Program Outline
Welcome and Introduction
Soul Healing Praise and Worship Songs
“Lord I Give You My Heart, I Give You My Soul,” available on YouTube.
“How Great Thou Art,” Song #993, The Salvation Army Song Book or on a YouTube video.
Soul Exploration
Prayer
I asked God for strength that I might achieve,
I was made weak that I might learn to humbly obey.
I asked God for health that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked God for power that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life,
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I hoped for,
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all, most richly blessed!
—Author Unknown
Soul Reflection
“It Is Well With My Soul,” Song #771, The Salvation Army Song Book
Craft—Soothing for the Soul
Check the Internet for recipes and the benefits of bath salts.
Devotional—Soul Healing Love
Scripture. 1 Samuel 1:1–18
Benediction
Soul Healing Love
“Jesus said. ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22: 38, 39, NLT).
The soul is the emotional nature of a human being; the substance or essence of who we are. It is the core energy or life energy that is in human beings. It is immortal. The Salvation Army’s Eleventh Doctrine speaks of this, “We believe in the immortality of the soul, in the resurrection of the body, and in the general judgment at the end of the world.” In Scripture the Greek word for the soul is psuché. This is close to our English version of psyche, meaning “breathe” or “breath of life.” God breathed into Adam the breath of life and Adam became a “living being.”
Since God made the soul as the central aspect of man that is most like Him, the soul is the most God–like part of the human psyche. The soul’s God–like nature enables it to be capable of great depth and caring. The soul rejoices, praises, hopes and is patient. The soul can be satisfied, happy and at rest with God and itself. Because the soul contains emotions, appetites, and memories, it is also vulnerable to pain and hurt. It can become unsettled, angered, frightened, despairing, weak, despondent, disquieted and even bitter.
When God created us, He gave us a soul. That soul developed depending on how we were raised. Some of us were loved, nurtured and well cared for. Others were mistreated, abused, neglected, or even ignored. Regardless of how your soul was formed, we all have soul wounds. There are those hurts and pains inflicted upon the psyche that leave emotional scars. This may have happened to us growing up or it could have happened recently. However, many of us do not want to face the ugly, dark parts of ourselves that contributed to these scars. Seeing our soul for what it is, the good and the bad, is extremely hard. As Christians, we don’t want to see our sinful nature. But to apply God’s soul healing love, we must see those sins and confess them to Him. The good news is: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Finding out what has wounded us, will help heal our souls. Facing our own hurts and wounds helps us to understand the wounds of others and will help us in our daily relationships.
Read 1 Samuel 1:1–18.
Hannah shows great faith as she asks the Lord to bless her with a child. Prayer helps us to learn the best way to approach and view our hurts, our brokenness and our adversaries. Hannah takes these troubles to the Lord in prayer. When we follow her example and leave our problems in God’s hands, He will give us healing, peace and joy. His grace will become evident in our lives.
Invite the women to read aloud Mathew 22:37–40.
Jesus said that the first commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. When we love God with our entire being, we can’t help but show love for our neighbor. It is a natural and logical outgrowth of that love. The second greatest commandment He gave is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” When we practice soul healing love, we love others.
“The Broken Doll,” in Chicken Soup for The Mother’s Soul, tells of a mother who asked her daughter why she was late coming home from school. The daughter explained that her friend had dropped her doll and that it had broken into pieces. The mother expected her daughter to say that she had helped her friend repair the doll, but instead she replied that she didn’t know how to fix it, so she just helped her friend cry. You can access this full story on the Internet. Often loving others as we love ourselves is just being there for them and offering words of encouragement. We usually can’t fix their problem, but we can hold their hand and let them know how much we care. We can pray with them, letting them know that Jesus also cares.
What is the condition of your soul? Do you love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? Is your complete soul given over to Him or is there something that keeps you from a complete surrender? Although we know that we have been saved by the blood of Jesus, we can still have areas in our life that need to be healed. Healing is a process. A friend of mine said, “It’s not enough to preach against sin because sin is not the real issue. Sin is not the problem. Sin is merely how a person seeks to medicate their problem.” We keep sinning because we are still hurting. Wholeness in our soul comes when we turn to the Lord in our weakness and pain and allow Him to do what no one else can do. Only God can regenerate the human spirit. Only God can raise a person to spiritual maturity and soul wholeness. God’s healing restores, loves, forgives and saves.
Soul Cleansing Power
Time of Reflection and Meditation
As an outward sign of continuing to need God’s healing and restoration in your life, I invite you to come and have healing water poured over your hands. (Set up basins filled with water in a couple of locations in the meeting room. Have the piano play the song, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” This is also available on YouTube.)
Vocal Benediction
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me,
Bless His holy name.
–Psalm 103
