Healing Past Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer

The enemy is a liar. You hear his lies in your self-talk and fall victim to his schemes if not careful. The battle is in the mind yet the victory is already won by Christ. The enemy knows this and his only tactic is to deceive you by whispering lies that block you from being effective in God’s Kingdom.

One way to combat this is through a ministry first developed in the mid-1990s by Baptist Minister Ed Smith. Theophostic Prayer Ministry is one of the most effective Christian methods for healing past hurts and trauma. It functions by identifying what the person originally thought about the past event (the lie) and asking the Holy Spirit to show them the truth. Its name comes from the Greek theo (God) and quasi-Greek phostic (light), and it is often associated with the Christian Inner Healing Movement. It begins by asking yourself what is the original lie? Then what is the truth? John 8:32 says “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Often the lies we believe come from our perceptions developed during childhood. It is a metamorphic lie which may have been true at one time but is no longer true. We are stuck with emotional memories associated from the past. The term metamorphic means “change in form due to their environment.” From the original lie we have a guardian lie which protects core lie. Again it is the enemy’s tactic which says, “Recovery won’t work for me.” From that we have a thematic lie which is a “theme” or a wrong way of believing about our past. It is not a particular memory but a pattern of beliefs.

The only way the enemy can get to you is through deceptions, the lies we believe. We become contaminated with lies as we misinterpret life events. Children are the worst at this! Fears, abandonment, shame, and hopelessness all originate from a lack of validation from primary caretakers while misinterpreting life events. All of this can cause problematic adult behaviors if not addressed. So how does Theophostic healing begin?

First, you follow the emotions back to the memory. Identify “memory clues” and identify the presenting emotions. Start looking for memory picture. Go back to the pain so you can learn what needs to be done with pain. Float back, relax and drift back to the memory. Focus on the emotions in present moment as you drift back in time. Pray for Jesus to take you back where you first felt all the painful emotions. Do not evaluate the memory. Feel memories as they come up. Focus on the healing power of Christ. Ask God “truth” questions and begin the process of unfolding onion layers of lies you have been believing. Find a belief statement that resonates the pain. Embrace the lie, rate the lie, how true does it feel? Prayerfully feel God’s healing light stir up the darkness and let His healing light surround the lie. Feel it and then let Jesus heal the lie. Receive the truth.

The realization of the truth is what you need while in the memory of the painful childhood memory. Isaiah 38:16 says “You have restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Alleluia! Let the Holy Spirit guide you to recognize the lies you have been believing and set you free.

Ms. Kay Cannady, LPC is a therapist at Samaritan Counseling Center and enjoys helping others find hope while learning to better manage negative thoughts which lead to negative feelings and subsequent problematic behaviors.