Healing from Trauma
Trauma is
something negative which happens to us, that’s beyond our control. There are
many and varied types of trauma. A traumatic experience can be felt as having
happened just yesterday, although years may have passed. Even though many years
may have passed, memories of a trauma can still bring tears to your eyes today.
Trauma
comes in all types and sizes. Some are big, some small, some through physical
trauma, some emotional. Some trauma comes through loved ones, some through
loss. There is a myriad of ways for a person to feel the effects of trauma and
each situation is unique to each person.
As a
Christian, we can pray to release and remove trauma, not only from our own
lives, but the lives of others also. We don’t have to be near the person,
either. We can pray from wherever we are, even if we’re at a distance. We pray for
the trauma to be removed, the shock to be removed and the Lord to come and heal
the person.
There’s no
time frame. Whether the trauma happened yesterday or thirty years ago, we can still
pray for healing right at this moment.
For those
of us who are old enough to remember 9/11 and the consistent barrage on the tv,
over and over again from our living
room, it’s still a vivid memory, even today. We all remember exactly where we were
when that event took place and we remember it like it’s yesterday, even though
it’s been over 20 years.
Children
see death in their living rooms and in their bedrooms, as they connect to the
internet. Some say we are desensitized to the trauma of death, but it’s still
there, lingering and hidden in the dark recesses of our mind.
Demonic
activity is very real to a child and very traumatic, as they dream dreams.
Demonic activity can halt the child from pursuing the prophetic, as the fear
they feel stops them from taking steps to develop in that area.
Even in the
womb, a child may register trauma after another event, in which the trauma
entered earlier in the piece, even before the child was conceived. For there is
power, not only in the blood of Jesus, but also in our own DNA. Our genes carry
trauma and it’s passed on to the baby within.
God said to
Cain, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me
from the ground.” (Genesis 4:9) Blood speaks. The land cries out, after a
traumatic battle, where people have been injured and killed. All creation is
groaning, as it waits for us to walk in the dominion mandate that God’s called
us to.
Often, we
feel like a victim and we need to lose that victim mentality. We are to ‘loose’
certain things in our lives (... and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven Matt 18:18). Put on the armour of God and walk in victory. Is it
easy? Not always. We all have trauma. And what’s easy for one person to get
over, isn’t necessarily easy for the person standing beside them.
We grow in
our difficulties. Difficulties aren’t always a bad thing, though none of us would
wish for them. We grow through our difficulties, become more compassionate
towards others and then we help others to grow through their difficulties.
Difficulties
are a part of this fallen world and we all endure them, at some point in our
lives. We learn to manage our difficulties and just as a child will fall many
times when learning to walk, a fall doesn’t stop them trying. We too, have to
keep trying to overcome our difficulties and not let them beat us.
If you’re unsure
about a previous trauma, if you can’t quite remember where it came from, you
can pray for clarity on the issue and pray for the trauma to be removed. You
can speak to the body, that the body only receives that which will help.
Speak
peace, not rejection, particularly when new organs and replacements parts have
been introduced, through operations. The body has been through a trauma after
having an operation, no matter how small the operation appears to be.
Illness is
the same. It’s a trauma, an affront to the senses. If a heart attack has
happened, you can pray to remove the trauma around that heart attack and around
the body, after the heart attack.
If you’ve
been betrayed, you can pray for removal of the trauma associated with the
betrayal.
Also,
whenever you grieve, allow yourself that time. God never said not to grieve,
after all, Jesus wept when Lazarus died. Tears help release trauma and stop the
build-up of toxins, which happen due to unresolved trauma. Allow yourself whatever
time it takes to heal and don’t let anyone tell you, it’s time to get over it.
We all grieve for different lengths of time and it’s not up to other people, to
tell us how long we ‘should’ grieve.
Sometimes
we make inner vows. You know the ones, the one’s where you say: "I’ll never do
that,” or “I’ll never allow that to happen in my family.” These inner vows can
at times be deeply rooted in culture, community and nation. If you find you
can’t keep that inner vow, release yourself from it and the grief associated
with it. Allow God to minister to your heart.
Criticism
can be another area of trauma and it isn’t going to help the situation to criticize
self or others. Don’t fall into criticism. Criticism is what’s known as ‘bad
fruit.’ As Christians, we’re meant to display good fruit. Criticism isn’t one
of these. Instead of falling into criticism, try to do the opposite. Show
praise and love and watch where that takes you. Your own self talk, can help or
hinder your situation.
If you’re
feeling guilt and shame, release the guilt and the shame, and ask forgiveness.
If you’ve done wrong, ask for forgiveness and accept that Jesus forgives us.
We’re not to move into condemnation, for there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans
8:1), but to ask forgiveness, repent and let the offence go.
We all make
mistakes in life. None of us are immune to them. There’s a difference between
guilt and shame. Guilt acknowledges I made a mistake. Shame states; ‘I am a
mistake.’
God never
makes a mistake. You’re here because He chose you. If you’ve made a mistake,
repent and ask His forgiveness. If you feel you are a mistake, read passages in
the bible about how much He loves you, for He loves you enormously. He knows
your faults and He loves you anyway. He also knows you want to be free of your
faults and He will work with you on the matter.
We brand
ourselves, often saying I’m too…… (weak, stupid, scared, poor, a failure,
whatever it might be) and we need to remove those brands. If we can remember
Jesus is our brand and through Jesus, anything is possible, we can let go of
our pain.
Whenever
you or anyone you know is in trauma, we as Christians can minister to people in
a way the world can’t, because we have Jesus. If you don’t know what to do, or
what to say to someone, refer them to someone who does. Don’t leave them
standing alone in their pain. Bring them alongside someone who knows what to
do.
Begin to
look at life through the eyes of Jesus. He doesn’t see us as a failure, or
weak, or in any way as negative. He sees us as loved, protected, valued,
nurtured, cared for. He sees us as His victorious sons and daughters. If we
keep our eyes on Jesus, if we remember we are His and through Him anything is
possible, it gives us hope for a brighter future. As long as we keep working
towards that future, we’ll see it come to pass.
God’s
looking for people who say: “It stops with me,” particularly if the issue is
generational. One thing the devil hates, is when we believe Jesus and come to
the conclusion; we are not victims. We might have been once, but no more,
because it stops here. We’ve been through the worst and survived. What happened
in the past can’t hurt us any further. Not now, not ever. Allowed God to heal
the trauma and become whole again.
God used
broken people in the bible. He didn’t wait for the men and women of the bible to have it
all together. Gideon was afraid. Moses had a speech problem. Elijah was suicidal. Samson, a flawed man, a man full of pride. Peter too, with his impetuous, quick temper. Rahab was a prostitute. Paul, a Christian killer and yet God used him mightily.
Don’t think because you’re a broken person, you can’t help others. It starts
with you, casting away the victim mentality and taking on the victorious nature
of Christ.
Pray for
yourself. Pray for others. Pray for resilience and restoration, for coping
skills and clarity, for peace and not rejection. Pray for release and
forgiveness, for no condemnation, for healing, cleansing and knowledge. Trust
God in the process.
God can
step through the window of healing at any time and heal past and present
trauma. That’s what I love about God. You don’t have to wait until He’s free.
You don’t have to make an appointment. Just pray. Invite Him into your pain. He
won’t force His way. Invite God to come and set you free from the pain and
trauma you’re feeling.
If you are
praying for others, remember memories gather and congeal over time. Perhaps we
should think about ministering to ourselves, after helping another through
their trauma. If you feel you need it, talk to a close and trustworthy friend,
or minister. Ask them to pray with you and for you, if you feel in any way, you
can’t do this on your own. That’s what church is all about. Church is full of
broken people, at various stages of mending and we all help one another. So get
in that prayer line, if you think it will benefit. In fact, get in that prayer
line anyway. You might just be surprised at what it can do for you.
*Biblical
quotes from Holy Bible NJKV
About
the author:
Alexandra Grose –
An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is
her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her
written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.
#Integrity;
truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.
I believe one
should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open
and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it -
do it.
If you want to soar
like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.
alexandragrose@amazon.com
