1 Timothy 3:3 – “Now the overseer is to be…not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”
1 Peter 5:3 instructs church leaders to “not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.;lead by example rather than trying to control or lord over their followers. This verse emphasizes that effective leadership is about showing, not telling, and being a role model of faith and service.
Jeremiah 6:13-15: From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
Lesson:
Spiritual abuse happens when someone uses spiritual or religious beliefs to hurt, scare, or control you. This could be accomplished through forcing someone to follow a particular religious script, restricting or mocking someone’s beliefs, or using beliefs to limit and control the other person.This additionally impacts a person by isolating them from who Christ is and what it means to be loved in a genuine and non contractual way.This can be in any place that the manipulator feels ownership of or in control. A manipulator will lie to you, make excuses, blame you, or strategically share some facts and withhold other truths. In doing this, they feel they’re gaining power over you and are smarter than you. Manipulators exaggerate and generalize. Spiritual manipulation is a technique used by some abusive churches and cults to control individuals and acquire gain.
Using scripture to justify a man holding a dominant, authoritarian position over a woman is called spiritual abuse, a form of domestic abuse.
Spiritual violence occurs when someone uses a person’s spiritual beliefs to manipulate, dominate or control the person. Spiritual violence includes, but is not limited to: Not allowing the person to follow her or his preferred spiritual or religious. tradition. It is also when someone uses their spiritual beliefs to gain control or exert power over a person or group. It is not only found in church. It can come in different forms.
Spiritual manipulation involves controlling or influencing someone under the guise of spirituality, often leading to emotional and mental harm.
Spiritual coercive control; is a form of psychological manipulation that exploits individuals’ religious or spiritual beliefs to exert control over them.
The best way to overcome manipulation is through the power of Our Heavenly Father’s love and wisdom. 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”Our Heavenly Father strongly disapproves of manipulation, as it contradicts his teachings on honesty, respect, and selflessness in relationships. Manipulators often seek control and power over others, which is viewed as a violation of Our Heavenly Father’s intention for healthy relationships built on mutual respect. The Bible warns against deceit, false pretenses, and using people for personal gain, emphasizing the importance of truth and humility in all interactions. It can involve someone forcing you or your children to participate in spiritual or religious practices when you don’t want to. It can also involve someone refusing to allow you to participate in spiritual or religious practices that are important to you. We suggest if anyone is doing any of this ask for forgiveness and repent of it and do not do it anymore.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today carrying the wounds of spiritual abuse. We know that you are a God of love and grace, and we ask for your healing touch to be upon us. Help us to find hope and strength in you, and to trust in your loving plan for our lives. We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior.
Our lord and savior we pray. Please forgive me of my sins
against you, please come into my heart. By the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for Saving me.
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