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By William Van Zyl

Published in September, 2024

Dark clouds accumulated in the distance, and flashes of lightning lit up some of the tall trees. The cracking sound of thunder followed. 

A gentle deer roams peacefully in the serene embrace of a tranquil forest. 

Suddenly, arrows pierce her side, each impact echoing like thunder. She bleats, gasps, and trembles. Shock takes hold, and her eyes grow vacant as the barrage of arrows strikes her, each a cruel surprise. 

The huntsman, lurking in the shadows, has unleashed a deadly assault. She never anticipated such a painful and devastating attack.

With no hands to remove the arrows, she is helpless. The arrows remain lodged in her flesh. They have penetrated deep into her body, leaving her defenceless and in agony. The arrows symbolise the unexpected and devastating events that have pierced Frida’s life. It leaves her overwhelmed, perplexed, and panting for breath. Her emotional existence hangs in the balance as she struggles to comprehend the relentless onslaught.

PAINTING BY KHALO: The Wounded Deer, 1946 by Frida Kahlo. In this painting, Frida is depicted as a young deer with her head on the body of the deer. Numerous arrows wound her. The background features a forest with dead trees and broken branches, evoking a sense of fear and desperation. In the distance, a stormy, lightning-lit sky suggests a glimmer of hope, though the deer will never be able to reach it. Credit: Wikipedia.

The questions I address in this article:

Can sketching, painting, and illustrations heal inner wounds? 

Can words of repentance and writing lyrics and poetry heal inner wounds?

Can talking to a trusted friend or counsellor heal inner wounds?

How can the heart’s inner chambers, when traumatised, be healed?

What is inner healing, and how does it work?

I investigate two approaches to managing trauma in this article and briefly examine inner healing.

Summary: Frida Khalo (Mexican artist) compared and contrasted to King David (Holy Writ).

Let’s look at Kahlo first.

From Kahlo’s diary:

“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” This poignant quote is found within the nearly 200 pages of Frida Kahlo’s diary, a profoundly personal document that captures the last decade of her life, from 1944 to 1954. Brimming with poetry and spontaneity, the phrase encapsulates the essence of her personal reflections. It unveils an artist who is strong, courageous, sensitive, and deeply pained. Yet, it also reveals a Kahlo who possesses a unique sense of humour and joy, ‘unscathed’ by even the gravest of tragedies.

The Diary of Frida Kahlo. Taken from Flickr: Natalie Ratkovski Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/conjure_real/4184527190

Within the text, there are hints of Kahlo’s clear connection to avant-garde poetry. Additionally, some pieces appear to be linked, in various ways, to what later became known as Concrete Poetry. This genre is marked by a close relationship between form and typography, notably represented in 1970s Brazil, Apollinaire’s poetry, and José Juan Tablada’s visual poems. Kahlo’s deep connection to the visual, including written language, is evident throughout.

What is concrete poetry? Concrete poetry is identified by a poet’s intent to convey the graphic patterns of letters, words, or symbols rather than by the conventional arrangement of words.

Guillaume Apollinaire was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, and art critic. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the early 20th-century avant-garde movement. Apollinaire’s poetry was characterized by its experimental use of language, disregard for traditional poetic forms, and engagement with the modern world. Guillaume pioneered visual poetry, using typography and other visual elements to create a new poetic experience. He also explored themes of love, loss, war, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. His work continues to be relevant today for its playful experimentation and embrace of the new.

Frida Kahlo’s diary is a blend of pictorial and poetic elements, a true work of art composed of poems (sometimes unintentional), words, letters, doodles, lists, self-portraits, calligraphy, drawings, stains, and symbols. These diverse components come together to form a unified whole: a powerful, free-flowing river that coursed through Kahlo’s life.

David’s Psalms:

The book is an anthology of Hebrew religious hymns.

Ron Brauer: “How I study the Hebrew with the Psalms. Here is Psalm 23. I make a copy of the Hebrew text from my BibleWorks program, then print out the individual Psalm, line by line, and make my own translation, utilizing an “Interlinear’ Hebrew-English Bible. I also apply the rules of grammar learned in my introductory Hebrew classes, and then study the different words used. You may note I find and circle some and draw lines to connect words. Notes are also made in the margins, and those may come after reading commentaries (of which I have about 16 of them). So, there in a few words is what I do, and have done during these past two months of ICAD!” Credit: Ron Brauer Taken from Flickr. Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/revdrpepper/28619812015

Psalm 51 is a powerful expression of repentance. David, Israel’s greatest king, fell into grave sin and acknowledged his need to seek God’s forgiveness. This heartfelt confession was prompted by his sins of adultery, deceit, and even murder in connection with his relationship with Bathsheba.

Let’s look at David’s brutally honest repentance after he confessed to the prophet. The prophet confronted him with his transgression.

Psalm 51:1 – “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” 51:2 – “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” 51:3 – “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

David removes the guard from the chambers of his heart. He opens up. He allows the Spirit of God to search the inner depths of his heart. He then acknowledges his transgression. As he calls on God for forgiveness, he is forgiven. Something happens when he is remorseful and repents. His heart is healed. He asks God to renew his heart and create a new one. This is an example of inner healing.

Forgiveness is the foundation of inner healing. We need to forgive those who have harmed us and offended us, and we also need forgiveness from God ourselves. It is an integral part of the inner healing process. Be quick to forgive; it will save your life. Bitterness, hate, and resentment will destroy your soul and make you physically sick. Forgive so that you may be healed.

Psychosomatic disorders are diseases that involve both mind and body, and mental factors play a significant role in the development and severity of a disease. There are no specialists practising “psychosomatic medicine” per se—it is a field where our understanding is still relatively nascent. However, all medical professionals understand that there are many diseases that can be aggravated by our mental state. In aiming to treat the whole person, they often recommend tackling feelings of stress and anxiety as part of treatment for the physical condition. Citation: Dr Mohammad Katshu – Psychiatry (2023). Source: https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/medical-dictionary/psychosomatic-disorders

David continues:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51: 10 – 12

IMAGE: THE ROOMS OF THE HUMAN HEART. AI-generated image (Midjouney). Prompt: A human heart with many rooms. Filled with the rock – Yeshua. September 2024.

We have many chambers in our hearts. Our spirit is a lamp, and it lights up all the chambers of our hearts. Inner healing occurs when we open up those chambers and show them to God. When we go into those rooms and acknowledge our sins, transgressions, and iniquities (patterns), we can be set free from guilt. The blood of Christ cleanses us from all our sins. How wonderful!

The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart. Proverbs 20:27 NKJ

IMAGE: Searching the inner depths of the heart. The lamp is the spirit of the man. In this instance, the person invites the Spirit of God (larger man – symbolically) to walk through those secret chambers. AI-generated image. Prompt: Two men walk together through the dark chambers of a house. The house is in the shape of a heart. They carry an ancient lamp. Surrealistic painting. Medieval. Frida Kahlo style. Credit: Discord (September 2024).

What is Inner Healing? 

Inner healing is the ministry of Jesus—healing the brokenhearted and setting the captives free. In other words, prayer really can change our lives. This method of prayer has been named inner healing, the healing of the heart, or the healing of memories. Through inner healing, God goes into those regions we cannot reach and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

As mentioned in this short article, I compare and contrast the famous artist Frieda Khalo with David, the shepherd who later becomes King (Biblical character). I also examine the two different approaches to alleviating emotional trauma, healing trauma, and dealing with psychological wounds.  

As recorded in the Bible, King David’s journey of inner healing shares some similarities with Frida Kahlo’s healing process through art. Still, his path was more deeply intertwined with his relationship with God. Both figures dealt with deep trauma, personal struggles, and emotional pain, but David’s healing was sought through prayer, confession, music, and communication with God, while Kahlo found her outlet through painting. See the example of the inner healing process of “John” (fictional character), who felt abandoned by his father during his childhood at the end of the article.

Here’s a comparison of Kahlo’s and David’s respective journeys toward inner healing or maybe non-inner healing:

King David’s Journey of Inner Healing:

• Music as a Form of Healing:
  • David is renowned for using music as a form of spiritual and emotional healing. As a skilled musician, he played the harp for King Saul when Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, bringing peace and relief (1 Samuel 16:23). Music was not only a way for David to soothe others but also a personal method for coping with his own emotional turbulence.
  • David often used musical compositions in the Psalms to express his deepest emotions—grief, joy, repentance, and praise. These psalms allowed him to process his pain, communicate with God, and find healing in his spiritual connection. For instance, Psalm 51, a psalm of repentance, is a musical outpouring of David’s sorrow over his sins with Bathsheba.

• Confession to God:
  • David’s inner healing was deeply tied to his honesty and vulnerability before God. He openly confessed his sins, acknowledging his mistakes without hiding them. One of the most notable confessions is in Psalm 51, where David repents for his sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. In this prayer, David pleads for mercy, saying, “Have mercy upon me, O God…blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1, KJV).
  • This act of confession was crucial to his healing. By bringing his guilt, shame, and brokenness before God, David experienced forgiveness and emotional renewal, acknowledging that only God could restore his soul: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, KJV). Through confession, he found reconciliation with God and emotional relief.

• Prayer and Communication with God:
  • David’s prayers constantly communicated with God, reflecting his emotional and spiritual struggles. He prayed when he was in danger when he was joyful, and when he was in despair. In Psalm 23, David’s famous prayer of trust, he finds solace in God’s guidance: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3, KJV).
  • Even during great distress, David sought God’s presence for healing. In Psalm 13, he cries, “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, KJV). This lament shows David’s raw emotional state, yet by the psalm’s end, he expresses renewed trust in God’s deliverance, demonstrating that prayer was his path to peace and healing.

ARTWORK RELATING TO A PSALM OF DAVID: A bird snared by a fowler. AI-generated image. Prompt: Surrealist painting: Medieval theme. Show how a bird is ensnared in a trap. A snare (string ) is around the leg of the bird. The bird-catcher is looking on. Credit: Midjourney. September 22, 2024. 

ARTWORK BASED ON A PSALM OF DAVID: The “bird” is free! The fowler (‘large bird’ sitting on his hunches) is disappointed because the smaller bird he targeted got away. The small bird’s life is saved. David says: “Surely He (God) will deliver you from the snare of the fowler (bird-catcher) and from the deadly plague.” Psalm 91:3.  AI-generated image. Prompt: Show how a bird is ensnared in a trap. A snare (string ) is around the leg of the bird). The bird-catcher is looking on. Credit: Midjourney. September 22, 2024. 

• Healing from Trauma, Disappointments, and Sins:
  • David endured various traumas and disappointments, from fleeing King Saul’s attempts to kill him to his son Absalom’s rebellion. David turned to God for strength and refuge in each of these moments. He expressed his distress through prayers and psalms, finding comfort in God’s faithfulness.
  • David’s sins and transgressions weighed heavily on him, primarily his affair with Bathsheba and its aftermath. David’s deep remorse is captured in his psalms, but his ability to find forgiveness through confession and prayer highlights his faith in God’s mercy. His relationship with God allowed him to experience inner healing, not by ignoring his sins but by confronting them openly.

Frida Kahlo’s Journey of Inner Healing:

• Art as a Form of Healing:
  • Like David used music, Frida Kahlo turned to painting to cope with her physical and emotional pain. Her self-portraits became visual representations of her suffering and trauma. Kahlo externalised her pain through vivid imagery, often depicting herself in various states of physical or emotional fragmentation. Her art was a form of catharsis (the process of releasing, thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.), a way to control and process her experiences.

• Confession Through Art:
  • Kahlo’s “confessions” came through her artwork rather than spoken or written prayers to a higher power. Her paintings, such as The Broken Column, portray her physical suffering after the bus accident that left her in chronic pain. She “confessed” her emotional wounds from her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera in paintings like Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair, which depicted her feelings of loss and rejection.

ARTWORK: Frieda Kahlo. “Broken Column.” In “The Broken Column,” she vividly conveys her anguish and suffering. Nails pierce her face and body, while a fissure in her torso resembles an earthquake crack. The background depicts a landscape with dark ravines. Initially, she painted herself nude but later covered her lower body with what appeared to be a hospital sheet. A broken column replaces her spine, seemingly on the verge of crumbling. The column, extending from her loins to her chin, has a phallic appearance, accentuated by the beauty of her breasts and torso. Credit: patricio villarroel bórquez (Flickr) Uploaded on August 17, 2009

PAINTING: What the Water Gave Me,’ 1938 by Frida Kahlo. This painting has another name, “What I Saw in the Water”. In one conversation with her friend Julien Levy, she explained this painting: ‘It is an image of passing time. It is about her times and her childhood games in the bathtub. It portrays the sadness of what had happened to her during her life.’ Although Frida Kahlo never identified as a “Surrealist,” this painting embodies a surrealistic style. The water reflects her visions of life and death, joy and sorrow, comfort and pain, and past and present. Amidst these reflections lies Frida herself, appearing submerged in her imagination, with blood trickling from her mouth. This painting was given to Frida’s photographer lover, Nickolas Muray, to repay the $400 debt she owed him. Credit: Etsy https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/1105460961/frida-kahlo-what-i-saw-in-the-water-1938?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=what+the+water+gave&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&sts=1&content_source=c59ae584fdf62f99638d064ac52da5a9167f5548%253A1105460961&organic_search_click=1

• Unlike David’s confessions of sin, Kahlo’s confessions were more about unveiling her inner emotional and physical battles. Her self-portraits were mirrors of her soul, laying bare her suffering for the world to see

Healing from Trauma and Disappointments:

• Kahlo never fully healed from her physical injuries, nor did she completely overcome the emotional wounds inflicted by her relationships and life circumstances. However, like David, she found ways to cope and express her pain, turning her trauma into something creative. While David found healing in his faith and reliance on God, Kahlo found release through artistic expression.

• Spiritual Aspect of Healing:
  • David’s healing was deeply spiritual, grounded in his connection with God, trust in divine forgiveness, and hope for redemption. He saw his suffering as part of a more significant relationship with God, and his healing came through confession, repentance, and restoration by God’s mercy.
  • Kahlo’s healing, on the other hand, was more personal and introspective. She did not seek forgiveness from a higher power but from within herself, using art to grapple with her identity and pain. Her healing was more focused on confronting her trauma head-on and transforming it into something meaningful.

Examples of Kahlo’s writing (entries in her diary):

Frida Kahlo’s writings, mainly her letters and diary, offer personal reflections. Here are a few notable examples:

1. On Pain and Suffering (from her diary):
   “I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.”
   This quote captures Kahlo’s struggle with physical and emotional pain yet highlights how art gave her a sense of purpose and strength.
2. On Love and Diego Rivera (in a letter to Diego Rivera):
   “I ask you for violence in the nonsense, and you give me grace, light, and warmth. I’d like to paint you, but there are no colours because there are so many, in my confusion, the tangible form of my great love.”
   Kahlo’s passionate and often tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera is central to her life and art. Her letters to him are filled with deep affection but also the torment that came from their intense bond.
3. On Life and Identity (from her diary):
   “I used to think I was the strangest person in the world, but then I thought, there are so many people in the world; there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do.”
   In this excerpt, Kahlo reflects on her sense of self, grappling with feelings of isolation and uniqueness, a theme that permeates much of her art.
4. On Self-Reflection (from a letter):
   “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”
   Kahlo’s self-portraits dominate her body of work, and this statement explains the deeply introspective nature of her art. Painting was a way for her to explore her inner self and express her emotional struggles.

Frida’s writings, filled with emotion, vulnerability, and strength, provide a powerful companion to her visual work.

Frieda Kahlo’s writing:

Frida Kahlo’s writings, primarily letters and diary entries, reveal her inner thoughts, emotions, and reflections on life, art, and identity. Her writing is deeply personal and often raw, offering insights into her struggles with physical pain stemming from a lifelong battle with illness and injury and emotional pain from her tumultuous relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera.

Key themes in Kahlo’s writing include:

1. Identity and Heritage: Kahlo often reflects on her Mexican roots, celebrating her indigenous culture and its symbolism.
2. Pain and Suffering: Her writing is a window into her emotional and physical anguish, with vivid descriptions of her chronic pain and sense of isolation.
3. Love and Relationships: Her letters to Rivera reveal her deep love for him despite their relationship’s challenges, including infidelity and emotional turmoil.
4. Art and Expression: Kahlo often discusses her artistic process and how her art was a means of coping with her pain and asserting her identity.

Her words are as strong and evocative as her paintings, conveying a complex interplay of passion, suffering, and resilience.

Just for fun, I include an AI-inspired image: Images of past pains, wounds, and traumas while lying in a hot bath playing soft Christian music in the background and burning scented candles in the room.

You could be lying in a bath, and ask the Holy Spirit to show you those hurts, wounds and traumas. Make notes. By seeing images or words you could just identify your past traumas, wounds and pains – just like Frida Kahlo (Frida’s painting: ‘What the Water Gave Me’). Artwork, sculptures, sketches, spider diagrams, notes, writing, and more can assist one in identifying those areas that need inner healing.

ARTWORK. AI-generated image. Prompt: ‘Medieval surrealistic painting: Empty bath with symbols showing traumas of the past of a human being. Frida Kahlo style.‘ Credit Discord (Sept 2024).

Conclusion:

King David and Frida Kahlo turned to creative expression to deal with their trauma, but their approaches and spiritual frameworks differed. David’s journey of inner healing was rooted in his deep relationship with God, relying on music, confession, prayer, and repentance to overcome his sins, disappointments, and emotional wounds. While not engaging in spiritual confession, Kahlo used art to cope with her pain and express her innermost struggles. Where David sought healing from God, Kahlo sought healing through self-exploration and creative transformation.

I include the scriptures which relate to healing:

“If you will diligently listen and pay attention to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen to His commandments, and keep [foremost in your thoughts and actively obey] all His precepts and statutes, then I will not put on you any of the diseases which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 AMP

The word Lord is the name of Jehovah. The Hebrew word for healeth is Rapha, which means to cure, heal, repair, mend, and restore health. Therefore, God is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that healeth thee. He is the Lord our Physician, our Doctor. This verse in Exodus speaks of literal, physical healing.

A scripture for emotional and spiritual healing:

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:17-18

You only need God, Yeshua, and the Holy Spirit to be inner healed. The Holy Spirit is available at no cost. You don’t have to book a session or travel. That is how David received a new heart.

²⁶ But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14: 26 & 27.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter.

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:25-26 King James Version (KJV)

Dear reader, do you need assistance? If you need inner healing, visit the Healing Rooms or book a SOZO session in your area. In 1914, God called John G. Lake. He resided in Spokane, Washington State, USA, where he brought together a team of men and women whom he named “Healing Technicians.”  The word ‘SOZO’, used elsewhere in the New Testament, is translated variously into ‘save, heal, make whole, deliver‘. 

I include the process of inner healing with an example: FEELINGS OF ABANDONMENT – THE ABSENCE OF JOHN’S FATHER DURING HIS CHILDHOOD.

It is all about words. The process requires the person receiving the inner healing to say all the words as the person goes through the process. Words release acknowledgement, repentance, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Inner healing from a Christian perspective involves seeking God’s help to heal emotional wounds, past trauma, or deep-rooted issues that affect a person’s spiritual and emotional well-being. This process typically focuses on inviting the Holy Spirit to restore the soul by addressing past pain, sin, and brokenness. Here’s an example of how inner healing might work, followed by the steps and processes involved:

Example: ‘John The Abandoned Child.’

A person, John, struggles with feelings of abandonment due to a distant relationship with his father during childhood. These unresolved emotions have affected his ability to trust others and feel connected to God. Through inner healing, John invites God to bring healing to those wounds, replacing the lies of abandonment with the truth of God’s love and presence.

Steps and Processes in Christian Inner Healing:

1. Acknowledging the Need for Healing
   The first step is recognising that emotional wounds or unresolved issues need healing. This may involve identifying feelings of pain, guilt, anger, fear, or rejection. In John’s case, he acknowledges that his strained relationship with his father has caused deep emotional hurt.
2. Seeking God’s Presence and Inviting the Holy Spirit
   Inner healing involves prayer, inviting God into the process, and seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. This step is crucial because it invites God to work in areas of the heart that need healing. John, through prayer, asks the Holy Spirit to reveal the roots of his feelings of abandonment.
3. Repentance and Forgiveness
   Often, healing involves repentance for any sin or wrong choices made as a result of the wound and offering forgiveness to those who have caused the pain. In John’s case, he asks God to forgive him for harbouring resentment toward his father and chooses to forgive his father for the hurt he caused, as Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV): “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
4. Renouncing Lies and Embracing Truth
   Inner wounds are often accompanied by lies that have been believed, such as “I am unlovable” or “God doesn’t care about me.” In this step, a person renounces the lies that have taken root and replaces them with biblical truth. John might have believed the lie that he is abandoned, but through inner healing, he acknowledges that God’s truth is that he is never alone. Like Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV), Scripture reminds him: “He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
5. Healing Through Jesus
   The person then invites Jesus to heal the wounded areas. Through prayer, they ask Jesus to restore and peace the hurt parts of their heart. John asks Jesus to enter his childhood memories and bring comfort, healing, and a sense of His presence.
6. Releasing Burdens and Receiving Freedom
   After releasing the pain, bitterness, or hurt to God, there is often a sense of spiritual and emotional freedom. The burden of carrying unresolved emotional wounds is lifted. John releases his deep-seated feelings of abandonment and experiences freedom, knowing that he is fully loved and accepted by God.
7. Renewing the Mind
   Inner healing involves renewing the mind and heart. Ongoing healing requires a commitment to aligning one’s thoughts and emotions with God’s truth, continually meditating on Scripture, and maintaining a relationship with God. John continues to renew his mind through the Scriptures about God’s fatherly love and by building a deeper relationship with God through prayer and worship.
8. Ongoing Prayer and Support
   Inner healing is often supported by ongoing prayer and encouragement from trusted spiritual mentors or a Christian community. John stays connected to others for support and accountability in his healing journey.

Summary of Steps:

1. Acknowledging the need for healing.
2. Seeking God’s presence and inviting the Holy Spirit.
3. Repentance and forgiveness.
4. Renouncing lies and embracing truth.
5. Inviting Jesus to heal emotional wounds.
6. Releasing burdens and receiving freedom.
7. Renewing the mind with God’s Word.
8. Ongoing prayer, support, and accountability.

This process may be facilitated through individual prayer or guided by a Christian counsellor, pastor, or prayer ministry. The goal is to receive emotional and spiritual healing through God’s love and grace.

I include an inner healing prayer (adapt as needed for your personal situation). Be specific – identify your wounds, trauma, and needs. Find a quiet and private place where nobody can disturb you. Say the words out loud and clear, it is very important:

Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You today, recognising my need for Your healing touch. You know every part of me—my joys, pains, and the deep wounds of my heart. I am grateful for Your unfailing love and for the power of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, which brings healing and restoration.

Holy Spirit, I invite You into the deepest chambers of my heart. Please search me and reveal any hidden pain, unhealed wounds, or areas where I have not allowed You in. Bring to light any unresolved emotions, bitterness, fear, or brokenness that I need to release to You today.

Father, I lay before You the specific wounds of my past that have caused me pain. Whether it be rejection, abandonment, betrayal, or fear, I surrender these hurts to You now. I ask that You heal every broken place and restore my heart with Your love and peace.

Lord Jesus, I choose to forgive those who have hurt me. I release them to You, and I ask that You take away the burden of bitterness or unforgiveness from my heart. I trust that You are the righteous judge, and I release the need for revenge or holding onto past pain. I also ask for forgiveness, Father, for any way I have responded to these wounds in sin. Whether it be through anger, resentment, or harmful choices, I repent and turn back to You. Please wash me clean by the power of the blood of Jesus.

Lord, I renounce the lies that have taken root in my heart because of these wounds. Lies like “I am unlovable,” “I am not worthy,” or “I am abandoned.” I reject these lies in the name of Jesus and replace them with Your truth. I declare that I am loved, I am chosen, and I am never forsaken because You are with me always.

Father, I ask You to fill these healed places in my heart with Your Holy Spirit. Where there was once pain, bring Your comfort. Where there was fear, pour out Your perfect love. Where there was confusion or doubt, give me clarity and faith. I invite You to fill me with the fullness of Your joy, peace, and presence.

Help me to renew my mind daily by meditating on Your Word and walking in the freedom You have given me. Strengthen me to live according to Your truth and to trust You with every part of my life. Thank You, Lord, for hearing my prayer and for the healing that has begun in my heart. I trust that You will continue this good work within me and bring it to completion. I praise You for Your faithfulness and love and give You all the glory.

In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Copyright © 2024 by William Van Zyl

A Painting Kahlo, a Repentant David, and the Power of Inner Healing.

All rights reserved. This eBook/article or any portion

thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner

without the publisher’s permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review.

Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)

First Publishing, September 2024.

More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/

More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/

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