Beyond the Veil: When They Preyed Instead of Prayed

How God used pruning to build my peace, love, and boundaries

I remember a season when stress had a body. Confusion in my mind. Pain in my chest. My hair started falling out. My blood pressure stayed high. While I was breaking, some people were watching. They did not pray. They preyed. I became a topic, not a person.

In that same season, God asked me to do something I did not want to do. Apologize. Even where there were misunderstandings. Even when I chose not to defend myself. I apologized anyway. Years passed and the story kept coming back. The old talk. The same blame. Yet something was different in me. I was stronger. Softer. Clearer. God had used the fire to refine me.

I learned to love and to set boundaries. I learned to recognize when people know church talk but do not know the God who changes the heart. Some only reach for God when life hurts. Very few choose to go beyond the veil and live there.

Going beyond the veil is not a phrase. It is a place. It is where your identity gets quiet under His presence. It is where you stop arguing in public and start surrendering in private. It is where God cuts what cannot stay so your life can bear what must grow.

What God taught me in that season

1. Pruning is not punishment. God removed voices and habits that kept me small. He made room for fruit. (John 15:2, NKJV)
2. Boundaries protect love. I can forgive and still say no. I can bless and still step back. (Proverbs 4:23; Romans 12:18)
3. Apology is not weakness. It is worship when the Lord asks for it. It frees your heart. (Matthew 5:23–24)
4. Silence can be obedience. I did not defend myself. God defended me. In time, He spoke for me. (Psalm 37:5–6)
5. Anxiety has a place to go. Cast your care on Him. He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6–7)

Pray vs. Prey

• Prey talks about wounds. Pray carries wounds to God.
• Prey gathers gossip. Pray gathers intercessors.
• Prey waits for weakness. Pray covers weakness with love. (1 Peter 4:8)

People are not animals. They are image-bearers who sometimes act carnally. Discern the fruit, set a boundary, keep your heart tender. (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 7:16; 1 Corinthians 3:1–3)

Beyond the veil, daily

• Start the day in the Word and stillness. Even ten minutes.
• Pray for those who hurt you by name. Keep it simple and honest.
• Speak blessing over your day out loud.
• Limit access for chronic drama. Release them to God.
• End the day with gratitude. Write three lines.

Scriptures to anchor this journey

• Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.
• John 15:2,5 - Every branch that bears fruit He prunes.
• Hebrews 10:19–22 - We enter the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.
• Ephesians 4:31–32 - Be kind, forgive one another.
• Romans 12:14–21 - Bless those who persecute you.

A simple prayer

Father, thank You for saving me and pruning me. Heal the places that still ache. Give me courage to set boundaries and grace to forgive. Take the memories that drain me. Plant peace where pain lived. Draw me beyond the veil and keep me there. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflection questions

• Where is God asking me to set one clear boundary this week.
• Who is one person I can bless in prayer today.
• What fruit do I want to see in my life three months from now.