“I’m depressed,” Jim said.

“How long have you been feeling that way?” I asked.

“Ever since I moved to this country.”

Jim, Steve, and I were sharing and praying together during the small group time at an international workers conference in South Asia. The day before, Steve had shared deeply, setting the tone for today’s meeting.
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Hearing Jim talk, I suspected there might be some buried issues in his heart, leading to his sense of depression. I asked Jim if he would like me to lead him in an inner healing prayer session. He was interested so I explained the simple inner healing model that I have found to be most effective.

The prayer model is this: First, connect with Jesus in an emotionally positive way. Then, ask Jesus if there is any lie embedded in your thinking. Lies we believe are frequently the source of our unhelpful thinking and behavior. After the lie is identified, ask Jesus what truth he wants to give in place of the lie.

Jim was keen to give this a try, so we plunged in. I suggested that Jim start by picturing Jesus sitting at the table with the three of us. After a few moments of silence, I invited Jim to share what he was thinking and feeling.

Jim said, “Jesus is behind me.”

“What is his emotion toward you?” I asked.

“Joyful and playful.”

“How do you feel in response to Jesus’s emotions?”

“Irked that Jesus is so joyful.”

I suspected that maybe I had just stumbled upon a buried lie. I advised Jim to ask Jesus what lie he was believing.

Jim responded, “That a relationship with Jesus is a waste of time because I am not doing anything. If I am not doing something, I am not up to par.” I noticed a smile playing on Jim’s face. He told us that he just saw himself falling back into Jesus’s lap.

I continued my questions. “When did you start believing this lie?”

“I was trying to be number one in high school and college. This was pleasing others. Well, maybe it was pleasing myself. I never took a sabbath.”

Knowing that a lot of our dysfunction stems from a warped sense of identity, I prompted another question. “Who does Jesus say that you are?”

“He says, ‘You are mine.’”

Clarifying what I had heard so far, I said, “I think the issue here, the lie that you are believing, is your value depends on your performance. Ask Jesus what the truth is.”

“Grace.”

“What does grace look like?”

“Walking at Jesus’s speed.”

“What does this look like in practice?”

“Leaning back and resting in him and talking with him whenever I need to, like I am doing right now.”

Trying to get a handle on the encounter he had just had with Jesus, Jim kept asking, “What just happened?”

What happened was Jim had an experience with Jesus, an experience where he heard Jesus speaking into his heart addressing issues that were impacting his life. The good news is this kind of experience is not hard to replicate. All you need is a quiet place, a listening ear, faith to focus on Jesus, and some gentle questions.

Note: This story is used with permission of the participants, but names have been changed.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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