Inner healing · 14 days
Wounds God Heals
Bringing old pain to the One who cares for the broken heart.
Who it’s for
14 days of inner healing with the Psalms, the story of Joseph and the restoration of Peter.
- Starting over — Let go of the weight and begin again with God.
- Grief and comfort — Company for the days of longing and pain.
- For women — Healing, courage and closeness to God, day by day.
What you’ll grow in
How the journey is organized
Week 1 · Acknowledging the pain
Naming the wounds and discovering that God was near, even in the pit and in the prison.
- Day 1He binds up their woundsPsalms 147:3
- Day 2Near to the brokenheartedPsalms 34:18Available in the app
- Day 3Pouring out the soul1 Samuel 1:15Available in the app
- Day 4The Lord was with JosephGenesis 39:21Available in the app
- Day 5Fruitful in the land of afflictionGenesis 41:52Available in the app
- Day 6The weeping that healsGenesis 45:2Available in the app
- Day 7Am I in the place of God?Genesis 50:20Available in the app
Week 2 · Letting God restore
Trading ashes for a garland, sitting at the King’s table and hearing once again: follow me.
- Day 8A garland for ashesIsaiah 61:3Available in the app
- Day 9Fulfilled todayLuke 4:18Available in the app
- Day 10A place at the table2 Samuel 9:7Available in the app
- Day 11The look after the fallLuke 22:61Available in the app
- Day 12Come and eat breakfastJohn 21:12Available in the app
- Day 13Do you love me?John 21:17Available in the app
- Day 14Comforted to comfort2 Corinthians 1:4Available in the app
Day 1 · He binds up their wounds
Today’s reading: Psalms 147:1-11
1Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him. 2Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. 3He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. 4He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names. 5Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite. 6Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground. 7Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God, 8who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains. 9He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call. 10He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. 11Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
Psalms 147:1-11 · World English Bible
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
Context
Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise from the time after the exile in Babylon. Verse 2 speaks of the Lord building up Jerusalem and gathering together the outcasts of Israel, which recalls the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the people returned to a city in ruins and rebuilt its walls. Many had lost home, family and hope. The psalm brings two images together: the God who counts the stars and calls them by name is the same God who bends down to bandage wounds.
Not every wound shows on the body. Some are kept hidden for years: something a father once said, a betrayal no one ever knew about, an abandonment in childhood, a marriage that ended, an abuse you never told anyone about. On the outside, life goes on. On the inside, there are places that hurt when someone brushes against them. Psalm 147 was written for people like that.
The people who sang this psalm had come back from exile and found Jerusalem destroyed. Some had lost everything. And the psalmist sings: “He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.” To “bind up” describes the gesture of someone dressing a wound: cleaning it, covering it, wrapping it. It is close-up work that takes touch and patience. No one bandages a wound from a distance.
Right after that, the psalm says that God “counts the number of the stars” and “calls them all by their names.” The pairing is deliberate. The same God who governs the universe stoops down to care for a broken heart. Your pain is not too small for him, and you are not too far away. The One who knows the name of every star also knows your name and your story.
A bandage, though, can only be put on a wound that is uncovered. Inner healing often begins when we stop hiding the hurt, even from ourselves. You don’t need to open everything at once, or tell everyone. But you do need to let God see. He won’t be shocked by what he finds, and he won’t press where it hurts just to prove a point.
It is important to say this honestly: this journey doesn’t promise that all pain will disappear in fourteen days. Deep wounds tend to heal slowly, in layers, with setbacks along the way. God uses many means to heal: prayer, his Word, community, time, and also the care of professionals. Seeing a counselor or a doctor is not a sign of little faith. It may be exactly one of the ways God binds up your wounds.
Today, the invitation is simple: acknowledge that something is hurt and bring it before God. You don’t need to know how to explain the pain, or understand where it comes from. Just say: Lord, it hurts here. And let the One who counts the stars begin, with his own hands, to dress the wound.
To reflect onWhat old wound still hurts when someone brushes against it?
To live it today
- Write down, just for you and God, the name of a wound that still hurts. You don’t need to go into detail; simply name it and hand it over in prayer.
- Prayer doesn’t replace treatment; seeking professional help is wisdom, not a lack of faith. If the pain becomes too heavy or you start thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 (US), 116 123 (UK & Ireland, Samaritans) or your local emergency number — free, any time. Reach out to your pastor or someone you trust as well.
More questions
- Why is it so hard for you to let God see the wound as it really is?
- Who do you know who carries a hidden pain and needs someone patient, who won’t force the conversation?
Prayer
Praise
Lord, you count the stars and call each one by name. And you bend down to care for broken hearts. Blessed are you for being great and tender at the same time.
Surrender
I show you the wound I have hidden for so long. I don’t know how to explain it well, but I know it hurts. Receive it just as it is.
Petition
Bind up my wounds with patience. Use whatever means you choose — your Word, my church, time and the people who care for our health. And give me courage to stop hiding what needs healing.
To memorize
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names.
Read also: Isaiah 61:1 · Jeremiah 30:17 · Matthew 12:20
Continue in the app: days 2 to 14
Each day brings a reading, a devotional, a guided prayer, a journal question and a verse to memorize. Pick up where you left off.
Annual plan with a 7-day free trial.
Keep exploring
Other journeys
- Forgiveness That Sets Free 10 days
- Free: Self-Control 21 days
- 21 Days of Faith 21 days
- Hope in Grief 10 days
- Peace in the midst of anxiety 14 days
- Love That Builds 14 days
- Life with God 21 days
For your everyday
Scripture on this page: World English Bible (public domain). How we write the journeys