Healing For The Wounded Heart

THE WOUNDED HEART

INTRO: A wounded heart occurs when someone or something brings hurt to your emotions. "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly" Proverbs 26:22.

I. SOURCES OF HURTS

a. Result of offense brought to us from others.

(People say and do things to hurt us) Proverbs 18:8.

b. Result from our own sinful behavior. Psalms 25:18, Proverbs 17:19, II Samuel 24:10.

c. Result from a calamity where one is overcome by the experience. Job 3:25-26.

d. Result of the sins of the forefathers. Exodus 34:6-7.

e. Result from drug and alcohol use. Proverbs 23:29-35.

f. Result from occult involvement. Leviticus 20:6.

g. Hurts never just go away! Time will not bring complete healing to them. Whenever you remember the experience, you feel the hurt. Some people will even block out their memory so that they won't have to face feeling the hurts, but they are still there.

II. SOME SYMPTOMS OF A WOUNDED HEART

a. Physical Proverbs 17:22

Nerve disorders

Allergies

Stomach problems

Heart aches

Insomnia

b. Mental Proverbs 18:14

Depression

Fits of anger and rage

Confusion

Various fears

Shyness

Dominance

c. Spiritual Matthew 18:34

Nightmares

Hearing voices

Seeing unusual things

Lack of control of self

III. SOME WAYS PEOPLE RESPOND TO A WOUNDED HEART

a. Some people respond by backing away from the situation to allow time for healing. They often turn inward and brood over their hurts. The hurts become like a big sore risen just waiting for someone to prick it with a sharp word, then out comes all the corruption of anger, bitterness, hate, revenge, and fear. The rejection they then receive brings more hurts.

b. Other people respond by immediately striking back trying to balance their hurt with anger and revenge or by trying to protect themselves from further hurt to allow time for healing. However, scar tissue (hardness of heart) soon appears. As they enter into relationships, they are rejected for their hardness and receive more hurts. Please understand that one only receives healing through the intervention of God.

IV. God's Provision

a. God cares about your broken heart. Psalms 34:18, 51:17

b. God healed David's heart and He will also heal yours. Psalm 147:3, Hebrews 13:8

c. Jesus was sent to heal the broken hearted. Luke 4:18

d. Jesus, Himself, suffered all the hurts that one could suffer. Isaiah 53:1-12, John 1:11, Luke 22:57, 23:35-37, Matthew 27:46

e. Through the suffering of Jesus, God has provided the healing for you hurts. Isaiah 53:5

f. It is God's desire to heal your hurts. I Peter 5:7

g. God must have control of your whole heart before He can heal it. Jeremiah 29:13, Revelation 3:20

V. HOW TO BEGIN THE HEALING

a. You must give your heart to Jesus letting Him become your Lord. (Lord = ruler) Romans 10:9, Philippians 2:9-10

b. If you have offended someone else, then you must confess your offense and ask them to forgive you. Matthew 5:23-24, I Peter 3:16

c. You must forgive (release) the person who has hurt you. Matthew 6:12, 14-15 You must put their judgment into God's hands and then ask God to forgive them for their offense toward you. Luke 23:24, Acts 7:60

d. You must yield your rights to God (possessions, respect, family, expectations). Matthew 19:21, I Peter 5:5-6, Luke 18:20, Mark 8:34-37, Psalm 119:165

e. WARNING: A wounded heart that doesn't receive healing is an open door for evil spirits. Ephesians 4:26-27, I Peter 5:8, Genesis 4:4-7, Matthew 18:21-35

f. Ask God go cleanse your heart of all wrong attitudes (anger, bitterness, lust, unforgiveness, hate, revenge). Isaiah 1:18, 51:10, I John 1:9

g. In faith ASK God to heal your heart in the name of Jesus. Ezekiel 36:26, John 16:23

h. As God heals your hurts, He will also give you a tender heart that will be sensitive to the hurts of others. Ezekiel 36:26, II Corinthians 5:18, Mark 5:19

CLOSING: Provide an opportunity for the anointing with oil. The prayer of faith.

†Rev. Brian Chavarria†