom.

Those seeking help from Raphah Ministries are first encouraged to attend its monthly healing services in the PJ Centre. These services, held in a non-church environment, provide focussed teaching on healing and discipleship, and opportunities to receive prayer for healing, which may not be available in their own churches. During these services, there is a short worship, an exhortation from God's Word, followed by prayer for all present. Those who require prayer for special needs are invited to come forward so that ministry team members can pray for them individually. Some are healed during these services. But those with deeper needs are encouraged to seek further help. If necessary, the team member may suggest to the person to attend our monthly seminars to get an idea of what may be missing in his understanding of the Christian life," says Rev. Lau.

If the believer urgently needs help, a preliminary interview is arranged. At the interview, a prayer counsellor will assess the situation to determine whether the ministry is able to help the person (and also the nature and extent of the help that can be expected), 

"If a person has a chronic mental problem, we might suggest a psychological or psychiatric evaluation," shares Rev. Lau. "We do not discount the possibility of genetic diseases or other medical issues. We work alongside doctors."