by Pamela Standing
used with permission Dean Jackson, Author of “Verses From Somewhere”
Sarah (name changed) is a lighthearted person, always smiling and making people around her feel at ease in her presence. She had come to the healing room, bringing everyone she could find because the Lord had touched her in a mighty way. She wanted everyone to experience the Loving Touch that transformed her life.
When it was her turn for prayer, she didn’t expect much because she had been healed already. The session began full of smiles and laughter. Then the question …
“Do you have a painful memory tormenting you?”
It was as if someone had flipped a switch. Instantaneously, tears began to flow, her forehead became deeply furrowed in agony, and she bent over as if punched in the gut.
Yes.
It was long ago.
A sexual assault had left deep scars.
Sarah had already chosen to forgive her assailant, but the memory remained. Hidden in the closet deep in her inner most being, locked away for none to see, praying it would never see the light of day, it remained … tormenting her.
Painful memories are an issue presented in the healing rooms time and time again. How can one go back and change the events in the past? One cannot. Yet Jesus said He came “to set the captives free.”(Luke 4:18) How can one be set free from events He cannot even change?
In Jeremiah 23:23-24 the Lord speaks through the prophet saying …
“Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord,
“And not a God far off?
“Can a man hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.
And King David proclaimed in Psalms 139:7-10
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
The Lord knows no time or place where He is not present.
By His Word we know He was present during the assault on Sarah. Instructing Sarah to close her eyes and go back to relive the painful memory , we prayed, “Father, you said in Your Word You were there. Please reveal to Sarah where You were. Make Your Presence known to her.”
We were not sure what Sarah experienced; whether she saw Him, felt His presence, heard His voice, or even just smelled Him. What we do know is that she stood up straight, the furrows in her brow disappeared and were replaced with a countenance of peace. The tears continued to flow but now were accompanied with a smile of joy and rejoicing. The captive was set free! The sting was removed, the memory was forever changed. The Presence of the Lord transformed it.
The Healing Room has seen many such sessions described above. Most of the experiences stem from childhood, tormenting men and women for decades. Experiences covering a host of situations from assaults, berating verbal abuse, trauma, to being the guilty offending party. Jesus Christ came to set all the captives free.
If you are struggling with memories that are too painful to bring to full consciousness, ask the Lord to show you where He was during that event. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
He was there. He wants to set you free.
Pamela Standing is the administrative assistant at Women of the Word, a Christian women conferences ministry. She is also Associate Director of the Springfield, MA Healing Room, part of the International Association of Healing Rooms.