Healed of 35 Years of PTSD Through Inner Healing and Deliverance Prayer

The testimony below is from Robert Thomas, a Sergeant in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. God set him free through a short inner healing and deliverance prayer session over Skype. I share this to let you know that prayer is the answer to lives being lived in turmoil. We appreciate so much the sacrifice of each one who has served in the military, and we say thank you to you all! Part of our thank you is that we as the Church can minister healing prayer to your leftover hurts and you can be set free. As we pray for one another we are healed.

Sgt. Robert Thomas’ Story

During a webinar where we were going thru the Bible with Mark Virkler, the subject of dreams came up and for some reason I was led to share why I thought I didn't have dreams: as a Vietnam vet I had no desire to dream.

Being a Vietnam vet I believe I was protected by divine intervention and did not go "in country", but stayed state side.  Why do I think this was divine?  Well, I was in the Corps for six and a half years and never left the States.  If you were a Marine during the time of conflict you know that's nearly impossible. Anyway, what the Lord did allow me to do the last two years of my service was to work in the chaplains’ office. I was NCOIC of the chaplains’ office MCAS Yuma, AZ. 

I was active in our church where we had Bible studies almost every night. I led prayer meetings which were awesome. We came against the evil that was around us the best we knew how and even though I was not a Chaplain, many men confided in me, letting me in on things that happened while they were "in country". We prayed for healing concerning the terrors that plagued them and for their protection. Mostly I was an ear, someone they could talk to. I counted it a blessing to be able to listen and offer an understanding ear. 

As a result, I found myself dreaming the same dreams they described to me and I would wake up in the middle of the night sweating, afraid, gasping for air. I could only take so much of this and then I developed a defense which was, not to dream. If I started to dream I would wake up automatically in order to halt it. After a few years it became a part of my behavior. So I rarely slept more than a few hours at a time.    

After a while, I resorted to drugs to help me sleep. Then I needed something to help me stay awake. The enemy of man had wormed his way into my life. Drugs and alcohol were dulling my senses and relieving my pain; or so I thought, until they became the source of my guilt and shame before the Lord. So my focus became getting back to My Lord and Savior.

I testify to this - that He never left me, He was always faithful. He was always calling me back and providing a way of escape. It was many years of struggle as I would get on my knees mostly in shame that I, being a child of the King, had fallen so far. As I said, He was always faithful, and when I reached out in my anguish with my whole heart He touched me and delivered me from drugs and alcohol.

After being clean and free of drugs for 13 years I still had the problem on not sleeping well as I was still fearful of dreaming. Last year, the Lord led my wife and me to CLU and their course on hearing God's voice. We loved the course and have even led several small groups thru the class. I received visions from the Lord, and oh my, the emotions I had when I could see Him take me in his arms and just hold me and then to walk with me and encourage me. These experiences are such a treasure that I cannot explain them fully. 

I think the Lord prepared me for the day Mark said to me, “Call me tomorrow and we will pray for God to heal your fear of dreams". So I was eager to get rid of the root, this stronghold that did not belong in me. I did call Mark and we got on Skype so I could see him and he prayed over me as the Lord allowed me to use my own hands on my heart and on my head as the Holy Spirit flooded me with his Love and I felt peace and confidence overcome me. The confidence was that the Lord is able and willing to heal us, and deliver out of darkness, He knows our heart and what is hurting us, He alone is able to tear down strongholds and set us free to be free indeed. 

As we prayed, I do remember using vision. I pictured myself on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and as I usually do, I saw Jesus sitting next to a small campfire preparing a meal. As I got near, I could see His open arms. I ran to Him and when I placed my hands on my heart and on my head they were His hands and, yes, I did have a lot of tears because when you encounter the Love of Christ there is nothing that can stand against it and I did feel His presence all around me.

Fear was gone the moment I touched Him and what I remember most was the filling of my heart and mind with confidence that I had been healed, delivered and set free, so much so that there was no place for doubt, there was no room for darkness. I remember something running away from me. It was gone in an instant and I didn't give it much thought because of what I was receiving. I definitely know there was a spirit of fear that left me and has not been back. I was overcome with Love, Peace and Joy I could hardly contain it. 

Insert from Mark Virkler: We prayed inner healing prayer, asking Jesus to meet with Robert and touch him and release the trauma that was in his heart and mind. This is when Jesus held Robert. We spoke to the trauma and fear resident in his cells and commanded it to leave in Jesus’ name. We commanded demons of fear to leave in Jesus’ name. We took the time to enjoy the touch of the Lord and to rest in His arms and receive His grace. No rushing. The prayer went something like this…

“Lord, circumcise Roberts’s heart. Cut out the fear and trauma. We command trauma to be released in Jesus’ name. Trauma, be gone in Jesus’ name! Fear, be gone in Jesus’ name! We bind all demons connected with this fear and trauma and command them to leave in Jesus’ name! Now! (Repeated this 2-3 times.) Lord, give Robert a new heart, a healed heart, a heart of peace, in Jesus’ name. We speak peace to his heart. Peace, flood his heart, in Jesus’ name. Thank You, Lord.” Robert was able to release this fear and trauma with a fair amount of tears, and receive a new heart from the Lord, a heart of peace. Glory be to God!

And He was not done blessing Kelly and me. The very next weekend there were three prophets at our church and they prophesied over us. This was another awesome experience. One of the things said was, "There is a line drawn in the sand you will not cross. You will not go back to Egypt, history is history. The past is the past. God has put vision in you and you are servants in the house." That was a small part of the full prophecy, and they knew nothing about us or what I had gone thru. This was such a great confirmation.

That night I slept so well I think I had a smile on my face all night. I am no longer afraid to dream and I continue to ask that the Lord to only allow me to have dreams from Him, and that I welcome His dreams. It was a couple weeks before I had a dream and it was from the Lord. It seemed short but so powerful to me. As a result of this dream, I prayed for just a few minutes and God tore out something that has vexed me for over 30 years. My sleep for the last month has been peaceful. God is faithful.

I think God uses other people to pray for us because we must be humble enough to ask for prayer and faithful enough to receive from the Lord. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. Plus He Loves to bless us, the one giving, the one receiving, even those who hear of it.  May the Lord give you strength to reach out for help. My brothers and sisters, the Lord is near.

RC Thomas

Sgt USMC

1972-1978

Additional Resources

1. Blogs: “Deliverance from Demons Through a Revelation-based Power Encounter” and Deliverance Came BEFORE Water Baptism in the Early Church and Deliverance from Demons Without Trauma! You Can Help Set the Captives FREE!
2. Blogs: Deliverance Pictured, Deliverance Cheat Sheet, Healed of 35 Years of PTSD Through Inner Healing and Deliverance Prayer, Deliverance Came BEFORE Water Baptism in the Early Church, Teaming Up for Deliverance: A Prophet & Teacher Minister Together, Deliverance Brought a Miracle and 20 People Were Saved!, Prayer Ministry of Identifying and Releasing “Alters” to Jesus,  
3.  “Prayers That Heal the Heart Discounted Package” which includes the book, the LEARN Notebook, two Contributing Strands worksheets, the CD set and the DVD set. 
4. Video: Q&A on Deliverance with a group
5. Information about hosting a Prayers That Heal the Heart Seminar in your community with Dr. Mark Virkler. 
6. List of Demons Names - Types (Compliments of Restoring the Foundations)
7. Suggested Prayer Counseling Links
8. Many Additional Free Deliverance Counseling Tools
9. How to Hear God's Voice and Prayers That Heal the Heart may be taken with a Personal Spiritual Trainer (coach) or as a correspondence college student with CLU.