“Souls without prayer are like people whose bodies or limbs are paralyzed, they possess feet and hands but cannot control them” - St Teresa of Avila
Every person has soul wounds. Because of the brokenness of this world, because of sin, we live in a world full of wounded people. Most people walk around hurting but do not know the source of their pain. So instead of dealing with their woundedness, they take their pain and direct it outward. We watch as people attack, tear down and hurt others. In turn, those that were attacked and hurt, turn around and hurt others. So we have hurt people hurting people that in turn hurt people. (As Dr. Venkman would say “Mass Hysteria”.)
The way to stop the cycle of woundedness in your world is to shift/move? from outward avoidance to inward reflection. Through inward reflection, we can identify, understand and even heal our woundedness. In the following exercise, the Holy Spirit will guide you through the process of identification, understanding, and healing.
“I believe that God both wills and can bring good out of everything, even the worst… I believe that even our mistakes and wrongdoing are not fruitless” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
To begin, you will need to find a quiet place of solitude. Bring a bible, a pen, and a notebook to write thoughts, prayers or anything else that comes to mind. Some people focus better when they can write out what is going on in their inner life. Your quiet place can be in a room alone, a prayer closet or (for me) a spot on the couch with a candle (and a corgi lying next to me). Focus on quieting your thoughts and quieting your mind. Invite the Holy Spirit to bring peace to your thoughts and feelings, to posture your heart towards listening and reflecting. The Holy Spirit knows you better than you know yourself and will guide and teach you through this time. (1 Cor 2:13)
“We must lay before Him what is in us; not what ought to be in us.” -CS Lewis
Now that we are positioned to dive in, spend time thinking about where you feel hurt or anxiety. Think of the things that make you angry. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring these events and feelings to mind. It can be easy to feel shame during this. Do not let shame take hold; it is not of God. King Jesus is exposing truth in your life for your good and your restoration, not to hurt or shame you.
As things come up, write them down. Place them in a container in your mind. Look at it and give it a name. Identify the feeling that you are feeling at that moment. See what it may be attached to. What is it that causes these feelings? Let God guide you to the answers. With God’s help, name the wound that has been revealed.
A word of caution for you: This is not an easy or quick process. Yahweh may bring you to your wound quickly, or it may take time. Be patient with yourself and with Him. Wait upon Abba Father to work with you through this exercise and do not rush it.
When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. - David
Now that you have identified the wound, we are going to work on understanding it. Ask Yahweh how this wound causes you to act. How does it manifest in your outer world? Does it cause you to isolate yourself? Does it cause you to rage against people? Maybe it causes you to lean into activities that numb the pain like binging food, alcohol, tv or pornography. Maybe it causes criticalness. Walk with the Holy Spirit through these questions and understand how this wound manifests itself.
Next, ask the question “Why do I have this wound?” Ask “Why does it manifest in this way?” Continue to spend time understanding the wound. The better we understand a wound, the better we can treat it. God will guide you through this exercise; make sure to pay attention to his leading throughout it.
After we have spent time identifying a soul wound, and have some kind of understanding where it comes from, we can begin to have it be healed. It is important to know that you cannot heal a soul wound by your power. We do not have that ability. We are broken because of sin.
Healing can only come from Abba Father. Healing is a grace given to us; it is not merited by our actions. It is not about having “enough” faith or the right words. Healing is an act of God that comes from an overflow of His loving nature.
So take time to ask Yahweh to begin healing your woundedness. Surrender the pain and the control of it over to Him. Ask Him to bring peace over this wound. Ask Him to heal the pain, and to use it for his glory and your good. He is faithful to do it.
Remember, this can take time. It will not be a single time of doing this exercise that will bring you peace and healing. But as you surrender the wounds to Abba Father, He will begin a restorative work in you.
