I Need Help!
My father was an alcoholic who found sobriety at age 40. He had tried many times before to stop drinking, but it hadn't worked. The resources were there, but he didn't want to use them, or maybe he didn't want to use the ones he needed the most. Something changed when he was forty. He had a mystical experience of the Virgin Mary and never drank again. It was the result of a desperate prayer for help. It was then that he was open to the healing resources he needed.
When you are ready to experience the healing touch of Jesus, it's wise to tap into many resources. You can try the self-help approach: read a book and follow the steps provided. But that should not be the only part of your healing plan. We need more than a book.
What can you do? So glad you asked. I have 12 ideas, 12 resources that help people on their healing journey. You'll read about six resources for healing in this post, and six more in the next one. You won't use all the resources at once; rather, discern which will bear fruit in fostering the healing you need today.
1. Professional Help
God can heal us in ordinary ways, using healing professionals. When I have a sinus infection, I go to the doctor, and he gives me an antibiotic. If I struggle with depression, I might take medicine. If I have experienced trauma, I will see a therapist. All of these remedies are acceptable, and we should take advantage of them.
When my father was strong in his recovery, he earned a degree in social work and became an addiction counselor. He later served as a marriage counselor and a spiritual director. These are all examples of the professional help available in the healing process, and God used Dad to help others heal.
If you go to a therapist or counselor, choose one with a Christian worldview. You want them to seek healing of the mind, body, and soul. Often the soul part is avoided. That limits the extent of our healing, which is why you want a Christian therapist.
2: Prayers of Petition
Often prayer is our last resort when it should be the first. It should be constant. The Apostle Paul tells us to Pray without ceasing! Pray for healing. Pray for perseverance. Pray for the support you need to get through it. Pray for someone to bring you the sacraments or a meal. Offer up your suffering in prayer for a specific intention. Your suffering can bear great fruit. And ask others to pray for you. There are many people who are great prayer warriors.
You can ask God in prayer to reveal the source of your problem. My mother had constant headaches, which was very unusual for her. She knew she had a benign brain tumor and thought maybe that was the cause. After many tests, she was told that wasn't the problem. So she went to Adoration and prayed. God told her to get her tooth pulled. She had had a bad tooth for a while, but it wasn't causing a problem, or so she thought. But she was obedient and went to the dentist, who pulled the tooth. Headaches were gone. Through prayer, she got the solution she needed.
Prayer is essential. Pray for yourself and ask others to join you in those prayers for healing. If you know someone with the gift of healing, ask them to pray over you.
3. Prayers of Renunciation
Prayers of renunciation are declarations that break spiritual ties to Satan. When we have a sick soul, we need to break the ties keeping us in bondage. Those ties can manifest as physical or emotional problems, not just spiritual ones. Renunciation prayers might sound something like this:
In the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce all hatred I have against so-and-so, and I forgive him for doing such-and-such.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce lust, fear, unforgiveness, deception, manipulation, control, self-pity, etc.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I break every unholy tie to so-and-so (mother, father, old boyfriend, etc.) and I take responsibility for my life.
You can learn more about prayers of renunciation by searching online or checking out Unbound or Encounter Ministries. Renunciation prayers can be powerful and effective in healing work.
4. Communion with God
The closer we get to Jesus, the more healing we receive because Jesus is the Divine Physician. So how do we get closer to God? Two ways, but they are intertwined. Prayer and the Bible. We read and pray the Bible so that we can know who God is. We meditate on the scriptures we read so that we can better know God and realize how much He loves us.
How much time do you spend daily in the Word of God? Maybe you've listened to the Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz. That's a great resource. But that's not enough. We need to sit with the Word and ponder it in our hearts, just like Mary did. We want to understand what it means, but also how it relates to our lives. That's why the podcast is only the start. Your goal isn't to get through the Bible in a year, but to allow the Bible to speak to you daily about God and who you are in His eyes. Choose a verse or a paragraph. Ask: What does this teach me about God? How is this speaking to my heart? What does this say about who I am in the eyes of God? What is it teaching me about the love of God?
The Bible is God's love letter to us. If I want to know God and be in communion with Him, I need to read and reread and pray with that letter of love. Jesus said, I am the vine; you are the branches. Remain in me. How united are you with God? Wherever you are, you can get even closer. God always has more to give us as long as we are in the world.
5. Spiritual Warfare
Spiritual warfare is a source of healing. We need to learn how to fight the spiritual battle if we want to grow closer to God. Healing leads to a closer relationship with Him, which helps us resist and defeat the enemy. The enemy wants us physically sick, mentally immature, emotionally unstable, and spiritually barren. If you are experiencing any of those symptoms, it is helpful to learn how to fight the spiritual battle. Peter wrote: The devil is prowling about like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. That someone is you. It's me. When we have unhealed wounds, we are easy prey. The devil chooses particular pains in our lives. Think about why he has chosen the specific pains in your life. When you know your own spiritual weaknesses, you can put together a battle plan to respond. So learning how to fight the spiritual battle is a great resource for healing.
6. Community
My pastor, Fr. Cong, said, "Community is a support group for believers." Pope Francis said, "The Church is a field hospital for the wounded." When Jesus healed the ten lepers, he told them to go show themselves to the priest so they could return to the community. Community helps us grow so we can fulfill the two great commandments: love God and love others.
There are different types of communities. The big community is the church you attend, the people you worship with. I am part of a Catholic community. We worship and pray together, and love and serve each other. I am nourished and strengthened through this faith community.
A second type of community is what's called the domestic church. That's my family, my home. We live together, pray together, share life together, and serve each other.
A third kind of community is usually small and has a specific mission, like a 12-step program for addiction recovery. AA was very important in my father's recovery. Celebrate Recovery has helped many others maintain sobriety. These and other small groups can be sources of healing.
I am part of three small groups. One is Sisters in Faith, a group of Christian believers created to break down the barriers between Christian denominations. Another group is a healing support group that meets weekly to walk together on the healing journey. It's not a therapy group, but one focused on sharing our struggles and joys and discussing books about healing that we're reading. And I have a writing community of ten women who have been meeting online for a year, supporting each other as we struggle to write what we think God has given us. Each of these communities is a source of healing, and each works differently because it has a different focus.
Maybe you are part of a small or large group, but they aren't helping you heal. A healing community is a place where you can be yourself, not feeling the need to pretend to be someone so others will accept you. It's a place where you can be vulnerable and real. It's a place where you feel loved and where you can love others. And also where you are challenged to be better, to grow as a Christian. See what's available at your church. It may not be advertised as a healing group, but can serve in that way. (In an upcoming post, I'll share some ideas for building a healing community if you don't have one right now.)
Consider these six healing resources and how active they are in your life. If you want healing, pray about which of these will be most helpful to you.
Questions for prayer:
-
Which of the six resources has been helpful in your healing journey?
-
Which of the six resources is not part of your journey now, but you think needs to be? Why have they not been present yet? How can you access those resources?