Before we actually pray for healing, some things need to be set in order. Something this important cannot be jumped into at the last minute.

1. Obey the laws of health. Some people violate the basic rules of good health and exercise and expect God to bail them out of an unhealthy lifestyle. At times people do more than they are physically capable of doing and their bodies out. It is amazing how much healing a good rest will bring into a worn-out body. Divine healing is no substitute for good habits of health and a healthy lifestyle. The Bible tells us that whatsoever we sow, that shall we also reap.
2. Examine for hidden sin. Some people harbor secret sins expecting God to turn a blind eye to this. Sin, fundamentally, will come between a person and God's provision. Every aspect of sin in our life must be confessed and dealt with before we pray for healing. Sin sometimes is so insidious it takes a real work of the Holy Spirit to uncover it. Until sin is confessed, no amount of prayer or "commanding in Jesus' name," will bring the healing touch of God.
3. Spiritual warfare. Often the enemy's attacks on the Christian are so vicious that health is wrecked. Job is a good example of this in the Old Testament. Some illnesses have a demonic connection. Not all, a discerning spirit needs to verify if the sickness is of the enemy or not. Normal prayer will not touch this. Such times call for a person to have these demonic powers cast out of their life.
4. Thorn in the flesh. This is probably a rare instance but it does happen. The apostle Paul had what he called a "thorn in the flesh." When such an occasion happens, no amount of prayer will take it away. Paul prayed three times and then God told him to stop praying for that. Not every illness is a "thorn in the flesh." This is a special provision of God to accomplish a specific purpose.
5. Prayer and fasting. Some illnesses call for spiritual discipline above the ordinary. This discipline rest upon those who are praying for someone who was sick. Often the sick person has no strength to engage in prayer for himself. There needs to be in every local congregation a band of believers who give themselves to this ministry of prayer and fasting especially for those who are sick. With every advancement of medical technology, people seem to be getting sicker and sicker. God's people need to know how to break the power of sickness.
6. Call for the elders of the church. This is the basic New Testament instruction. Never has the church been instructed to chase after some "celebrity healer," but rather we are to submit to the authority of the local church. When things are done outside of the local church, it is easy to bypass God's simple provision.

God does heal today. There is too much evidence to the contrary. However, God in every generation and dispensation works within the confines of clearly established guidelines. To get all God has for us we need to be so positioned that God can have all of us.