In this “Testify” series, our staff at American Bible Society share the testimonies of people whose lives have been transformed through your prayers.
Your prayers enable American Bible Society and our global partners to share the life-changing message of the Bible with people around the world. And God is moving on hearts in miraculous ways!
Today, Moriah Hall, who serves on the Trauma Healing Ministry team at American Bible Society, will share a story of a man whose life was restored through the healing power of Scripture and how you can continue to pray for the work she is doing. We hope that this testimony inspires you to continue to pray for lives to be healed through God’s Word.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you and your team do at American Bible Society.
My name is Moriah, and I’ve been with American Bible Society for six years. I love nature and time outdoors. On the weekends you can find me hiking on a trail or spending time with friends and family. I have a passion to see people experience the fullness of God—his love, peace, and presence. Reminding people that they matter and are loved is what drew me to the Trauma Healing Ministry at American Bible Society.
I currently serve as a project manager on the Trauma Healing Ministry team. Our ministry helps people around the world heal from the pain of trauma and find hope in Jesus. We use a unique method that unites mental health best practices and engagement with God through the Bible. Using this method, we train churches, community leaders, and individuals in our Bible-based curriculum to become facilitators who lead healing groups. Healing groups are safe spaces where hurting people can process their pain, receive support, and find hope in the pages of Scripture.
Since launching the Trauma Healing Ministry in 2010, we have trained more than 23,000 people around the world to become trauma healing facilitators and they are now leading trauma healing groups in over 150 countries.
How can someone become involved with Trauma Healing Ministry?
We have created tools and resources for pastors, individuals, and community leaders who want to help hurting people heal from trauma but don’t know where to start. These resources are designed to help them create safe places where traumatized people can connect with God and others and begin their healing journey.
Maybe you have endured suffering yourself and need God to heal you. Whether you want to help others who are hurting, or you want to experience healing for yourself, here are two resources and opportunities that are available to you through the Trauma Healing Ministry:
- Check out Trauma Healing Basics. These are simple, practical tools that anyone can use to learn about and respond to trauma. You don’t need any training or special knowledge to use them. There are wonderful resources like, “How to Lament” and a video called “What is Trauma?” And it’s all free! Access these resources today at: Bible-based resources — Trauma Healing Institute
- Become a trauma healing facilitator. With our new Trauma Healing app, it’s easier than ever to lead small groups for hurting people. Download the app, take the training, and organize a group. Learn more at: App-based small groups — Trauma Healing Institute.
Can you share a testimony of someone who experienced God’s healing and comfort through the Trauma Healing Ministry?
I am happy to share Moisés’s testimony. Moisés experienced many painful events growing up in Colombia. As a young child, he fell from a tree and shattered his spine, resulting in severe mobility issues. When he tried to stand, his body would collapse. For months he could not move and was in agonizing pain. Finally, after years of his parents praying for him, Moisés miraculously began to heal.
But Moisés’s troubles were not over. Around the age of 11, Moisés was sexually assaulted. He still remembers how this terrible experience caused tremendous “sadness, loneliness, and pain” in his heart. As the years passed, this pain only increased. Depression overwhelmed Moisés. He even considered suicide as a way to escape. On top of this affliction, when Moisés became a teenager, he was plagued by starvation and malnutrition. His body began to shut down. Close to death, Moisés called out to God in his suffering. Remarkably, another miracle occurred and Moisés’s body began to recover and heal.
As an adult, Moisés became an active leader in his Christian community. He directed the children’s ministry at his church, mentored youth, and led various programs. Since he had endured such great adversity with God’s help, he wanted to help others. But the joy of ministering to others could not mask the lingering pain in his heart. The suffering he experienced as a child, especially the sexual abuse, tormented Moisés. He could not escape the anguish and despair within, and he wasn’t sure if it would ever go away.
Amid his suffering, Moisés was invited to a Trauma Healing group and started experiencing the true healing he longed for.
“God heard my cry,” Moisés shared. After 27 years, Moisés could finally talk about the sexual abuse he had experienced. He found comfort and care in a Trauma Healing group led by trained facilitators, who helped participants find hope in Scripture. In this group, Moisés learned that God hears and cares for him. He discovered that his suffering matters to God. And finally, Moisés experienced healing from the pain that was buried deep within his heart.
Moisés praised God for the Trauma Healing ministry, saying, “Today I can say, ‘Thank you God, I am free, and the wound is healed over!’”
We praise God for healing Moisés and for healing thousands of people around the world through his Word. God wants to restore hearts that have experienced pain and trauma, and we’re grateful that the Trauma Healing Ministry can participate in God’s healing work.
How can we pray for the work of Trauma Healing Ministry?
Thank you for asking! Your prayers open the way for countless people to be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, healed. I ask that you pray for these three things:
- Hurting people. Pray that people who have experienced painful life circumstances will discover that there is hope beyond their suffering. Pray that they will learn about the Trauma Healing Ministry, which is active everywhere—in churches, in neighborhoods, in war zones, in prisons, in areas with natural disasters—and will have opportunity to participate in our programs. Please pray that hurting people will experience the love and comfort of God, and that more people will be helped through the Trauma Healing Ministry.
- Trauma Healing Ministry. Pray that this ministry will continue to grow and help people around the world. Pray for facilitators as they lead healing groups, and pray that our resources will help hurting people experience the love of God and find healing.
- New Trauma Healing Audio Program. Please pray that our new Trauma Healing app will continue to be downloaded and used, so that we can reach more people with the healing power of God’s Word.