Colleen Orchanian

Do you want to be healed? Jesus asks this of a man who had been sick for a long time. It is a question he asks us today. Do you want to be healed?

I do. I think I'm pretty healthy, but sometimes I get angry, frustrated, and discouraged by my failures. These reactions indicate that there is still healing to be done. I have to wonder why certain spiritual attacks work on me.

Attacks work on me and on you because we are broken. We are wounded. We need healing. As that happens, the attacks lose their power. So we want to be healed to break the devil's power over us. Healing—deep, transforming, life-affirming healing—is a powerful weapon in our spiritual armor.

What might we need to heal?

Our self-image. Every harsh word, every betrayal, every condemnation, every reminder of our inadequacy affects our self-image. If I am not 100% convinced that I am a beloved child of God, I need healing. If I cannot receive that identity with joy and delight, I need healing.

Our image of God. Do I know that there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less? If not, I need healing. God is love. Unconditional love. He is near to me in my distress. He does not cause my suffering, but He can bring good from it. My image of God as a loving Father needs healing when I worry and live in fear.

Our traumas/sins committed against us. Bad things happen in life. We lose those we love. We are betrayed and abandoned. We suffer violence, neglect, and abuse. Trauma often leads us to build walls for protection against others, even those who may be able to help us heal.

Our sins. We live in a fallen world, and we have fallen, too. We sin, sometimes gravely. Those sins can weigh on us, and we can't receive the mercy God wants to give. We need to be healed of our own mistakes and of how we see ourselves because of those failures.

Our physical ailments. We get sick, which is sometimes aggravated by the enemy. When we believe that our lack of faith is the cause of our physical pain, we need healing.

Wounds leave scars in our Imago Dei (Image of God). We are made in God's image and likeness. Do we live that truth fully? Do we embrace it with humility and joy? Do we marvel at that truth? If the answer is no, we need healing.

Healing is usually a long process. Yes, there are miracles that are instantaneous. Jesus healed the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the demoniac, and those miracles continue today, but usually, our healing takes time. Sometimes though, it takes longer than it ought. That's because the healing is often compartmentalized.

We go to a physician to heal our bodies. We seek counseling to heal our minds and memories. We go to confession to heal our souls. Deep healing addresses the whole person, not just one part. When a woman chooses abortion, she can go to confession and receive forgiveness. But the emotional and psychological pain of her sin remains. Her regrets remain. The broken relationships that were part of the abortion remain.

The devil knows the sin has been forgiven, but he will use that sin to attack for as long as it remains unhealed. He will use shame and fear to keep her in bondage. This pattern works because we are not fully healed.

Or perhaps she goes to counseling because of the guilt she feels. The counselor may seek to help her accept the choice of abortion as the right thing to do in the moment. That won't bring complete healing because in her heart, she knows she did the wrong thing. She needs soul healing.

Here are some other examples of compartmentalized healing. A friend suffered depression after a heart procedure, which I understand is a common reaction. The physical was healed, but nothing else. Soldiers may suffer physical wounds in battle, but they need more than physical healing. They need emotional healing from the trauma. And they need spiritual healing because God is part of everything.

How do you know you are not fully healed? Our bodies hold the wounds of our past. Anxiety. High blood pressure. Distress. Anger. Shame. Bitterness. Hate. Distrust. Generalizations about others. Frequent criticism of self or others. These feelings don't come from God. If you are experiencing one or more, you need healing. If you don't get it, the devil will continue to attack through your wounds.

Here are three ways to receive the healing God desires for you:

1. Know God. Our wounds often affect the trust we have in God. The devil gives us a distorted image of God that seems to make sense, given our suffering. But that image contradicts the God of the Bible. The solution is to read and pray with Scripture to get to know God personally. Start with the Gospels. Read a paragraph and ask, What does this tell me about who God is? Keep reading and studying until you believe that God is a good and loving Father. He loves you perfectly, much better than any human can—even the best parent or spouse. Ask God to reveal Himself to you so that His love can heal you.

2. Know yourself. What are your triggers? Where did they come from? What do you believe about yourself? When you hear the voice of the enemy, what does he say about you? Why do you believe it? Where do you need healing? Do you believe you are a beloved child of God, even in your imperfection? Those questions are sometimes hard to answer. We can hide the truth even from ourselves, but we can't be healed without a deep dive into our wounds. A helpful resource is Be Healed by Dr. Bob Schuchts and the healing retreats offered through The John Paul II Healing Institute.

3. Get help. We cannot heal ourselves. Others can help us see our blind spots. Ask a wise spiritual friend to help. Others have expertise in healing. Seek professional counseling from someone with a Christian worldview. They strive for whole-person healing. Find out what's available in your parish. Our very small parish has many resources: a healing support group, grief support, spiritual direction, the sacraments, and people who do healing prayer. We have had healing retreats and healing masses. Take advantage of what is available to you. 

If you are under spiritual attack, you may need healing. Pope Francis said, "The Church is a field hospital for the wounded." Let's acknowledge that we are part of the wounded and seek healing. When we do, we remove another weapon from the devil's toolbox. His attacks will still come, but will have less impact.

With healing comes joy. With healing comes the abundant life. With healing comes much spiritual fruit. Commit to the hard work of healing so that God can transform you. You are made in the image and likeness of God. You are baptized into the family of God. You can be healed. God will walk with you through the healing process, through the pain, so you can embrace your God-given identity as His beloved son or daughter.

Questions for Prayer:

1. Have you already experienced healing? What impact did it have on you?

2. What healing do you still need? How do you know you need it? What might be different if you were healed in that way?

3. What is one action you can take to be healed?