Helping Women Who Have Had Abortions

Additional Resources

• Living In His Forgiveness: A Bible Study for Post-Abortive Women {Book}
• Living In His Forgiveness – Leader Guide {Book}
• Milestones of Human Life & Post Abortive Syndrome {Handout}
• How Do I Know Where I Need Healing {Handout}
• ‘If only…’ Living with Regrets {CCEF}

Notes on Helping Women Who Have Had Abortions

1. Identifying and Understanding the Post Abortive Woman. Leading her through the steps of confession, forgiveness, and real freedom that only Christ can offer.
   • “Through His Word, God has shown me that He has a purpose and meaning for my life even though I had made a mess of things by going my own way and doing my own thing.” Sandy Day
2. Defining a Crisis Pregnancy: “An unexpected set of circumstances that demands a choice.”
   • It can be overwhelming, life-dominating, and life-changing, leaving normal problem-solving and coping skills gone. The decision you make, or that is made for you, will change life as you know it, and there’s no going back.
3. Some reasons why women and men chose abortion;
   1. No Support
   2. Coercion by others
   3. Poor timing
   4. Careers
   5. Finances
   6. Youth
   7. Fear of Exposure
   8. Reckless ongoing path of drugs, alcohol, and bad relationships
4. A woman will usually experience a sense of relief, an ability to pick up where she has left off as she suppresses what she has done, but eventually, symptoms of a post-abortive woman can include:
   • Guilt, grief, isolation, hopelessness, depression, anger, and unforgiveness…. leading to destructive behaviors involving relationships, or drug and alcohol abuse.
5. Psalm 32:1-5 gives us great hope!
   • “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Thy hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and did not hide; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.”
6. Two promises that we can cling to in God’s Word are:
   1. Romans 8-1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.
   2. Romans 8-28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
7. God always takes broken lives, redeems them, and makes them useful in His Kingdom.