I really hate breaking. Don’t you?
The Bible indicates that there are three sources of our brokenness: sin and self, hurtful people, and Satan. We’ve broken ourselves through our sins. Other people have compounded our brokenness by sinning against us. And Satan, the ever-opportunistic enemy, has taken advantage of those things by piling even more hurt onto our already bruised or damaged souls.
It’s impossible to walk very far in this life unscathed.
And that’s what makes the Lord’s famous prayer so cool. In Jesus’ model prayer, He teaches us to address all three spots of brokenness.
On a daily basis—and please don’t miss the significance of the daily-ness of the Lord’s Prayer—we are to pray for: 1) the forgiveness of our sins; 2) the healing from other people’s sins; and 3) the crushing of Satan’s schemes.
Here’s how it sounds in the prayer: “Forgive us our debts…as we also have forgiven our debtors…and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:12-13 NIV).
On a daily basis we are to receive the cleansing power of forgiveness that liberates us from the condemning prison of our sins. Next, we are to release forgiveness to those who have sinned against us so that their sins lose their power to torment us. Finally, we are to resist Satan, securing God’s spiritual armor about us, while heaven crushes our enemy’s temptations and agendas.
What a beautiful, liberating prescription! Let’s practice it every day and watch our 3 spots of brokenness heal and our soul regain its elasticity.