Chapter 8
Fishing for People The primary focus of this book is the demonstration of God’s power through the three things that Jesus taught His disciples to do: preach the kingdom, heal the sick, and cast out demons. But for the sake of getting people started, I have primarily focused on ministering in healing, signs, and wonders. Through the same discipline of shutting off the chatter of the carnal mind, it is possible to begin walking in prophetic words and in words of knowledge as well. You can talk to anyone operating in these gifts and you will find that an important aspect of speaking out God’s personal messages to people involves just opening the mouth and speaking out, without ever engaging the thought processes. The messages that God gives are not received by the focus and concentration of the natural mind but by suspending the natural mind’s function and engaging the Spirit alone. This is also the case when it comes to praying in tongues—the natural mind is not engaged. This is what the Apostle Paul said about praying in tongues. In 1 Corinthians 14:14 (NIV) he said, “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.” When a person is praying in an unknown tongue, their speech is flowing from the mouth, but the natural mind is not the source of the words. They come from the spirit. Speaking out a prophetic word, or word of knowledge from the Lord, often happens this same way. You just start moving your mouth and words come out. You do not even know what’s going to come out until it does. When the utterance emerges from your lips, you are hearing it for the first time along with everyone present. When I speak a word from the Spirit to someone, they may say, “Wow, how did you know that about me?” It pours out without any forethought because it flows directly from God’s Spirit to my spirit and then out of my mouth. You are a son or a daughter of God and you have been given His authority. He wants you to use it for the good of the kingdom. For this reason, your spoken words carry power. All of creation—natural and spiritual—is subject to your words spoken in faith. Sometimes, when ministering healing, something strange will manifest— something that we need to address. There are times when you will command an infirmity to be healed, and instead of going away, it moves. Numerous times I have seen people being prayed for that had a problem with one knee and the pain left that knee and then manifested in the other. In cases like these, there are often demonic spirits involved. This is not something to be alarmed about—demons are subject to your commands just as much as sickness and infirmity are subject to your commands. If you sense that a demonic spirit is involved, command it to leave in Jesus’ name. Sometimes, they try to resist. In those cases I will speak a bit more firmly as if I were giving a command to a disobedient dog. In these situations, you are the master and the spirit must obey you. Never fear demons. If you do, they will recognize that you really don’t know who you are and don’t realize the authority you carry. On the other hand, if you know who you are and you enter a room full of witches and occultists, the scariest person in the room is you. A Responsibility and an Honor Every time I go out, I see people healed. If I don’t go out, not only will I not see a miracle, but someone who could have received a life-changing miracle will have to continue suffering. There is one day a week that I have set aside to go out alone or with a group and do marketplace ministry, whether I feel like it or not. If you wait until you feel like it, then the enemy will do everything in his power to make it difficult for you to ever feel like it. This is like exercising a spiritual muscle. If you will do it faithfully with regular use, you will grow stronger and stronger. Every day that I just decide to do nothing, that I don’t feel like going out, that’s a day that somebody stays in misery or stays lost. I am not saying this to make you feel guilty, but quite the opposite. The fact that you have the power to change lives for now and eternity should get you excited. You carry inside you the answer to every lost person’s need. You can bring deliverance to those who are bound. You can bring hope to the hopeless. You have the answer that someone out there is searching for. In a real sense, you are the “superhero” that brings the world of the impossible into reality. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection changed our world forever. Now He sends you and me. We bring the life-changing words and we bring the life-changing power to those in need. There is no greater honor than being an instrument in God’s hands to turn people towards the Savior and lead them into eternal life. Yes, that’s a heavy responsibility. But oh, what an honor! That is what it feels like if you will step out of your comfort zone and into the miracle of God’s power. What could be more exciting? What could be more important? Doing good works in the name of God is one of the most important things that we have all been called to do. Someone is out there right now. They are hurting and lost and you hold the keys to their new life in your hands. If Jesus calls us to do this, why would we not do it? Go Where the Fish Are When I take people out for training in marketplace ministry, I tell them that we are going “fishing”. Jesus saw some men mending their nets by the Sea of Galilee and called to them saying, “Come, follow me.” What do you suppose they thought He was going to do with them? Was He going to tell them that if they followed Him, He would make them successful businessmen? That He would make them rich? That He would make them powerful like a king or governor? That He would make them into scholars? No, Jesus told them exactly what He intended to do with them, and this is what He said: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” — Matthew 4:19 NIV This is the greatest calling of any man—the greatest good work. As I said, I tell the people I am training, “I am going to take you fishing.” I know where the best fishing hole is and I know how to catch fish. So I can promise them this—we will find fish, but we have no idea what our net will pull up. I can’t tell them how many we will catch, or what kind we will catch, or even if we will catch one fish. But one thing I can promise is that if they never go out where the fish are and drop their net, they definitely will not catch any fish. I am telling you the same thing. It doesn’t matter to the Father how many fish you catch on any given day, but that you are faithful to go out and fish. The idea of going several miles inland and setting up a fish trap on dry land, waiting for some fish to wander into your trap is not the best way to fish. But this is what most people do in Christianity. They build a nice church, they set up an attractive fish trap, and they wait for some unsuspecting fish to wander in and get caught. If you want to catch fish, you need to go where the fish are. They’re not usually in church, so you need to go and find them where they live. Marketplace ministry is the name we give to the act of reaching out to the lost and praying for their needs physically, emotionally, and psychologically in public. This is the same model that the apostles and disciples of Jesus demonstrated from the very beginning of the church age. They did what Jesus did because it works. It’s time to pick up where they left off. It’s now time for the church—not just the TV personalities but the average Christian like you and me—to get out of the pew and work in the field. Because the harvest is ripe and ready to be reaped. Good Works in Action I often get asked, “What do you do before you go out to minister to people?” My answer is always the same: I start my day off with prayer. Prayer is how we get to the mind of the Father. It’s also how to invite His partnership in everything we attempt to do for His kingdom. Prayer is the foundation of every effective spiritual endeavor that we will embark on. No prayer, no power, no direction. In 2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV) the Bible says, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage; with great patience and careful instruction.” The King James Version puts it like this: “Be instant, in season and out.” We need to be ready to minister at a moment’s notice whenever the opportunity arises. I am prepared to minister to people any time of day. But if I’m going to intentionally go out and minister to people, I like to pray first. I also like to read some Scripture as well. God’s Word inspires me in what I am about to do. Combining His Word with prayer is a powerful combination. Then, I purpose in my heart that I’m going to go out and do whatever God and His Holy Spirit direct me to do. I know that whoever God puts before my path is fair game. In this mode, I am ready and willing to pray for anybody, at any time, and in any place. The second question I get is: “How do you approach people?” First, I keep in mind that when I approach them, I am a stranger. This can make people uncomfortable and suspicious. So I normally introduce myself by name. This helps put people at ease. Then I ask, “Can I pray for you? Do you have any pain in your body?” It’s kind of weird to people who have never encountered such things. As you approach a person you’re looking to pray for, walk up with a gentle smile on your face. Now, be careful that your smile doesn’t look scary or forced. That can be off-putting as well. With a reasonably sane-looking smile on your face, simply ask them a question with the same kind of casual ease that you would have if you were asking them for the time. Only this time, you say, “Excuse me, Hi. My name is ______. We are out here today praying for people and God is healing them. Do you have any pain in your body?” There are only three responses you usually have to deal with: “Yes,” “No,” or, “I’m not interested.” When the answer is “Yes,” we walk through that open door and gather further information so that we can address their specific needs. When the answer is “No,” do not assume that means that they don’t want prayer. That could mean that they don’t have any pain. When the answer is anything like “I’m not interested,” just say, “God bless you,” and move on. Don’t force open a closed door. They are not ready. Finding Fish When you’re shopping in a store, you can get yourself accustomed to maintaining a state of heightened awareness of things around you. As you become aware of the people around you, you are always poised for the Holy Spirit to draw your attention to someone that He wants you to reach out and minister to. Sometimes, the greatest ability that will make you a prime candidate to be used by God is availability. Until this becomes your norm, it may seem difficult to break the ice and approach that first person of the day. It’s a bit like getting into a cold pool of water. At first you put your toe in and say, “Oh, no, this is really cold. I don’t know if I really want to do this!” Instead, if you throw yourself in all at once, you’ll find that you acclimate right away. I will walk up to any person—it doesn’t matter what they look like. They can look like the type of person that would reject you right away, but don’t be guided by outward appearances. They could be the type of person that looks hard, dark, and unapproachable. But often, those mental assessments we make about people are wrong. When it comes to approaching people, it is absolutely true that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Often the people that I thought would turn me away are the very ones that say, “Yes! Please pray for me!” At other times, the people that look very friendly, open, and inviting are actually the ones that say, “No! Leave me alone. I don’t want any part of it!” Go ahead—walk up to somebody with a friendly smile on your face and say, “Excuse me, my name is ________. I pray for people and God heals them. Could I pray for you? Do you have any pain in your body?” Sometimes they’ll say, “I have no pain in my body.” You continue on and say, “Is there anything else in your life you would like me to pray for you about?” Sometimes they’ll say, “Well, I have family issues,” or “I have job issues,” or “I have financial issues.” Whatever they bring up, pray about it. Take them as far as they’ll let you take them. I may tell them, “I don’t believe it’s chance that our paths have crossed and we are meeting each other today. I believe that God has arranged this moment. So may I pray for you?” If they say yes and allow me to pray for them, then I will usually say, “I am going to pray for you and you don’t have to do anything but relax and receive.” I have found that if they pray with me, it often interferes because they may not be praying with the same understanding or level of faith. Also, as I am trying to pour into them and they are pouring out, this can sometimes hinder their receiving. That was the case with a young man I met named Oliver. I met Oliver in a mall. When Oliver moved his neck or back, he experienced shooting pain at a level of about four of five. In Oliver’s situation, I wanted to do something a little different. Instead of praying for Oliver out loud, I handed him a card that I had delegated the authority to heal to. That’s right—if Jesus can delegate to me, I can delegate to others. Even cards! “That’s interesting,” Oliver said after a moment of holding the card. He twisted and turned in his seat. “I’m working harder to feel any pain.” Oliver didn’t seem to fully grasp that he was being healed! But he was being healed, and he just needed to relax and receive it. Just in case the part about delegating healing authority to an object sounds strange to you, I’ll note this Scripture from Acts: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (Acts 19:11-12 NIV). It might be strange, but it is 100% biblical! Now, you don’t necessarily have to do these things exactly the way I do them. The particular mechanisms I describe in this book are just what I have found works for me. When starting out, it’s best to be open to different ways and methods and mechanisms God might want to use to heal people. In time you will learn what works for you, and you will have an approach all your own. It is important that you tailor your approach to match your own personality. If it is too canned or rehearsed, you will not come across as genuine. Ready, Set, Action! People from all over the world have discovered God’s healing power and salvation without ever leaving their home by watching videos of healings. If you would like to record your encounters, I have found a pretty successful method of getting people to permit me to film. I don’t walk up to them with a camera in their face. That is a big turn-off. I don’t say, “Can I film this?” because they are not sure what you are going to do with it and they might be afraid that you would do something that would embarrass them. Instead I say, “I teach people how to pray for folks. Would you mind if I record it?” Most of the time, they will allow me to record the encounter because when they see that I am doing something for the purpose of teaching others. This seems like a much more worthy cause than just putting something on YouTube so that your channel can get more views. Almost all of my videos have been recorded on a GoPro camera because it is compact, non–intimidating, and it produces a high-quality image. As far as using a tripod, I don’t. I have become pretty competent at holding it with my hand. I have no zoom control. I have no viewfinder. I just point and shoot. That’s all I’m doing because the less fussing with adjustments, the more comfortable the subject will be. I believe in making things as simple as possible. As I hold the camera in one hand, I lay my other hand on the subject. If the subject is a woman, I’ll ask permission to place my hand on them. Then, I place my hand near the place of pain or infirmity. If the pain is in a more sensitive location on her body, I’ll have the woman put her hand on the infirmity and then I’ll touch her hand with mine. Prior to praying for the subject, I will ask them to assess their pain level by assigning it a number from one to 10. Then I will tell them to relax and receive my prayer. When they relax, they become more receptive to your prayers. If they are Christians, I will tell them, “Please don’t pray, just let me pray.” You don’t want anything conflicting with your prayer. Now, let’s suppose the subject has a bad right knee, for example. I’ll say, “I speak to this right knee. Knee, I command you to be made whole right now in Jesus’ name! Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves, be healed now!” “Now” is the word that I say right before I silence my mind and think nothing. “Now” is like pulling the trigger, and the moment that follows is the silent watching to see when the bullet strikes the target. “Now” is a word that tells the infirmity not to simply go “someday” in the future. “Now” is a command that tells the infirmity when it must go. If you were going to evict a deadbeat renter, you wouldn’t tell them to pack up and leave. Rather, you would give them a written notification that would specify a date they must be gone. You have authority. Use it to its fullest extent and be specific. I often address the pain separately after I command the healing. Physical Healing versus Pain Healing A physical healing and pain healing are two different healings. Sometimes, it’s not a pain issue, but a functional issue. Perhaps they have no pain, but they are blind, deaf, paralyzed, or simply can’t raise their arm to a certain height or move their leg in a certain way. In those cases, you will need to have them test out the problem before you pray. After praying, ask them to test it again to see if they have improved. Or, in cases where a medical test is required, I ask them to follow up with me after their next medical appointment or test. Take Angela’s case, for example. We hold healing services in our church on the first Sunday evening of each month. We get people coming in from all over the world for prayer. I have taught our congregation that any believer can pray and see miracles, and on this particular occasion, there were perhaps 20 people up front with me praying for the needs of the individuals who had come. The next person standing in line came to me and told me her name was Angela. Angela was about 35 years old, and standing next to her was her daughter who was about 16. They both looked very healthy, so I asked what they needed prayer for. Angela told me that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had tumors, one on her breast as well as one on her forearm. I prayed for the cancer to go and for her to be completely healed. We looked at the tumor on her forearm and it had begun to flatten out. Neither Angela nor her daughter could believe it. I then told Angela to go to her doctor and have him look for the tumors. A short time later Angela came to my office and told me that the doctor couldn’t find any cancer in her body. In fact, her results were so confounding that he sent her in for more detailed and accurate tests. I told Angela that when it was all over, I wanted to hear about it and I also wanted medical documentation of the results. Several weeks later Angela came back to my office with the documentation in her hands and the lump on her forearm flattened out completely. The video of this testimony can be found on my YouTube page under the video titled: Breast Cancer Tumor Vanishes in Jesus Name! – Tom Loud When it comes to pain, you first ask their level of pain. Then you say, “Excellent, we’re going to take that down to a zero.” That sounds pretty bold, but it is a step of faith. I have found that when I say it, the Lord backs up my faith-filled words with better results than if I don’t say it. For example, Derek. I met Derek in a parking garage. Derek had severe neuropathy on his right side as a result of his diabetes. If you do not already know, diabetic neuropathy can be quite serious and debilitating—as it was in Derek’s case. When I asked Derek his pain level, he said it was a twelve. Instead of praying for him myself, I had a guy I was training named Matt pray for him. Matt prayed and then rested a moment. I asked Derek to check his pain. He looked dumbfounded, feeling around his leg. His reaction was one of the most sincere I’ve ever witnessed. He couldn’t form a sentence—he just kept feeling his right leg, mouth agape. I asked him how long he’d had the pain previously. “Eight years.” After Derek realized that he had truly been healed, tears sprang to his eyes. He couldn’t believe he’d finally been set free. This isn’t about a formulated prayer. This is about walking with your Father, knowing that He has authorized you to use His authority, and knowing that no matter how you say it or what you do, He will back you up. Sometimes, I pray for them silently, and at other times, I say words. You’re going to have to try different things and find out what works best for you. You are also going to need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, because sometimes, God will direct you to do things a certain way in a specific situation. God will honor you because you are doing the Father’s business. As you begin to step out of your comfort zone, in faith, expect that your Father will go with you. Believe that He is for you, and that He will back you up. And He will. You Can Do This! Perhaps this proposition sounds a bit too outside of the box for you. Perhaps this is something you have never done and aren’t even certain that you can do. Yes, those are thoughts that you may be having, but thoughts are just thoughts. They have no substance and are not necessarily true. I want you to know this–the more that you step out and just do it, the bolder you will become. And what actually happens is that after you do it for a while, you begin to love it because that’s what God made you for–His service. I have a friend who was a paratrooper in the Army. Sometimes, people join the Army thinking that they are going to get to do one thing, but the Army has other ideas. You may sign up and think you’re going to learn computers, but they decide they want you to be a paratrooper. You could protest and tell them that you have a fear of heights and they may say, “Well, that’s too bad, because you will be jumping!” Next thing you know, you’re sitting in a classroom learning about gravity and what to do as soon as you leave that plane. This might be your worst nightmare, but your instructor is not interested in your personal problems. After the classroom comes the physical training. You are told to climb towers of various heights and then, connected to a zip-line, you’re commanded, “Jump!” After a while, in spite of your pleading and reasoning, the day comes to jump out of a plane. You say, “No! I can’t do it!” The instructor says, “Either you do it, or you’re going to end up in federal prison!” So you suit up and get in the plane, but you are scared to death. Then the moment comes when you are standing in a line of men about to jump. Before you know it, it’s your turn. The jumpmaster says to you, “Jump!” You say, “I can’t. I’m afraid!” Do you know what happens next? They push you out. If you go up, you will go out. Somehow, you survive. You say to yourself, “Thank God that is over. I will never do that again!” The next thing you know, you’re back in that plane again. For the first 10 jumps, they are quite happy to push you out. But somewhere along the line, you decide that you don’t want their help, so you just jump. After 20 times or so, you’ve resigned yourself to the fact that you are going to have to obey orders even if it kills you. But then comes jump number 50, and this time when the jumpmaster says jump, you don’t bat an eyelid. You just jump. Suddenly, you realize that you’re over it. You’re no longer afraid. Jumping is no longer a big deal. The more that you do something you are afraid of, the less afraid you will become. You may even find that after the fear is gone, you actually develop a pleasure in doing the thing you once dreaded. So, ready or not, let’s get started! Plan to go. Set a date to go out alone or with a partner and keep that date. With prayer and intention, go out to a mall or to a park and politely walk up to whoever God places in your path. You may be saying, “But what if I fail?” Well, I have two things to say about that. The first is, “You can’t fail because stepping out and doing kingdom business is obeying God’s Word and doing God’s work. Obedience is never counted as a failure.” Failure would be if you failed to go. The second is, “What if you are successful?” Well, that would be life-changing for both you and the person you’re praying for. We initiate the contact. That is our part and then the Lord does the miracle. That is His part. Just do your part and leave the rest to Jesus! Finally, I would never leave a baby out in the woods at the mercy of the wolves. So I always give contact information to the people I am ministering to. When you’re ministering, give them a card from your church or your personal number so they can be supported, so they can know that there is always someone there for them to reach out to when they need help or direction. Go! Jesus said to the twelve, “Come.” That was His first command to them. But after He trained them, and just before He was caught up into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, He gave them another command: “Go!” He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. — Mark 16:15-20 NIV When you opened this book, you already had all the keys you needed to operate in the supernatural. You have the key of identity as a child of God. You have the key of the authority of Christ through his death and resurrection. You have the key of the Spirit mind through God’s Holy Spirit. You have the key to overcoming the carnal mind by commanding it into silence. Finally, you have the key of calling, knowing that Jesus has not only asked you to go preach His kingdom, but He has commanded it. You have answered the “come” by choosing to follow Christ. All that’s left now is for you to “go!” Acknowledgments I would like to give special thanks to my friend Pete Cabrera Jr. for all of his insight, inspiration, and encouragement and also to Michael Chen, who was instrumental in making this book possible. I would also like to thank all of my friends and family at Shoreline Full Gospel Fellowship and Royal Family International University. Thank you all and may God bless you richly!