Todays post is a really tough, yet important topic: What happens when the church, a place that’s supposed to be safe and healing, becomes a source of hurt instead?

Church can be a complicated thing. Maybe you’ve been judged, dismissed, or hurt by people who were supposed to represent Christ. Maybe your struggles with mental health or chronic illness weren’t understood, or maybe you were given harmful advice like ‘just pray more’ or ‘you can’t have enough faith’. So, if you’ve ever felt hurt by the church, you are not alone.

I think one of the hardest things about being hurt by the church is that it feels so personal. The church isn’t just another institution – it’s supposed to be a family. It’s supposed to be a place where we find love, acceptance, and healing. So when hurt happens there, it cuts deep.

Perhaps you opened up about your mental health struggles, and instead of support, you were met with judgement or silence. Maybe you were told that your chronic illness was due to a lack of faith. Maybe leadership failed you in some way, or you witnessed hypocrisy that made you question everything. Whatever your experience, I want to say this: Your hurt is valid. Just because the pain came from people in the church doesn’t mean you have to dismiss it or pretend it hasn’t affected you.

And you’re not the only person who has felt this way. Even in the Bible, people wrestled with spiritual wounds. One example that stands out is Psalm 55:12-14 where David says:

“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God.”

David was betrayed by someone from within – someone he trusted and worshipped alongside. And that’s what makes church hurt so painful. It’s not a stranger wounding us; it’s someone we trusted.

Why Does Church Hurt Hit Hard?

When you’re hurt by someone in the church, it can shake your faith – not just in people, but in God Himself. It can make you wonder things like If this is what faith looks like, is it even something I want?

And that’s a valid question. So often, when we experience hurt in the church, we confuse the actions of people with the actions of God. It’s important to remember that God is not the same as the people who represent Him. Humans are flawed. They make mistakes. They get things wrong. But that doesn’t change who God is.

Even when we are hurt, God sees us. He isn’t like the people who hurt us. His love is pure and His heart is for healing – not for harm.

So, how do we move forward when we’ve been hurt by a place that is supposed to be safe?

1. Acknowledge the hurt – It’s okay to say “This hurt me.” Sometimes, church culture teaches us to sweep things under the rug and pretend that we are fine. But denying the hurt that we have experienced, doesn’t make it go away.
2. Separate God from people – People in the church get it wrong. That doesn’t mean that God got it wrong, though. It’s okay to wrestle with your faith after you have experienced hurt – but you should take this hurt to God. He can handle all of your questions, your doubts, your anger – and He encourages us to turn to Him.
3. Find safe spaces – If your church environment feels harmful or unhealthy, it’s okay to step back. Sometimes wounds need distance to heal – there’s a saying that you can’t heal in the place that hurt you, and that’s ok. You can start by finding safe people where you can begin to process your experiences, and then go from there – maybe finding a new church environment when you feel ready for this.
4. Remember Jesus’ heart – Jesus actually called out religious leaders when they misrepresented God. In Matthew 23, He rebukes the Pharisees for placing heavy burdens on people and not showing them mercy. If you have been hurt by the church know that Jesus is on your side.

God’s heart is for those who are hurting. In Psalm 34:18, it says:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

God is never far from you. He sees your pain. He cares about your wounds. He is always for you, even when people let you down.

All my love,

Anna x

The second post in this current series about faith and mental health is a topic that has been on my heart for a while: Do we need both prayer and therapy? It’s a question that many people struggle with when they have mental health difficulties. Do we rely on prayer to heal us or is it okay to seek professional help? Can the two of them work together in unison?

This is a question that others I know have asked many times – and, so have I. If you truly trust God, why would you need therapy? Or, shouldn’t prayer be enough to heal you? If you’ve ever had a moment where you’ve felt conflicted about seeking therapy or counselling, you’re not alone. There’s often a sense of guilt or confusion about whether seeking professional help means you lack faith or that God’s healing power isn’t enough.

First, let me say this: prayer is powerful. It’s a beautiful way to connect with God, to process our emotions, and to ask for healing. But prayer, while vital in our spiritual lives, doesn’t necessarily replace the need for therapy. And that’s okay. It’s okay to seek professional help while also trusting in God. It’s not either/or – it’s both/and.

Think about it this way: we wouldn’t hesitate to go to a doctor for a physical illness, right? If we broke a bone, we wouldn’t just pray and hope it heals on its own – we’d seek out the help of a medical professional. So, why should mental health be any different? Mental health issues are not a lack of faith or something to be ashamed of. Just as our bodies can experience sickness, our minds can experience pain, too. And it’s okay to seek help for that.

Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on what the Bible says about caring for ourselves.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were brought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies.”

This verse reminds us that we are entrusted with our whole selves – body, mind, and spirit – and it’s our responsibility to care for all aspects of ourselves. This includes our mental health. God doesn’t want us to neglect our minds or our emotional well-being.

So, what does it look like to blend prayer and therapy? Well, I think it starts with recognising that both are part of a holistic approach to healing. Prayer is a way we invite God into our struggles. It’s a place to find comfort, seek guidance, and receive peace. Therapy, on the other hand, is a way we partner with God by taking proactive steps to care for our mental health. It’s a place where we can gain tools and coping strategies, heal from past wounds, and understand ourselves better.

I’ve personally found that therapy and prayer work together – they don’t replace each other. For me, therapy has been a space where I can process difficult emotions and experiences in a structured, safe environment. And then, prayer has been the place where I find peace, where I process my feelings with God, and where I ask for strength to keep going.

A few years ago, I found a lovely private counsellor. I was struggling a lot with Anorexia at the time, and she specialised in eating disorders. From our first appointment, I knew that she was the right therapist for me. She was approachable, friendly and understanding and I felt like I could open up to her straight away. However, I knew that I couldn’t afford to see her for more than 15-20 sessions. So, I prayed. I prayed that God would provide, that it would work out and that I’d be in a financial position to see her for longer than 20 weeks. And the day after my second appointment, I got a letter saying that I had been awarded PIP (a benefit that can help toward the additional costs of living with a disability). This has now meant that I have been able to continue seeing my therapist for the last 4 years – therapy and prayer can work in conjunction with one another, and this is a prime example of that for me!

And here’s the thing: seeking therapy doesn’t mean you’re abandoning God. In fact, I believe that God uses therapy to help heal us in ways that prayer alone may not. God gave us the gift of wisdom and knowledge through professionals who are trained to help us navigate through mental health challenges. Just like God uses doctors, nurses, and medical professionals for our physical health, he can also use therapists, counsellors, and mental health professionals for our emotional and mental health.

I’ve also heard people say, “Well, if I go to therapy, I’m not trusting God enough.” But here’s what I think” trusting God IS part of seeking help. Trusting that God can work through therapy, that He can bring healing and transformation through the work of professionals, and trusting that He’s with us in the process of healing – whatever that might look like.

I also want to acknowledge that therapy can feel intimidating at first. It can be hard to know where to start, or what it will look like. But I want to encourage you to take the first step – whether it’s finding a counsellor or therapist, calling a helpline, or just talking to someone you trust about your struggles. You don’t have to walk through this alone.

Before I wrap this post up (it’s turned into much more of an essay than I thought it would – sorry!) let’s take a moment to reflect on another powerful verse that speaks to this topic. Philippians 4:6-7 says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Does this verse tell us to just pray and ignore our struggles? No. It says that we can pray and, in the process of prayer, God will give us peace – a peace that guards our hearts and minds. It’s not an instant fix, but it’s a process of bringing our anxieties before God and trusting that He will give us the peace we need in our hearts and minds.

So, the takeaway from this post is this: If you are struggling with your mental health, seeing therapy is not a sign of weak faith. It’s a way of honouring the body, mind, and spirit that God has entrusted to you. Prayer and therapy can go hand in hand. God’s healing power isn’t limited to one method, and He can use both prayer and therapy to bring you peace, healing, and wholeness.

All my love,

Anna x

If you’ve ever been diagnosed with a chronic illness, or if you’re walking with someone who is, you know how it can sometimes feel like a constant battle. And if you’re someone who has faith, it can raise some big questions. How does your faith play a role in navigating a chronic illness? Does faith mean healing? Or, is there something deeper at play?

Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly isolating. Whether it’s a physical illness, mental health challenge, or something else, the constant pain, fatigue, and uncertainty can weigh heavily on your soul. And if you’re someone who believes in God, you might find yourself asking questions like, “Why am I going through this?” or “Why hasn’t God healed me yet?”

When I was first diagnosed with my chronic illness, I had a lot of anger, confusion, and grief. I was angry at the illness. I was angry at my body for not cooperating. And I was frustrated with God, wondering why He hadn’t healed me. I think, for a lot of people, chronic illness brings up this question: If God is good, why do we have to suffer?

But over time, I’ve come to realise something really important: Faith in God doesn’t mean an absence of suffering. In fact, sometimes, our faith is tested and refined through our suffering. We live in a broken world, and while God can and does heal, He doesn’t always heal in the way we expect or on our timeline. And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean that God isn’t present or that He doesn’t care.

In Corinthians we see Paul talking about his own struggle with what he calls a “thorn in the flesh”. In chapter 12, verses 7-10 he says”

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This passage is incredibly powerful because Paul doesn’t get the healing he asks for. Instead, he hears God say, “My grace is sufficient.” And in that, Paul finds peace – not in the healing itself, but in the sufficiency of God’s grace. That has been a game-changer for me!

When we live with a chronic illness, we might pray for healing, and often we don’t receive the answer we want. But I’ve come to believe that God’s grace is still enough. His presence is still with us, even in our pain. And sometimes, it’s through the weakness and suffering that we experience God’s power in a way that we wouldn’t otherwise. It’s not about denying the reality of the struggle – it’s about learning to rely on God’s strength when we don’t have any left.

But, I think it’s also important to acknowledge that this doesn’t make the pain any easier. Chronic illness is real. It’s relentless. And sometimes, it feels like an unfair burden. I think one of the hardest things to reconcile is the tension between wanting healing and having faith that God is with you even if healing doesn’t come in the way you expect.

An important lesson that I think we can all learn from is that faith doesn’t always look like immediate healing or answers – though it would be nice if it did! Sometimes, faith is about finding strength in the midst of the struggle. It’s about trusting that God is with us in our pain, that He holds us, and that He will never leave us. And I believe He can bring good even out of our suffering. That doesn’t mean the suffering is good – it just means that God can use our experiences to shape us, to teach us, and to help others.

So, whilst I believe that God can heal, I also believe that healing doesn’t always happen in the way we imagine. Sometimes healing looks like peace, or resilience, or learning to live with a new reality. And that’s where the role of faith comes in. Faith in chronic illness isn’t about waiting for a miracle. It’s about trusting that God’s presence in our lives is enough, no matter the circumstances.

In many ways, becoming chronically ill has deepened my relationship with God. It’s taught me how to lean on Him in ways that I never would have if everything had been easy – after all, if things had been easy then we would have no need for faith. I’ve learned that my weakness doesn’t disqualify me from God’s love. In fact, my weakness allows His strength to shine through. And that is a powerful thing.

If you’re living with a chronic illness right now, I want to say this: You are not alone. God sees you. He knows your pain. And he is with you, even when you feel weak or abandoned. Your illness doesn’t define you, and it doesn’t diminish your worth in God’s eyes. He is still good, and His love for you is unwavering.

Isaiah 41:10 says:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Let this be a reminder that God is with you in your difficulties. He promises to strengthen you and uphold you, no matter what you are facing.

All my love,

Anna x