Table of Contents
Introduction
Preparation Days: Ground Zero — Facing the Ruins
Theme: Naming the pain, normalizing grief, and remembering you are not alone.
Day 1: The Broken Heart – Psalm 34:18
“Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart...”Day 2: It Shouldn’t Have Happened – Lamentations 3:19–24
“This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope...”Day 3: The Ache Has a Name – Job 3:11
“Why did I not die from the womb?”
Part 1: Grief’s Landscape — Mapping the Emotions
Theme: Understanding grief stages, trauma responses, and allowing them to unfold in a healthy way.
Day 4: Waves and Storms – Psalm 42:7
Day 5: The Fog of Numbness – Isaiah 43:2
Day 6: Anger Without Shame – Ephesians 4:26
Day 7: The Guilt We Carry – 2 Corinthians 7:10
Day 8: When You Can’t Pray – Romans 8:26
Day 9: Loneliness After the Funeral – Psalm 102:7
Day 10: Losing Who I Was – Galatians 2:20
Part 2: Tending the Soul Wounds
Theme: Deep soul healing and divine presence through lament, memory, and silence.
Day 11: Permission to Mourn – Ecclesiastes 3:4
Day 12: The Unfinished Goodbye – John 11:35
Day 13: Trauma in the Body – Psalm 31:9–10
Day 14: The Gift of Lament – Psalm 13:1–2
Day 15: Silence That Speaks – 1 Kings 19:11–12
Day 16: Dreams That Died – Proverbs 13:12
Day 17: Sacred Tears – Revelation 21:4
Part 3: God in the Ashes
Theme: Rediscovering God’s faithful presence and unexpected comfort in sorrow.
Day 18: Emmanuel in the Pain – Matthew 1:23
Day 19: The Fellowship of Suffering – Philippians 3:10
Day 20: Comfort Without Words – 2 Corinthians 1:3–4
Day 21: Signs and Wonders in Grief – Isaiah 61:3
Day 22: Sacred Space in Broken Places – Exodus 3:5
Day 23: The Hidden Manna – Revelation 2:17
Day 24: Angels in Human Skin – Hebrews 13:2
Part 4: A New Becoming
Theme: Restoration, identity shifts, spiritual rebirth, and permission to live again.
Day 25: Carrying Memory with Honor – Joshua 4:6–7
Day 26: Who Am I Now? – Isaiah 62:2
Day 27: Starting Small Again – Zechariah 4:10
Day 28: Joy After Weeping – Psalm 30:5
Day 29: Becoming a Wounded Healer – Genesis 50:20
Day 30: Love Never Lost – Romans 8:38–39
Day 31: Blessed are the Broken – 2 Corinthians 4:7
Introduction
A Word from the Author
Grief doesn’t come with a roadmap. It doesn’t announce its presence ahead of time. Grief collides with the plans you have made. It breaks things you didn’t know could break—your comfortable routines, your valued relationships, and even your sense of self. As a longtime hospice chaplain, I’ve journeyed with hundreds of people in the messy, painful, yet sacred times of loss. I’ve listened to the stories, been present in the silences, and honored the regrets and longings uttered by those whose hearts have been broken. Grief can shatter and confuse, but grief can also awaken and eventually begin to heal.
This book was born from being in those sacred spaces with those who experience loss.
Broken Heart – Wounded Soul is a 31-day devotional for anyone navigating grief, trauma, disappointment, or spiritual disorientation. This is not a do-it-yourself manual for “getting over it.” It is a compassionate guide for those learning how to cope with, live through, and heal from loss. These devotions are not intended to help you “move on with life.” They are about moving through the dark times with honesty, and faith. They are about helping you sense the presence of the God who meets you in the rubble and ashes of your life.
Whether you are mourning the death of a loved one, the loss of a dream, the end of season, or the dismantling of who you thought you were, I hope that these devotions give you permission to grieve and time to feel the emotions in a safe place. Most of all, I hope your experiences with the book show you how you can hope courageously.
There is no wrong way to experience grief. There is no place where God is not present for you.
You are not alone. You are not forgotten. You are not beyond repair.
You are broken… and still loved immensely.
How to Use This Book
This book is designed to walk with you gently, one day at a time. Each entry includes:
• A Scripture passage that speaks to the key concept of the devotion
• A reflective meditation that speaks to your grief and healing
• A practical exercise to help you incorporate the reflection into your body and spirit
• A journaling prompt to help you reflect on your experience more deeply. While journaling is optional, I encourage you to at least pause and consider your response. You don’t have to write a lot—just let your thoughts begin to take shape.
• Following the journaling prompt is a Blessing, offered as a pastoral affirmation for your day. These blessings are meant to give you strength and encouragement as you work through the difficulties you encounter.
• Finally, each devotion ends with a Pray as You Go breath prayer—a brief, one-sentence prayer designed to engage your body and mind in the practice of strengthening your spirit. You can repeat it throughout the day as a gentle reminder that God is with you, helping you through the process
You can move through the book one day at a time, or at your own pace. There is no rush. If one day hits especially deep, you may want to linger there.
This book works beautifully for:
• Personal grief journaling
• Spiritual direction or counseling
• Grief groups or support circles
• Quiet reflection before bed or after waking
• Prayer and meditation time
I encourage you to keep a notebook or journal nearby. Most importantly, I urge you to be kind to yourself. Some devotions may bring tears. Some may take your breath away. All of them contain an offer of hope. All are sacred steps in your healing process.
Preparation Days: Ground Zero
Facing the Ruins
For the first three days, we will set a tone and pace for the rest of the process. These devotions are designed to give yourself permission to grieve and to acknowledge your feelings.
Countless times I’ve heard rationalizations for putting grief off until a “better time.” Your soul doesn’t understand time the same way your mind does. Grief is not something to put on the calendar. You are grieving down deep inside whether you feel it or not.
During this preparation period, give yourself permission to feel fully while you are reading each devotion. This is sacred time alone with God. Let it be full of meaning and understanding. Receive the blessing for the day as encouragement to engage in your life’s activities. Use the Pray as You Go prayer to help you focus throughout the day.
Let’s begin with Day 1…
Day 1: The Broken Heart
Accepting your brokenness is the
start of the healing process
Scripture: Psalm 34:18
“Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart,
and saves those who have a crushed spirit.”
Everything changed. Maybe in a single moment—or maybe slowly, painfully, over weeks and months. But something inside you shattered. Now you’re standing in the rubble, trying to breathe, trying to put one foot in front of the other.
This is the unfortunate starting point in grief and in healing. There are no easy answers or instant inspiration. The harsh reality is this: your heart is broken. You feel as if your spirit is crushed. The path ahead for your life may now look like a dark valley. The overriding question is often, “Will I ever feel whole again?”
As a hospice chaplain, I’ve sat with people in the same place as you are now. The tears, the silence, the cries of anguish, and unanswerable questions. These are common. They are also sacred. If you feel like God has abandoned you, I want you to hear this: you are not alone, and God has not left you.
Psalm 34:18 doesn’t tell us that God is near only when we are cheerful or strong. It says God is near to the brokenhearted. Not just aware, not from afar—near. God is close enough to catch your tears, gentle enough to cradle you in your pain, strong enough to carry what you cannot.
You don’t have to pick up the pieces right now. God is already working on that. You need to let your heart be as broken as it needs to be. Let the tears flow. Let your feelings out. Cry. Let your questions hang in the air, as yet unanswered. Let today be what it needs to be: a pause to allow God to show His presence and care for you.
God is already here. That is enough.
Prayer
Loving God,
I come to You broken. I don’t know how to move forward. I don’t even know if I can or even want to right now. But I ask You to meet me in this pain. Be near to my shattered heart. Hold me in the silence. And help me believe—even if only faintly—that I am still loved.
Amen.
Healing Practice for Today
Set aside ten minutes to sit quietly. Place your hand on your heart and breathe slowly. As you breathe in, say: “You are near.” As you breathe out, say: “To my broken heart.” Let your body feel that truth. You don’t have to fix anything. Just feel what is true in this moment.
Journaling Prompt
What does it feel like to admit that your heart is broken? If God were sitting next to you right now, what would you say—or not say?
Closing Blessing
Sense the presence of God so near that
you feel His loving arms wrap you in love.
Release the need to be strong or whole for now.
Let the tears that fall feel holy.
Place your shattered heart in God’s care.
You feel broken—but you are still loved.
Pray as You Go
Inhale: You are near…
Exhale: …to my broken heart.
Day 2: You Are Not Alone
Loneliness and fear are simply distractions
from the reality of God’s presence
Scripture: Isaiah 43:2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.”
Experiencing grief makes you feel isolated. The pain makes you feel like you are the only one in the world who is walking through darkness. What other people say to you may not help with the isolation. They mean well, but they don’t know what to say. Those closest to you may disappear after the initial shock passes. You are left sitting in silence, wondering if even God has left you alone.
The ultimate truth is—He hasn’t. He won’t.
When we feel alone the most common feeling is fear. Fear that we are not safe. Fear that the circumstances will overwhelm our ability to cope. The good news is that even in our lonely state the power of God is working in us whether we feel it or not.
Isaiah 43 doesn’t promise the absence of pain and difficulties. It promises that even in the pain of loss God says, “I will be with you.” Not maybe, if, or sometimes, but always. Even in the flood. Even in the fire… especially there.
God isn’t waiting on the other side of your suffering. He walks through it with you. God is there in the sleepless nights, the empty chair, the sudden waves of memory that try to overwhelm you. You are not forgotten or abandoned. You are held—closer than your breath, stronger than you sorrow.
You are never alone.
Prayer
God of every moment,
Remind me today that I am not abandoned.
I may not feel You right now, but I choose to trust Your word over my emotions.
Come into my loneliness and let Your presence be the companion I didn’t know I needed.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Healing Practice for Today
Take a walk—even if it’s just around your home. As you walk, repeat this phrase calmly and slowly: “You are with me.” Let the rhythm of walking become a prayer. You don’t need to feel God’s presence for it to be real. Just declare it.
Journaling Prompt
Where do I most feel alone right now? What would it mean for God to be “with me” in lonely place?
Closing Blessing
Feel the presence of God walking beside you in the silence.
Recognize that He is not watching from a distance—He is carrying you.
Rest in the truth that you are never alone,
because God has already stepped into your sorrow
and will never leave you behind.
Pray As You Go
Inhale: You are with me…
Exhale: … I am not alone.
Day 3: Let the Tears Fall
Crying is not a sign of weakness.
It is a sign of courage.
Scripture: John 11:35
“Jesus wept.”
It’s the shortest verse in the Bible—and one of the most powerful. Jesus wept.
Jesus didn’t expound on the spiritual value of being strong. He didn’t say that everything happens for a reason. He stood at the tomb of his friend Lazarus—and cried.
Even though Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, he still let the tears flow. Why?
Because grief is sacred. The pain of the moment needs to be honored. Even the Son of God didn’t skip over His grief.
There are times when we may be afraid to cry. We’ve been taught to “be strong,” to “move on.” But tears are not weakness, but an inner truth becoming an outer response to loss. Tears are your body and soul releasing the pain of losing someone or something precious to you.
Jesus didn’t feel self-conscious about crying with others present. He knew that expressing his feelings was a normal experience. You may be afraid to let you tears flow when they need to. If so, set aside time when you read these devotions to let your feelings out.
God sees your tears. They are not wasted. The psalmist says that God keeps them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). Tears matter. Feelings matter. You matter.
Let the tears fall whenever they need to. Jesus did. You are in good company.
Prayer
Jesus,
You wept, so I know I don’t have to pretend with You.
Help me stop apologizing for my grief.
Let me cry freely and know that each tear is safe in Your care.
Comfort me in my sorrow—not by taking it away, but by staying with me through it.
Amen.
Healing Practice for Today
If you feel the tears rising today, do not hold them back. Set aside a few minutes in a private space to let your emotions flow. You might even write your tears down—as words, scribbles, or poems. Let it be messy. Let it be real.
Journaling Prompt
When was the last time I cried? Did I feel shame, comfort, or something else? What might Jesus say to me as I cry?
Closing Blessing
Feel the nearness of Jesus in every tear that falls.
Know that your sorrow does not scare Him,
silence Him, or drive Him away.
Release the shame and welcome the healing.
You do not cry alone—Christ weeps with you.
Pray As You Go
Inhale: My tears matter…
Exhale: … Jesus cries with me.
Part 1: Grief’s Landscape
Mapping the Emotions
The rush of conflicting emotions felt when coping with loss can be overwhelming and confusing. One of the questions I most often get from people in this situation is, “Am I crazy?” No, you are not crazy. You are a normal person going through an abnormal situation.
Grief is a category of emotions we experience as a response to loss and trauma. By my definition, grief is a normal human reaction to a perceived loss. That reaction can come in many forms, but as long as you are able to keep up with your daily life you are coping normally.
The devotions for the next seven days focus on the different kinds of feelings we experience as a response to loss and grief. My prayer for you is that you will feel a sense of reassurance and relief that you are on the right path… even when you may not feel it.
Day 4 – The Ache That Won’t Go Away
Scripture: Psalm 42:3
“My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, ‘Where is your God?’”
There are wounds that never seem to change with time. You smile, work, and even laugh; but underneath it all is a silent ache—an emptiness that overflows like a wave. In grief, this ache becomes part of your daily rhythm.
You may wonder if God has gone silent or forgotten you altogether. But your ache is not a sign of God’s absence; it is a sacred space where His comfort longs to dwell. Silence does not mean an absence of activity. God is preparing you spiritually and emotionally for the time when you have the strength to grow.
David, who wrote this psalm, perceives his tears as accusers, mocking his pain and loneliness. But as we have learned, tears are the outer expression of inner pain. The real enemy is the lingering doubt that God will ever show up.
Let that doubt become a question to God, then let the question become a prayer for God to continue working in and through you. The silence then becomes a state of expectant waiting.
Like David, you can weep openly and still hope fiercely. God does not ask you to pretend; He invites you to feel, trust, and wait.
Centering Prayer
God,
This ache makes me feel hollow and forgotten. But I choose to believe You are with me even in this sadness. I bring my pain honestly before You. Wrap me in Your mercy and remind me that my tears are not wasted.
Amen.
Healing Practice for Today
When the ache rises today, pause and place your hand over your heart. Whisper: “God is with me in this.” Let the ache become a doorway to presence.
Journaling Prompt
What does this ache say to me? What might God want to say back?
Closing Blessing
Feel the nearness of God wrap around
the rawness in your chest.
Your pain is not invisible.
Heaven sees, holds, and honors every silent tear.
Pray as You Go
Inhale: You see me, God...
Exhale: … and You hold my tears.
Day 5 – I Don’t Feel Strong
God’s strength starts when you acknowledge
that your strength is gone
Scripture: Isaiah 40:29
“He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.”
You are not failing because you feel weak. You are simply human. Grief can bring down even the strongest person. Grief can leave you weak and breathless in your own skin. The waves of emotion hit hard, and sometimes, just standing up feels like climbing a mountain. You’re not broken because you need help. You’re human. And admitting your humanity is where God does His best work.
There’s a lie floating around that says you have to “be strong for everyone.” That’s not what the Bible says—it’s a cultural expectation, a mask that God never asked you to wear. Isaiah 40:29 tells us plainly: “He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.” That means divine strength begins where your strength ends. Not after you’ve cleaned yourself up. Not once you’ve “gotten over it.” Right now. In the mess. In the tears. In the complete inability to take another step.
You don’t have to carry this alone. Strength in the Kingdom is not doesn’t come from human might—it arrives after surrender. The moment you whisper, “God, I can’t,” He responds, “I know. Let Me.” His power is made perfect not in our pretending, but in our weakness.
Let God be strong for you. It’s not only okay—it’s sacred.
Centering Prayer
God,
I don’t feel strong. I’m exhausted and overwhelmed. But You are strong when I am not. Be my strength today. Carry me, uphold me, and give me grace to rest in You.
Amen.
Practice for Today
Let go of something you’re forcing yourself to carry. Ask someone for help. Say “no” if needed. You’re allowed to rest.
Journaling Prompt
Where in your life are you pretending to be strong
What would it look like to surrender instead?
Closing Blessing
Feel God’s strength enfolding your weakness,
not judging it.
The One who created you is not disappointed in your need.
He understands and waits with you.
He delights to carry what you cannot.
Pray as You Go
Inhale: I am weak…
Exhale: … You are strong.