Cutting the umbilical cord to discover God’s plans for me.

A child can live in their mothers shadow into their adult years. In his book, Healing the Family Tree, psychiatrist Kenneth McAll shares how a manipulative mother had ordered the life of her eight years old son following the sudden death of his father, until he was thirty-five.

She made all his decisions from the choice of his wife to the career path he was to follow. Dr. McAll observed a dysfunctional relationship existed between the mother and son when he witnessed the mother flying into a rage. Her authority was being questioned and then she stormed out of his consulting rooms and visited a Church.

Apparently she heard an interior voice speaking to her.

‘You have never cut the umbilical cord of your youngest child’.

At first she thought Dr. McAll had followed her into the church and the voice was his.

Looking about, she found she was alone and then she heard the interior voice again. She realised that she was hearing the promptings of the Holy Spirit and responded,

‘If this is true, Lord, I will do it now’.

She relates how a strange feeling came over her, as though she had actually taken a pair of scissors and cut her son’s umbilical cord. Her relationship with her son has now changed following that spiritual event.

Cutting the spiritual umbilical cord between ourselves and our mother gives us the emotional freedom to follow God’s will (plan) in our lives like Jesus did in Matt. 12:46-50. In this scripture passage Jesus stretched his hand out towards is disciples and said,

“Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. “

Proclaiming God’s Word can set me free from being captive to my mother’s plans and expectations.

I will have difficulty saying no until the spiritual umbilical cord has been cut. I am now set free from feeling guilty when I do say no to her plans for me. I am now free to be who I am in the image of Christ.

Prayer Exercise:

Cutting the Umbilical cord can be prayed through the imagination and by praying the scriptures to appropriate God’s word to set us free. (Matt. 12: 46-50 )

Place yourself in the presence of God in a quiet and sacred place

Imagine a mother and child

Give thanks for the medical staff that cut your physical umbilical cord to set you free from being attached to your Mum.

Give thanks to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who created you in love and for the mission he has chosen for you.

A Mothers prayer for her child to be set free

Jesus, I pray for you to cut the spiritual umbilical cord that ties me to my child. Have mercy on each of us and release us from any emotional attachments that prevent us from growing in the fullness of grace

A Child’s Prayer to be set free.

Jesus, I pray for you to cut the spiritual umbilical cord that ties me to my mother. Have mercy on each of us, and release us from any emotional attachments that prevent us from growing into the fullness of grace.

Pray and proclaim Jesus words spoken to his disciples in Matt; 12 :46-50

“Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. “

Appropriate the grace by asking God the Father to bless you with the same grace Jesus received to love and honour his mother to follow God’s will for his life.

Prayer Comment:

I suggest you visit the Assisted Help prompts to understand how and why we appropriate God’s word for this prayer. Consider praying the I Am Litany to grow into the person God created you to be.