We’ve all been beat up and knocked down at some point in our lives. Nobody lives pain free. But if we try to avoid pain at all costs, what happens? What happens when you are afraid to feel?

Nobody should seek meaningless suffering, but you can’t deny your reality either. And if the pain makes you close your heart, it can lead to an emotional or spiritual death.

When the hurt from this world gets the best of you, it’s time to return to the only place you can trust with your soul. Return to the Lord. He will lift you up and restore you. He will restore your heart.

Full list of prayers

A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26

Make my heart strong

The world can be so cruel and unkind.

Contradiction, betrayal, lies – yours and theirs.

Wounds appear upon your flesh, upon your soul.

Why, O Lord, why?

Your heart hurts.

It shuts down. It turns to stone.

You don’t want to hurt anymore.

But the cold, hard heart can’t feel.

The cold, hard heart can’t love.

What if your heart could be strong again?

What if you weren’t afraid to feel anymore?

What if you weren’t afraid to love?

The Lord Jesus Christ does this for you.

He gives his heart to you. It bleeds for you.

He loves you with a human heart.

It feels the pain. It suffers the wounds.

Just like yours.

But the heart of Christ is strong. Brave and faithful to the end. His loving heart conquers sin and death.

Take away my cold, hard heart, O Lord.

Give me a strong heart of flesh.

Give me the heart of Jesus.

Come what may, let me feel. Let me love.

Brave and faithful to the end.