Physical suffering can be horrific. As can inner, mental suffering. I have talked with people who suffer inner pain and say they would rather have physical pain than their mental torment.
Just as we all experience physical pain, so we all experience inner pain. I've experienced both. I have asked for prayer for both.
Some of my inner pain has been self-caused. Of this kind of pain, some has been willful, some has been out of ignorance. I have made bad choices that have kept me awake at night. I have failed at times and made mistakes that hurt others. In my life I have hurt other people. This has not set right in my soul.
Some of my inner pain is from the kind of less-than-heavenly world we live in. This includes other people who have wounded me. It also includes the creation in its fallen aspects, as occasionally this has impinged on me. In my life other people have hurt me. This has robbed my heart of peace.
People who hurt others are often unhealed wounders. Inwardly they hurt; therefore they hurt others, irretrievably. They cannot stop themselves. But if the bleeding within gets stopped, they are transformed into wounded healers.
As a Jesus-follower who believes in the causal efficacy of prayer (see here, e.g.; and here for the best work available on the psychology of prayer), I've prayed with countless people for their physical and inner healing and well-being.
This Sunday evening at Redeemer, Feb. 16, I'm going to teach on Prayer and Inner Healing. I'm especially referring to Chapter 5 of John Wimber's Power Healing: "Healing the Effects of Past Hurts."
Then we are going to pray for anyone who requests it, and especially for inner soul-and-heart healing, and for our souls to be set right.
6 PM - Linda and i will lead worship.
6:30-7:30 - Teaching, with interaction.
7:30 - Praying.
