Praying Against Suicide - God of the Impossible: Day Eleven, Week Eleven

This week's email was more difficult for me to write. I had a hard time finding a good flow in the content because the subject matter is too vast to properly articulate in such a short email blast. It is also a subject that I have studied several times, and I still have much to learn on the matter. So, if it seems a bit jumbled, I apologize. I hope by the end you will understand somewhat more of what I believe is a very important subject.

It may be no surprise to you that teenagers struggle with self-hate, self-harm, and suicide, but what may surprise you is the increase of this in younger children. I have seen this in clients as young as 7, 8, 9, and 10 years old. It is devastating to hear all the reasons kids believe they are bad, some with vivid ideas of how they would "murder" themselves, as one little kiddo said.

According to the California Department of Public Health, the number of emergency room visits for self-harm and suicide attempts in children 10-18 for the year 2021 was 1,153 per month or 38 per day. That is pretty severe.

For overall completed suicides in 2021, the ages 10-18 had 166 deaths, or 14 per month. That is 14 too many. Males overall have the highest number of deaths, and white males, in particular, have the highest number of deaths in any age group.

Self-injury, cutting, or self-mutilation is also on the rise. 17% of teenagers have reported recently harming themselves by cutting their skin, banging or hitting their head, or burning themselves. Adults are not immune: 5% of adults have admitted to hurting themselves in recent times. Self-injury is a way many cope to relieve painful or hard-to-express feelings.

Did you know that cutting and suicide are both found in scripture? Both were part of pagan worship. Blood holds significant symbolism in many religious and cultural practices, often representing life, sacrifice, and purification. In pagan traditions, blood might be used in rituals as an offering to deities or spirits, symbolizing a bond or covenant. In Christianity, blood holds deep significance, particularly in the context of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, symbolizing redemption and the forgiveness of sins. In various cultures, blood rituals are seen as a means of purification or as a way to establish a spiritual connection.

The starkest story of self-harm in the Bible was when Elijah faced off with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, found in the book of 1 Kings 18:28. Elijah and the prophets of Baal were in a fight to see whose God was more powerful. The prophets of the false God Baal cut themselves as part of their unsuccessful attempt to summon their deity's attention, but their efforts were in vain. I am sure many of us have heard about and read that story many times, but did you ever notice that they cut themselves?

I have noticed in my therapy practice that it is boys who are most affected by self-hate and suicidal ideation, and girls are more inclined to cut themselves. Biblically speaking, it was boys who were marked for death by the kings on at least two occasions, once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. We know the stories: Moses was born during the slaughter of baby boys, and the promise of a messiah sent the king into a panic, causing another mass slaughter of baby boys to prevent the life of Jesus.

The Bible tells us in John 10:10 that the thief comes to steal, kill, and to destroy. Suicide and self-harm are the antithesis of humanity's most basic instinct, survival. So it begs the question, if our most visceral instinct is to live, where does suicide originate from? I believe it comes from the spirit world, a demonic attack against the very image of God that is found in every human. There is nothing that the enemy hates more than us because we are made in His image, and He loved us enough to die for us.

There is so much more to say on this subject, and if you are inclined, I encourage you to study the significance of blood. It is a powerful study that will give new meaning to the story of Adam, Eve, and the cross of Jesus.

I believe suicide and self-harm are spirits that we must pray against. Jesus came to bring life and life more abundantly. Our kiddos are fighting against forces they know nothing about and losing daily, as are adults. They need us to stand in the gap and pray on their behalf. Only heaven will reveal what our prayer will do.

Until next week, occupy until He comes.

Kathy Chastain