Here’s What You Should Do…

When I saw this picture pop on three of my friends’ Facebook walls on the same day, I was a little relieved. I’m glad I’m not the only one whose brain works overtime–in thousands of different directions. Because 2,857 tabs open doesn’t begin to describe the chaos up there. I have the feeling you can relate.
Fighting for real estate in my mind are my to-do list, my schedule for the day, the kids’ schedules, who I need to call, email, visit, text, thank, beg, RSVP to, or register with. I push all that aside when I get excited about blog ideas and Pintrest-y projects. All THOSE are at war with my emotions and who I’m missing or mad at or inspired by or really excited to see.
Not to mention that all THAT is fighting for space for where I’m at with my dreams and passions. Plus, I think a lot about what to make for dinner since I only eat like ten different foods. Maybe just seven, actually.
I know you know exactly what I’m talking about here. You probably have even more thoughts invading your brain. And if you’re pregnant or nursing, forgetaboutit. Thought/emotion/anxiety battlefield of constantly repeating a nursing schedule or googling strange pregnancy diseases.
All of THIS to say: if you don’t feel peaceful, I know what you should do.
You should pray. Specifically, you should pray at Serenity Retreat. Or a theophostic prayer ministry.
Seriously.
Did you just start to tune me out? My guess is yes.
Even though I’ve been an advocate for healing prayer for over a year, practically no one has taken my advice and gone to Serenity. Or maybe all of you have gone to get healing prayer and are just not telling me about it. I kind of don’t think that’s true, though, because it’s such an amazing experience that you would have told me.
Let me share…
… after you book an appointment at Serenity (which can take a little while to get because, again, it’s amazing), you show up for your prayer time. At your appointment you fill out a form about how you’re feeling. Usually I write about any mental or physical stress my body is dealing with. Or, as Katie Tonn always says, “What doesn’t feel totally peaceful in your life right now?” When you have 2,857 tabs open in your mind all the time, a lot doesn’t feel peaceful.
Inside one of the comfy rooms at Serenity (think the size of an office, not a closet), you sit on a couch. Two trained prayer ministers come in and talk to you about the questions on the intake form.
Then, they start to pray with you. One of the prayer ministers starts by praising God and asking Him to help you open your heart and mind to the Holy Spirit. That prayer minster will silently pray over you for the rest of your appointment. The other prayer minister will talk to you. Both of them take notes about everything you’re saying and experiencing.
You talk about how you’re feeling (anxious, depressed, frustrated, overwhelmed, lonely, hurting, angry), and you describe those feelings and what’s causing them. Then you (or the prayer minister) talks to God about what you’re feeling.
Next, the prayer minister asks you to think of time (preferably the first time) you can remember feeling really anxious, depressed, lonely, etc. This usually stumps me. I sit there and think about it for a long time. I have my eyes closed, so I can’t see, but I’m guessing the prayer ministers think I’m asleep and wonder if they should wake me up.
Eventually some memory comes to mind about a time I felt anxious or angry or left behind, etc. The prayer minister asks you questions about the memory, and you really try to relive the emotion you felt at that time. All of this takes a while. You sit there and breathe deeply and think and remember, and the prayer minister waits.
 I’m always surprised to discover all the emotions I can feel while talking about the memory. Here’s when I always start to cry. Does everyone cry during healing prayer? I don’t know, but I know that I always do. Seriously. I should remember this because it’s useless to put on mascara.
The prayer minister prays over the memory and asks Jesus what He wants you to know. And then you just sit and listen.
You know what? Jesus always responds with powerful love. Every. Single. Time. You can feel His warm love just penetrate the room and your body and your mind. You see the memory differently. For me, I stop seeing myself as a victim. Instead, I see Jesus with me. I feel his presence. I see Him looking at me with so much love. It is such a powerful feeling.
He heals your hurt and that overwhelming peace just floods your body. All the open tabs in my brain start to close. I don’t feel so anxious, or like I’m going in 1000 different directions. I feel so peaceful.
The prayer minister thanks God, leaves the notes by your side, and lets you just sit in the room and soak up His love. Part of me wants to just sit in the room forever. Another part of me wants to go out and experience the world with my renewed mind…with the very real feeling that Jesus loves me and always has.
Because that’s the fun part. When I leave healing prayer, I have such mental clarity. It’s so fun to see the  same world I was just in a couple hours ago, but through totally different eyes. I know it is the same, but God has changed me by sealing His love in my soul. Again and again.
So, that’s what healing prayer is all about.
You should try it.