Healing Sexual Abuse
By Five Ways God Provides
This article on healing sexual abuse is an introduction to "Matters of the Heart," our free eCourse for spiritual growth and emotional transformation. The 24 Main Healing Lessons from the course can be found in the downloads section in PDF and MP3 formats. They are also available in our Store as an ebook, a 176 page workbook and as CD and DVD sets of 24, 1/2 hour teachings.
God Wants to Heal You!
Healing sexual abuse is possible through our faith in Jesus Christ. Sexual abuse leaves a deep wound within the heart, but it is a wound which can be 
healed. When Jesus said that He came to “heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18),” He meant exactly that! But just as with salvation, His healing is not forced upon anyone. There are things we need to do to cooperate with God in healing sexual abuse.
The first step to overcoming sexual abuse is to face it as honestly and courageously as you can. Things hidden in the dark must be brought out to the light (Luke 11:34-36). This is necessary because most people have tried to bury the pain and shame “in the dark” of forgetfulness—to push the memories of abuse down so far that they can no longer be felt. However, wounds of the heart are similar to physical wounds. If they are not properly cleansed, they cannot properly heal. Time and forgetfulness are not the healers they purport to be.
The next step is to carry the wound to someone who can actually heal it. That Someone is God, though two things need to noted. First, the Lord often will lead us to someone who is a “stand in” for Him, someone we can talk to who will coach us in what we need to do to bring our hearts in prayer to God. Second, it often happens that the victim of abuse may have developed some false ideas about Father God that can get in the way of trusting Him. This needs to be recognized and worked through (see The Father's Heart).
God's Ways Work!
There are five main ways that we can bring our hearts to God for release and cleansing. We may need one or all of them for healing sexual abuse:
1) Our Tears.
There is a blessing on those who carry their grief to God and give it to Him (Matthew 5:4). Learn to grieve as one with a vibrant hope for the future (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Think of tears as liquid prayers.
2) The Prayers of Others.
Help is promised if we bring trauma to others for prayer (James 5:16). We need their comfort and counsel as well as the faith they can bring to their intercessions.
3) Forgiveness.
Fully forgiving the very one(s) who wronged us clears the way for life to be restored (Matthew 18:33-35; Mark 11:25-27). This may not be easy, but it is absolutely necessary. Once full forgiveness has been released there is no pain left in the memory. What an incentive!
4) Believing Truth.
This one is the true miracle of restoration: by learning how to fully believe God’s promises of restoration (Zechariah 9:12; Romans 8:28), we can release regret and loss and enter into joyful expectancy.
5) Divine Interventions.
These include dreams, visions, healing of memories, visitations, prophetic words (Joel 2:28). Our Father still knows how to astonish us with the unexpected glorious workings of His own Hand.
For more on these five ways, see Mending the Broken Heart. Full healing of sexual abuse is possible! Do not give up--Jesus is mighty to save! If you are willing to walk in these five proven ways of healing...
God your Father will see to it that you overcome sexual abuse with His help!
Interested in Going Deeper?
Consider taking our free eCourse for Healing. We have designed a complete series for personal transformation, "Matters of the Heart," to help Christians gain emotional freedom and inner healing. In all there are 24 Main Healing Lessons and 24 Head to Heart Guides to help you bring your heart to God and receive His Great Heart for you in return!
