Steps to Listening Prayer

Listening Prayer for Healing: A 6-Step Guide

Listening Prayer—drawn from Rusty Rustenbach's teachings—unlocks God's voice through the Holy Spirit, your Wonderful Counselor. This practice heals broken hearts and brings freedom from sin and wounds, as promised in Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.”

We've witnessed clients break cycles of anxiety, shame, and relational pain. True transformation happens when God shows up: “Unless God does a miracle, this is going to be a disaster” (Rustenbach, Listening Prayer, p. 31).

Why Listening Prayer Transforms Lives

God speaks today to guide, restore, and reveal truth. In our sessions, it uncovers pain's roots, replaces lies with identity in Christ, and fosters intimacy.

We have the mighty counselor wonderful counselor, helper and advocate in the person of the Holy Spirit. God is concerned with healing our broken hearts and setting us free from our sin and woundedness.

“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.” Isaiah 61:1

God changes lives. We hear about this over and over again in testimonies.   As Rusty Rustenbach says on p. 31 of Listening Prayer , “Unless God shows up and does a miracle, this is going to be a disaster.”

Before Beginning: Use This Guide To Getting Started

👉This Guide will help you with preparation if you are not sure what to ask God.

👉This Guide give examples of requests that are often brought before God in listening prayer.

The 6 Core Steps

Follow these in personal prayer or our guided sessions.

1. Prepare Yourself and Your Space

• Find a quiet location with minimal distractions, allowing your soul to be still and attentive.

• Take a few deep breaths to settle your mind.

• Be: Be present with God. I am with the Great I am.

• Create a posture of presence before God.  I am with the Great I AM. 

• Remove distractions

• Maintain a posture of receiving.: an open heart, mind, body, and spirit to God.

2. Invite God’s Presence

Begin by inviting the Holy Spirit to guide your time and silence every competing thought or distraction.

• Sample prayers:

  • Jesus, keep any other voice that isn’t yours from distracting me. Speak, Lord—your servant is listening.

  • Father, I come to you seeking wisdom and guidance, and ask for your voice alone to be present.

• Ask Jesus to manifest His presence in a special way.

  • “We all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” —2 Corinthians 3:18

  • Come Lord Jesus, come. Come Father God, come. Come Holy Spirit, come. Transform me into your likeness.

• Exercise the authority of Christ over all other voices that may try to speak—whether self‑talk or spiritual attack.

  • “Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” —James 4:7

  • “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” —Matthew 28:18

  • In the name of Christ, command aloud that all other voices not from God be silent. (Satan is not omniscient and cannot read minds.)

• Ask Jesus to search your heart and reveal anything that needs His healing touch.

  • “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” —Psalm 139:23‑24

  • God, you know my heart and anxious thoughts better than I do. My heart is not a puzzle to you.
    Would you search deeper into my inner person and bring to the surface anything needing your healing?
    Take me to the root of things, Lord, and only bring up what would be helpful for healing and appropriate for this moment.3. Ask—State Your Request

3. Ask—State Your Request

Clearly ask God a specific question, share your need, or seek guidance on an area of your life.  A facilitator may ask for you.  

• “Jesus, what do You think about this?” or “How do you want me to pray for this person?” 

• Ask God where to begin

• Identify and bring in an emotion

• Identify and bring in a somatic sensation

• Bring events that had outsized reactions (feelings thermometer) 

• See list of common requests above.

• Allow yourself to feel some of that feeling (activate it)

• Can’t change what we don’t touch

• Ask Jesus to communicate with you 

• Jesus, what is your word for me today? 

• God why did I get __(so angry, anxious, scared) during ___(my conversation with my spouse)?  What was being triggered/ stirred/ pushed on?

4. Wait in Silence

Spend several minutes (start with 3–10 minutes) quietly waiting, listening for impressions, words, or feelings that might be God’s response.

• If thoughts wander, gently refocus without judgment.

• No pressure

• Avoid rationalizing/ leaning on our own understanding

• “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation” Psalm 62:1

5. Pay Attention and Note Impressions

Write down any Scriptures, images, songs, words, or feelings that come to mind during this time.

• Write it so you won’t forget.  Share it aloud so another can track what God is doing. 

• If nothing surfaces, ask God if there’s a different question you should be asking, or simply trust that silence is sometimes the answer.

6. Reflect, Confirm, and Obey

Review what you received; test impressions for consistency with Scripture and God’s character.

• Confirm with the Holy Spirit.  “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.”  Romans 8:16

• Was what I heard characteristic of the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit?  Or consistent with the fruits of the flesh and sin? 

• Share with a trusted friend or prayer partner to seek confirmation and discernment.

• Respond obediently to the guidance received, even if it’s a small step.

7. Repeat steps 3-6 each time you receive a new impression. 

The facilitator/ prayer partner asks God in the following pattern: 

1. The facilitator asks God a question on behalf of the person who hopes to receive healing.  

2. The receiver gets an impression from God and shares it aloud with the facilitator.  

3. The facilitator asks God a follow up question.  (p 168 Rustenbaugh) 

8. Commemorate your healing

1. Use physical items that represent spiritual truths as ebenezeers

2. Journal your inner healing

3. Memorize scripture that speaks to that area of your life/ wounding/ beliefs

Take it Deeper with the Following Elements:

• Ask God to reveal the origins of the wounding or roots.

  • God, when was the first time (person’s name) experienced this feeling or felt this way?
    (For example: worthless, unloved, alone, or other negative beliefs.)

  • Floatback prayer: God, would you gently take (person’s name) to an earlier time—maybe in childhood—when they felt this way?

  • Jesus, reveal the root to (person’s name).

  • Read 👉How our Early Experience Affect Stay With Us.

• Ask God to reveal Core Beliefs.

  • God, what did (person’s name) come to believe about themselves, about You, and about others in the midst of this event?

  • Read 👉 Theology of the Heart: A Guide to Understanding Our Lived Out Beliefs

• Use the 5 R’s (add more detail later if needed)

  • Recognize: Identifying the specific sin, negative pattern, or "bitter root" judgment in your heart.

    • Read 👉 A Guide to Becoming More Self Aware

  • Repent: Taking responsibility for your own sinful responses and judgments, asking God for forgiveness.

  • Relinquish/Release: Choosing to forgive others and releasing your right to hold onto offenses or bitterness.

  • Renounce: Verbally coming out of agreement with lies or inner vows that have governed your behavior.

  • Resurrection/Replace: Asking God to replace the old pattern with His truth and to bring "new life" or blessing where there was once a wound.

• Elements to look for:

  • Forgiveness

  • Vows- “Never Again will I…”

  • Pronouncements and labels

  • Lies: 👉 Are These Lies Hurting My Faith

  • Burdens

  • Expectancies

  • Pain avoidance

  • Blocks to Change

    • Anger

    • Safety concerns (“If I let this go, I won’t be safe”)

    • Older roots

    • Getting something from it the issue or being attached to it

    • Revenge

    • Monetary reasons to be attached to it

    • Over‑analytical or rationalizing tendencies (not engaging the heart)

    • Need to be in control

Hearts break—we overreact from past vows, judgments, or filters (Psalm 109:22). God’s living Word speaks through impressions. Position expectantly; He moves in perfect timing.