Many people find themselves trapped in cycles of unhealthy habits, desperately wanting to break free but feeling powerless to do so. Kassandra Baker’s journey from the depths of two eating disorders to a place of freedom and healing demonstrates the transformative power of healing prayer. She joined me on the Graced Health Podcast to share her story.

The Weight of Disordered Eating

Kassandra’s story begins with what she calls “ED and the gang” – a metaphor for her eating disorders and associated behaviors like perfectionism and people-pleasing. She describes this struggle as an overwhelming burden, leaving her feeling crushed and suffocated.

Despite growing up with a strong faith, Kassandra found herself unable to experience the freedom promised in scripture. This disconnect between her beliefs and her lived experience became a source of frustration and pain.

Discovering Healing Prayer

Everything changed when Kassandra encountered healing prayer. This practice involves an experiential encounter with Jesus that engages the imagination and senses during prayer. It allows individuals to move beyond intellectual understanding of God’s love to a deep, transformative experience.

Healing prayer encompasses two main types:

1. Safe Place Prayer: Establishing a sense of safety with Jesus, creating a foundation for deeper healing work.
2. Formational Prayer: Addressing specific wounds, traumas, or issues in the presence of Jesus.

The Neuroscience of Transformation

Interestingly, there’s solid neuroscience supporting the effectiveness of healing prayer. Concepts alone don’t rewire the brain; experiences are necessary for change. Healing prayer creates lived experiences of God’s love and truth, forming new neural pathways and literally rewiring thought patterns and emotional responses.

The Process of Change

This transformation, however, is not instantaneous. On average, our brains rewire at about 2 millimeters per day – approximately the thickness of a nickel. Kassandra likens new neural pathways to blazing new hiking trails – a slow, sometimes scary process of venturing into unfamiliar territory.

Understanding this process brought Kassandra grace for herself in recovery. It allowed her to embrace imperfection and persevere, even when progress felt slow.

The Impact of Healing Prayer

For Kassandra, healing prayer provided experiences of divine love so powerful that they outweighed the demands of her eating disorder. These encounters, such as imagining Jesus’s presence or His perspective, became anchors in her recovery journey.

This practice enabled her to let go of body image issues by internalizing the profound truth of her worth in God’s eyes. It reframed her recovery as an embrace of grace rather than a continuation of perfectionism.

Trying Healing Prayer

For those intrigued by healing prayer, starting with guidance is recommended. While resources are available online, working with a trained professional can help navigate potential emotional triggers.

The primary goal is to create a sense of safety – both with the divine and within oneself. This safety becomes the foundation for deeper healing and transformation.

A Continuing Journey

Today, Kassandra applies the tools learned in her recovery to other areas of personal growth. She keeps reminders of the importance of perseverance, recognizing that healing is not about speed but about consistent forward movement.

Kassandra’s story exemplifies the transformative power of experiencing divine love on a deep, personal level. Whether struggling with disordered eating, negative self-image, or other challenging patterns, her journey offers hope and a potential path forward.

Remember, healing is possible. It may be gradual – just 2 millimeters a day – but with persistence and grace, new patterns can be established, leading to the freedom and wholeness many long for.

About Kassandra:

Kassandra Baker knows what it’s like to have a love/hate relationship with food and her body.  It’s her own personal experience and recovery from two eating disorders that drive her passion to encourage women to find freedom.  She is a Certified Health, Life, and Mental Health Coach and Public Speaker, helping women who are trapped in unhealthy habits such as perfectionism, disordered eating, legalism, and people-pleasing, so they can LIVE FREE in Christ. For more info, check out www.KassandraBaker.com