I have been trained by Catherine (Katie) Skurja, founder of Imago Dei Ministries, public speaker, author of, Paradox Lost- Uncovering Your True Identity in Christ and trainer in the art of inner healing. To learn more, click here. Imago Dei Ministries

I participate in inner healing prayer sessions with people who are struggling with fear, shame, trauma, or negative childhood memories. These hardships can obscure a person’s ability to see the good that was their original design. I use imaginative prayer in a three-way conversation with the beloved person who is feeling stuck, Jesus and me. Each session is usually one hour and is done on a video call over Zoom.

Here is how this is done. After listening to the individual express the narrative of their struggle or pain, I reflect back to them, their shaming or reactive words that arise out of their story. I do this to make sure I am understanding what they are telling me. Oftentimes, I have the person look through reflection cards that have images on them that speak to their heart in ways that words may not. We do a short series of paradox prayers that help reduce the shame that is related to those words. An example of a set of paradox prayers could be, “Even though I am not enough, (or whatever the person is believing about his or herself) I am loved and accepted by God. Even though I am not enough, I love and accept myself.” And finally, “Even though I am not enough I trust you God.” This is not where the healing takes place. Strangely or miraculously, this process brings down the shame they feel, making it easier for them to bring it into the Light. When the person is willing, I help them come before their Maker using an imaginative prayer exercise. An example of a prayer exercise could be, imagining going into a carpenter’s shop to visit with Jesus, or to sit with Jesus high in a tree to gain a bird’s eye view of the struggle they are processing. Once they feel that they are in this safe space, and sense Jesus is with them, I might say something like, “Jesus, (beloved’s name) believes that they are not enough. What do you think about that?” We wait and the beloved listens and they hear or sense what Jesus has to say about them. They learn how He sees them or about a specific circumstance that they had gone through and how He was with them in it. He may show them part of themselves that He accepts, that they have rejected etc. It is the encounter with Jesus that heals and transforms the beloved’s life as He integrates the truth of their being into the way of their being. It is what He says that recovers the truth that they are very good. This is the artizo way, to restore to original design and function. This is where fear and shame are replaced with love, acceptance, freedom and a fresh start to a new life.