Prayers from the Middle

Brianna Wasson
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A podcast for those of us who feel like we're tangled in doubt but still standing in truth. We thought we were following the ways of Jesus but then realized some extra things that got added along the way by people who turned out to be hypocrites. This is for those of us who still follow Jesus but feel a little tangled up in the wreckage. I’m Bria Wasson, and I’m inviting you to come to the middle with me. Let's follow Jesus right into the middle of this whole mess that we woke up to today. Maybe we can somehow find some beauty and hang on to some truth when we follow the actual real Jesus, no added stuff, just Him.

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  1. EPISODE 10

    E10: Has Our Understanding of Sin Been Worthless?

    What really happens to the image of God in us when sin enters the story? In this episode of Prayers from the Middle, Bria wrestles with a teaching many of us grew up hearing—that sin renders humanity worthless. Through Scripture, reflection, and a vivid metaphor of a corrupted photo file, Bria explores whether “worthless” is the right word, or if “corrupted” better captures the truth. You’ll hear how this shift reframes the way we see ourselves, others, and even our ability to love humanity. Bria invites you into a practice: whispering “Image of God” as you encounter people this week, letting that phrase reshape your vision of worth and love. Here's the article she mentioned:  https://bibleproject.com/articles/sin-iniquity-and-transgression-in-the-bible/

    14 min

  2. EPISODE 11

    E11: Did God's Image Get Lost in the American Dream?

    In this second installment of our four-part series on the image of God, Bria explores the profound connection between Genesis and the Declaration of Independence. If every human being is created in God’s likeness, then the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not privileges—they are woven into our very being. This episode wrestles with the ways we’ve forgotten that truth: in how immigrants are treated, in the exclusion of LGBTQ+ people and women pastors, and in political rhetoric that dehumanizes entire groups. Yet even in the midst of forgetting, the image of God breaks through sometimes in everyday kindnesses like the simple act of recognizing another’s personhood. Through scripture, history, and personal story, Brianna invites us to slow down and remember: denying someone’s rights is denying the very image of God in them. She challenges us to notice those around us who are unseen, to honor their dignity, and to defend their God-given rights. Join us as we ask: what does it mean to live as people who see the image of God—and protect the rights that flow from it?

    15 min

  3. EPISODE 12

    E12: Sometimes You Gotta Dig Real Deep: How a Week of Public Cruelty Made Me Forget the Image of God

    This week left my heart in knots — a week of mass shootings, public cruelty, and grief that felt too heavy to hold. I found myself angry, tangled, and unable to find the right words, until I returned again to the prayer that I have found shaping me to my core:“Search me, God… and lead me in the way everlasting.” In this episode, I talk honestly about righteous anger, the kind that rises when leaders dehumanize others — and the other kind, the kind that corrodes the soul. I share what God uncovered in me as I prayed Psalm 139 again, and what it means to honor the image of God in people I’d rather not see as image-bearers at all. If you’ve felt overwhelmed by the world, if your heart feels tight or tangled, this is an invitation to pause, breathe, and let God search you, too. Not to make you “right,” but to make you whole. Join my email list on Substack: www.prayersfromthemiddle.com My email address is: briannarwasson@gmail.com

    14 min

  4. EPISODE 13

    E13: Us vs. Them: How We Lost the Plot — And Why Surrender Matters More Than Strategy

    In this final episode of our four‑part series on the image of God, we’re taking a hard, honest look at how the American church has shaped our understanding of evangelism—and how that shaping has quietly distorted the way we see people, ourselves, and even God. For many of us, evangelism has always felt like a strategic, spiritual sales pitch we were supposed to perfect. But what if that weight was never ours to carry in the first place? In this conversation, we explore: how an “us vs. them” mindset took root in evangelical culturewhy strategy became the center—and why it never belonged therethe subtle ways corporate Christianity squeezed the Holy Spirit out of His own jobwhat happens when we stop trying to manage outcomes and start trusting God to introduce Himselfhow surrender to God reframes personhood, worth, and the way we see every human storyThis episode is an invitation back to something simpler and far more intimate: a relationship with a God who wants to introduce Himself, who writes every single “once upon a time,” and who doesn’t need our performance. If evangelism has ever felt like pressure, guilt, or a secret agenda, you are not alone. And maybe the Holy Spirit is leading us somewhere gentler, truer, and more honest. Send Bria an email: briannarwasson@gmail.com If you’d like to go deeper with some journal prompts, check out www.prayersfromthemiddle.com

    19 min

  5. EPISODE 14

    E14: When the News Won’t Stop: Finding the Real Jesus Again

    If you’ve felt overwhelmed by the nonstop news cycle, unsure what you believe anymore, or lonely in your questions about church, faith, or Jesus, this episode is for you. In Episode 14, Bria names the exhaustion so many of us are carrying — the nervous‑system overload, the spiritual confusion, feeling like we're watching the world unravel while trying to hold onto what’s true. Through a week of relentless headlines and a moment of painful honesty, Bria shares how she realized she’d lost sight of the real Jesus in the middle of all the noise. And she invites you into the same reset she’s choosing for 2026: fixing our thoughts on the Jesus who never changes. This episode introduces a new rhythm: HONEST. It's a simple six‑part rhythm to return to whenever the world feels like too much: Hold still. Own your story without shame. No longer pretend. Exhale. Slow down so your soul can catch up. Trust God’s character. If you’re tired, numb, overwhelmed, or longing for a safe place to be honest again, settle in. You’re not alone in the middle — and there’s a way back to the real Jesus. Bria's email: briannarwasson@gmail.com

    19 min

  6. EPISODE 15

    E15: A Therapist’s Perspective on the Emotional Stages of Deconstruction and How to Stay Safe in the Process

    Guest: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Ruth FriendThis episode is a tender, honest, and deeply grounding conversation with Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Ruth Friend. She brings more than two decades of clinical experience—and her own lived story—to the topic of spiritual deconstruction. We talk about what actually happens emotionally when your faith begins to shift, crack, or unravel. Ruth names the stages many people move through, from doubt to the crisis, and then reconstruction. She also speaks candidly about her own journey through trauma, toxic theology, and the surprising ways Jesus met her in the lowest places. If you’ve ever wondered whether your questions make you unsafe, rebellious, or “the problem,” this conversation will feel like a deep breath. Ruth normalizes the psychological process of questioning, explains why doubt is developmentally healthy, and offers a therapist’s insight into how to stay emotionally safe while everything you thought you knew feels like it might be shifting. In this episode we exploreRuth’s personal story of trauma, faith, and early deconstructionWhy deconstruction often begins with crisisThe emotional stages people commonly experience: doubt, confusion, anxiety, shame, and the “tortured soul” seasonHow reading the red letters can reintroduce you to the real JesusWhy questioning is a normal developmental stage—not rebellionWhat reconstruction can look like when it’s rooted in honesty and freedomHow to stay emotionally safe while your beliefs are changingWhy Jesus consistently shows up in the low, unexpected places Key Quotes“Deconstruction isn’t throwing Jesus away. It’s peeling back the layers to find what’s actually true.”“Doubt and confusion are normal emotional stages—not signs that something is wrong with you.”“Jesus was subversive. He always stood with the underdog, the outsider, the overlooked.”“You’re not bad for questioning. You’re human.”If You’re in the Middle of ItYou’re not alone. You’re not broken. You’re not losing faith—you’re searching for what’s true. Subscribe to Thoughts from the Middle for weekly journal promps: www.prayersfromthemiddle.com Email Bria: briannarwasson.com

    27 min

  7. EPISODE 16

    E16: Feeling Safe With God: Healing Shame and Spiritual Trauma

    This one is for those who grew up learning that following Jesus meant performing for God. If the world feels unsafe right now, you’re not imagining it. And if this is somehow bringing up old fear around God, you’re not the only one trying to make sense of that. This conversation is for the ones who are trying to untangle all of that and still believe that Jesus steps into the middle of real life. In this second part of my conversation with Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Ruth Friend — someone who understands trauma, identity, and spiritual wounds from the inside out — we talk about what happens when your earliest experiences of God were shaped by fear, shame, pressure, or conditional love. Ruth names the things you’ve felt but maybe never had language for: why God feels unsafe and why trust feels dangerous. We talk about what safety actually does to your brain, how to recognize a spiritual community that won’t gaslight you, and why integrity — not performance or perfection — is the only foundation for a relationship with God that doesn’t re-traumatize you. And toward the end, Ruth offers a way to reconnect with God that doesn’t require forcing yourself into someone else’s version of faith but that honors your story, your wiring, and your genuine self. In this episode, you’ll hear: why your body reacts the way it does around God or churchhow shame rewires your sense of identitywhat spiritual trauma actually is (and isn’t)how to recognize people and communities that are truly safea simple, compassionate practice for rebuilding trust with GodThis episode is not about fixing yourself. It’s about finding a God who is safe enough to be honest with. Connect with Ruth: www.ruthfriend.org — trauma‑informed counseling and resources Get Ruth's journal prompts: www.prayersfromthemiddle.com — If you subscribe, you'll also get weekly journal prompts. Email thoughts and feedback to Bria: briannarwasson@gmail.com — questions, stories, or collaboration If this episode feels like oxygen, share it with someone who needs a safe space to find their way back to God without losing themselves again.

    38 min

  8. EPISODE 17

    E17: When "Pray More" Isn't Enough: Chris Morris' Story

    Most of us were taught to tell our testimony as a tidy before-and-after story. Before Jesus I was a mess. Then I met Jesus. Now everything is better. But what happens when that's not your story? In this two-part conversation, author and mental health advocate Chris Morris joins Bria to tell the truth about a life that stayed messy even after he met Jesus. Chris shares his long-term struggle with depression and suicidality and the myths that can sometimes keep the church from offering real help. Together, Bria and Chris explore why the church is so uncomfortable with long-term suffering, how Scripture can sometimes get weaponized against people in pain, and what it looks like to follow Jesus when healing is slow and God feels silent. Chris offers some pure gold and give new ways of seeing God's presence as His goodness even when He feels absent. This episode is for anyone who has wondered why their healing hasn't come yet, why their faith feels messy, or why God feels so far away. It's for those of us in the middle, still wrestling and waiting and strying to make sense of a God who doesn't always move quickly. You belong here! Content note: This episode includes a gentle, non-graphic discussion of suicidal thoughts from Chris' teenage years. Please listen with care and honor what you need. Follow Chris on Instagram: @ChrisMorrisWrites His Tedx Talk is here: http://chrismorriswrites.com/ted It’s about The Power of Deep Listening and is totally worth the listen. Find Chris online here: https://www.chrismorriswrites.com/ Find out about Chris' books here: https://www.chrismorriswrites.com/books/ email Bria with questions, feedback or for journal prompts: briannarwasson@gmail.com

    31 min
See All Season 2 (8)

About

A podcast for those of us who feel like we're tangled in doubt but still standing in truth. We thought we were following the ways of Jesus but then realized some extra things that got added along the way by people who turned out to be hypocrites. This is for those of us who still follow Jesus but feel a little tangled up in the wreckage. I’m Bria Wasson, and I’m inviting you to come to the middle with me. Let's follow Jesus right into the middle of this whole mess that we woke up to today. Maybe we can somehow find some beauty and hang on to some truth when we follow the actual real Jesus, no added stuff, just Him.

Information

  • Creator
    Brianna Wasson
  • Episodes
    19
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean