Podcasts about healing prayer

Theologian Bo Karen Lee joins Ryan McAnnally-Linz to explore how the multiple layers of trauma—pandemic grief, racialized violence, intergenerational wounding, vicarious suffering—can be met by the resources of Ignatian spirituality and contemplative prayer. Writing and teaching at the intersection of Christian formation and social justice, Lee brings both scholarly precision and uncommon personal candor to one of the most urgent conversations in theology today. "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing. So it has the very opposite effect of what is needed for it to be healed." In this conversation, Lee reflects on the spiritual journey from what one author calls "alarmed aloneness" toward becoming beloved—seen, held, and gazed upon with love. Together they discuss the overlapping layers of collective, personal, racialized, and intergenerational trauma shaping contemporary life; attachment theory and its parallels with spiritual formation; the Ignatian tradition of imaginative, contemplative prayer; the still face experiment and the theology of the loving gaze; and why the church has something singular to offer the trauma crisis of our time. Episode Highlights "We are quite sure we're alone in the world and no one really sees us, no one truly cares and no one can be trusted. You're alone, overwhelmed, and helpless." "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing. So it has the very opposite effect of what is needed for it to be healed." "I need to be held, but it's this illusory figure that holds me, because I have shut myself off to the very things that could help me, because no one is to be trusted." "I've seen too much hope, and too much beauty, and too much healing walking through the spiritual exercises that I can no longer despair that trauma has the final word." "Gazing upon the God who gazes upon me with love. That is contemplative prayer." About Bo Karen Lee Bo Karen Lee is Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology and Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she teaches contemplative theology, Ignatian spirituality, and the relationship between prayer and social justice. A leading voice in the integration of trauma studies and Christian formation, she brings the Ignatian tradition into conversation with psychology, attachment theory, and the lived experience of racialized communities. Her work draws on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola to offer resources for healing that are both theologically grounded and pastorally immediate. She directs retreatants in the nineteenth annotation of the Spiritual Exercises and works regularly with spiritual directors trained in the Ignatian tradition. Helpful Links and Resources Bessel van der Kolk, Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society https://www.amazon.com/Traumatic-Stress-Overwhelming-Experience-Society/dp/1572300485 Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother's Hands https://www.resmaa.com/resources Kathy Weingarten, Common Shock: Witnessing Violence Every Day https://www.kathyweingarten.com David Fleming SJ, Draw Me Into Your Friendship https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Me-Into-Your-Friendship/dp/0912422904 Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ Edward Tronick, Still Face Experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Find a Spiritual Director https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/making-good-decisions/find-a-spiritual-director/ Show Notes Trauma defined: "terror triggered by an inescapably stressful event that overwhelms existing coping mechanisms" — Bessel van der Kolk Layers of trauma: collective pandemic grief, personal wounding, racialized violence, intergenerational encoding, vicarious/secondary trauma Global pandemic as collective trauma — threat of death, forced isolation, planetary-scale overwhelm Racialized trauma and AAPI hate incidents — one in five AAPI individuals reported a hate incident in the U.S. in a 15-month window (as of late 2021) My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem — racialized trauma encoded in bodies and communities https://www.resmaa.com/resources Cumulative microaggressions — daily small injuries can produce PTSD-level effects over time; growing body of clinical literature Secondary/vicarious trauma — hearing others' suffering reactivates unresolved wounds in caregivers and companions "Double jeopardy" — Kathy Weingarten's term for caregivers whose own past traumas are reactivated while supporting others Five professions at highest risk: clergy, health workers, teachers, police, journalists — context for the Great Resignation "Alarmed aloneness" — the net effect of trauma: certainty that no one sees you, no one cares, no one can be trusted "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing." The orphan image: a girl in a Middle Eastern orphanage draws a chalk mother around her fetal body — illusory comfort as portrait of traumatic isolation Intergenerational trauma — encoded in DNA; personal testimony about learning her own mother was nearly killed as an infant, its echo across generations Kintsugi as healing metaphor — the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold; grief before repair, not a race to be fixed Robert Stolorow's concept: finding a "relational home" for traumatic suffering — the necessity of being witnessed Ignatius of Loyola — 16th-century Spanish soldier wounded by cannonball; encountered the living Christ through Ludolph of Saxony's Vita Christi during convalescence The Spiritual Exercises: a four-week manual for imaginative prayer — beloved and broken, walking with Christ through ministry, suffering, resurrection https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ Ignatian contemplative prayer defined: "gazing upon the God who gazes upon me with love" — kataphatic, embodied, not requiring stillness or silence Still Face Experiment (Edward Tronick) — infant distress when a loving mother goes blank; evidence that the gaze of love is neurologically and psychologically foundational https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Attachment theory and spiritual formation — earned secure attachment: what unhealthy early bonding cannot provide, sustained relationship with God can "I've seen too much hope, and too much beauty, and too much healing walking through the spiritual exercises that I can no longer despair that trauma has the final word." Personal testimony: AAPI hate crimes, night terrors, contemplative prayer with a spiritual director; a vision of Mary, the wailing women, and the crucified Christ "Bo, they killed me too" — Christ's words in a contemplative vision; solidarity as the beginning of bearable grief Sartre's "hell is other people" reframed — parasitic dependence on others' approval vs. the freedom of knowing how God gazes upon you Resources for beginning: David Fleming's Draw Me Into Your Friendship; finding a spiritual director trained in Ignatian spirituality; Jesuit retreat centers #TraumaHealing #IgnatianSpirituality #ContemplativePrayer #ChristianFormation #SpiritualTheology #MentalHealthAndFaith #RacializedTrauma #AttachmentTheory #ForTheLifeOfTheWorld #YaleDivinity Production Notes This podcast featured Bo Karen Lee Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Annie Trowbridge and Luke Stringer A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Send a textWhy does healing prayer feel sincere—but still ineffective for so many Christians?In this episode, we sit down with Beatty Carmichael to explore why prayer for healing often seems to produce little change—and what may be missing in our understanding of biblical healing.This conversation focuses on The Prayer of Freedom as a structured, Scripture-based process of inner healing and repentance—not a quick fix or emotional moment. Beatty explains why faithful believers can pray for years and remain stuck, and how confusion about spiritual authority, repentance, and the legal structure of healing can quietly block progress.Rather than chasing hype, this discussion walks through how healing unfolds step by step within a biblical framework.We also explore:• Why healing prayer sometimes feels ineffective • The difference between demonic influence and wounded parts of the human soul • Why treating those two realities the same causes confusion • Authority-based healing vs. gift-based healing • The role of repentance in restoring freedom • Challenges in the modern Church's approach to deliverance and healingIf you've ever thought, “I pray, but nothing changes,” this episode will give you clarity, language, and a practical path forward rooted in Scripture.➡️ Get Beatty Charmichael's book here: https://theprayeroffreedom.com/❤️ SHOW YOUR SUPPORT - LINKS BELOW...Email me: https://www.karlgessler.com/deliverance➡️ DONATE ➡️  Join our team!https://www.givesendgo.com/karlgesslerfamilybandhttps://www.patreon.com/karlgesslerhttps://cash.app/$KarlgesslerSocial Media➡️Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089357625739➡️Telegram - https://t.me/FaithoftheFathers➡️Truth Social - https://truthsocial.com/@UCLOvq6O4aIXLrkKxwXkq3uA#repentance  #healing #deliverance #prayeoffreedom #beattycarmichaelSupport the show

Have you been wanting a way to send healing, peace and support to Minneapolis and feel that you made a difference? That has been my prayer for the last few weeks…so I offered a live channeled peace and healing meditation with Mother Mary right after Alex Pretti was murdered. Everyone who participated said it was the MOST powerful event I have ever facilitated! Not only did Mother Mary come, She brought the company of heaven with Her – the angels, archangels, saints, spirit guides…even the ancestors showed up! But the most unexpected and moving thing that happened is the presence of Renee Good and Alex Pretti joined us, along with all the souls who have lost their lives at the hands of ICE… not in anger, but in determined love and support. At one point, we felt the energy of the Buddhist Peace monks in our circle too! I'm not sure how they found us, but that is when I knew we had accessed a high level of peace and healing! So in this special episode, I am sharing this extraordinary meditation with you so that you can experience the power, peace, healing and grace for yourself. I purposely didn't edit the audio because there are messages from Mother Mary in the beginning, but if you want to jump ahead to the meditation, it begins around the 20-minute mark.   Key Learnings: 1) Mother Mary said that what is happening in Minneapolis, which reminds so many of us of Germany in the 1930's, is so much older than that. She said the archetype of King Herod was present on the planet, especially in the USA right now. This is the archetype of the insecure leader who will do anything to retain power, such as the murder of the innocents. Any time you see children being harmed in an attempt to secure power, be sure that the Herod energy is present and active. 2) The good news is that is Herod is present, then Christ must also be present! And nothing makes the Herod energy more desperate than the rising of goodness, compassion and love. 3) During this meditation, we were joined by Mother Mary, the entire company of heaven, including the ancestors. And then something miraculous happened…the souls of Renee Good and Alex Pretti joined our circle, along with all the souls who have died at the hands of ICE. Even the energy of the Buddhist Monks who are walking for peace joined our circle too. This was one of the most powerful meditations I have ever facilitated.   "No matter how things appear, always know that a greater good is happening. Always." - Mother Mary    To join the Magnify Your Miracles Mentoring Membership, click here Ready to ALIGN your goal with your soul? Click here to schedule a Miracle Meeting with me If you love the image on the wall behind me of Mother Mary Blessing the World, you can order your own museum quality copy at www.deepaliu.com