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Healing of Damaged Emotions

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."¹

Dr. S. McMillen told of a patient of his who had an asthma attack whenever he heard a church bell ring. Why was this?

"Several years before, while waiting for his bride to arrive at the church, just as the church bell was ringing, he heard that his fiancée had changed her mind. The emotional shock brought on a severe attack of asthma.

"In the years that followed, every time he heard a church bell, he was seized with an asthma attack."

This is just one of endless ways in which painful memories can cause sickness, emotional problems, negative reactions, or broken relationships for which inner healing of damaged emotions is needed.

Speaking personally, when I was only five years old, my little sister took sick suddenly and died. I'm sure people meant well and tried to comfort me in my loss by telling me that Jesus took her to be with him in Heaven. Unfortunately that didn't comfort me because for many, many years every time I said the name of Jesus my stomach would cringe. I could say Jesus Christ, or just Christ, but I couldn't say Jesus without over-reacting. And, as a small child, this also left me with a deep fear of getting into close relationships because I feared if I loved someone, they would leave me.

So how did I overcome? I wish I could give you a quick-fix-simple answer, but I can't.

First, I needed to acknowledge my problem and learn why I couldn't say the name of Jesus without cringing, and also why I was so afraid to love. The biggest challenge was breaking through my defenses, because my fear and damaged emotions were deeply buried. Second, I prayed earnestly that God would face me with the truth of what was the root cause/s of my fear. Third, I also prayed that God would lead me to the therapy help I needed because I knew that if I didn't resolve my fear, I would keep running from love for the rest of my life. Consequently, I did need a considerable amount of in-depth therapy to resolve and overcome my damaged emotions. However, while breaking through my defenses was very painful, it was well worth it and very freeing.

Finally, and most important of all, I had to genuinely want to be healed and be willing to do everything I needed to do in order to be healed. As Jesus said to the sick man, "Do you want to be made well?"² The fact is, the half-hearted are never willing to pay the price for healing and never make it. We have to want healing with all of our heart.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in all of life's struggles please confront me with the truth of what I am in any way contributing to the situations I am in, knowing that facing the truth is the beginning point of being healed and set free.³ Thank you, too, for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

1. James 5:16 (NIV).
2. John 5:6 (NIV).
3. John 8:32.

For additional help, read the article, "Overcoming Damaged Emotions" at: www.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=72&d=1&c=4&p=1, also "Forgiveness, the Power That Heals," online at: www.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=1&d=1&c=4&p=1.

I also encourage you to listen to the CD message, "Healing, Wholeness and Happiness," by yours truly. This can be purchased online at: http://actscom.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16. Also read the book, "You Can't Fly With a Broken Wing" at: http://actscom.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14.

For counseling resources see: www.actsweb.org/counseling_resources.php.

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