10 Verses to Memorize and Pray for Healing

Dolores Smyth

1. A Healing Verse for the Brokenhearted

The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:2-3).

Everyone eventually experiences a broken heart. Hearts break after the loss of a dear friendship or romance, or after enduring a major life disappointment or the death of a loved one.

Whatever the source of your heartbreak, what’s universal is that it’s hard to forget the pain the distressing situation caused. It can be tempting to cope with a broken heart by living a walled existence, refusing to become emotionally invested in others ever again, avoiding the risk of any more heartache.

This type of detached living does nothing to heal your wounds, and runs counter to the Christian principles of faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Instead, when the grip of a broken heart overtakes you, you can pray God’s promises in this Psalm. You can trust that He’ll gather you back into His arms and heal your brokenness until you’re whole enough to love again.

2. A Healing Verse to Overcome Envy

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

So much of the animosity between people stems from envy. It’s normal to feel some measure of envy for the others’ careers, relationships, looks, or possessions. However, left unchecked, envy can cause you to begrudge other people their blessings. When you descend in such a way, you sow seeds of discontent, as Scripture warns that “envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30).   

Instead of seeing other people’s blessings as your own shortcomings, choose to celebrate the success of others even if you have to nudge yourself to do so at first. Focus on the Bible’s instruction to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15), and trust that God has “plans to prosper you” (Jeremiah 29:11) in His own timing.

3. A Healing Verse for the Physically Sick or Injured

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise” (Jeremiah 17:14).

Physical injury can grind your life to a halt. When sickness or injury darken your door, you’re faced with the stark limitations of human effort and, instead, must rely on God’s mercy.

Perhaps the most difficult part of praying for physical healing is waiting for the pain to end; or, worse, accepting that the affliction may end in death. When your faith is tested in this way, you can choose to keep praising your Divine Creator and seek solace in the promise that, ultimately, the time will come when there will be no more “mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21:4).

4. A Healing Verse for Those Struggling with Unforgiveness

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Luke 11:4).

Forgiving someone who has hurt you is no easy task. Despite this, forgiveness is key to Christian living. When Jesus was asked by one of His disciples how to pray, Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer, which includes the above verse on forgiveness.

When we forgive someone, we make a conscious decision to move beyond a past offense. It’s important to note that what forgiveness does not require is that we continue to associate with a person who won’t stop harming us.

For this reason, we must balance forgiveness with trust, as Scripture cautions that: “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 22:3).

5. A Healing Verse for Those Whose Faith Has Faltered

“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). 

Some days we feel at one with our faith, while other days we’re fraught with doubt. God expects you to waver, and promises to heal your wayward heart (Jeremiah 3:22). Yet, in the midst of doubt, it remains your responsibility to right the course and restore your faith in Jesus Christ.

One powerful way to return your gaze to the Cross is to acknowledge that upon that Cross hung the crucified Christ. When Jesus offered us eternal life by becoming our final sacrifice, He did His part in the New Covenant with us. Our part is to exercise faith in Christ as the Son of God and in His teachings (John 14:6).

As the above verse instructs, you can restore your faith through frequent study of Christ’s message.

6. A Healing Verse for the Lonely

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:5-6).

Our Lord is the great “I Am” (Exodus 3:13-15). In Biblical times, a person’s name was significant and often indicated the person’s character or purpose. The great “I Am” is not only the eternal God, but He is also the God who becomes everything you need.

For the fatherless, He is the father. For the widows, He is the protector. For the lonely, He is the provider who sends families to save them from their solitude.

The “families” God sends to the lonely may include a restoration with blood or marital relatives, or it may include a welcoming church family. When God sends people your way to save you from loneliness, it’s up to you to nurture those relationships as godsends.

7. A Healing Verse for Those Who Mourn

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

We all mourn for countless reasons—for the dead (spiritually or physically), for our own sins or the sins of others, for lost relationships or injustices. We mourn for those who reject God or refuse to repent even at the hour of their death.

God promises to comfort those who mourn because those people realize the importance of repentance and following Christ in seeking eternal life. Such mourning brings you closer to Jesus, as you become participants in His suffering for others (Philippians 3:10).

8. A Healing Verse for Those Who Are Afraid

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

We all face situations that intimidate us. While it’s normal to feel fear, it’s important to remember that God didn’t give you spirit of fear. Instead, God infused you with the power to act boldly in His name.

You can act boldly in moments of fear by looking to the roadmap of Scripture. When you act according to His Word—even if you don’t get your desired results—you can rest easy in knowing that you acted to please God, not man, and have His approval behind our actions. Rather than panicking during an intimidating situation, you’re to receive and act in the spirit of love and self-control that God granted you, letting God’s plan unfold.

9. A Healing Verse for Those Conscious of Sin

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

It’s been our human nature to cover up sins ever since Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover up their nakedness—the sign of their disobedience to God (Genesis 3:7). Just as humanity’s first parents failed to conceal their sin from God, we’re all warned that we won’t prosper either if we attempt to hide our sins.

Instead, concealing sins can lead you to sin further by driving you to lie in the cover-up. It’s said that you can’t fix what you won’t acknowledge.

To make amends for your sins, you must first acknowledge those sins by confessing them completely and with a sincere intention to resist the disobedience that led you astray. Once you renounce your sins in such a way, you allow the Holy Spirit to work within you to restore your relationship with God.

10. A Healing Verse to Help Defeat Depression

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:1-3).

Depression can be all-consuming. Living life depressed is like walking in the muddy waters of constant guilt and sorrow. As the above Psalm implies, you can turn to God during your moments of misery and wait for Him to turn His attention to your cries for help.  

When you place your depression at the foot of the Cross and pray for His assistance, He promises to guide you toward stability and free you from despair. This healing from depression is rooted in forgiveness, forgiveness of yourself and of others on your journey out of the “mud and mire” and towards “a firm place to stand.”

Healing your wounds and the wounds of others requires active involvement. Through prayer and petitioning God for His help, you can walk towards restoration and wellness.   

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A Call to Common Courtesy

A Call to Common Courtesy 
by Max Lucado

Perhaps you've never placed the word courteous next to Christ. I hadn't until I wrote this chapter.

But you know how you never notice double-cab red trucks until your friend says he wants one—then you see a dozen of them? I had never thought much about the courtesy of Christ before, but as I began looking, I realized that Jesus makes Emily Post look like Archie Bunker.

He always knocks before entering. He doesn't have to. He owns your heart. If anyone has the right to barge in, Christ does. But he doesn't. That gentle tap you hear? It's Christ. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (Rev. 3:20 NASB). And when you answer, he awaits your invitation to cross the threshold.

And when he enters, he always brings a gift. Some bring Chianti and daisies. Christ brings "the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). And, as he stays, he serves. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve" (Mark 10:45 NIV). If you're missing your apron, you'll find it on him. He's serving the guests as they sit (John 13:4-5). He won't eat until he's offered thanks, and he won't leave until the leftovers are put away (Matt. 14:19-20).

He is courteous enough to tell you his name (Exod. 3:15) and to call you by yours (John 10:3). And when you talk, he never interrupts. He listens.

He is even on time. Never late. Never early. If you're checking your watch, it's because you're on a different itinerary. "There is a time for everything" (Eccles. 3:1). And Christ stays on schedule.

He even opens doors for you. Paul could preach at Troas because "the Lord had opened a door" (2 Cor. 2:12 NIV). When I asked my dad why men should open doors for women, his answer was one word: "respect." Christ must have abundant respect for you.

He knocks before he enters. He always brings a gift. Food is served. The table is cleared. Thanks are offered. He knows your name and tells you his, and here is one more.

He pulls out the chair for you. "He raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the heavens" (Eph. 2:6).

My wife has a heart for single moms. She loves to include a widow or divorcée at the table when we go to a restaurant. Through the years I've noticed a common appreciation from them. They love it when I pull out their chair. More than once they have specifically thanked me. One mom in particular comes to mind. "My," she blushed, brushing the sudden moisture from her eye, "it's been a while since anyone did that."

Has it been a while for you as well? People can be so rude. We snatch parking places. We forget names. We interrupt. We fail to show up. Could you use some courtesy? Has it been a while since someone pulled out your chair?

Then let Jesus. Don't hurry through this thought. Receive the courtesy of Christ. He's your groom. Does not the groom cherish the bride? Respect the bride? Honor the bride? Let Christ do what he longs to do.

For as you receive his love, you'll find it easier to give yours. As you reflect on his courtesy to you, you'll be likely to offer the same.

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado