Ministry Tools

Post-Abortion Ministry Helps

There are four crucial areas of ministry that go on when walking through post-abortion healing with someone. The first is building a trusting relationship with them; next is helping them understand the character of God; the third is helping them understand their identity in Christ; and the last is knowing the key struggles they have and concentrating on those issues to facilitate healing.

1. Building Trust with the Post-Abortive

   • More often than not these people have felt betrayed by those closest to them as well as by the hospital or clinic staff. Trust usually does not come easy and may take some time to build. Sincere concern coupled with compassionate understanding are the building blocks for constructing a foundation of trust that will enable the healing to take place.

2. Helping Them Understand the Character of God

   • Whether they have been Christians since their youth or have not yet trusted Christ for their salvation, chances are their understanding of who God is and what His true character is has been damaged or never fully grasped. Pull verses from Scripture that reveal the heart of God - His faithfulness even when we are unfaithful; His lovingkindness and compassion; His willingness to forgive and to cleanse us of our sin, etc. Have them write these verses on index cards to carry with them to review whenever they begin to doubt or question His character.

3. Helping Them Understand Who They Are in Christ

   • Self-Image and Christ-Esteem

     • Because of the responsibility they had in the abortion(s), because of the regret and the reality that there is no going back to undo what's been done, and because of the weight of that sin their self-image has most likely taken quite a beating. If they have trusted Christ for their salvation, once again pull verses from Scripture that relate to who they are in Christ. Also, discuss with them the reality of spiritual warfare and that the enemy's goal is to get them to agree with him that their sin is too big, that they are too bad for God to forgive or bless or use for His glory. Have them write verses down that will help them to focus on their identity in Christ and their authority over Satan's schemes as before.

     • If they have not trusted Christ for their salvation, share the gospel message with them, praying that God will reveal His truth to them and draw them to Him.

   • Friend of Christ - Enemy of Satan

     • Help them to understand that as a friend of Christ they have automatically become an enemy of Satan. ["You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. Matthew 10:22 NASB; "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12 NIV] As such his goal is to destroy their identity in Christ and keep them under self-condemnation. Following are some of the lies Satan intended to undermine our identity in Christ.

   My Identity*

   *(Adapted from "Resolving Spiritual Conflicts and Cross-Cultural Ministry" by Dr. Timothy Warner)
   Satan's Lie	God's Truth
   You are a sinner because you sometimes sin.	You are a saint (one declared righteous by God) who sometimes sins.
   You get your identity from what you have done.	You get your identity from what God has done for you.
   You get your identity from what people say about you.	You get your identity from what God says about you.
   Your behavior tells you what to believe about yourself.	Your belief about yourself determines your behavior.

4. Understanding Common Struggles for the Post Abortive:

   • Forgiveness

     • God's Forgiveness
     • Forgiveness of Self
     • Forgiveness of Others

   • Dealing with the memories and destructive thought processes (strongholds)

     • Because of the cunning of the enemy, the battle for the mind of the post-abortive is fierce indeed. Condemnation is the order of the day, a constant reminder to them of what they have done (or have allowed) and their subsequent guilt. Second Corinthians 10:5,6 ["We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ..."] are excellent verses of Scripture to empower them to destroy this stronghold of the mind. Encourage them to memorize these verses and to repeat them aloud whenever they are tempted to revisit their sin and the condemnation that accompanies it. Locate other verses of Scripture (as before) that will strengthen them against this stronghold.

   • The importance of where the baby is now and the hope of being reunited someday in heaven

     • For some women, the assurance that their baby is not still in the abortion clinic is important in order for them to find healing. Letting them know that in all probability their child(ren) are in heaven with God brings significant relief and hope that they will someday be reunited with them, assuming they have trusted Christ for their salvation. (The account of David's infant son in is one basis for this belief.)

   • The importance of naming and memorializing the baby

     • The simple act of naming the baby assigns dignity and significance to him/her as an important person in their life.
     • If the mother (or other family member) is at a loss when it comes to choosing a name for the child, encourage them to ask God what his/her name is. The Word says He has called us by name... (Isaiah 41:9)
     • Funerals and memorial services are an important part of our grieving process in this culture; therefore memorializing the lost child brings much-needed closure so that the healing can be completed. (Note: a memorial should be performed for each aborted child individually.)
     • There are as many ways to memorialize an aborted child as there are people to mourn them.