Our Broken Pieces – Words That Heal
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
In this series on brokenness, we will look at another “bonding agent” that God uses to bind our broken pieces together – words. There is immense healing power in words that encourage and bring hope. The best place to find these words is in the Word of God. God is a God of love, kindness and compassion who wants to strengthen us with His words of comfort. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, He encourages us by revealing His character so that we may have faith in the power of His revealed Word. One of the ways we can embolden ourselves is by memorising and proclaiming His Word over our brokenness. When we do this, we declare that we trust Him to fulfil the promises. We can declare our trust and hope in Him by personalising Scripture and proclaiming it over ourselves. Here are a few verses of scripture we can memorise and proclaim over our brokenness:
# The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Psalm 118:6
# You, Lord, give strength to my weary soul and empower me when I am weak. Isaiah 40:29
# I will not be afraid, for You are with me. I will not be discouraged, for You are my God. You strengthen me and help me. You hold me up with Your victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10
# You, Lord, heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds. Psalm 147:3
Balm of Gilead
God will also use words spoken into our lives by others to encourage us. These are often brothers and sisters who have spiritual gifts of encouragement, word of knowledge or prophecy. These are “vessels” that God uses as His “balm of Gilead” (Jeremiah 8:21-22) to soothe our pain so that our hope in the Lord to heal our brokenness is renewed. God also invites us to come boldly to His throne of grace with our prayers (Hebrews 4:16). The words we utter during our prayer time have power. They are not merely empty words that fall on deaf ears. God not only hears the cries of the broken-hearted, but He is also close to them and answers them (Psalm 34:18).
There may be times when our emotional or physical pain is so unbearable that we are unable to pray with our own words. During these times of weakness, we can allow Holy Spirit to intercede for us so that we can pray in tongues (Romans 8:26). We can also use words of praise to the Lord during our time of prayer. Praise is a powerful declaration of our trust in His omnipotence and omniscience. A declaration of our trust in a loving God who took our infirmities and sickness (Matthew 8:17) and by whose stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. Psalm 103:2-3 (NIV)
Reflection
Take time to find verses of Scripture that you can personalise and declare over your brokenness. Take time to confidently approach God’s throne of grace with your words of prayer and praise.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that You have given me Your living Word to speak healing into my brokenness. Lord, I pray for brothers and sisters in Christ to come alongside me to be Your “balm of Gilead” in my hurt and pain. Help me, Lord, to speak words of healing and life over my brokenness. Help me to surrender to the intercession of Holy Spirit in my weakness. Give me the words to pray and praise You as I confidently approach Your throne of grace. Thank You, Lord, that Your stripes have brought my healing. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
