While attending a spring concert at a nearby college this past Saturday, a young woman was asked to pray over the offering they collected, she not only prayed for the offering but for all in attendance. She also prayed for physical as well as emotional healing. “Wow!! We just don’t hear that too often,” I thought to myself. It seems to be common place for us as Believers to request prayer for our physical healing or pray for others to be healed. But we don’t often talk about or include emotional healing in our public prayers. This made me ask, “Why?”
I’m not sure I have the answer, but I think it might stem from the fact that emotional issues are often our dirty little secrets. They are the things kept in the closets and tucked away in the deepest recesses of our souls. Because the truth is, you don’t just get over a childhood of abuse or neglect. The residue of rape doesn’t somehow just disappear. You may not have any telltale scars that others can see, but the emotional scars of physical and mental abuse run deep in our souls. The death of a child, whether by accident, illness or murder, cuts to the core of our innermost being and the hurt and emotional devastation of our loss will not leave on its own. To be abandoned by a spouse who promised before God and man, “Till death do you part”, rocks your world in a way that can make you feel hopeless and emotionally unstable. The loss of one’s job and the trickle down effects of losing your home, car and other worldly possessions can send you emotionally on the brink of no return. To lose a spouse of many years can be emotional devastating. But these are everyday occurrences in our lives, yet we seem to forget that those who are experiencing these test and trials need prayer for their emotional healing and wellbeing.
If you are one who has been emotionally healed from one of life’s many hardships, I ask that you pray for all women who are in that place you once were. You don’t have to know them by name, because you know them all to well by circumstance. If you’ve ever lived in a shelter, pray for those who find themselves there today. If you have ever struggled with the root of rejection and loss of a marriage…pray for your sisters who are struggling to move on and forgive. Women are raped and abused everyday, and if you have experienced this heinous crime, pray for others as you know what it has taken to heal and be whole again. If you have lived through the guilt of an abortion, pray for those who find themselves walking in those old pair of shoes of yours.
On the other hand you may be one who is hiding your emotional turmoil and pain. You may not want others to know what you’re going through; because like so many of us you’ve been duped into thinking you are a weak Christian. “Why are you so hurt?” “You’re not the first woman to be left by her man and you will probably not be the last!” you may think others might say this about you. The truth is pain-is-pain and hurt-is-hurt and no matter how you get to that point, it can make you emotionally sick and deceased in your soul.
We are quick to request healing for our physical bodies. We will even hop a plan to go to a healing service to have hands laid on us for healing. But we are slow and secretive about asking for emotional healing for our souls. But it is time for that to stop. If you are one who is suffering in silence, please suffer no more. If your church is setup with those who can help and counsel you please seek them out. But if not there are many groups out here that offer support for you.
The next time you are asked to pray, as you stand at the Throne of Grace, please ask our Father for emotional healing of those in His presence. There are far too many broken women in the Body of Christ.
Shalom (nothing broken, nothing missing) my dear sisters.
Love & Hugs
Ponnie
See you tomorrow!
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