From Pain to Love: A Prayer That Changed My Heart Forever
I'm moved to share something deeply personal with you today - a confession that might surprise you.
As someone known for hugging concert-goers, helping the underprivileged in Africa, and visiting those in hospitals, you might assume I naturally love being around people. The truth? I don't.
Woman with curly hair smiling
My journey with trust has been complicated. After experiencing physical and emotional abuse from people I trusted, including painful experiences within churches and communities, it would have been easier to close myself off completely.
But God had different plans.
His transformative power came through a simple prayer I offered four years ago: "Father, my heart has been hurt so many times by people. Give me a new heart and give me empathy for people!"
The change was almost immediate. God fulfilled His promise from Ezekiel 36:26: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
Love isn't weakness - it's strength. Just as Jesus' love gave Him strength on the cross, genuine love empowers us. This transformation taught me that loving others doesn't make us vulnerable; it makes us more like Christ.
If you're struggling to love others after being hurt, I invite you to pray this prayer:
"Father, my heart has been hurt so many times by people. Give me a new heart and give me empathy for people! I want to love because You love me—and others. Amen."
Remember: Your capacity to love despite past hurts is itself a miracle.