Healing Part 2 - Connections
[Part two of a series on healing.}
Sometimes our need for healing is obvious. We were abused, or we struggle with addiction, or we have cancer. In this post, we'll consider three areas of healing and how they are connected. Once we know the many ways a single wound is manifesting in our lives, we can seek complete healing.
There are three areas of healing: Body, Mind, and Soul. Every healing fits into one of those categories, or more likely, is a combination of them. When my mind needs healing, it often shows up in my body. When my body is not healthy, it affects my mind. When my soul is dark, I feel pain in my body and mind as well. Everything is connected.
If you read the many healing miracles in the Gospels, you’ll see that Jesus heals in multiple ways. He healed the soul of the paralytic by forgiving his sins before he healed his body. After healing the ten lepers, He told them to show themselves to the priests, a sign of soul-healing. So there he healed the body and then the soul.
This teaches us that whatever our primary healing need, there is always more. My body needs healing. Because of the pain in my body, I am short with my husband or my kids, which affects my soul. And I get discouraged and beat myself up for being a bad mother, which means my mind needs healing. It’s all connected. True healing is holistic. Complete. Bringing us wholeness.
Let’s consider each area of healing and how we can apply it to our own healing needs.
Healing the Body
Jesus’ ministry began with healing. He healed the blind, deaf, and lame. He raised people from the dead. He cured chronic illnesses, like the woman who was bleeding for 12 years, and everyday sicknesses, like Peter’s mother-in-law.
We read that all those who were sick came to Jesus for healing, and He healed them. He even healed people who didn’t come to Him, like the paralytic at the pool. He first asked if he wanted to be healed.
What about us? What physical healing do we need? How do our bodies need to be healed? Here are some possibilities:
Infertility. In Sisters in Faith, we have a baby box. In that box, people put the names of those who are having difficulty conceiving. Every month, we pray over the box, asking God to bless these families. And there are babies born from our prayers over that box.
Cancer. My father had cancer several times over ten years. Many times he was cured. Eventually, it took his life, but the healing over those years was real.
We can ask for healing of osteoporosis, migraines, chronic pain, colds and flu, bad hips and knees, diabetes, paralysis, eye trouble, and hearing loss. Missionaries often share stories of miraculous physical healings on their journeys. Some well-known books and movies depict miraculous healings, like Heaven Is for Real and Miracles from Heaven. We can and should ask for big healing miracles.
And we can ask for the little ones as well. Quick recovery from the flu, headache pain to go away, quick healing of a cut or broken bone.
Our bodies are weak and need healing, and Jesus can heal our weak and broken bodies.
Healing the Mind
The Samaritan woman at the well needed emotional healing. She was an outcast and expected that Jesus wanted the same thing from her as every other man did. She was very broken, and Jesus healed her.
Sometimes we need healing from the emotional scars of life. There are bad parents, unfaithful spouses, and hurtful siblings.
Emotional healing is needed when we have experienced abandonment, neglect, abuse, betrayal, PTSD, or physical violence. Even grief is an emotional wound that can be healed.
We may need emotional healing if we come from a family with addiction. An addict can be emotionally abusive, and we might believe things about ourselves that are not true.
We may need healing from failures in life. Getting fired. Stupid mistakes, embarrassing decisions. We carry these failures, and they affect how we see ourselves.
When we carry wounds of ridicule, rejection, rudeness, disrespect, dishonesty, and humiliation, we need healing.
We know we need emotional healing if we are fearful, hard-hearted, closed off to others, depressed, anxious, or suicidal.
Our emotional wounds leave an imprint on our self-image. We no longer see ourselves as the Imago Dei—made in the image and likeness of God.
When we don’t believe that we are beloved sons and daughters of God, the King of Kings; when we don’t believe that we deserve to be loved; when we don’t believe that we are a beloved child of God, we need healing of the mind.
Healing the Soul
Jesus healed demoniacs. He healed Peter of his shame in denying Him three times. He forgave the sins of many. All of these are examples of spiritual healing.
We need spiritual healing because sometimes we have self-inflicted wounds. We can carry the burden of our sins for too long. Abortion, infidelity, addiction. But sometimes it’s even smaller sins that we can’t forgive. We think we are terrible people that God can’t possibly love. We have done too much bad stuff. So we don’t ask for healing, and our souls stay stained. We keep our distance from God, who is the ultimate healer.
Sometimes we need spiritual healing from wounds inflicted by the Church. Not the Church founded by Jesus, but by the people in the church. The failure of our leaders during COVID, abuse, imperfect priests, cowardly bishops, condemning words of an authority, confusion in teaching, harsh words in confession, false accusations. All of these leave both emotional and spiritual wounds. What happens is that we end up with a distorted image of God. He is not the good Father, and we can’t trust Him. That’s a lie of the devil, and we need to be healed of it.
We need spiritual healing to receive the perfect love of God. He is always offering it, but if I think I am unworthy, I cannot receive it. It is a gift for me that I choose not to open. Consider the prodigal son. His father had so much love to give, but the son didn’t care. He took the money and ran. Until he repented and returned, he couldn’t receive the love. He needed spiritual healing.
We need spiritual healing when we have opened doors to the demonic. When I go to a psychic because I don’t trust God, I have opened a door. When I use crystals or charms to make something happen or to bring me good luck, I don’t trust God. When I dabble in the occult, witchcraft, seances, ouiji boards, I’m opening a door and giving the enemy a place in my soul. That’s very dangerous. These are not harmless diversions. They open the door to trouble.
Healing is Real
I’ve been told that miracles don’t happen anymore. They ended with the death of the apostles. But that’s not true. I’ve seen miraculous healings in my family, healing from addiction, infertility, and seizures. Spiritual healings that brought people into relationship with God. If you need God to help your unbelief, read the stories of saints and listen to the podcast Heaven Meets Earth. They are filled with stories of miracles.
Where do you need healing? If your greatest need is some healing in your body, pray and journal about how that body wound is affecting your mind and soul. If your biggest need is healing the mind, pray about how that wound is affecting your body and soul. If you need soul healing, pray about how that wound is affecting your body and mind. Remember: it’s all connected.
You’ll find it helpful to pray about this over time. Every day, spend 10 minutes praying and journaling on your own healing needs. See what God reveals to you. You may be able to see the obvious wounds quickly, but the more hidden areas will take time to reveal.
God wants to heal you completely – body, mind, and soul. Ask Him, and you shall receive!
Questions for prayer:
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Where would you like to experience healing? How long has it been a problem? When did it start? Was there a trigger or a cause?
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How is that wound or need affecting you? What is the impact on your body, your mind, your soul?
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How is this affecting your self-image and your image of God?