Guiding others through the path of inner healing is an essential part of the journey of discipleship and evangelization. Today, Dave VanVickle explains why as evangelists it’s important to help others recognize the wounds that are limiting their freedom to respond to God’s love. He provides us practical ways to help navigate others on their path of inner healing towards freedom and wholeness in Christ.
Snippet of the Show
“Lord Jesus, You know my burdens. I lay them all on Your Good Shepherd’s Heart. I beseech You, by the merits of the great, open wound in Your heart, to heal the small wounds that are in mine.”
Shownotes
The Path of Inner Healing
- Inner healing is often necessary before we are able to fully respond to Jesus’ invitation to have a relationship with him and make him known. As evangelists, we have to be ready to walk with others on their path of inner healing.
- Listen with the ears of the Holy Spirit and help them recognize the major parts of their stories that might limit freedom and prevent them from growing in friendship with Jesus.
- Make sure you direct people to the right help. Depending on the type of wounds they are dealing with, they may need counseling and therapy and help from a psychologist and psychiatrist.
- Remember that Jesus is ultimately the Divine healer and only he can heal our wounds. Jesus Christ’s wounds will meet our wounds. The deepest healing and reorientation of our wounds happens at the foot of the cross.
- We are called to be wounded healers, don’t be afraid to share your wounds with others in a prudent manner. Show them how God has healed you and brought new life into the broken and wounded parts of your own life.
- Speak truth into any lies they are believing about themselves or God. Help people articulate the movements of their inner life.
- Pray for the healing for others, and build trust in the friendship that enables them to share.
- Although our wounds may leave scars that never leave us, Jesus wants us to know he can bring about beautiful things through them.
“Therefore ministry is a very confronting service, it does not allow people to live with allusions or immortality and wholeness, it keeps reminding others that they are mortal and broken, but also that with the recognition of this condition liberation starts.”– Henri Nouwen
“The man who articulates the movements of his inner life, who can give names to his varied experiences need no longer be a victim of himself but is able slowly and consistently to remove the obstacles that prevent the spirit from entering. He is able to create space for him, whose heart is greater than his, whose eyes see more than his, whose hands can heal more than his.”– Henri Nouwen
Prayer for Healing
Lord Jesus, You came to heal our wounded and troubled hearts. I beg You to heal the torments that cause anxiety in my heart; I beg You, in a particular way, to heal all who are the cause of sin. I beg You to come into my life and heal me of the psychological harms that struck me in my early years and form the injuries that they caused throughout my life.
Lord Jesus, You know my burdens. I lay them all on Your Good Shepherd’s Heart. I beseech You — by the merits of the great, open wound in Your heart — to heal the small wounds that are in mine. Heal the pain of my memories, so that nothing that has happened to me will cause me to remain in pain and anguish, filled with anxiety.
Heal, O Lord, all those wounds that have been the cause of all the evil that is rooted in my life. I want to forgive all those who have offended me. Look to those inner sores that make me unable to forgive. You Who came to forgive the afflicted of heart, please, heal my own heart.
Heal, my Lord Jesus, those intimate wounds that cause me physical illness. I offer You my heart. Accept it, Lord, purify it, and give me the sentiments of Your Divine Heart. Help me to be meek and humble.
Heal me, O Lord, from the pain caused by the death of my loved ones, which is oppressing me. Grant me to regain peace and joy in the knowledge that You are the Resurrection and the Life. Make me an authentic witness to Your Resurrection, Your victory over sin and death, Your living presence among us.
Resources
- Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com
- Text “EKSB” to 33-777 to subscribe and be added to Gomer and Dave’s email list
- Visit Dave’s website www.thecatholictruthaboutangelsanddemons.com and www.artofevangelization.com
- Visit Mike’s website at www.layevangelist.com
- Ascension is pleased to offer our new and improved online bible study programs and sacramental preparation programs digitally to help you minister with flexibility. Go to ascensionpress.com to view all our offerings.
Meet Your Hosts
Michael “Gomer” Gormley
Michael spent 17 years in full-time parish ministry and is now the Mission Evangelist for That Man Is You!, a men’s apostolate for Paradisus Dei. Michael is a frequent speaker at conferences, retreats, and parish missions all over the US and Canada.
He is the founder and creative director of LayEvangelist.com, and hosts two popular Catholic podcasts: Catching Foxes and Every Knee Shall Bow.
He is married to his college sweetheart, Shannon, and has four beautiful and hilarious children: Kateri, Cecilia, Noah, and Thomas.
Dave VanVickle
Dave VanVickle fell in love with the Lord at the age of fourteen and has since dedicated his life to bringing others into a radical relationship with Christ.
He is a speaker and retreat leader who focuses on proclaiming the universal call to holiness, authentic Catholic spirituality, spiritual warfare and deliverance. Additionally, Dave has over ten years of experience assisting Priests with their ministries of exorcism and deliverance.
Dave married his late wife Amber in 2010. He now resides in Pittsburgh with his five children: Sam, Max, Judah, Josie and Louisa.
