Letting God Heal Your Wounded Heart
A team of nurses and doctors cared for my dad’s failing body. I prayed day and night that the Lord would touch his body and heal him. But after thirty days in the hospital, he breathed his final breath.
Losing my dad brought a heartache I’d never known. The grief threatened to swallow me alive. When your heart seems to shatter in a million pieces, you wonder if it can ever be put back together.
Do you relate to this kind of wounding to your heart?
Wounded: Heal Your Heart
Afflictions can not only attack your physical body, but also your heart—grief, loss, despair and other heart-wounds. Both your outer body and inner self need care and lots of it.
Sure, you are responsible for part of this care like desiring a healthy body and guarding your heart from the wrong influences.
But the ultimate care-giver for your heart is not your spouse or best friend. It’s God himself. And it’s not reading a self-care book on healing your own heart or a religious or human meditation practice. It’s God himself.
The ultimate care-giver for your heart is not your spouse or best friend. It’s not reading a self-care book on healing your own heart or a religious or human meditation practice. It’s God himself. Click To TweetGod’s Heart Care
Who better to tenderly and lovingly watch over your heart, care for your heart, and heal your heart than the God who created you. Just as the Lord transforms your spiritual being from the inside out, He heals you from the inside out.
Because let’s face it, a wounded heart affects so many things about a person. Things like your countenance, outlook, relationships, peace and hope.
Inside-Out Healing: Heal Your Heart
So let’s look at each of these areas our troubled heart affects and the ways God brings inner healing.
Countenance. Maybe you’ve heard these sayings. The pain was written all over her face. His face said it all.
Our face often reflects our heart.
When your heart’s broken or sad, smiles never come easy. “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:13 (NIV)
And look at this blessing,
“The Lord bless you and keep you; make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)
The Lord heals our heart, changing our countenance.
Heart Healing
Outlook. When I remember the times I needed heart healing, I also recall a flawed point of view. Even the way I viewed most everything about life at the time was tarnished.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 (ESV)
The Lord heals our heart, transforming our outlook.
Relationships. Perhaps your heart’s been wounded over a broken or strained relationship. We may try to not let it affect our family members and friends. But it only takes one heart-breaking relationship to spill over onto all our relationships.
We may become too guarded, overprotective, closed off or shut down emotionally.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 (ESV)
The Lord heals our heart, making a difference in how we relate to others.
God’s Peace: A Balm to Heal
Peace. Real peace seems so very far away when my heart is hurting. Instead, my heart feels suffocated from the lack of calm. And I desperately require the soothing balm of God’s peace applied in copious amounts.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV, emphasis added)
The Lord heals our heart, giving us peace that surpasses all understanding.
The Lord heals our heart, giving us peace that surpasses all understanding and a hope beyond measure because He is faithful to His promises. Click To TweetHope Beyond Measure : Heal Your Heart
Hope. When I experience heart wounds, I want hope more than anything. That’s why many of us long for someone to say, “It’s going to be OK.” Although the situation or circumstances turn out different than what I hoped, knowing God is the ultimate hope-giver helps me face today and every tomorrow.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
The Lord heals our heart, faithfully providing hope beyond measure.
Inner Healing
While we or our loved ones may not receive physical healing here on earth, we know without a doubt, God will heal our wounded hearts if we let Him.
While we or our loved ones may not receive physical healing here on earth, we know without a doubt, God will heal our wounded hearts if we let Him. Click To Tweet
What do you need most when your heart is shattered?
Have you experienced God’s healing for your heart wounds?
Featured images from filming for our YouTube Channel, Friday’s Forever.
Last week we discussed, Praying Over Your Loved Ones for Salvation.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Recharge Wednesday/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected (Grace & Truth) and Faith On Fire.
© 2022 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
God gives us His peace to fill in the broken pieces of our hearts. I can’t imagine my life without Him. Thanks Karen for your words of wisdom
Yvonne, I like how you said, “God gives us His peace to fill in the broken pieces of our hearts.” That’s a good word when we think our heart can never be whole again.
It’s particularly true in today’s heartbreaking circumstances after the shooting in Uvalde. May God heal all the suffering and broken hearts all across our nation.
Blessings, Karen!
Martha, I thought the same thing. The timing for when this post went out is sobering. I pray for so many shattered hearts over the loss of these precious children and lives.
When our hearts our broken and/or we’re grieving the loss of a loved one, we need compassion and love. We need to be listened to as we process our grief. We need assurances that our loved one has gone on to be with the Lord. Depending on our relationships, we may have no one who is able to meet that need in our lives. And yet, Jesus is always near. We can turn to Him for comfort when we have no human resource.
Melinda, I’m sure this kind of grief is still fresh in your life and heart over the recent loss of your father. Still praying over you and your family and sweet mom. I’m forever grateful for loved ones who come alongside us when we are hurting and for Christ who stays near always.
I can’t imagine living without God in my life. Thank you Karen for your timely devotions and messages.
I can’t either, Lynne. So many do live without any hope for today and tomorrow because we know any hope but the Lord’s is a false hope that will fizzle and fade away. Glad the Lord heals our wounded heart time and time again.
God has taken the brokenness of my upbringing and walked me out of bondage in every single circumstance from the time in my life. I am so grateful for these words today as I do have a sad heart for a broken relationship right now with someone I love so very much. But God does not want that. He wants us to love one another and be together. That is our hope.
As always, thank you for the wonderful post to give us encouragement, joy, peace and hope.
Lori, thanks for your comment and vulnerability. I’m grateful with you the Lord broke all those chains from your childhood. And now will pray for this relationship in your life that needs reconciliation. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26 (ESV) God bless!
Your point about how our faces reflect the condition of the heart? So true! As I slowly healed from a shattered heart, a friend studied my face one day (three years after heartbreak) and said, “You’re better. I can see it.”
Linda, that is a powerful testimony about our countenance. Thanks for sharing it here. “The Lord bless you and keep you; make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (ESV)
So true! Thank you so much for these comforting words of hope! 🤗 Stopping by from #tuneinthursday
Hey Laura, thanks for stopping by. While we or our loved ones may not receive physical healing here on earth, we know without a doubt, God will heal our wounded hearts if we let Him.
Such truth here. Only God can heal me, my heart, my soul, all things. Only God is my savior.
Agree, Jessica. He’s the great healer of body, soul, spirit and broken hearts. Blessings!
I love how God affirms certain messages with repetition. I’ve been working on a podcast script this week on how God heals our woundedness, and I also referenced several of the same Bible verses you included in your post.
That’s great, Ava. Yes, I love it when the Lord does that too. The Lord heals our wounded heart, giving us peace that surpasses all understanding.
God heals us. The healing may come on this earth or in Heaven with Him. I am thankful to know healing is coming.
Healing will always take place even if it’s not on this side of eternity. And we can count on the Lord to bind up our wounds and be with us when we are brokenhearted.
Lots of years, lots of tears, lots of fears, and lots of prayers. Yet, God is faithful to those who lean into Him. Such a needed post this week Ms. Karen. Thank you ma’am.
J.D., each of your “lots” caught my attention. And the key is lots of prayers. I’m glad God himself is the ultimate care-giver for our hearts.
God is always near…we just have to call on HIM. Throughout my life, I see as I look back in years past, there were many situations that always worked out in due time. I trusted in HIM, then, and do now. GOD is my rock. I can’t imagine not trusting in HIM. Our day to day lives are indeed a roller coaster, so without the Hope of heaven and an eternal home, I can’t imagine not having my faith. Thank you Karen for another important message.
Lisa, this is beautifully said. God’s timing really is perfect and He always knows best and His goodness will shine through no matter what. When our cirucmstances are difficult or our hearts wounded, it graws our trust and faith in the Lord like never before. He is faithful. God bless!
“Who better to tenderly and lovingly watch over your heart, care for your heart, and heal your heart than the God who created you.” Indeed, I’ve been guilty of looking elsewhere for relief rathen than go to Him first. How foolish of me!
Love your posts, Karen, because you always illustrate with plenty of scripture.
Karen i love this post on broken hearts because i had one in 1999. Now i have been hurt badly many times especially when I had to give my husband to the Lord in 2019. That was a hurt worse than giving up my parents whom I dearly loved. But when it comes to your child it is something very different.My precious daughter made a very wrong decision that shattered my heart into a million pieces.I can’t go into the details but God sent a woman of God to me at the time when I could go no farther. God spoke to me and healed mu heart and told me I would see the end of the situation. I waited one year but i was no longer burdened. When God tells you something you can take it to the bank. My daughter saw her error and I saw the end of it in 1999. God is faithful and true. He is also merciful.I give Him all the praise.
Karen, this is such sweet encouragement. No matter what caused the wound, God is able to tend to our wounded hearts. He created us and know us better than we know ourselves. He is so faithful to keep bringing sweet relief over and over, until we heal.
I’ve had some deep wounds to my heart through the years as well. Those times are never easy. I am grateful that God never left me alone to deal with them, providing God’s own presence as well as the presence of others in the healing.
I understand the kind of pain you felt, Karen … losing a dad is just hard, no way around it. But you’re right … God is close to the broken-hearted—even when we don’t feel Him, He is there. Such comforting truth: “The Lord heals our heart, faithfully providing hope beyond measure.”
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