If I am forgiven because of the blood Christ shed, why do I need to re-hatch such a painful topic? This is a question I hear alot when people ask the point of the post-abortion Bible Study I facilitate…I do believe that once we confess our sins and repent from them, we are forgiven. However, if the sin has caused extensive damage in our life, it needs to be dealt with.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often happens when someone has experienced something…well, traumatic. We commonly hear it in regard to the brave men and women who return home from war, but there are other causes of PTSD. For example, Jake and I were in a car accident a few years ago and still have moments when driving scares me. If I feel a car is too close, I panic a bit. This fear can be referred to PTSD.

In the same manner, someone who has chosen abortion, can also suffer from PTSD. Some common symptoms of PTSD after an abortion are nightmares or flashbacks about the abortion, avoidance of places, people and things that remind them of the abortion, fear that their life may be short, lost interest in things they used to love, trouble sleeping, anger and irritability. The list can go on and on. In addition to those symptoms, women often chose to hide their shame and guilt by numbing it with either drugs, alcohol or sex. Whatever the case may be, just because we have been forgiven by the blood of Christ doesn’t make all of these “symptoms” go away. In comes in a Bible Study like the one I facilitate. It is called Surrendering the Secret.

This past week, I began facilitating my third Surrendering the Secret Bible Study and I am excited to see how the Lord works in these beautiful ladies. I have no doubt the enemy is shivering because of their first step toward freedom! It thrills me to know that 3 more ladies will soon experience how to claim this life changing choice and allow the Lord to restore and even use it to help heal others!

With something as traumatic as an abortion, we not only need to be obedient and seek God’s forgiveness from our sin, we need to seek Him to restore anything we might have damaged or lost in the process of hiding our secret. We need to allow Him to search and expose anything within us, that keeps us from fully experiencing His love and purpose for us.

I ask you to please pray for these lovely ladies! Lift them up every moment you remember. We may meet only once a week, but the journey is a daily choice and they will need your prayers and intercession to complete it!