Broken

I could see it in her eyes. She had just unloaded her sad tale of a shattered fairy tale and a broken heart. Bravely she fought back the years but I see her misty eyes. For some reason she felt comfortable sharing her brokenness with me. I could only listen and love. I can pray.

There are broken people everywhere. Broken hearts are not easy to see. When people are wounded externally it is obvious. There is a gaping wound. Broken hearts are hidden. People try to fake it. They go to great lengths to try to hide their broken hearts. If you know the signs you can tell.

A broken heart is usually accompanied with a darkened heavy countenance. You've probably noticed someone who seemed down and asked if they were okay. I bet you heard many times, "I'm fine." Or if you asked them what was wrong they responded with, "Nothing." You didn't buy it but did not know how to help.

Broken people are all around us. In our families. Among our friends. Around our neighborhoods and even at work. We worship alongside broken people. From the outside it may appear such people have their acts together. Appearances can be deceiving. Broken shattered lives hide behind two car garages, nice clothing and fake smiles.

Jesus sees broken people. I find it interesting how many times He went out of His way to engage such people. The demon possessed. The woman with the issue of blood. The grieving mother at Nain. Jairus and his daughter. The woman caught in adultery. The lepers. The paralyzed man at the Pool of Siloam. The blind.

We live in a world of broken people. Widows and widowers. The divorced single parent. The impoverished. The wounded. The forsaken and neglected. The forgotten. The disillusioned. The drug addict. The adulterer. The cheated on spouse left to cope with the after effects. Unloved and unwanted children. The abused. The enslaved.

It is easy to get so caught up in our own worlds, and at times our own pain, we forget about the broken people around us. While we may not be able to fix all their brokenness we can do two things. We can pray with them and for them. We can also point them to Jesus. Jesus is able to pick up the broken and shattered lives and put them back together. He has done it for me. I have seen Him do it for others. I believe Him to do it for you today. So here is my prayer for all the broken people out there.

Jesus,

You see the broken people. They may feel alone. They may feel forgotten or ignored. You see them. You see their pain. You see their silent tears and the ones that flow freely when nobody is watching. You see tear stained pillow cases. You hear every sigh from a weighed down heart. I ask You to manifest Your presence today. In a Bible verse. In a phone call. In a text, email or letter. I ask You to show up in a friendly smile, a hug or pat on the back. I ask You to bring to mind broken people in the minds and hearts of Your followers. I ask You to motivate Your servants to reach out. I ask You to use Your servants to be You with skin on for broken people.

I ask You to lift heavy burdens off the broken. Please give them relief and refreshing today. I ask You to breakthrough in impossible situations and against impossible odds. I ask You to comfort the grieving. I ask You to draw near to them and massage their hearts with Your love and compassion. I ask You to provide for those against the ropes and who need a miracle. I ask You to save the day for them. I ask You to restore hope for those cast headlong into despair. I beg for Your still small voice to speak louder than words of demonic screams that torment the mind. I ask You to touch the physically suffering today. You are able to heal, restore and revive any broken body. I ask You to help unbelief for those trapped by their circumstances. I ask You to make a way where there seems to be no way. I ask You to give strength to those barely hanging on. Please empower them to get through this day and then the next one hour by hour.

I ask Yo to make broken people whole. For the sin stained in bondage I ask You to break the chains. For the devastated I ask You to give the garment of praise in exchange for the dungy clothes of depression. I ask You to recover to the broken what has been lost, mainly their pace of mind and joy. Those things are not impossible to You. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH YOU. I believe You for all of it for the broken. I believe You for this in Jesus name, amen.