Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free.

Luke 4:18b Dan’s Paraphrase

I love the account of Jesus reading from the book of Isaiah when he returned to His hometown synagogue in Nazareth. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” [Luke 4:18-19 NKJV] In the original language, the term “brokenhearted” means shards of glass as if you broke a mirror. Jesus knows that the wounds, voids, and traumas in our lives can leave our hearts emotionally broken and shattered. He loves us. He is still healing the brokenhearted and setting the emotional captives free today.

One of the most powerful ways that Jesus sets the captives free is through inner healing prayer. Inner healing prayer is the process where a trained, Christian caregiver prays with someone and helps bring them into the presence of the Lord, where He can heal the wounds and voids in their hearts. Many of those wounds occurred in early childhood. We decided how to respond to those wounds using the limited understanding and resources we had available as children. Many of those decisions follow us into adulthood through negative emotions and dysfunctional behavior patterns. Through inner healing prayer, the Lord helps us see the wounds, voids, and trauma through His perspective. He speaks truth where we believed lies about ourselves. He lifts the traumatic pain from our hearts. Jesus sets the captives free to live in the truth and stand in their true authority in Him. He puts the broken pieces of our hearts back together.

There are many examples of Jesus touching hearts and setting the captives free in Scripture. I love the account of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-30. She was broken by many false assumptions and a lifetime full of broken relationships. She was covered in shame. She was a Samaritan and despised by most Jews. She had the nasty reputation as “that woman” who’s had five husbands and is now shacking up with some other guy. That reputation forced her to come to the well in the heat of the day, rather than in the cool morning with the other women in her village. As a woman, she was surprised that Jesus, a Jewish man, was talking to her at all. Jesus loved her and invited her to drink of His living water. She responded and opened up her heart to Him. He did address her sin, but not in a way that was condemning or shaming. He addressed her sin in a way that told her that He was aware of her past, and offered a different path that brought freedom and peace. He invited her to worship Him in “spirit and truth”. This interaction with Jesus brought such freedom and strength that she left her earthly water jar behind and ran back to her village with the bubbling spring of Jesus’ living water flowing through her. She evangelized her entire village. That’s inner healing.

Jesus brought inner healing to the woman caught committing adultery in John 8:1-11. Instead of confronting her sin in a redemptive manner, we see the religious leaders publicly condemning the woman in front of everyone present and demanding that she be put to death. True, she was guilty of the sin of adultery and the religious laws of that time demanded that she be put to death, but what about the guy that she committed adultery with? The laws also demanded that he be put to death. Somehow the religious leaders seemed to “forget” that part. This suggests that they may have even set her up. It suggests that they used her and after they got what they wanted from her they were ready to dispose of her. She was defenseless. Jesus had compassion on this woman who was guilty of sin, used by others, and worthy of death. In the middle of her trauma, He addressed her abusers. They left. He graciously addressed the woman’s sin and called her to repentance using the merciful words, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Jesus lifted her shame and guilt, and empowered her to live for Him. That’s inner healing.

We see another example of inner healing in the accounts of Peter’s denial of Jesus. Before the denials, Peter seemed pretty sure of himself. He thought that he could withstand any storm – even the threat of death – through his own strength and determination. Trying to stand in our own strength and determination will let all of us down sooner or later. Peter’s bluntness suggests a lifelong pattern of self-assurance and reliance on his own understanding. Remember how Peter rebuked Jesus for telling the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and be crucified? [Matthew 16:21-23] After His resurrection, Jesus made a special fish breakfast for the disciples. After breakfast, He had a very sensitive conversation with Peter where He addressed the fruit of Peter’s self-reliance with symbolism that spoke directly to Peter’s heart. “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” [John 21:15b NKJV] Peter knew what Jesus was doing. He asked that question three times. Once for each of his denials. When we look at the original language, we see even more intricacies in Jesus’ questions. The first two times, Jesus used the word for love meaning an unconditional, self-sacrificial love. The third time, Jesus used the word meaning a love shared by two close friends. Peter used the word for the love of close friends in all three of his responses. He admitted his weakness. Jesus compassionately addressed Peter’s failures and invited him to trust in His strength, rather than his own. Jesus provided inner healing for Peter in a way that was specifically tailored to the very situation that exposed his weakness and caused the wounds. He used the specific language and symbolism that would speak to Peter’s heart to bring healing. Jesus invites all of us to receive inner healing in the way that addresses the unique needs in our heart.

If you or someone you love is held captive by life wounds, voids, or trauma; there is hope. Jesus still invites us to receive inner healing prayer as He moves through trained, Christian caregivers. Reconciliation Ministries is here to walk with you to the presence of the Lord where He can heal your heart. Our caregivers know what it’s like to be broken and bound by sin and shame. Most importantly, we know the merciful heart of Jesus who can heal our broken hearts through inner healing prayer. We also offer licensed professional counseling, mental health coaching, and ministerial care. Call us today at 586.739.5114. We are here to help.

If you’ve already received healing. We invite you to follow the example of the woman at the well and share that healing with others. Your prayers and financial support are crucial in providing biblically based care to those in need. Your support can touch lives right here in Metro Detroit and all around the globe. You can also donate securely online by clicking here. Your prayers and financial support can change lives.

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Joan Webb is a valuable member of the Reconciliation Ministries leadership team, where she serves as a Mental Health Coach, Prayer Minister, Living Waters Coordinator, and much more. She joined the leadership team in 2006. Her passion for this ministry work has come from her own process of healing from childhood emotional neglect, domestic violence, sexual assault and relational challenges. Her understanding of dependency on the Lord to heal the deep wounds of this life is the foundational message Joan brings to those seeking help and hope.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

Our lives are like a book being written over time; chapter upon chapter until the last chapter and THE END. If I can simplify how it’s like a book (or a movie), there’s a thesis, a body and a conclusion. Ah, but there’s so much within it’s pages (or script)! It has themes that run through it, a protagonist, an antagonist and many contributing characters. Sometimes the Lord invites me to examine or explore chapters in my life…the past and those currently being written. I’ve learned He’s at the center of my growing story; He’s the author and perfector of my faith! The Lord reveals the relationship with His created people so well in Psalm 139: 2-6; 15-16 ESV.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it…My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

These words catapulted my healing journey forward, leaping off the page and leaving me undone. They still do.

I can look back and remember with clarity how the Lord moved in one of the most difficult chapters of my life. The assaults to my heart, mind and soul were relentless; I could not see what needed care in the moment, let alone the care needed from my past. It was all in my “safe box” where I learned to keep all the pain. In my Heavenly Father’s providence and mercy, He allowed the “safe box” to overflow over time and to finally blow its lid. A kindness.

I met one of my dearest friends at a ministry event. I realized how the Lord brings people together in providential ways. As our friendship grew in Christian intimacy, I began to share many of the sources of pain I carried. I shared how I had experienced PTSD episodes on a few occasions (evidence my “safe box” lid was malfunctioning). I felt intense humiliation when the “I’m fine” exterior strength clashed with the reality of weakness as I was hyperventilating, sobbing and re-living past violence on the floor of a restaurant restroom. An uninvited trigger took me to past chapters against my will. I’m not a fan of re-runs. It happened after multiple deaths in a short amount of time: my grandpa (heart failure), my uncle (cancer), my mom (cancer), my friend from small group (lung/heart transplant), my friend from church (epilepsy), my close neighbor (suicide), a husband and wife in an accountability group (homicide/suicide) and my cousin (overdose). All this grief, along with other relational challenges, left my traumatized soul on overload. My friend suggested I attend a program called Living Waters. At the time I was just going through the motions of everyday life. Short of the occasional PTSD episode, I thought I was managing my life responsibilities and relationships pretty well. She saw needs I couldn’t see through my survival lenses. She persisted in her invitations…gentle, loving and accepting for four years! I finally attended Living Waters in 2006.

My first year as a participant opened my eyes to the truth that I really did matter; I never really thought much about my worth. I existed, I contributed, I was nice enough, I loved the best I could…was there more? The intriguing part of the Living Waters journey was the balance between growing in the truth that I was a good gift, and simultaneously discovering the depth of my many weak and broken parts needing God’s merciful forgiveness. Out of my pain and gaping wounds, I learned to live less than the good my Creator intended. To admit that out of my fear, illegitimate coping and tendency to self-protect, my reactions were just as offensive as what was done to me. My heart was divided; bitterness, hatred and anger toward my wounders, yet love for Jesus and His people. I learned I could not serve two masters. I was challenged as the hard edges were painfully exposed and chiseled away. Hebrews 4:12b-13 often convicted me; describing the word of God it says, “it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.” Clean up on aisle ME was needed. I didn’t open my clenched fists so easily, but once I took that courageous step it was like the floodgates of freedom opened up! Pain brought me to my knees, and for once they truly bent before the cross. That changed everything.

In my current chapter, I have plenty of opportunities to apply what the Lord has shown me and continues to show me. I don’t keep these life changing revelations to myself; gifts from God are always meant to be shared. I keep my heart and mind open to other contributing characters willing to share what I still need. The antagonist of my soul has not yet been written off. The developing thesis is dependency on my Heavenly Father. I long for the concluding paragraph to include, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

Joan is a Certified Mental Health Coach and a Prayer Minister. If you would like to schedule an appointment with her, call 248.956.0265.

Photos of writing and prayer courtesy of www.unsplash.com.

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Inner Healing in Scripture - Dan Hitz