Healing a Father's Heart: A Post-Abortion Bible Study for Men

By Linda Cochrane and Kathy Jones

Practical information to help hurting men work through the stages of post-abortion syndrome and find comfort in the reassurance of God's love and acceptance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 1, 1996
• ISBN: 9781585584031

Linda Cochrane

Linda Cochrane is the executive director of Hopeline Women's Center in Monroe, Connecticut, and is cofounder of PACE (Post-Abortion Counseling and Education). She is the author of Forgiven and Set Free, Healing a Father's Heart, and The Path to Sexual Healing. Cochrane resides in New York.

Book preview

© 1993, 1996 by CareNet

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Previously published in 1993 under the title Turning a Father’s Heart by CareNet

Ebook edition created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-58558-403-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked TLB is taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois. Used by permission.

The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 TLB

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Preface

How to Use This Book

Acknowledgments

1 How Do I Know Where I Need Healing?

2 The Character of God

3 And God Made Man…

4 Relief and Denial

5 Anger

6 The Need to Forgive

7 Depression

8 Forgiven and Set Free

9 Acceptance

Conclusion

Post-Abortion Ministries

Preface

Men who suffer trauma after their child’s abortion are not often understood. With the words It’s not your body, It’s not your decision, and You have no say screaming in their ears, men even question their right to have feelings following an abortion.

These men are like silent, wounded warriors. They feel a battle raging within but they can’t identify the enemy. How can it be abortion? Abortion is a safe, simple, legal procedure—isn’t it?

Our experiences have shown that abortion leaves both men and women with many wounds. Among these wounds are fear, anxiety, anger, guilt, grief, and depression. For men, there is often an unexplainable need to defend their masculinity; that need causes confusion and strife in most of their relationships. Not all men are aware of the adverse effects that abortion brings to their lives. This study was written for men who want healing for the festering wounds and for men who have battle fatigue from fighting this inner war—alone.

Women in Ramah—A Post-Abortion Bible Study for Women was published in 1986. Since then, the need for a men’s study has become apparent to us. For example, a man called the crisis pregnancy center where Kathy worked. He was crying desperately, pleading for help because his girlfriend was having his baby aborted and he could do nothing about it. His helplessness was overwhelming.

Kathy was a Post-Abortion Counseling and Education (PACE) counselor, working with hurting women. Having also counseled men in crisis pregnancy situations and seeing how overlooked they were, she knew she had to find a way to help them.

Linda was aware that some men were using Women in Ramah as a tool for their own healing but actually seeing two men carrying the book had a great impact on her. These two men shared their stories with her, and she began to understand the father’s pain. She gained compassion that motivated her to see the healing power of God’s Word transform the lives of hurting men.

Together we desired to see these wounded warriors come home to their heavenly Father and rest in his love and healing. We wrote this Bible study out of a desire to see men freed from the enemy’s camp of silent suffering.

We give God the glory for healing the hearts of the fathers.

How to Use This Book

This book is intended for personal study by men. Or it may be used by groups for a guided group study. There is a companion study for women, Forgiven and Set Free. Couples have found it meaningful to go through the study together, using their respective guides.

As you work through this guide, you will find space provided for writing answers to the questions. It would be a good idea to keep a notebook handy as well. There will be many questions for which the Lord will prompt you to write more than space in the book allows. You may also want to jot down thoughts, insights, and prayers that come to you as you go through the study. There are blank pages at the end of this book that may also be used for this purpose.

If the study guide is used by a group, the chapters should be completed by the members of the group before the group sessions. Then the section at the end of each chapter