It is estimated that one in four women and one in ten men have been sexually abused or raped. In addition, the numbers seem to be on the rise. Sexual abuse is one of the most devastating and severely-emotional wounding experiences of all. Victims end up emotionally distraught and are left open to influences of darkness in a number of areas. Such experiences distort their image of God and cause all kinds of emotional, spiritual, and physical problems (for example, 50% will experience depression, 33% will attempt suicide, 20% will turn to substance abuse).
As you review the following list, mark all that apply to your life experience.
Resultant Effects from Sexual Abuse (the victim may experience one or several of the following effects)
Identity confusion develops
Various fears and anxieties occur
Soul bondages occur
The victim questions how God could have let this happen to you
Anger develops toward the parent and/or toward God, for not providing protection
Rejection occurs, if the victim is not believed by a parent
Victim feels betrayed if parent knew yet did nothing
Promiscuity, or other sexual sins, develop
Victim experiences difficulty in relating sexually to a spouse
Failed marriages occur
Victim consistently feels dirty and shamed
Victim develops hatred for their own body
Victim believes they caused it or it was their fault
Nightmares occur
Despair sets in and/or severe depression develops
Uncontrollable anger and rage are exhibited
Lust develops
Victim feels lonely and/or abandoned
Victim has a desire to run, withdraw, hide
Victim feels a loss of purity
Victim experiences feelings of guilt, betrayal, condemnation
Victim feels used and unclean
Victim exhibits ambivalence
Requirements for Healing of Sexual Abuse (Note that inner healing may first be required before forgiveness is possible.)
Forgive the abuser(s)
Forgive parent(s) for not providing protection
Forgive of God for letting it happen
Forgive anyone who refused to believe it happened
Forgive yourself, it was not your fault.
Ask God to forgive the abuser and ask for repentance on their behalf
Pray to break any vows which have been given about not letting men (or those of the same sex of their abuser) get close to them
Read Psalm 139, reinforcing the awareness that we are beautifully made
Inner Healing Prayer for Sexual Abuse (intercessor pray the following)
Pray asking Jesus to bring back the experience that needs healing
Ask Jesus to be present in this experience
Put the cross of Jesus between the abuser and the abused
Ask Jesus to hold the victim
Give Jesus all the emotions (fear, physical pain, confusion, guilt, shame, anger)
Using the sword of the Spirit, loose their spirit from the one who violated the victim, breaking the soul bondage
Pray to heal all wounded emotions
Pray to exchange truth for all lies
Pray that the fear, panic, confusion, pain, woundedness, anger, guilt, shame, and uncleanliness be healed
Cast out any spirits involved (examples include trauma, lust, fear, anger, hatred, rejection, self-rejection, self-hatred, a man or woman-hating spirit, a God-hating spirit, pornography, worthlessness—and, in extreme cases, prostitution, abortion, death, suicide, homosexuality, lesbianism)
Pray the abuse stop in the generational line (for example, abused people abuse; hurt people hurt others)
Prayer for Healing From Sexual Abuse (given as female-specific but reverse gender where necessary)
The intercessor is to pray:
Lord, thank you that you love _______________ and have longed to set her free. You grieved for her when she was unjustly molested and you have carried her pain and sorrow in your heart all these years.
We invite you now, Lord, to go to the depths of her heart where her little girl self has felt so afraid, so unclean, so used, and ashamed. In the depths of her heart, pour your perfect love to cast out all fears. Speak to her heart and let her know that you accept her and love her just as she is, and that there is no way she can lose that love. Draw unto yourself all of her pain and shame, Lord, and fill all her wounds with healing balm. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Once prayers for healing of the experience and for the casting out of dark spirits are complete, many may continue to feel dirty and unclean; in this instance the following scriptures should be shared with the seeker and a prayer for cleansing prayed over them.
Cleansing Prayer
The intercessor may want to read the following scriptures before praying the prayer of cleansing.
“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you” (Ezek. 36:25).
“… Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 11:9).
“… we are sanctified [made holy] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10).
Prayer for Cleansing From Sexual Abuse
Pray for God to pour holy water all over them (sometimes the Lord will give you a pic-ture—pray what you see in the picture).
Lord Jesus, we ask you now to pour your streams of living water all over ____________ and into every cell of her being. Let the water flow freely over every part: head, arms, body, private parts, legs, and feet.
Thank you Lord that your living water is washing her “white as snow”—that every bit of defilement, shame, and guilt is being washed away. Thank you for making her squeaky clean inside and out.
Lord you now see her as clean and as white as the day you first created her in heaven. She now has a new body in Jesus, made perfectly clean and pure. Thank you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Resources
1. Paula Sandford, Healing Victims of Sexual Abuse (Victory House, 1988). ISBN 0-932081-21-5.
2. Doris Wagner, Ministering Freedom to the Sexually Broken (Wagner Publications, 2003). ISBN 1-58502-038-9.
3. Jan Frank, Door of Hope (Nelson Books, 1995). ISBN 0785279660.
4. www.gospelcom.net/mlm/index.htm (healing sexual brokenness)