How To Minister Comfort

Proverbs 25:20 "Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound."

One of the most important roles that we play as believers, is the role of a comforter. We should bring comfort to those who have a heavy heart. The way we comfort the heavy hearted is not with extravagant joy but with heartfelt compassion. Today's proverb teaches us that singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart actually makes things worse instead of better.

Today I want to share with you four things that every heavy heart needs and how we can minister to those whose hearts are weighted down.

The first thing that we can do is to show compassion. The Bible teaches us to mourn with those who mourn. I've learned that by simply saying"I'm sorry that you are having to go through this" brings comfort to peoples hearts and shows them that you care. This statement shows compassion and opens their heart to receive from you.

The second thing that we can do is to listen, many times people just need a safe place to express their grief and sorrow. Be willing to be a sounding board for their grief or sorrow and you will be surprised by how powerful a listening ear is to a heavy heart.

The third thing we can do is encourage them by pointing them to the Lord. God is the God of all comfort and he is the God of all hope. When we show compassion and listen we open the door of their heart to receive from us the encouragement that God is there and he is will to heal the broken hearted.

The fourth thing that we can do is pray. Pray that the peace of God and the healing hand of heaven would rest upon their hearts and bring wholeness to their lives. Prayer is powerful, it invites the Lord to do what we can't do and allows us to walk away knowing that He is at work.