Christians get confused when they feel depressed, offended, rejected, or have other negative feelings. “Why am I experiencing this after I accepted Jesus into my heart by faith?” In truth, the answer is both simple and yet, challenging. Your spirit is 100% regenerated upon believing in Christ and His cross. But, something more is often needed, the healing of soul wounds.
Types of Spiritual Wounds
What exactly are soul wounds and how do they affect us?
The answer is this: We have experiences all through our lives. Sometimes, the actions of others hurt us. And, we too, do things that are wrong. Our own sins can leave wounds in us. Additionally, there may be recurring, damaging behaviors from our families. Alcoholism is an example. Those generational behaviors cause pain. Cumulatively, each of these things can leave a mark behind or a measure of damage in your soul.
What is the Soul?
So, what is the soul? It is your mind, will and emotions, the source of your thoughts, decisions, and feelings. As mentioned, when you experience or participate in negative things in your life, imprints are left on your soul. For example, if a parent left home while you were growing up – in divorce, abandonment, or death, the pain you experienced as a child may remain in your mind as a “wound.”
As a result, when people seem to be leaving or not accepting you in some way in the present, your reaction to them may actually be an overreaction born out of retained pain. Having been “rejected” before, it can seem reasonable, even self-protective to not trust and be suspicious now. However, the current situation may not truly be abandonment or rejection, but the wound in you causes it to be perceived as such.
Some examples of soul wounds
Imagine having been tremendously put down as a child, always made to feel inferior and lacking. As an adult, carrying this wound of criticism makes thinking well of yourself difficult. Compliments or praise can be hard to accept. Additionally, celebrating others’ successes is a struggle. “Everyone is doing better than I am” thoughts may eat away at peace – and not be true.
All of these (and more) are wounded ways of thinking that destroy quality of life. Relationships are affected. You don’t feel safe making intimacy difficult as the world is viewed through wound “lenses.”
Soul Wounds Affect Your Relationship with God
Most of all, because of soul wounds, your relationship with God and capacity to really flourish as a Christian person are diminished. Being preoccupied with wounds keeps you inwardly focused in repetitive, turbulent, negative thinking. Rather than fully encountering God and receiving all the blessing He has for you, you remain caught up in your ongoing pain and misconceptions.
But, do not worry.
All of us go through this to some degree. God so wants for you to be healed once and for all. Truly, He wants you healed in spirit, soul, and body.
How to Receive the Healing of Soul Wounds
Now, if any of this is sounding familiar to you; if you have times of repeatedly feeling blue, offended, lonely, or “different from everyone else,” it may be that some inner healing is needed.
Where do you start?
At times, we’re embarrassed as Christians if we appear not to have it all together. For example, you may say, “I don’t want to admit that I am jealous often.” Or, that, “I feel lonely and like I don’t fit in.” We often think Christianity is a “stiff upper lip” lifestyle where you must appear that you have it altogether even if you’re “dying” inside. This is nonsense. On the contrary, healing and maturing are part of this life like no other. Jesus can heal all things.
God wants you free from these wounds
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
You do not have to tolerate feeling emotionally out of sorts again and again. Besides, the enemy loves this “doorway.” When you are struggling with thoughts and emotions, he will throw “fuel on the fire” with whispered lies, exaggerating those moods, and then bringing shame because of them.
Seeking Help for Healing
Do you need to seek someone else’s help to heal your .soul wounds? Can you fix this on your own?
It may be helpful to share your struggle with a trusted, mature Christian friend, with a counselor, or a pastor. They can pray and meet with you until you feel improvement.
How can their prayers be phrased in order to be helpful?
They can command the jealousy, loneliness, or offense to be gone in Jesus’ name. Prayer may include asking Jesus to show you how He was present in situations in the past. These helpers can also pray for the opposite feelings (feelings of positivity to flood your mind and replace the wounded feelings.) And, Holy Spirit can be asked to come and restore those painful places.
Prayers for self-caused soul wounds
You may need to be led in prayers of repentance – if you need to forgive someone, forgive yourself, trust God or seek Him more. Perhaps your spiritual life has lapsed.
In this way, the wounded places will be identified. You will be delivered from them. And, by the power and healing of the Holy Spirit your life will be renewed.
It is not always necessary for others to be involved. In fact, if you identify a weak place in your thinking and feelings – a recurring way of looking at the world or reacting to people that seems to be unhealthy, you can also pray by yourself for your healing. You can command the wounded feelings to go in Jesus’ name.
Then, pray for healthy and God-oriented feelings to replace the wounds.
Healing of Soul Wounds Scriptures
Finally, one of the most important things to do is to pray and declare scriptures full of truth over yourself In this way, you push drive out the negative and distorted thoughts and moods.
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 2 NKJV
The passage above is so fundamental. God wants you to feel safe and whole in your mind and emotions. He wants you to be able to concentrate and to live with joy, not constant preoccupation and heaviness. God wants your soul to prosper.
Here are some other scriptures about our souls and God’s desire to give us minds free of fear, depression, and dark thoughts.
Scriptures to Pray and Declare
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. Whoever fears is not perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 NIV
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 NIV
“For I [satiate] the weary soul, and I [replenish] every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25 NKJV
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. The Lord restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3 ESV
“The Lord … gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3 NKJV
Finally, there are so many more verses like this to grab hold of and take as the truth of God’s desire for you. Brooding, being moody, being fearful, feeling small and unwanted, etc. – those things are not of God. In God’s transformation of you, He includes the healing of soul wounds.
Further Reading:
What Does the Bible Say About Fear?
What Does the Bible Say About Anxiety?
Great post, sister! This is such a common problem. Who hasn’t come through life without some type of wounding, for we are surrounded by sinners! We are all in need of healing of our minds, wills, and emotions in some way. This verse really touched my heart, “For I [satiate] the weary soul, and I [replenish] every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25 NKJV. Satiating the weary soul is needed in my life today. Replenishing my sorrowful soul is also a need. I turn to The Spirit of Jesus for Who he is and for all he has promised to me as one of his own. He heals. He satiates. He replenishes.
Thank you, Melinda. One of the great discoveries in my life was that moodiness was often a product of old wounds and the devil poking at them. As I began to grasp that, Jesus began to enter each wound and bring light and healing. God bless you much!
Love it and hope for healing for all. Were all in this together starting from the inside out and we can all do things to heal like serving others and loving.
Jaxson,
Yes, we are all in this together and healing our wounds helps us to help others heal theirs. God can do this work in us!
This is a profound and powerful teaching that illustrates and And brings the light the healing
Of the soul not only healing but shows the state of a wounded soul and the The healthness of a so that’s been healed restored and prosper ..
Paul, thank you for your kind words. I am glad you found the teaching to be helpful. God bless you so much.
I’m not sure how I got here, but God knows I need healing. I’m asking for prayer as I commit to this journey. God I need you, my family needs you. ????, DO IT GOD, DO IT FOR ME???????
I pray God will bring you complete and total healing and for all of your family too.
I am grateful 🕊️ ever so grateful for this post. I am struggling so much with soul wounds that it is reflecting externally. I am failing to move forward. I feel stuck and so tired. I am glad to be feeling the pain. I just pray God could really just hide me for the next few days leading to year end.
I pray for a supernatural Breakthrough for provision just for the next couple of weeks whilst I focus on my soul and God. I imagine I will be ready to get back to work second week of January. The problem is one can’t heal whilst focusing on bills and financial needs that are pressing. I am happy to be in so much pain because it means I am finally healing… Asking for prayers. Thank you.
You are in a difficult season but that is often preparation for stepping into a time of greater maturity and effectiveness. I pray that all will work out with your finances, but most especially that God will heal those old wounds and you will walk away and out of them for good.
I am so glad I came across this article. My grand daughter who is 12 years old and adopted is going through some really tough struggles. My daughter said that her friend who was adopted said that she had soul wounds, which I had never heard of. But after reading your article I know how and what to pray to God for. It also help me to recognize my own wounds too.
Deborah, understanding that we can have soul wounds from our experiences, and that God can heal them, changes everything. I pray you’ll find healing and your granddaughter also.
I am so glad I came across this post tonight (I live in Nigeria). I did a random Google search about soul wounds and this post was number three on the page. I’m in a season of healing which means Jesus has been shining his light on painful memories that I buried a long time ago. Reading this post brought a lot of freedom. I never connected sin to soul wounds. Now that I have this clarity, I’m even more determined to be transformed into the perfect image of Jesus Christ. I don’t want my own unchecked desires and habits to ever hurt or wound someone else, especially another believe. I pray that the grace of God will be more than sufficient for me. Thank you!
Dear Koromone,
I am so glad you felt helped by this blog article. God bless you and help you in your desire to be increasingly transformed to reflect the image of Christ. I know God will honor your heart’s desire.
Dr. Pam
Can we be born with soul wounds?
Yes. David wrote an interesting thing in Psalm 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me…” How can an innocent baby be sinful from birth or even from the time he or she was conceived? Well, there is the original sin of all humanity that also rests on each one of us, but also, the state of mind of the mother, the father, the atmosphere of the home can touch a baby even before they are born. So, yes, we can be born wounded, but God can heal those wounds.
Sometimes, things are handed down through the family from generation to generation and these can affect a child too. But, generational wounds can be healed and people set free from what has “run in the family.”
If you want to talk more about this, please do write me at pam@pammorrisonministries.com.
have been having bitterness in my heart for the past 5yrs..have tried to heal bt whenever i remeber my past the gradge becomes to much to an extend even friends get affected,my child too suffers coz rembering to be young and single mother it hurts..i suffer inwardly..please i need someones help here..rel talk to heal..
I understand how having gone through deep struggles and hurt can be so hard to release. But, here’s the key. You don’t have to strain and do the work by yourself. Jesus promises that He is the Strong Deliverer. When you pray, tell Him, “Lord, I cannot seem to release grudges against those who have hurt me. I can’t stop thinking about my hard times and all the loss. You, Lord, heal my mind. Cover me with the power of Your blood and Your work on the cross for me.” Keep bringing your mind back to Jesus and dwell on His beauty and goodness. He will do the rest. Mary Magdalene had a very troubled mind. The Bible says that Jesus freed her from all that tormented her. He will also do it for you.
This post was truly worthwhile to read. I wanted to say thank you for the key points you have pointed out as they are enlightening.
Arline, I am so glad that this was a meaningful post for you and helpful. The healing of soul wounds is so key to my ministry and to people being able to move on in their lives. God bless you so much.
This was SOO encouraging. BLessing and peace.
Joan,
I’m so glad it was helpful. God bless you!
I need healing for a cancer in my kidney. I am going for a CT scan on July 21 2022 and I am believing it will be healed by the power of Jesus my Lord and Savior. Please pray with me for this healing. I believe Jesus still heals today. He is the same today, yesterday and forever. Thank You My Sister, Mike Rausch
Michael, I just added your name to my prayer list. Believing with you that you are healed in Jesus’ name. God bless you, friend.