Does Prayer Alone Bring Healing?

Recently I was at 7 Women – 7 Stories. A conference hosted by Anne Beiler, the founder of the very successful Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzel franchise. If she only told that part of her story, she would be a rousing American success story.

But Anne now shares the story of her painful struggles in life also. Years ago, her husband and her lost a young daughter in an accident. This began a series of events that plunged Anne into a nightmare that held her hostage for decades and almost ruined her body, mind and spirit.

She lived in misery for years, because she kept her struggles secret, scared to share them with anyone.

Anne prayed for hours to be delivered from her struggles and her depression. While there was nothing wrong with praying, she didn’t receive healing from it. It was only after she broke her silence and told one person, that she felt a glimmer of hope.

That gave her courage to tell another person and then to go for counseling and take more steps towards healing. Now she devotes her life to sharing her story of healing in person and has written about it in Twist of Faith.

I appreciate her willingness to talk about that ‘scared cow’ of Christianity — the one that implies prayer alone will solve everything. We usually see experts when our body needs healing, but when it’s our mind and spirit, too often we try to pray our way to healing.

When I struggled with depression, I talked to God until I was blue in the face — I was still depressed and miserable.

It was only through help from a mentor and a counselor that I was able to have hope again. As I learned how to be honest with myself, with others and with God, healing for my traumatized mind and spirit slowly happened … and still continues.

My idealistic view of God wanted him to magically fix all my problems, but reality showed me it wasn’t going to work that way. Just as I had to work to help my body heal (physical therapy, eat healthy, rest and exercise) I also had to work to help my mind and spirit heal (talk, be counseled, think, process and make choices).

Do you think prayer alone solves everything? Or what others things have you found to help your body, mind or spirit heal?

This is part of a Blog Carnival hosted by Bridget Chumbley at One Word at a Time – the theme today is healing.
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  • Shelly

    While I do believe God CAN do anything and I wouldn’t want to put Him in a box by saying He can only do this or only do that…and while I do believe prayer is a very very important part of the process…there is a time for action on our part!

    Pray…prepare…move… See Nehemiah 4:9-they prayed AND posted a guard AND the wall was finished! God did NOT choose to just chase the enemy away-the Israelites had do DO something!

    See Jesus in the Garden-he prayed for another way…yet took action when there was no other…He WENT to the cross! How many times did Jesus withdraw to pray then He MOVED!!

    Thanks Janet for sharing!

    • http://janetober.com janeto

      Shelley … good examples of the combination of praying and doing something to make changes.

  • http://katdish.net/ katdish

    God created us for community. Yes, our hope is in Him, but we need each other, too.

  • http://www.kellylangnersauer.com/ Kelly Sauer

    I cannot imagine holding me in like Anne did. Oh my. But I wouldn’t know what to say. Sometimes praying is the safest place, but I think God will always lead us out when we are ready and strong enough in Him.

    • http://janetober.com janeto

      Kelly … I understand how Anne held herself in, her and I grew up in similar circumstances, a rigid no-feelings-allowed very traditional Mennonite culture, the only way she knew how to handle life was to stuff her feelings.
      And your right, praying is safe, because we don’t need to talk about it, but with time talking is what can lead us towards healing.

  • http://faithfictionfriends.blogspot.com Glynn

    I read recently that it’s not enough to say prayers, that we must become a prayer to God. And it’s not we do the praying or become the prayer as it is that he conforms us into a prayer.

    But the ache I feel Anne Belier…

    • http://janetober.com janeto

      Glynn – thanks for the interesting thoughts about prayer.
      As for Anne … yes, my heart breaks for the years she lived in silence about her deep pain and I’m soooo thankful she is now sharing her story and showing others how to live in healing.

  • Patrick

    Pray like it is up to God, work like it is up to me. Not that I have it figured out or anything.

    • http://janetober.com janeto

      Patrick … great thought, thanks for sharing.

  • http://building-his-body.blogspot.com/ Anne Lang Bundy

    Yes, I believe prayer is sufficient for healing when it is a heart united to God, softened by pain to hear His Own heart, and it listens long enough.

    But I think healing can happen so much faster when we receive love from others. Love is so very, very powerful. Something about God’s love through human words and touch and compassion magnifies its healing capacity.

    • http://janetober.com janeto

      Anne — yes, love from others does help bring healing. Especially when that love teaches us to love ourselves as we love others, because we’re all made in God’s image and he doesn’t make junk :)

  • Deb

    Very interesting! I saw Annie on Joyce Meyers. What a hurt she went through! Church hurts are really tough to go through especially when it is someone in authority. He”preyed” on her in her weakness of losing a daughter. And like you said, there is a “bondage” of growing up in the Mennonite background, I’m sure your Pastor was looked on very highly.
    BUT GOD! was looking on her in her years of struggles and her relentless prayers and He made a “Message” out of her “mess” !
    He blessed her with a successful business which does give her some “clout” with her story. She is an amazing woman!

    • http://janetober.com janeto

      Deb, yes Anne is a strong woman and it’s a joy to know that she’s found healing and good things continue to happen in her family. One of her daughters shared her story at the conference also — it was the first time she publicly shared. It is also a story of immense pain and now healing is coming.

      In my childhood Mennonite church (not the same one as Anne’s) the pastor was looked up to somewhat, but personally I never did because the many rules of the church confused me from early on.

  • http://www.BridgetChumbley.com Bridget

    Wow, Anne has quite the tragic story. The thoughts in this post and the comments have given me lots to ponder. Thanks for this, Janet.

  • http://caryjo-roadrunner.blogspot.com Joanne Norton

    Back in the ’70s, one of the hard parts as a Christian from a rough life, was that pastors were rarely available to counsel about sexual abuse or unfaithfulness or other abuses. Most of the time we, as individuals, had to hope someone would come into our life who would be willing/able to listen and love and “mentor” in those difficult lives. God made some miraculous moves for me.

    Now, and for the past couple decades, it has been acceptable to discuss all these elements of life. Prayer has continued, of course, but also people have been more and more open to discuss and help with the less-than-normal circumstances. I wouldn’t have made it otherwise.

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