Everybody wants to be healed. Whether we are suffering from physical or mental pain or illness, grief, anger, demonic possession, or any number of other ailments, all of us want to finding healing.

One healing practice that’s become fairly popular in recent years is Reiki. Reiki involves tapping into a person’s spiritual energy (whether positive or negative), and then dispelling the negative energy by releasing it into the surrounding atmosphere. This may involve physical touch, but can also be done remotely by those who can sense a spiritual “field” of energy surrounding the person to be healed.

I myself practice something similar to this (though I must emphasize, what I’m doing is not actually Reiki).

Whether or not people are actually surrounded by a field of spiritual energy, it certainly seems that way; and when I can sense this, I can take the negative energy (pain) into myself and then release it. I have helped more than one person heal from chronic pain using this method.

There’s at least one significant way that I differ from most actual Reiki practitioners: I always call on the name of Jesus (and often also the name of Sophia (the Holy Spirit) and Abba/Jehovah (God the Father)) to assist me in the healing.

I do this because the source of healing I know isn’t an impersonal force or simply “energy” (indeed, not all spiritual energy is the same, and some may even be demonic!); He/She is a living God – a God I am in close relationship with.

I further believe that this relationship provides me with more power for healing than what’s available to those who don’t know God in a personal way.

Christians have long affirmed that there’s healing power in the name of Jesus – a claim that has much support in Scripture.

In the gospel of John. Jesus promises to do whatever we ask in His name (John 14:13-14, 16:23-24).

This promise was fulfilled when the early disciples cast out demons in Jesus’ name (Luke 10:17-20), and also performed miraculous physical healings in the same manner (Acts 3:1-16).

Scripture also affirms that there is power for protection in the name of God the Father (John 17:11-12); and that whoever finds God’s wisdom (personified as the feminine Hokma in Hebrew or Sophia in Greek) “finds life and obtains favor from the Lord” (Prov 8:35).

So we see that there is power for healing, not just in Jesus’ name, but also in the names of the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is just one reason why we are told to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name(s) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).

It’s important to remember, though, that the Lord’s name is not a magic talisman that can be used to get whatever we want.

Jesus warns us that “not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” and that healing others in His name will be useless if we don’t know Him personally – or if we have no interest in a life centered in God’s will (Matt 7:21-23).

When we do come to know Jesus in this personal way, however, we come to know the will of His Father – and are given the strength we need to do it. Healing ourselves and others then comes naturally.

Following this line of thought, I often pray for healing (both for myself and for others) in all of the Divine names. Sometimes I also add the names of saints and angels. I find that when I do, the healing seems to be more effective than when I don’t.

I’m not completely sure why there’s more power for healing when I call on the name of Jesus, or Sophia, or Abba, or certain angels or saints.

Would it make any difference if different names were used? Is there the same power for healing in the name of Krishna, or the Buddha? I can’t say for sure. But one thing does seem clear to me: knowing God personally, whatever we may call Him/Her, makes a big difference.

When it comes to healing, it really does matter”who you know!” For those who know the Living God personally, there is power in the name(s).

(Coming Soon: “Why the Devil?” The Role of Satan in God’s Eternal Plan)