Recently, a friend was telling me about a challenging work situation in which her supervisor failed to address workplace bullying. The stress of a toxic work environment was taking its toll; her health was deteriorating. She spilled her pain, and I received it, weeping with her at the abuse she endured, the injustice of the situation, and the fact that her supervisor, who could have put a stop to the abuse, chose not to.

Sadly, her heart had been broken many times before. Then—as now—an authority figure had failed to protect her, which made her current situation that much more painful.

I listened—both to her and to God—and shared with her what came to mind. She sobbed uncontrollably for several seconds, and then we stopped to pray. When I saw her a few days later, I could barely believe it was the same woman. Her countenance shone, and a smile played at the corner of her lips. She said something like this, “After we prayed, I felt like a dam had been unplugged. Peace flooded my soul, and I’m hearing from God like I haven’t in years.”

She continues to move forward on her journey toward wholeness.

We cannot heal ourselves, but we can participate in the healing process by positioning ourselves for God to move in our lives. Spiritual practices like solitude, silence, retreat,  journaling, authentic community, and listening prayer are a few of the ways in which we can position ourselves for God’s healing.

What’s the next step on your healing journey? How will you participate in your healing?

Healing Prayer Experiment: Set aside a few hours of time to be alone with God. Meditate on Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18. Ask God to reveal the root of the pain you carry with you. Invite His presence, truth, and healing into those areas. Listen. Write down what you hear.

Suggested Resource: Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun