Heal My Soul

Many of you have preached and served God, His people, and a needy world over the weekend. Here’s a quick thought that might bless and brighten your Monday.

Look at David’s prayer in Psalm 41:4:

I said, “LORD, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”

Those who serve God – as you perhaps did over this last weekend – are in special need of God’s mercy. I have always found it interesting that Paul commonly greeted the churches he wrote to with the words “grace” and “peace” (Romans 1:7 and Galatians 1:3 are examples). But when Paul wrote to the pastors and church leaders Timothy and Titus, he added mercy to the greeting of grace and peace (1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4). That says that we who serve the Lord need God’s mercy more than most!

It’s a good prayer to prayer after a busy ministry weekend. Even if we work hard and see fruit from our work for the Lord, we are at the same time aware of how weak we are, how big our job is, and how short we fall. It’s always good to pray, “LORD, be merciful to me.”

Yet it is a prayer we pray with great boldness, asking God to “heal my soul.” We know He is the healer of souls, and we know our soul can become hurt and bruised as we open it to serve God’s people and a needy world. I speak to you as a fellow servant of God: if your soul is bruised after a weekend of service, come to God today and pray from Psalm 41: “Heal my soul.” It’s important to do this because wounded souls often wound others. Let God bring healing to your soul today.

Finally, notice David’s great humility: “For I have sinned against You.” As we ask God for mercy and for the healing of our soul, we always need to do it from a place of humility. Just like all those we serve in Jesus’ name, we are sinners who need the work of our great Savior. Maybe you are a pastor, but remember that God’s shepherds are also sheep. Like David, we can confess our sins. David made:

• A confession without excuse
• A confession without qualification
• A confession without superficiality

That kind of humble heart is sure to receive from God what it needs, and we all need His mercy and His soul-healing work. After your busy weekend, receive that today – and expect His goodness and blessing to you this week for Jesus’ sake!

Blessings to You in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

Click Here to Receive Email from David for Pastors, Preachers, and Bible Teachers