Hope & Encouragement for the Chronically Ill

But I need something more!...I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. –Romans 7:17-21, MSG 

Paul knew exactly what we go through; he knew the struggle is real. We want to do right. We know what we should be doing but somehow we can’t seem to do the right or good we want to do. Round and round we go. Again and again, we tell ourselves we’ll do better next time. 

When it comes to our health and chronic conditions we may experience a similar struggle. We know inside what we need to do in order to have more strength or experience greater health and wellbeing, still, somehow we can’t manage to do the good we want to do. 

Just like with our soulful, inner struggles we may wonder if we’ll ever be able to overcome our struggles. Paul writes thank goodness we have someone who will help us have victory: Jesus will come alongside us and help us accomplish the good we want to. With Christ we can know victory over any struggle.  

Jesus, thank you for entering my struggles whether soulful or concerning my health and wellbeing, with you I am assured of victory and overcoming.  

 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. –2 Timothy 2:15

How much do you know about your chronic conditions? It’s a good idea if we go back and refresh or add to our knowledge. Refreshing ourselves on what’s good to do, what’s not recommended, what we can and should eat, what foods we should avoid, activities that will support good health and strength and those which should be avoided because they aggravate or are triggers. 

We can never know too much about our illnesses especially when they are primarily patient managed diseases and conditions. As the saying goes, “knowledge is power” and the more we know the more we benefit, not just physically but overall.

Heavenly Father thank you for putting so much knowledge and information at my fingertips. I’m blessed to live I nan age where knowledge about my chronic conditions can be accessed so I can enjoy better and improved health.   

  How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” –Isaiah 52:7

Did your doctor bring you good news when he or she entered the examination room today? If so, you probably thought his or her feet were beautiful! 

It’s not often enough that we receive good news, especially during a doctor’s visit. We may grow so accustomed to learning what we might categorize asl “bad” or disappointing news about our health or condition we don’t really take it in when a bit of good news is delivered. It may be especially difficult to believe if we’re not feeling any better or see with our own eyes the progress that’s reported.  

At times we may be hoping to hear some good news about our health but are disappointed. But even then, God refreshes and reminds us he is still reigning and on the throne in heaven and that can be just the news we need to hear because we know because God reigns, all things are still possible and no word about our health is final until God says so.

Thank you, God, for those times I am able to hear a bit of good news concerning my health hand illness. Amen    

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.—Philippians 4:8

My brother-in-law received some disappointing news about his health condition. After my husband spoke with his brother the first thing I asked was, “How’s his mindset?” We both knew from experience, having a good and positive mindset can go a long way as we receive disappointing news about our health. Learning about a diagnosis and hearing a prognosis that we weren’t expecting can be devastating.

Paul encourages believers to adopt a mindset and way of looking at things—not from the worst or negative point of view—but through the lens of hope and the best outcome even when that outcome doesn’t look possible this side of earth.

When we learn of “bad” news concerning our health it’s so easy to slide into depression and hopelessness, and, yes, it does take extra effort and determination to adopt a mindset that keeps us hopeful but the more we lean toward what Paul preaches the easier it will be to live in that vein. 

Even when we have been given a diagnosis or prognosis that suggests greater limitations or fewer possibilities for ever feeling any better, we can be surprised at how much a positive and healthy mindset can add years and give us greater quality of life.

Lord, help me to adopt that positive, hopeful mindset that will support having a greater quality of life.      

Some time later, there was a religious gathering of the Jews. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem there is a pool with five porches called Bethesda near the sheep gate. Inside these porches lay many sick people. Some were blind. Some could not walk. Some could not move their bodies. (*An angel of the Lord came at certain times and made the water move. All of them were waiting for it to move. Whoever got in the water first after it was moving was healed of whatever sickness he had.) A man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying there and knew the man had been sick a long time. Jesus said to him, “Would you like to be healed?” The sick man said, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is moving. While I am coming, another one gets in first.” Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your bed and walk.” At once the man was healed and picked up his bed and walked. This happened on the Day of Rest.—John 5:1-9, NLV

Be Encouraged:

Jesus didn’t have to wait until the waters were stirred, he is the divine stirrer bringing healing and giving us a greater quality of life. If he asks if we want to be healed that’s not for him to know—he already knows—it’s so we can know how badly. Are we willing to do what he instructs through others: our physicians and trusted medical professionals? Will we take our prescribed meds, make necessary changes in our diet and routines? God is always stirring waters.

Jesus, thank you for stopping to stir the waters for my healing and giving me a greater quality of life.   

 God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. —Psalm 46:1

Are you utilizing every layer of help provided for your condition? After my husband’s stroke many physicians visited his hospital room. Attending physicians, nurses that cared for him during his hospital stay, neurologists, and therapists. Each one helped us better understand the support available. 

One who was very helpful was the Nurse Manager. Her care for my husband and me followed us all the way through from beginning to end. Even after he was discharged from the hospital and we were settled at home, she called weekly and made sure I had all my questions answered as his caregiver and was informed about all the resources available. 

Thankfully my husband’s stroke, though severe, only impacted him cognitively and he’s back to normal, but we could not have made it without all the help provided during those critical days, weeks and months following his stroke.

David reminds us that God is not only our safe place and strength he is also our help when we are in any kind of trouble. God sends us help in many forms and when we are suffering with illness and disease God will supply all we need through medical professionals, medicines that help, those trained and equipped to help us learn to manage our illness and many others. 

We can count on God to supply all we need, whatever our need.

Thank You Lord, for being our refuge, our strength and our help in time of need, whatever our need. Amen         

  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—Romans 3:23

One of my granddaughters suffers from Eczema. She’s not the first one in our family to have those itchy, uncomfortable patches of dry skin. I used to have eczema when I was growing up. Mine was more severe than my granddaughter’s. Sometimes I tell her stories of how my mother would bathe my arms with a special solution, then apply bandages to keep me from scratching. Or how extreme temperatures would aggravate my condition more. Alexandria looks at my skin today and is amazed that I once was covered with those patches of dry skin. My clear skin today gives her hope that her eczema will improve or completely disappear.   

It’s not uncommon for health conditions to run in the family. Many times, we have something others in our family had or have; something that’s part of the gene tree. Doing some research may prove helpful, providing vital information that should be included in our medical chart. That knowledge can help our doctors know what to look for and how to treat us more effectively. 

There is one condition that runs through our families going all the way back to Adam and Eve and that’s sin. Paul said when it comes to sin, we’re all in the same boat. Not even one of us, except Jesus, is without sin. There are all kinds of medications and treatments we can use to help with our physical diseases but only one remedy for sin and that’s Christ our Savior. 

Jesus is God’s answer to a condition that has no earthly cure. How comforting and reassuring it is knowing God sent Jesus to provide exactly what we need. The blood of Jesus cleanses, redeems, and covers us. When we belong to the family of God, we may still have our physical maladies on earth but thankfully we’ll have complete healing in heaven. That’s good and vital information to know and pass on.   

God, whether there are diseases and health conditions that run in our families we know there is at least one: sin. Thank you supplying for a sure remedy and path to wellness: Jesus Christ.     

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done. –Ecclesiastes 1:9 (ESV)

Many believe if they don’t claim the diagnosis, if they don’t take the prescribed meds, or pray hard, their illness will disappear or not be real. That is unfortunate and often delays progress, healing or at least another level of well-being and at times, proves fatal.   

Accepting the diagnosis we have before us does not mean we are any less Christian or don’t believe in the power of prayer. Accepting our condition as part of our earthly journey does not mean we’ve closed the door on God’s healing or seeing him do miracles in and through us, it means we believe we can approach things smartly and become an advocate for our own health and wellness.

Information is power and empowering. Knowing can help us go along way and be more in control of our health and care. We can embrace our chronic condition(s). maybe not gladly, but at least smartly and knowledgeable.

Lord, thank you for the information I have been given. I will not be in denial. Instead I’ll use it to my advantage and for my good. Amen    

  The LORD reigns over the floodwaters. The LORD reigns as king forever. The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace. –Psalm 29:10-11

When sickness compounds, one diagnosis after another comes. Each time we leave an appointment we have something new to take home; another condition to process and incorporate onto our already overcrowded health plate. We may have started out with knowledge of one or two conditions and end up with several or learning of further decline and the level of care needed with what we have.  

When health floodwaters rise, and we feel as though we’ll drown under the diagnosis and prognosis, God is there to help us. He’ll keep us from panicking. He’ll help us process all we’ve learned and heard. He’ll assure us he still reigns over the floodwaters and health crisis. He gives us strength and blesses us with peace. We may have a lot to take in, a lot to think and pray about, a lot of decisions to make. But the Lord is with us, helping us and reigning over our floodwaters. We can do whatever it takes because the Lord is filling us with his strength and his peace.

Thank you, God for walking with me through diagnosis and prognosis. I want to be afraid with what I learn and what may be ahead of me, but you keep me calm and feeling strong.       

 I waited and waited and waited patiently for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God. –Psalm 40:1-3

When you have chronic illness or disease it’s not uncommon to have times or bouts of feeling hopeless, like you’re in a pit of despair. The more demanding and controlling your condition the more you may be inclined to feel sadness or depression from time to time. God won’t leave you alone in these times. He will not label or think of you as a faithless person, but hell draw near, let his love surround and fill you and began drawing you out of your despair. 

King David wrote about his feelings of despair at times. He journaled what it felt like to be in a metaphorical pit of despair. It wasn’t a good feeling.

Whenever you start feeling down or like you are in a pit of despair that’s a great time to reach out to God and it’s a great time to talk to others that won’t judge or criticize you, but support and help you. Don’t resolve yourself to stay in the pits of despair or withdraw from God. Don’t be prideful and refuse to receive either God’s or the help of others. They are the rope that will pull you up.

Heavenly Father, at times I feel as though I’m in a pit of despair. The more I look at my health the more I am drawn down and into my pit which seems to have no way out. Thank you for promising to not abandon me and to bring me out.       

 Dear Lord, you are sovereign. You rule heaven and earth, and all things are under your control and power.

I believe your Holy Spirit can bring comfort, peace, and strength to my weary body and I believe you can not only touch my body but my mind also so that I can have clarity in my thinking to process my illness and all the information I have before me. 

Jesus, I truly believe you are the Great Physician, and you have power to heal every sickness and disease and that means even when my condition causes earthly physicians to scratch their heads and become perplexed, because you have all power to heal, I am not beyond your healing touch. 

Christ, I believe you can grant me relief from pain and restore my strength and bring about a miraculous healing in my body. Amen

  Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared—Matthew 8:1-3.

Have you ever read a story of healing I the bible and been confused. Wondered if miraculous healing ended when Jesus returned to heaven after being raised from the dead? Sometimes it might seem like not much healing is going on. Or maybe only for those who are praying right or next in line. But as for you, you’re still waiting.

Jesus is always willing to heal us. In fact, we are all going to be healed. There is healing in our future. The question might be when is our healing planned for us? None of us will be sick or have chronic conditions to deal with in heaven. The Bible reminds us there are no sick people in heaven. 

There is a reason Jesus gave immediate healing to everyone he encountered during his earthly life: It was important that people know he had healing power from heaven. Being able to heal as our heavenly physician there was no condition Jesus could not heal that included those conditions their earthly doctors had tried to heal or didn’t even attempt to heal. Jesus healed people out of his compassion. He had the ability to heal, and he had compassion on sick people. He couldn’t just walk away and leave the sick the way they were. Today, Jesus doesn’t need to use our healing to show He is from heaven. We already know he is the son of God, the One who died and set us free from sin.

Each one of us will be healed when our time comes and until then he will strengthen us and help us push through our daily challenges.

Jesus, there’s no question whether you are willing to heal us. We know that you are. I know even if I don’t experience my healing down here, I will be healed in heaven. While I’m encouraged by that understanding, it doesn’t keep me from asking and knowing it may happen.   

 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth—Psalm 139:13-15

Depending on your chronic condition it may be hard to think in terms of God forming your inward parts beautifully and wondrously. Your outsides may be fine, you may look good and well, but on the inside, you may struggle with many problems. Your heart, lungs, kidneys, or digestive system may not be well or perform as God intended. You may have been born with diseases that have no cure. 

Things go on, on the inside of us that perplex us and medical professionals. Still, when we are sick it does not diminish what God has created; and it does not make God’s creation flawed. God doesn’t knit sickness into us, but He does not interfere with the natural formation or what happens as part of a fallen environment and nature. Even when the human body struggles with illness God is with us and more than anything He promises in our new life in heaven we will be done with sickness and imperfection of the body.   

Heavenly Father thank You for creating me wondrously and beautifully. Even when I don’t feel well and struggle with illness and disease, I am still your perfect creation, dearly and eternally loved.  

Heavenly Father, at times I feel downcast, but I know I can turn to you. Amen  

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence—Psalm 42:5

David felt depressed. He wasn’t sure where his depression was coming from. It doesn’t appear he was struggling with anything out of the ordinary, experiencing sickness in his body or had a chronic condition he was battling. 

It’s not uncommon to experience bouts of depression or feeling downcast while enduring chronic illness. We might have times of feeling low if we know we’ll have our condition for life, if our condition limits activity, restricts what we can eat, interrupts our sleep, keeps us in and out of the doctor’s office and so on. I have relatives who are on dialysis, those who are on permanent disability due to strokes and other physical maladies, and at times they do feel downcast and need encouragement from family and friends.

Everyone experiences sadness at times. But depression is something more. Depression is extreme sadness or despair that lasts more than days. It interferes with the activities of daily life and can cause physical symptoms as described above.

There's nothing embarrassing about feeling downcast or getting the medical help we need to feel better. God has promised to stay with us during our depressions. David’s journal entry lets us know it’s not uncommon—nor unchristian—to experience periods of being down emotionally, mentally, or even spiritually. When we do experience those times, we can do like David and ask ourselves important and relative questions, speak to our soul, and turn to the Lord. He will help pull us up and out! 

Heavenly Father, at times I feel downcast ,but I know I can turn to you. Amen  

 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly—John 7:24

Does your chronic condition show on the outside and make you self-conscious? Some conditions cannot be hidden or covered up. Skin conditions, birthmarks, scars can make us feel unattractive and embarrassed.

People in both the Old and New Testaments suffered with skin conditions. Those who had leprosy were banished from the community since it was easily spread. Leprosy was not an easy disease to manage: open, seeping sores, unsightly scabs. Your skin condition may not be to that degree, but still causes you discomfort and makes you feel embarrassed.

We shouldn’t be. There’s no need to feel apologetic nor ashamed about your appearance. Remember God created you in His image. Marks and discoloration and all. Don’t let your skin keep you behind closed doors, covered from head to toe even when its hot and humid, keep you isolated for fear of being seen. Be free to be you in your body. Beauty is not determined based your skin condition but what’s in your heart.

God, I am created in Your image and my chronic skin condition doesn’t change that. Don’t let me be prideful or full of shame but help me life free and confident, accepting myself inside and out. Amen   

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate. “Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”—Genesis 3:12-13 

Do you ever make excuses concerning your health? Maybe using excuses why you haven’t done something your doctor prescribed or strongly urged? 

It’s not difficult to come up with excuses especially when we don’t really want to do something or make those changes. But excuses only keep us trapped in the same cycles and being unproductive. 

At a certain point I had to stop making excuses about the things I wasn’t doing to improve my health. I had an excuse about not exercising, about why I wasn’t getting the full amount of fruit and veggies in my day, excuses about why I didn’t set an appointment and so on.

Finally, I had to face the truth which was I wasn’t that motivated to begin or stick with the things I needed to do to improve my health. When God showed me that truth, it stung a bit, but I couldn’t deny it. That was a turning point. I’m not perfect but I’m no longer making excuses. 

For Adam and Eve, it felt easier to make an excuse to God for their sin, but God showed them He does not accept excuses He only wants truth and once we face it, we are more than halfway to getting the desired results.

Lord, whenever I am tempted to make excuses point it out to me and help me put excuses away for good. Amen 

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever—Psalm 73:26

Isn’t it amazing that today, even someone who’s been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure can live to old age and enjoy a quality of life those generations before could not.

Today, cancers, heart disease, kidney disease and other illnesses don’t have to be a death sentence. When we die our medical records and coroner’s report may list numerous health conditions and diseases, but these may not be the things we die from.  Surprisingly, it was something altogether different that caused our death, or perhaps not even sickness, but simply old age. Revealing we had continued living a good quality of life even though we had many things going on inside our bodies. 

It’s no doubt advancements in medicine and medical science have allowed us to live to a ripe old age even with sicknesses that were the cause of death for generations before us. For that we’re grateful. But there is another reason we can live with illnesses and diseases until old age, and that is due to God being our strength even though our health isn’t what it used to be and our spirit within us grows weak. 

God remains the sustainer of our bodies and He will not separate us from them until He is ready no matter what our medical charts and case histories have in them.

Heavenly Father sickness, diagnosis and prognosis are no determining factor in  our death. You alone determine when our last breath is breathed and when our eyelids close. Thank You for being the sustainer of human life. Amen       

Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten ill live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! —Numbers 21:8-9

When you’re reading the Bible you may read how God brought healing to people in different ways. In the Old Testament we read how He sent Naaman the leper to the dirty waters of Jordan to wash and he was made whole. In the New Testament we read how Jesus healed people using spit and dirt and other unconventional methods. 

God has always employed creative way to heal the sick. God is our Healer and He can heal us any way He wants. We should not discount a way of experiencing health and wholeness even if it’s different.  We shouldn’t be surprised when the means God uses and chooses to bring our good health are different from what we’ve known. 

Dear Jesus. I know and have read how you used many methods and approaches to bring healing to people. I pray to be healed and know that You will never do anything that makes our condition worse. Amen   

 God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability—I Corinthians 10:13 

God knows how much we can bear. In his letter Paul was taking about our ability to withstand temptation but God’s promise goes further than that and in other places Paul reminds us God knows us from head to toe and inside and out. 

God’s promise is about temptation but extends to other areas of our life, suffering included. When we are in pain or discomfort, when our chronic conditions are pushing us to the brink it may not seem as though God is in touch with our limitations. But he is. 

God is always in tune with us. He knows everything about us, every detail of our life and even how much we can take. And on the days we feel we just can’t handle anymore He pours that extra strength into us. Ultimately all suffering pushes us to God. When we are in pain or sick or in discomfort we call upon God because we know He is the only one who can do anything about what we’re going through. 

It’s more than okay to pray to God and ask Him to ease our suffering, to give us some relief. To remember our limits and how much we can bear and keep our pain and discomfort in line with that. 

God, thank You for always keeping how much I can bear in mind.  

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much—Luke 16:10

Every good choice we make from the time we wake up until the moment we go to sleep counts for good. Our old mindset might say it’s all or nothing and unless we can go the full amount it doesn’t count for anything. But a new and transformed mind concerning our health and wellbeing might say every little thing we do counts towards something good. 

We might not be able to walk a full 30 minutes but if we can walk ten or fifteen, that’s good! We might not be able to make it to the gym but if we can do a little stretching at home then that counts. We may not be able to read the entire chapter but if we can get in a few minutes of studying then its counts. Whether it’s physical fitness, exercising our brain, or pertaining to our dietary needs every little thing we do counts.

The very same is true spiritually. We might not be able to get that full time of Bible study in, all we can manage before or in between our medical appointments is five minutes here or there. Reviewing a Bible promise or listening to a brief devotion until we can do a little more, that counts. Nothing we do for good is ever wasted and we don’t have to wait until we can do it all in order to profit and be prosperous.

Jesus said even a tiny mustard seed faith will produce miracles. Will be enough to change our prayer and lead us to the power of God to transform and change. When we trust in the Lord we don’t have to say “because I can’t bring the full amount, then there’s no point in bringing anything. God takes our little and does much more than we can imagine. Our little becomes much when we place it in the Master’s hands.

Jesus, I give my little to You in faith even when I wanted to give, do, or bring more. Amen  

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.—Romans 5:5

It was John Piper who said, “The word often speaks about illness and suffering while pointing toward the flesh as the cause. As we are made of a body that decays, we need to be reminded of our imperfect nature and the necessity of eternal life, which the Bible points out time and time again.”

Paul was not implying we should be happy to suffer, only to see beyond the suffering and how it will bring us closer to God and drawn God’s image out in us more and more.  

Suffering in this life is inevitable. But when it comes, we can turn to God in prayer. In fact, it’s in suffering we truly learn to pray in earnest. We pray because It’s all we can do, and we find its all we need to do. God is at work supernaturally and our prayers make the path for him to work. 

Jesus, teach me to pray full of faith and from the heart. Amen  

  Where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth—Matthew 24:30

Some have chronic conditions that put them through so much pain and agony at times, they may feel as though they are going through a living hell. Day after day mustering all energy and strength to cope with or manage their discomfort. Wondering when it will let up or end. 

One thing we can know, no matter how much pain we endure on this side, even when it is nearly unbearable, we can be thankful that all pain has an end to it. Any pain and suffering we experience on this side stays on this side. When we leave these bodies of flesh, we leave behind all our sickness, all our discomfort, all our pain and agony. There is no pain and suffering in heaven. 

Of course, heaven may be far away. Not all painful or extremely agonizing chronic conditions shorten our lifespan. We may still live a long—even if unhealthy—life.  In the meantime, the pain and agony we face each day can get the best of us at times. 

God promises until He brings us home to heaven, He will bring heaven down to us. He blesses us to experience a pain-free night, or less pain filled day; moments our discomfort fades into the background and is not so consuming or overwhelming. But always there is God’s strength and help to bear up under our suffering.

Lord, help me on the days I can barely hold my head up and make it through. I may have to live with and never be free of discomfort in this body as long I live in this body, but I know there is the freedom from pain and agony in heaven and I know until I get there you will give me the strength I need to endure my days and nights. Amen   

  Where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth—Matthew 24:30

Some have chronic conditions that put them through so much pain and agony at times, they may feel as though they are going through a living hell. Day after day mustering all energy and strength to cope with or manage their discomfort. Wondering when it will let up or end. 

One thing we can know, no matter how much pain we endure on this side, even when it is nearly unbearable, we can be thankful that all pain has an end to it. Any pain and suffering we experience on this side stays on this side. When we leave these bodies of flesh, we leave behind all our sickness, all our discomfort, all our pain and agony. There is no pain and suffering in heaven. 

Of course, heaven may be far away. Not all painful or extremely agonizing chronic conditions shorten our lifespan. We may still live a long—even if unhealthy—life.  In the meantime, the pain and agony we face each day can get the best of us at times. 

God promises until He brings us home to heaven, He will bring heaven down to us. He blesses us to experience a pain-free night, or less pain filled day; moments our discomfort fades into the background and is not so consuming or overwhelming. But always there is God’s strength and help to bear up under our suffering.

Lord, help me on the days I can barely hold my head up and make it through. I may have to live with and never be free of discomfort in this body as long I live in this body, but I know there is the freedom from pain and agony in heaven and I know until I get there you will give me the strength I need to endure my days and nights. Amen   

 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. –2 Peter 1:5-7

Eliminating the things that can trigger unwelcomed symptoms, cause sickness, pain and discomfort with our chronic conditions can go a long way in making us feel better and stronger overall. But there is also great benefit in adding good things. We might find we enjoy a sense of strength or health that we haven’t felt in a long while or ever before when we begin to add things that are good for us. 

We might note that when we do something like get more movement in our day, or not only take out the foods that cause us problems but add a food or two that has great benefits increases our sense of wellbeing. 

Spiritually speaking, we might find that beginning our day with the Lord in prayer or daily devotion may add to our emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Peter said when we make every effort to add to our faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge self-control, etc we will possess excellent qualities and be kept from being ineffective, unproductive, and unfruitful.

It seems when we concentrate as much or even more on adding good things in every area of life God has us covered and we’ll be pleased with the result and effort.  

Heavenly Father, help me to not only discontinue the things that work against my health but to add things that will go a long way in helping me feel better on every level. Give me the discipline I need to begin and continue new ways. Amen    

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character hope and hope does not disappoint put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us—Romans 5:3-5 

With chronic illness and disease there will be good days and bad. And there may even be times suffering seems to be ongoing, without breaks between and too much to bear. 

Paul often dedicated time in his letters to believers to address suffering of all kinds. His encouragement to believers back then applies to us today. When he wrote the faithful in Rome, he told them to trust God through suffering. 

Some may ask what good does trusting God do when you are in pain, uncomfortable, or struggling in your illness? Those who know God and have experienced God’s power in their life and circumstances can testify personally trusting God positions them to receive the supernatural blessings and power of God in their life and person. 

We don’t have to know how it works but putting our faith in God allows the power of God to be at work in and through us. 

Dear Jesus, many times in this life we will have to endure suffering that comes from chronic illness and conditions. These bodies will not be completely free from sickness and pain until we are in heaven. In the meantime, we can put our trust in you, and you give us strength. Not only that, but we also know that enduring suffering produces characteristics  we wouldn’t otherwise have. Amen  

 Dear Lord, 

Thank You for your promise to never leave me nor forsake me. Even though the excruciating effects of chronic illness impact so much of my life and sometimes gets me down, even though I often feel alone in this journey, deep down inside I know you are with me. I pray for a new level of strength and to do more than endurance and persevere. I pray to be continually hopeful and never lose my trust in or devotion to you. I thank you for keeping me engaged in my faith and for not only seeing and knowing my special needs that come with my condition but for always providing all that I need. Today is not “just another day to endure discomfort and pain” but it is a day I am alive to praise you and see and experience your glory as you come close. In Jesus’ name I thank and praise You, Amen      

 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears—Psalm 18:6

Nighttime can be an especially difficult and trying time for some chronic conditions. As the sun sets and the day closes out it could bring not only an increase in physical symptoms and discomfort but introduce emotional and mental unrest also. As the sun sets we might feel a certain amount of anguish creeping in as the sun creeps out. If this has happened with regularity, we might have a certain amount of dread a little bit of PTSD going on. But we can use these evening stresses for something good. We can use our distress as a way of connecting to God and drawing closer to him for our night’s journey. 

As our anguish and distress increase, we can let our prayers increase also. God has promised to hear our cries to him. He will come and be close to us. Ideally our pain or discomfort is lifted or taken away so we can rest, but even when we have to bear up under the discomfort, we will be comforted by the Lord’s closeness and care. Eventually he will give relief and we will drift off to sleep. 

There, God’s hand will minister to our tired and wear bodies.

Father God, I don’t want to dread the night hours. I don’t want to lay awake filled with distress or anxiety. Thank you for coming to be with me. Thank you for hearing my cries and coming to my aid. Amen       

 Wait on the Lord, and be of good sheer, and he shall strengthen thy heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.—Psalm 27:1 

The appointment was taking considerably longer than I planned for. I was getting a little anxious and considering letting the nurse know I would reschedule, but my daughter—who had accompanied me—encouraged me to breathe and not let my anxiety ramp up. After some time, my name was called, and we were led back to the room where there were more questions to answer and more waiting. By the end of the appointment, I was glad I had stuck it out. I left with a good plan of care and at peace with what comes next.

There are times waiting is inevitable. Sometimes, although we’d like to get in and out quickly, our medical appointments can stretch out. So many factors come into play and nothing involving the human element can be 100% predictable. When waiting happens its best we wait in peace and patiently instead of getting ourselves worked up to a frenzy which only adds to our unrest and sends our blood pressure up. 

Sometimes, God asks us to wait patiently also. To wait, knowing God is in control and has everything under control. To wait not only peacefully, but happily knowing as we wait God is working things out for us. Waiting on God with assurance and trust allows us to breathe and continue life. When the time is right and God has everything lined up perfectly for us that’s when the changes God has planned and desires for us, will happen and not one minute sooner. 

Heavenly Father, sometimes waiting is hard. Waiting is usually difficult and frustrating when we have a timetable set in place or expectations that something was going to move along quicker. We don’t always take all the factors into account or give room for anything to happen. Waiting graciously keeps our blood pressure down and peace in our heart. Amen    

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service or ministry (Romans 12:1)  

As someone with a chronic condition and observing Lent I set my mind to what I would “give-up” for the forty days of Lent. As I was having the “What are you giving up for Lent” discussion with someone, the question was put to me. My first response was sweets. After all that would be a good thing to give up since my digestive systems doesn't always take kindly or react well to sugar or sweet things. 

But in the middle of my response, I was taken aback. Did I plan to return to sweets once Lent was over? The point of giving up anything during the Lenten season is to not pick it back up after. 

That’s where the sacrifice becomes real and makes us grapple and struggle and lean on God because we really want that item. I needed to rethink my response and make it something I knew I would not return to.  

I once knew a lady that gave up sweets for Lent and never returned to them. That was a sacrifice for her since she had an insatiable sweet tooth. She admitted it wasn’t easy for her, but she held on to it. Five years later she was still holding onto  her commitment of not eating sweets and using the money she normally spent on sweets each month, for charity. 

Whether you are observing the forty days of Lent or not, you may have sacrificed something that you really love, for the good of your health. No doubt, it gets hard at times to stick to what you’ve committed to do or do without, but like my friend, though the devil will tempt you, the Lord will help you stick to it. He recognizes it is truly your sacrifice, holy and pleasing to him.          

Heavenly Father, I pray for strength so, once I have committed to a sacrifice I can stick with it. Amen  

 Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it springs forth; shall you not know it? (Isaiah 43:18) 

Are you trying to make behavioral changes that will benefit you in the long run? Change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and sometimes we need to give ourselves grace and permission to start over after we’ve messed up or fallen off the health wagon. No matter how many times we need to do that, each failed time brings us closer to “acing” that change or conquering that bad habit we’ve had for a long time. The one that doesn’t help our chronic illness but is counterproductive to our being stable or even getting into that desired state of remission. The longer we’ve had certain habits, the longer it will take to break them but we shouldn’t be discouraged, change will come if we stay at it and hold onto our desire to change for the better.

Heavenly Father, I pray for strength and grace to start again—no matter how many times I need to start again. I know that the only true failure is when I give up completely and stop trying or stop restarting. Amen          

God, where are you? I call out to you, but I hear nothing. I look for you, but I find emptiness. I await to feel your love embrace me, but I remain alone and shivering. Sickness is hard to bear, lord! it throws off my senses and causes me to question what is real and what is not. 

Open my ears, Lord, that I may hear your voice as it is spoken to be by others in  my life. open my eyes that I may see you in other people, in the wonders of nature, in works created by artists and the good books of writers who inspire through their words. Help me also to wait for you in the silence and darkness, for I believe you are there as well. 

Open my heart, God, that I may feel your presence in the warmth of a summer day or eve the brisk cold of winter; in the rising or setting sun; in the smile or embrace of another; in a person in need or in someone reaching out to help me; and, well, in everything. 

Touch me with your love, Lord, and end my aching misery. Don’t let me grow cold and cynical even as I deal with an unrelenting condition every day but keep me fresh and still able to be loving and lovely as I go through this journey. Amen  

 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8

Have you ever had that feeling that every time you went to the doctor you came away with a new health concern or condition to treat or was added to your chronic ailments? I’m always reminded as my list of chronic ailments seem to expand, that it’s not the doctor’s fault and I shouldn’t hate the messenger, instead I should be thankful for those with medical knowledge who can detect and then help me have a plan of care that’s effective.

Peter gives us a list of things to add to our character. How to supplement our faith with godly attributes and characteristics such as moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, and brotherly affection. Adding these is a right response to the promises of God. It shows we are growing, maturing in our faith and ready to be used by our Lord in new and productive ways.

Whether spiritually or in our body we can be encouraged to add good things which prove we are maturing and want to enjoy a new kind of strength for living life.

Take an assessment of your chronic conditions. Ask yourself if you are adding good things to your day that promote strength, health, and a better sense of wellbeing? if so, give yourself and God a holy, hallelujah high five!     

Heavenly Father, help me be diligent to add good things, both to my faith and the care of self. Amen    

 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD—how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? I am watery with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes. –Psalm 6:1-7 

David was sick! He was so sick he must have thought he was going to die. No, David wasn’t suffering from an unknown disease or suffering with a terminal illness. David was suffering in his conscience to the point of becoming sick in his body. 

Not all sickness is about our sin. These bodies become sick and break down because they are flesh, we are human and we live in a natural environment where we are prone to sickness and disease. The laws of nature are at work. 

Sickness is natural but at times we can become sick, physically ill due to the guilt of our sin—just like David was experiencing.

You have enough to deal with, with your chronic condition. Don’t add the weight of guilt to it. Don’t give yourself another layer of sickness or pain to deal with. 

Talking to God about your sin, confessing your sin before God and asking God’s forgiveness and to be merciful, can relieve the pain of your heart and take a burden off your soul and conscience. 

God is faithful to restore all who ask for forgiveness. His words to us are the same ones Jesus spoke to many, “Your sins are forgiven go and sin no more.”  

God doesn’t want us burdened down with guilt. We have enough in this life and world to deal with without adding a burdened conscience to it. 

Take a load off your heart and conscience by confessing your sin daily. God will hear your prayer, see your contrite heart and grant forgiveness and relief to your distressed conscience.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your promise to forgive our sin when we pray and ask for forgiveness. Today I am reminded I have not yet confessed my sin of…      

 He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap (Ecc. 11:4)

King Solomon journaled we can’t just stand around observing which way the wind is blowing or cloud watching when there are things to accomplish. They won’t take care of themselves. We need to address them. 

The same is true when it comes to taking care of our bodies. And especially when we already have chronic conditions that are part of our journey. 

We can’t see inside our bodies so it’s hard to tell what’s going on in there. But there are many things we can do that become proactive, preventative, and strengthening. We don’t have to wait until our exterior shows signs of breaking down before addressing the interior.

Little things every day that can keep big things from happening, or our conditions from worsening are worth the investment of time and discipline. We may already have something that won’t go away in this lifetime, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing at all or do our best to stay at a level where our disease or condition is manageable.   

For our bodies and health concerns procrastination may be our worst enemy. Becoming proactive and attentive can serve us on many levels and we’ll be happy we took whatever measures that were in our control to help us maintain or even gain strength or a semblance of wellbeing.  

Heavenly Father, we don’t learn how to procrastinate from observing You. You do what needs to be done in a timely manner. Help me be more like you, not putting off what I need to accomplish today. Certainly, being more proactive about my health will pay off today and I the long run. Amen     

 Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.—Psalm 5:1-3  

Have you considered how God may be waiting for you to talk to Him in the morning. How He may be anticipating, excited to hear from you at the beginning of your day? How He wants to be included in your plans. Even if those plans include doctor visits, medical tests, therapy, or simply being still and quiet. 

David was in the habit of morning prayer because it set him on the path of praying all day. If he prayed in the morning, he also spent his day watching and anticipating God would work and show up. That put him in prayer-mode all day.    

You don’t have to be a “morning” person to pray to God first thing. Even if your prayers are groanings, even if you are crying out to him, God wants to hear from you. He wants to be included. 

When God is invited to participate in our life and circumstances at the start of our day He will be with us all day. Showing up in special ways that let us know He has not left us. Morning prayer can be powerful, whatever way morning prayer is done.    

Heavenly Father, I don’t always feel my best or most energetic first thing in the morning. Thank You for wanting to be with me and for hearing my prayers of concern at the start of the day; even when those prayers are presented as groans or cries. Amen    

 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in  safety—Psalm 4:8

Rest and sleep can be that prescription that is just as important employ than all the medications we take to control our chronic illness. Some conditions keep us up at night. Night might not be the best time. It might be that as soon as the sun goes down, we feel worse. 

We may toss and turn, making frequent trips to the bathroom. Night may be the time our pain and discomfort ramps up. When that’s the case, how much sweeter on those nights we get to close our eyes and sleep in peace, sleep in the safe presence of the Lord.

Our daytime enemies don’t have to be people or even spiritual in nature. It can be those things we contend with, that take all our energy and consume the bulk of our time. The more difficult the daytime the more we need a peaceful night. 

May our day’s always end by asking God to bless us with sleep that is restorative, asking him to let us dwell in the safety of his presence where nothing can disturb us.

Heavenly Father may the light of Your countenance be with me even as I sleep. Amen      

 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”—Mark 9:24

Have you noticed how different your prayers can be as you cope with your chronic condition? Even the prayers of family and friends may go between asking God for your healing and asking for your strength or ability to cope. Even Christians are not always certain how to pray about illness. Do we ask God to heal, or, do we ask Him for strength to bear up under? Do we believe God will bless us that way or does He just want to strengthen our faith as we endure? We know we believe in God; that He exists but do we also believe God will reward our prayers spoken in faith?

We might not be sure about these matters, but God is sure what He will do. God promises to reward those who seek him. It’s up to God—and no one knows the plans God has for our life better than He does! But it’s up to him whether He heals us on earth or not, but one thing is certain God will always reward those who seek him, those who cry out to him, those who make prayer an important part of their day and life. 

The Christian’s ultimate reward is heaven, which God assures all who have faith during their earthly life, but even before heaven God rewards our faith and seeking Him. Humans can listen, humans can sympathize and empathize, but humans cannot change or health or circumstances, only God. We cry out to God in faith because God is faithful. God cares. God can not only listen, but God can help, and God always rewards those who turn to Him for help.

Father God, I have been like the father in Mark, before. Sure, but not sure. Having faith but then again struggling with unbelief in what you can or will do. Thank You for understanding and for helping me in those times. Today I ask You to reward my faith in the way You desire. Keep me from being tossed between belief and unbelief. Amen   

Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. I Peter 4:8

Sometimes it’s easier to apply the rules or laws of love to our relationships with others and harder to apply it to ourselves. I have two chronic conditions I am learning to show love to. I do not love the condition. I would prefer not to have them. But they are part of my journey that cannot be denied. I am no longer battling with them, resenting their presence, or seeing them as unwanted invaders, intruders, or disruptors but recognize them as that part of me that needs special care and attention. I have learned to show love to my chronic condition, which has opened the door for experiencing peace within my body.

Showing love may seem counterproductive to something that’s not wanted. Like loving unloveable people. But when we practice self-love, we can also enjoy peace within. 

We would prefer not to have any chronic illness or disease as part of our journey. Chronic conditions bring discomfort, cause pain, rearrange our once well-ordered lives, interrupt and disrupt our plans, cost money, and consume our time, the last thing we want to do is show them love. 

But once we accept they are part of us, on this journey with us until we are at home in heaven, begin a campaign of being kinder, more loving toward them, they will in turn be kinder and more loving toward us. 

Even with chronic conditions, it’s amazing what a little love can do!

Jesus thank You for the love You showed by going to the Cross to die for my sin. Thank You for not resenting or withholding love from me. I pray to show more love to my chronic condition and in return it (they) will show love to me. Amen              

  When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.—Psalm 94:19

Does your chronic condition cause you to worry at times? Worry is such a natural part of life and human inclination. We might receive a diagnosis and prognosis that cause us worry and concern. Things that are going on within these bodies; things we cannot see or even detect that concern us. Things we can see, that are visible, but we have no answers for, no earthly cure, can cause us worry and distress. 

David reminds us whenever the worries or cares of our heart increase so do God’s mercies and consolations.

If there ever was a Chief Consoler, it’s God. God has a way of relieving our worry. It won’t come automatically but its there for us. As soon as worry enters we can place our thoughts on God. How He cares for us and will never leave us. How He provides for our every need. How He is faithful, steadfast and with us till the very end of time and beyond that. How He is a Healer and miracle worker. 

When the worries of our heart increase so do the goodness of God!

Dear God, give me victory over worry! Amen   

 And he said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”—Mark 4:40-41, ESV

Sickness or chronic illness can come with a multitude of fears. We might fear getting worse. We might fear having new, and unfamiliar symptoms. We might be afraid that we’ll have a reaction to a new medication or ha tit won’t be effective and produce the results needed to make us better or stabilized. We might fear being alone on our journey or not having enough money, or good health insurance. So many things we could be fearful of.

The disciples became afraid as the winds and waves grew stronger while they were out at sea. Even though Jesus was in the boat with them, they still became fearful of drowning. When Jesus woke, he asked them, perhaps the same question He asks us today, “Why are you so afraid?”     

We know what the disciples’ answer was. What’s our answer? When it comes down to it when we are afraid, we have to admit perhaps we’re not trusting God. Maybe we are entertaining the lie Satan loves to feed and promote, that God’s  not with us or doesn’t care about our lives, or may not supply our every need, after all. We might be questioning, not only God’s faithfulness but his power. Any one of these thoughts leads us back to the source of misinformation. 

The truth is: God always cares. God always loves us. God is always faithful. God will always show up in our lives and act in our situation at just the right time. And, since Jesus has already conquered fear, we are already a conqueror over fear also. 

Dear God, make me a conqueror over my fears. Amen  

 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Galatians 4:4-5, NIV

Medical science may offer no cures for many of the chronic conditions and diseases we have on earth, but God took care of our chronic sin condition. As Paul wrote in Galatians, at just the right time, and when the time was right God sent Jesus, born through a virgin, as our sinless Savior to redeem us from sin!

After Christmas this truth is an encouraging word and promise to meditate on while we are working through or putting up with our chronic, irritating, aggravating illness, putting up with pain, undergoing medical tests, following special diets, and keeping appointments. We may not receive healing for our physical conditions while we are alive on earth, but while we are still here, we can enjoy knowing Jesus came as an answer to our soul’s sickness. Jesus came to heal us from our chronic sin condition that threatened to keep us out of heaven and to keep us from experiencing healing for all eternity. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus as our soul’s healer! We may not have relief in our bodies while on earth, but we can rejoice in knowing we have been cured of our sin condition! Amen      

 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

If all it took was the changing of a year, or the flip of the calendar page to change our health conditions that would be awesome. Unfortunately, these bodies and our chronic conditions don’t disappear simply because we’ve entered a new year. They are one of the things we bring with us from the previous year. The calendar may say January 1, 2024, but our bodies say 2023 and way before that.

Physically, we may not feel differently but we can be encouraged knowing God’s mercies are new each day, each and every year. 

In this new year we don’t have to rely upon God’s grace and mercy from last year but know God has fresh mercies in store for us for this new time and season and with new mercies comes new blessings and new surprises. 

Our bodies may not give us new starts but God does and he ushers them 

Thank you, Lord, for new mercies. Your mercies that are new and fresh, make every day a new time full of new things and new blessings. Amen  

 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11, ESV

How was your Christmas? For some with chronic illness Christmas, like every other day of the year, can be spent in pain and discomfort. Depending on what your illness or disease is and what it introduces into your day, Christmas Day may have simply been “more-of-the-same.” 

Whether it felt special or not, Christmasy or not. Whether you were able to have that special Christmas spirit, or a ton of gifts under your tree (if there was one), God made sure you had a beautiful Christmas. God sent Jesus to everyone, sick or well, rich, or poor, in their own home, hospitalized, or living in a facility.      

You may not have received gold, a container of frankincense or a jar of myrrh like Jesus, but you got something even more precious and valuable. You received the One who is going to help you as through life. 

Jesus comes with his entourage of peace, hope, patience, wisdom, forgiveness, and love. Everything you need to get through this life—even with the condition of your health—Jesus has in his person and presence.

The gift of being healed may not have been under your tree this year, but the One who can heal was! The One who can strengthen and help you came to be with you on Christmas and every day going forward. Because you received Jesus you received something far better than healing of your body, you received healing for your soul.  

Heavenly Father, I thank you for sending the very best gift to me. Thank you for sending Jesus, my Savior. Amen     

 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Philippians 4:11-12, ESV

Christmas can be a difficult and stressful time of year for many who suffer under chronic conditions that limit their movement or determine their well-being from day to day. 

As they see the world enjoying the season: shopping, attending parties, eating rich or decadent desserts, but they cannot, their inability to do so may lead to being discouraged or even depression. It’s as if everyone except them is having a good time while they must sit on the sidelines.    

Paul had a secret he wanted to share with others. Paul had learned the secret to fostering a spirit and attitude of contentment. He learned that if he kept his eyes, heart and mind fixed on Christ he could be content no matter what. Whether he had a lot or whether he had very little, he could be content. 

If the holidays are difficult for you to get through it might be a good time to focus on the things you can do. The accomplishments and gains you enjoy even though you suffer with the condition you have. Maybe you have gone above and beyond expectations. Maybe you have enjoyed a strength that surprises others. Maybe you have managed to find that much needed happy-medium. Maybe you are happy to be alive, considering…

Looking to Christ and celebrating even the smallest victories can keep a spirit of contentment alive in your heart.

Jesus sometimes I want to feel sorry for myself or let a spirit of discontent rule my thoughts, but then you show me what’s important and how many victories I have had in my condition and my contentment meter goes up. Amen   

 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Psalm 85:6

Chronic conditions are called such because they revisit, recur, have no medical or earthly cure and are things we end up living with. There are chronic conditions that need to be managed through treatments such as receiving dialysis to help with kidney function and chronic conditions that can be managed through diet and perhaps medications taken daily such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Regardless of how they need to be managed chronic conditions, over time, can be physically and emotionally wearying; they can exhaust us as we do our best to care for ourselves and our body’s needs. 

God’s good word is that he will revive our weary souls. God revives us so we can continue our journey. He revives us so we can be encouraged and put our faith in what he can do for us in this life. we may have days where we are tired, weary, and feel like giving up but God revives us so we can have strength to hang-in-there and experience his future blessing already in store for us.

Gracious God, thank you for you promise to revive us; this good word is just what the chronically ill need. It will take us through those tough times and give us something to look forward to. Amen                 

 he said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:27-28

God doesn’t let even one crumb from your life fall but uses each one. Crumbs of hurt, sorrow, sickness, pain and loss are useful to accomplish the Lord’s purposes in your life.

Your chronic condition(s), the misery you have had, the struggles, the journey of enduring and overcoming all go for God’s good in your life. Your days or seasons of isolation, weakness and barely hanging on are not wasted times. 

God does not waste anything in your journey everything is a seed to bear fruit and abundantly. These are good words and a powerful promise to remember and hang onto, on those not-so-good days. remembering God is at work and each day and time of discomfort is being put to use.  

Father, thank you for using everything I experience, and nothing is wasted. Amen       

 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23

Certain chronic conditions can take all our energy and focus. Our entire day is spent taking care of the body. Between our bodily needs and our daily demands such as going to work, taking care of home and family, perhaps being a caregiver to someone else, we may have a full plate and find ourselves zapped of energy or time to do anything else. But Solomon reminds us to be attentive to another part of us also: our heart, or interior self. That part we can’t see with our eyes but tis there. In fact, our heart, or soul as we also know it, is the place where our well-being and life flow from.

We have the job of taking care of our outer, physical self and God will help us care for our interior. When we put in time returning to God, spending time with God in quiet communion, reading our Bible, praying, worshiping, forgiving others, our heart (or soul) is cleansed and free from unnecessary baggage or clutter. 

The care of our outer self is important, and the care of our interior self is just as important. Making time to care for both will keep us balanced and strong!

Dear God, my outer self may demand a lot of my attention, but my inner self is the true place where my life ebbs and flows. Help me to make time to attend to my interior, not just my outer or physical. Amen     

 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus...And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:30-31, 34)

Sometimes we need this powerful reminder about God. We don't have to ready beyond Genesis 1 to see God has great power. God can create something out of nothing, bring light to darkness, and like we see recorded in the Gospel of Luke, make a virgin become pregnant.

How many days, as we cope with chronic conditions is this reminder helpful and encouraging; giving us something beyond ourselves to hang onto. When pain is unmanageable or our sickness and discomfort so severe, we don't know if we can make it through another hour, let alone another day, focusing on the character, nature and power of God can be just the thing we need to give us strength and hope. 

What a blessing to be reminded through Luke, that the same God who worked such a powerful miracle as bringing his Son Jesus into the world through a virgin is the same God with us today in our needs and circumstances, and nothing is beyond his scope or power to accomplish. He can even bless us with awesome days and touch our bodies to give us some relief when we feel too weak or weary to go on. 

Dear God, thank you for reminding me through this gospel story how powerful you are. May I never forget your presence or power has never diminished through the centuries. You are the same God today as you were yesterday and will be forevermore. Amen 

 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18) 

I’m on a journey of making peace with my chronic conditions that are patient-managed and have no earthly cure. Some would not ascribe to this approach believing it defeats the purpose of being rid the illness or even being healed by God. But God wants us to accept our earthly realities also. Accept that these bodies are temporary, and from the moment we are born, are decaying and prone to illness, disease, and pain just like all of creation. 

Making peace with our chronic illnesses or conditions does not mean we don’t believe God can heal us. God can do anything he wants and at any time he wants. But making peace can surprisingly bring a greater degree of peace and health to our bodies as though a huge boulder has been lifted. 

Making peace with my IBS means I won’t do things that aggravate it. I will no longer be combative with it. I won’t deny my body its right to be as well as can be even though IBS is part of my physical journey. I want to have peace with it and honor my body’s need for patient, loving, and respectful treatment going forward.

Making peace has meant asking myself if that food I want to eat will mesh well with my IBS or if it will only trigger a flareup. Will my IBS feel respected if I eat it? Will I regret making that food or meal choice when I could have chosen something that is kinder to my body and more in line with what my IBS can tolerate.

When we make peace with what we have going on in our body we are embracing a path of healing to a new level. Resentment and anger will disappear. We may experience a decrease of pain and sickness. We may have a peace of mind we have not had earlier. We may find our trust in God to increase because we are leaving it up to God to sustain and help us on our earthly journey that includes sickness and chronic illness or disease.

Making peace with our chronic condition regardless of how it entered the scene and came into being, may open the door for our chronic condition to make peace with us. 

Dear Lord, while I would prefer to be healed and not have this condition of… to worry with, for the time being I choose to be at peace with it. Amen    

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil I the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. James 5:14-15 

Lord, you have instructed me to reach out to the Body of Christ when I am sick. To invite the saints of God, and especially those called to serve you in special positions like ministers and elders and let them pray for and over me. 

Lord, I am sick. I am feeling so poorly. I struggle with my chronic illness. It causes me so much pain and misery. I pray for relief and ask for remission from my chronic illness. You know what is attacking my body. You can see everything. I ask you in prayer, right now, to fill me with your healing light. Banish the sickness from my body. Fill me with your presence. Draw me unto you. Whether I have any human presence to anoint me with oil or stand with me in prayer I am confident you will visit me with your healing touch. I believe your healing power flows through humans appointed for the purpose of healing and flows directly from heaven just as healing flowed down from the hem of Jesus’ robe as he was touched in faith and in whose name I pray. Amen    

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Philippians 4:8) 

There are so many things we can think on as we lay upon our beds of affliction, grapple day to day with our chronic conditions, experience relapses, or times and seasons of pain. We could think the very worst—which is often the case. We can think of all the things we are missing out on. We could think about the things that need to be done but we are in no shape to do them. We could think how much better (for everyone) it would be if we weren’t here at all. All these things could and often do come to mind as we live with chronic conditions and illness. Each one taking us farther and deeper into pits of mental and emotional darkness, opens the door to self-pity and leads us to places of despair and hopelessness and depression.

Paul offers a bit of advice. He says instead of thinking on the negative and things that lead us to become anxious, think instead on good things. Think about things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent; anything that’s worthy of praise. These are the things we should be setting our mind on and where the mind is the heart and attitude of hope, joy, and peace will follow.

Jesus, whenever I start down that path in my mind that will only lead to feeling anxious, despairing, self-pity and hopelessness, remind me that I need change my thoughts and put them in the right place that restores and supports life and hope and peace. Amen 

 He said, I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts….Yet I will leave seen thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him. (I Kings 19:14,18) 

The prophet Elijah felt alone in his work. After Queen Jezebel threatened his life, he was not only discouraged but afraid. He ran into the wilderness to hide. He didn’t have anything left to give. Not to people, not to God. He prayed for God to take his life. What was the point in going on when going forward would only be more of the same; no one but him believing in Almighty God.   

At times, our chronic conditions might be so painful, so demanding, giving no room or latitude for veering off course without experiencing severe symptoms, that we grow weary and tired. We might have a condition that not many others share, and we feel alone in our journey. Sometimes, we might find ourselves experiencing the same sentiment as Elijah, asking God the bring us home to heaven so we can have some relief. 

God didn’t take Elijahs life. There was still too much he wanted to accomplish through his servant. God also reminded him that there were others who were in the battle with him; seven thousand who had not turned to idol worship. He was not the only prophet or servant of God who had gone through a hard time with obstinate, stubborn, and hardhearted unbelievers. God would strengthen him and recommission him to continue serving him.  

Knowing that many people were also serving the Lord was encouraging for Elijah just as knowing there are around 117 million people suffering from chronic illness on this journey with you. They may not all share your same condition, but they also know the daily battle and struggle just to have a sense of wellbeing and keep a spirit of positivity and perseverance. 

God gave Elijah a partner named Elisha to help him in his work. That was encouraging for Elijah. When we feel discouraged or alone on our journey it may be a great time to either join or form a support group!

Dear Lord, sometimes I feel overwhelmed, weary, and alone. Thank you for reminding me I’m not. Show me how to turn my feelings of being alone into something positive!      

  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word (Psalm 119:67) 

Have you ever thought of your chronic condition as something that has added a new richness to life; introducing you to a new set of values and principles to live by? The ways our chronic conditions have limited us or added a new layer of discomfort to our lives are obvious. Just one day in our body can tell us all the ways we have had to learn to live with something we could do without. But there is also an upside too. Chronic illness can bless us in many ways also. Sometimes having something that is primarily patient managed—meaning our degree of feeling better and being symptom free is tied to the way we care for ourselves— can cause us to be more disciplined and force us to practice good stewardship or self-control. Maybe being disciplined or self-controlled was lacking before our chronic illness came about but now we enjoy it because doing or not doing that [thing] keeps us feeling better or staying strong.  

The psalmist said it wasn’t until he suffered that he rediscovered value and wellbeing in following the commands of the Lord. The same can be true in our life. The blessing of new principles and characteristics we end up enjoying have come about due to  the suffering we have endured. It would be fair to say, then, that something good can come out of sickness!

Heavenly Father, it’s not often we get to see the upside of having a chronic condition. Thank you for this perspective. While we’d rather not have to be burdened with our illnesses or disease, there is much richness we can enjoy because of it. Amen  

 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle and come to their end without hope. Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. (Job 7:6-7)

Sickness, chronic ailments, and loss have a way of making us view life and each day differently. When we (finally) learn the demands of our health condition and what it will take to get through our days productively we begin to reshape our thoughts about life and try to manage or day and time accordingly—not putting unnecessary burdens or demands on our body which can lead to difficulties and create stress for ourselves.

With my chronic conditions I’ve found I need an easy flow without stressing myself or putting myself under tight constraints timewise. My gut can react to stress and taking the time I need time to care for my body and respect the needs in this season needs to be my number one priority.

As Job was dealing with a skin disorder and processing his many losses he was also thinking about how quickly his life had gone by. Naturally Job was not seeing things or life going forward from a hopeful mindset but hopeless. He had a lot to think about; a lot of changes over a short period of time to process and settle in  his spirit and heart. 

We might understand why Job felt as he did but we can also know, no matter how severe our chronic condition are we can still live with hope for the future knowing God has ordered all things for us and will continue walking with us no matter what. 

Spoiler alert: if you keep reading the book of Job to the end you’ll also see how God visited Job, surprising Job with several unexpected blessings Job couldn’t see or envision earlier!

Lord, let me trust you in all things. Knowing You have ordered everything in my life and even on days life feels pointless or feeling better something in my past I know you have plans for me and for my good. Amen  

 Christ my Healer,

I fully recognize that there are weaknesses and habits I have, which I repeat that contribute to my unwellness, that cause me to have flareups, increased pain, experience symptoms related to my condition, that, if I discontinued these behaviors, I would also enjoy greater health. I pray for healing and strength to overcome any and all weaknesses that make my condition worse. I pray to be able to let go and release my attachment to (name) and that feeling better will be its own motivation and reward. Lord, I will not persist in the foolish mindset that I will do whatever I want to do now and pay for it later. That mindset which says I will take a pill afterward and it will be okay. But I want to have that mindset and determination that says, “if it’s not good for me, if it will cause me issues following or down the road,” then, I will not do it. Lord, I release my dependency and desire for (name) to you. I pray for transformation in my mind, my spirit, and my will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen           

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:1-14)

Lord, the stories and accounts of healing recorded in the bible encourage my heart of faith. They help me remember you are all-powerful and can do anything you want. Your healing power and presence is still on earth today. I wait on you with renewed hope and confidence. Amen  

 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.” (Psalm 55:6-8)

Lynn was in the hospital again. Her third time in less than a month. As she looked down at her arms, some bruises fading, some fresh and bright from so many needle pricks, blood draws, IV’s, she sighed. Her husband sensed her despair and gently touched her arm. 

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

Lynn forced a weak smile, “that I f I could be anywhere else I would. That I wished I had wings and I’d fly away like a little bird.”

They both laughed. It wasn’t the first time his wife had used that expression. He understood. 

“It’s going to be okay. We’re going to have strength to be right here and get through this time, together.”

When life and our conditions become too much to manage it’s not unusual to want to escape or have wings like a bird and fly away as both David and Lynn expressed in their hour of distress. Often, we’d like to just be able to trade these bodies in, trade the life we’re living with a painful or demanding chronic condition, for a new life. 

Fortunately, or unfortunately God doesn’t give us wings to escape or flee, but we must stay in these bodies until we’re at home with the Lord. We must stay and cope, stay and learn to manage, stay in place, and experience everything that comes with the condition we have. But in staying we also find God stays with us. He does not leave us for one day or one second.  

Whether we have loved ones by our side like Lynn’s husband or its just us, God is with us all the way. And he’ll give us strength to ride it out, strength to fight the good fight, strength to hope in him for a better tomorrow.

Lord, sometimes I’d like to fly away from this body and be at rest. I pray for strength to continue my journey not just grudgingly but with hope to feel better and for good things to come. Amen         

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God (Psalm 42:5; 43:5, ESV) 

I wasn’t feeling well. I had had better days with my IBS for sure! I’d been doing all the right things: staying away from trigger foods, exercising, getting plenty of rest, keeping my stress down, still for several days I was having discomfort in my gut, having trouble digesting foods I normally tolerated. My spirit wanted to be down. My first thought was “what’s the use! Even though I could do everything right I could still suffer…” In the middle of my tirade, I felt a small still voice turn my thoughts around. I knew it was the Holy Spirit, speaking positive truths into my spirit. My attitude shifted and I began to follow his lead. I began speaking aloud the positivity he was bringing to my mind. I began recalling the healing power of God for my body and how Jesus was able to help me reset and be strengthened. Not more than five minutes later my gut pain stopped, and I could breathe. The tension in my back eased and I thanked the Lord for all his goodness and faithfulness to me. Even more than the relief the Lord gave from my physical symptoms was the relief the Spirit brought from my inner turmoil, sitting me on a path where I could experience the right attitude and strength of soul.

Chronic conditions can wear us down physically, psychologically, and spiritually. At times, we’ll find ourselves going down a path that is full of discouragement and adopt a woe-is-me attitude or as I was thinking that day, “what’s-the-use” mindset. Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit who comes to give us a much-needed holy pep talk and put us back on the path that we need to be, put us back in that frame of mind that is helpful and lifts us up to higher places in our emotions and thoughts. In this way the Spirit helps us help ourselves and he reminds us of God’s love, care, and concern for us; of God’s healing touch and how he gives us strength of soul on our not-so-good days. What the Spirit speaks is exactly the things we need to hear and be reminded of.

Lord, thank you for entering in at just the right time and speaking what I already know into my spirit. Even on my worst-feeling days I have no reason to be discouraged because you are still with me, ministering to me, caring for me, and keeping your healing hand upon me. I’m glad the Spirit comes to give me a much-needed holy Pep Talk! Amen     

  A Woman with a Disabling Spirit

Luke 13:10-17, ESV

“Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.”

Dear Jesus, there is so much encouragement in the Bible for those of us who suffer with chronic ailments. From these stories we are inspired to keep our heart of faith and we learn not to give up because we never know when you may determine to heal us. More than anything we can know, since we are all bent over in some way through chronic conditions that we can continue to worship and our worship will lead us into your presence. Amen 

 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame—Psalm 25:1

Did you see the story about Herman Bekele, a fourteen-year-old African American living in Fairfax, Va, who has created a soap to treat the aggressive skin cancer called Melanoma? He recently won the Top Young Scientist award. His invention will make a tremendous difference in the lives of those battling melanoma, and possibly save countless lives especially in the African American community where early detection of skin cancer is more difficult due to pigmentation.  

Just because your chronic condition didn’t have a cure yesterday doesn’t mean God is not working on something through a brilliant mind and compassionate heart. Doesn’t mean God isn’t busy creating and developing something that will cure or provide a greater sense of health and wellbeing. 

While there are countless diseases and medical conditions that have no earthly cure; and we may not see it happen in our day and age, still we should remain hopeful and prayerful that God will bless the human mind with understanding, wisdom, and knowledge so cures and breakthroughs can still happen. 

When you’re praying for strength or ease of pain, or help, don’t forget to pray for cures and breakthroughs in medical science. Even if you don’t benefit personally, someone coming behind you may.  

Dear Jesus, our Great Physician, thank you for people like young Herman Bekele that are always looking for ways to help and working hard at developing cures through medicines. We ask you to bless this world with brilliant minds and compassionate hearts that are inspired by your Holy Spirit. Amen       

 The righteous flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. The yare planted I the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; the yare ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him (Psalm 92:12-15)

Failure to thrive can happen at any age. Although we might be more familiar with it occurring during childhood or infancy it can happen in others as well. It’s not uncommon for those who have struggled physically with their chronic illness or ailment for a lengthy time to lose all desire to live and become a failure to thrive. 

The most common cause of failure to thrive is not taking in enough calories. But there are other risk factors that may contribute such as poor nutrition, poor feeding/eating habits, neglect, physical abuse, mental trauma, mental health conditions, such as depression, and grief to name a few contributors.

If your chronic illness isolates you socially, affects your diet and what you can take into your body for long periods of time, limits your mobility or ability to communicate with others, at times you might fit the description of someone who is failure to thrive; slowly giving up on life or losing the desire to stick around any longer. 

To thrive means to grow vigorously, to prosper, to progress toward or reach a goal. Prolonged sickness can halt life and change our plans and paths, but God will give us new paths and new plans and goals to look forward to. God will use our health struggles to reorient, not only our lifestyle but our outlook on life and what’s important. Through lengthy illness God reaffirms his love and care for us and helps us see that even when we don’t experience automatic or dramatic healing, he is  a sustaining God holding out to us many surprises in our journey we didn’t expect. Trusting God, even with chronic conditions we can be more like the stately trees in Lebanon as opposed to the branches dying on the vine. We can be flourishing instead of failure to thrive.

Lord, sometimes I feel like giving up, but I know you have more for me to experience in this life. Help me always want to live and keep me from becoming failure to thrive. Amen       

 But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; but my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion o the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:14-16) 

I went to check on our elderly neighbor. We haven’t seen her puttering around her yard lately. Even though it’s getting chilly out, that doesn’t normally keep her inside; even on chilly days we may catch a glimpse of her doing something in her yard. No sign of Dorothy concerned us. Then, we noticed an increase in family visits. She has an attentive family but their daily visits and sometimes all at the same time alerted us that something wasn’t quite right. I hadn’t even rung the doorbell when her son Terry answered and after a lengthy conversation with him I learned Dorothy’s dementia has progressed after a brief stay in the hospital. Dorothy’s at home now and doing better but everyone accepts her chronic forgetfulness is progressing. “How long will it be before she doesn’t remember any of us?” was her son’s question. We both knew there was no definitive answer to that question. It could happen years down the road, not at all, or tomorrow. The best I could do was give him a supportive hug.

Humans experience forgetfulness which can be age related or mental decline in the brain but thank God, he will never forget us. David said even if our father and mother forget us God will take us in (Ps. 27:10). Isaiah said God has engraved us on the palm of his hand. The nail prints in Jesus hands are a constant reminder to both Father and Son we are his own, we need him, we are helpless and powerless without him, we are weak and need healing, we need direction and protection and the enemy is always pursuing us. Nothing about our life or our suffering will be forgotten by God. God created us and from beginning to end he will remember us and never abandon us.

Dear Lord, sometimes I feel forgotten as I suffer with my condition of (name) but I know this is just my imagination because you’ll never forget me nor will you ever leave my side. Amen          

 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:1-3, ESV)  

How comforting and reassuring this must have been for the leper! With one touch Jesus healed not only his skin condition, but restored his joy, reconnected him to family and community, made it possible that he could resume his life. Great day for all! Jesus showed the man and those nearby that he was not afraid to touch even the untouchable, and that He could not be contaminated by the conditions that put others at risk.

If your chronic condition involves your skin and outer appearance you might get starred at, you might not receive as many hugs as you once did, people might ask you a lot of personal questions and in addition to the physical misery and disfigurement skin conditions can bring you may feel unattractive and as isolated as the leper Jesus touched.

Praise God that today medical science has come such a long way! There are effective treatments for skin conditions such has psoriasis, eczema, and acute or severe acne. We have creams, ointments, medications, laser technology that bring healing, give relief, and offer hope for a itch free future.

Regardless of our outer appearance or how contagious we may be Jesus does not stay at a distance; he never sees us as untouchable. The man who had leprosy said, if Jesus was willing to heal him, he would be healed. Jesus not only spoke his healing, but he also touched him. Skin condition or no skin condition; hidden or exposed for all to see, Jesus does not stay at a distance he comes close, touches, and holds you tight. The divine touches the diseased and disfigured and brings healing and affirmations of love and touchable-ness.  

Dear Jesus, thank you for not standing at a distance but coming close and even touching me! Amen              

  As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3-6)

I was reading an article about a man who was enjoying a great vacation and in the middle of dinner one night, fell face down into his chicken salad. Four days later he awakened in the hospital hearing a steady beeping in the background and saw his wife peering down at him clutching a wad of tissues in one hand and wiping away tears with the other. As he tried to sit up, he realized there were tubes coming from his chest and arms. And even though he tried to speak nothing came out. Startled to see his eyes open, his wife called for the nurse and that’s when he began to learn where he was, why he was there and how long he had been in a coma. Each day he learned something new about the dramatic way they had to save his life.

Like the man on vacation whose life took a dramatic and unexpected turn, dramatic and traumatic events can change our life and turn things upside down, we are left figuring out how to go forward, and leave us look at our past, examining our present and wondering about our future through a different lens and scope. 

St. Paul had a dramatic life experience also. His was not a sudden illness but a spiritual awakening and encounter. Some of us come to faith and illness slowly, progressively over time, and some are thrust into one or both in such a way our lives are changed forever and in a dramatic way. One thing is certain, whether it’s dramatic or traumatic on our end, it doesn’t catch God off guard and if we hold onto His unchanging Hand, remembering He has a plan for us going forward. 

Dramatic or traumatic God will get us where He wants us to be, when He wants us to be there.

Father, dramatic things happen that catch us off guard. We are grateful that though it may be sudden dramatic and traumatic for us nothing catches You off guard.   

 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:12-13, ESV)

What secrets are you discovering that help to keep you steady and as balanced as you can be with your chronic condition? Though our chronic illnesses can be blandly textbook and classic in their symptoms, at times we’ll unlock a secret that makes all the difference for us personally; something not mentioned in the medical books that seems to work well for us. 

During childhood I suffered terribly with eczema, and nothing seemed to help. No matter what we did my skin remained irritated, dry, itchy, cracked, painful and sensitive but when I became an adult, I learned a secret: my eczema flareups were often triggered by food allergies we didn’t know I had to dairy, fish, and peanut butter. All the things I loved were a regular part of my diet. It didn’t take very long for my skin to clear up and I was symptom free. I haven’t had a serous flareup in decades. Except for cold weather months when I need to make sure my showers aren’t too hot or I’m not eating too much cheese I don’t even know I still have eczema.  

Paul discovered and shared with believers that Jesus is the secret to having strength and surviving any and every season of life. Just like Jesus will make all the difference in how we get through the wide swings of life’s pendulum, we can notice a marked difference in our health and attitude when we discover and implement those secrets that help us cope with our chronic conditions with greater confidence and peace. 

Jesus You are the secret to our doing well and staying balanced when the pendulum of life is swinging wide, and You help us discover secrets and hidden facts about our chronic illnesses that help us get to a better place. We’re grateful for both coming to light. Amen       

 And he went through all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.—Matthew 4:23

We know that Jesus rose from the dead with all power and authority in His hand but after His baptism and spending 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness, being led by the Spirit, He also came forth with power to preach, teach and heal. The first thing He did after emerging from His time of being tempted by the devil and fasting, Jesus called His first disciples and began His public ministry by going throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues and healing every disease and affliction. Jesus healed everyone that came to Him and no matter how many issues they had Jesus healed them. 

Jesus can heal more than one condition at a time. This is good news, comforting, and encouraging for those who feel as though they need to limit the number of times they come to Jesus for healing, or how many conditions they can ask to be healed from, at once. Jesus can heal us from cancer and at the same time deliver us from depression. He can heal us of kidney failure or congestive heart failure and at the same time deliver and heal us from hearing loss. 

Jesus wants us to be encouraged and trusting to know we can approach his throne of grace and receive grace and healing for every need we present with.

Jesus, thank You for this reassuring word and promise on healing! I am one who has more than one condition and today I come both boldly but humbly to Your throne of grace seeking healing for…      

  For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wood and my flax, my oil and my drink.’ Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. (Hosea 2:6, ESV)

At first glance it may not seem as though the story of Hosea and Gomer or what God needed to tell unfaithful Israel has anything to do with us and our chronic conditions but as we read the message God was sending Israel regarding their infidelity we can see the strong connection and learn a lesson about faithfulness in doing those things that promote good health and wellbeing even while experiencing chronic conditions and illness. 

Hosea’s wife Gomer was attracted to other lovers which led to pain and misery in her marriage and the same was true for unfaithful Israel that was attracted to pagan nations hurting God and keeping them from seeing God as provider and protection. It’s not hard to see the correlation between what happened in the Book of Hosea between Hosea and Gomer and God and Israel is a lot like our attraction to the things that undermine our wellbeing or wreak havoc on our health. 

Hosea’s love for Gomer, God’s love for Israel, God’s love for us is unbreakable and  He will do whatever is necessary to keep us from straying, even sending some tough love by the way of putting a hedge of thorns that keep us from participating in those things that will harm us down the road. 

I’ve given up sweets and sugar, not because I had so much willpower or self-discipline but because of the pain and sickness they cause after eating them. Whenever I am tempted to return to my old ways, I remember what happens following a sweet or sugar binge. I consider my sickness and pain from sugar God’s loving hedge of thorns to keep me pain free and feeling my best. What’s your hedge of thorns God has placed around you that keeps you motivated and doing those things that are beneficial for your health and wellbeing?      

Dear God, loving Father, thank You for sending a hedge of thorns which keeps me from doing things that are harmful or counterproductive to having good health and wellbeing. Amen     

 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.—Philippians 3:10-11, ESV

At times, chronic illnesses or conditions can be accompanied by some pain to having severe pain. One of the symptoms or side effects of your special condition may be experiencing problems with your joints or limbs, your digestive system or throwing your heart rate off. Our youngest daughter has a chronic condition known as Leukopenia where she experiences fever and chills at times, swelling and redness, sore throat, shortness of breath, her recurring low white blood cell count is problematic. Individuals who suffer with this disease understand they have an inability to fight off disease in their body due to diminishing disease-fighting cells. This disease can indicate a variety of health complications, including serious infections, diseases, and even cancer. Even though it is not curable, there are several approaches that can be taken medically to help reduce the symptoms. Unfortunately for our daughter they have not been able to find anything that would be seen as an effective treatment. Consequently, she can be doing fine one day, and wake up the next and not be doing well at all, having difficulty moving without a great deal of pain or just catching her breath; all the things we normally take for granted. 

Angela is someone I would say suffers with grace and even though she may not state it in words I can see she’s someone who desires to become like Christ, even through her suffering. Although she is not well a great deal of the time, she still manages to run her household, homeschool six children, and run a small, homebased business. Her spirit of humility may keep her from thinking she's doing anything special or beyond normal but according to Paul she is sharing in Christ's sufferings and experiencing the power of His resurrection. 

Chronic conditions can test our patience, level of endurance and perseverance and cause us to question God’s plan for our lives. Perhaps at times asking “why me, Lord?” But when we can, most days, accept our journey and know that even through our pain, discomfort, or sickness we are becoming more like Christ in character even though these bodies seem to be wasting away before our very eyes, we should also know that Jesus is steadfast and faithfully accompanying us so we can not only endure to the end, but be a living, walking ,talking testimony of what He can do even with our complicated lives and illnesses.

Jesus, thank You for Your promise never to leave nor forsake us. These chronic conditions can try our very souls and make life difficult, nearly impossible to manage on a day-to-day basis, but You stand and stay with us. When we are in pain, sick, or suffering we may not be feeling like there is a benefit or anything special going on, but Your Word says otherwise. We receive the promise with grace that through our suffering we can share in Your suffering and when we share in Your suffering, we are also becoming more like You. That’s amazing! Amen    

 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth, it shall not return to me empty, but shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed I the thing for which I sent it—Isaiah 55:10-11, ESV

I’ve begun to compare and think of my chronic conditions, including my problematic IBS, as the rain that falls from heaven to accomplish the purposes of God in my life. If I consider the things that have changed since my initial diagnosis and how I started out being resistant, set on doing what I’ve always done, considering myself and my case to be the exception instead of the norm and textbook, and where I am today, several years later, I can see how God is using it for His purposes of maturing me, giving me a higher degree of self-discipline, self-control, teaching me to let go of the things that are not good for me, acceptance, being at peace with the things I can no longer have or enjoy, and respectfully listen to my body. These accomplishments have not come easily. And I admit I am probably slower than most to get where I am today. While I don’t enjoy the symptoms that can hit hard even when I’ve been doing the things I should be doing, I do enjoy and appreciate the deeper benefits that have come as a result.

Rain is sometimes inconvenient, and we have our individual thoughts about how much rain is enough and how much are too much. I live in the Midwest, so snow is a part of the colder months. Since my husband and I live in what’s known as the “snowbelt” we are accustomed to getting lake effect snow which at times can be quite a bit. Yet, snow, just like the rain in warmer months is necessary to water the earth. Snow in the winter gets down into the earth so even the roots of the trees are nourished resulting in fullness of leaves in the spring.

The glory of God, whether they are sent through snow and rain, His Word or our chronic conditions all have a purposes and all are meant to accomplish what God desires in our individual lives and in the earth. Amazing things happen within and around us when we see our chronic condition as a form of heavenly rain, accomplishing some purpose of God in our lives and the lives of others. 

Heavenly Father, You run the universe and know exactly when to send and how much rain and snow is needed to water the earth you also know how You will use my chronic condition of (name) to accomplish your purposes in my life. Amen           

 And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins will be rebuilt; and you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in—Isaiah 58:11-12 

The woman with the issue of bleeding had run out of money. Had very likely depleted any savings or inheritance at her disposal, ran out of financial resources trying to become well. Her story is a reminder that health care and seeking cures has always been costly on more than one level. But true to being a faithful God, He guided her to Jesus where she experienced renewal that very hour. 

If you’ve had a similar experience trying to get well then you know exactly what she felt like to be out of money and still not healed. 

When my husband and I go to the doctor we can expect to pay copays upfront and be prepared to pay lab fees to pay and whatever portion of our visit that wasn’t covered by insurance. There are medications to secure and those hidden or unknown costs we didn’t know or understand upfront. We’re blessed to have good insurance but not everyone does and even when we do have a good plan and provider, health care still costs and sometimes depletes us financially. 

God doesn’t just restore us emotionally, physically, and spiritually we can also ask Him to restore our ruined financial places. The places that more resemble scorched land after a fire than green, thriving meadows.

God’s promise to rebuild the scorched places in our lives can give comfort and assurance during a time of life we especially need to be comforted and bolstered in our faith and hope. Chronic illness can be taxing but on the levels and places it depletes us God can restore us.

Lord, as I continue to deal my chronic condition(s)I am familiar with being depleted and drained on many levels. Thank You for your promise to restore and rebuild my scorched places. This promise makes me hopeful and gives me something to look forward to. Amen           

 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,[a] she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter[b] said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Luke 8:40-48)

In faith, the woman sought Jesus and even as she touched him her faith did not waver. She did not hope but had complete faith for her healing through Christ and her faith was rewarded. Even after you pray in faith, do not feel your faith is not strong enough or Jesus would have healed you already, do not doubt, only trust that in His perfect timing, even if it isn’t until heaven after you have persisted, sought, and believed during your earthly journey, Jesus will faithfully heal your condition.

Jesus, according to Your timing let my faith be enough to secure my healing. In your Name I pray, Amen            

 And I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened.—Luke 11:9-10 AMP

Think of the first prayers you prayed about your condition(s) that turned out to be chronic in nature? Maybe, like most of us, you asked God for quick healing or at least to be healed over time. Perhaps your prayers focused on not letting your lifestyle be changed too drastically because of your health condition. Perhaps, right after the diagnosis you prayed that it is not true; that the doctors or tests had made a mistake and would reveal something less severe, complex, or serious. 

It's funny but the prayers we start out praying beginning with testing or diagnosis can change over time. In fact, they usually do change over time. It’s as though God is bringing your prayers more in line with His will for your life!

Persistent prayer can bless us in ways one-time prayers don’t. When we keep asking and seeking and knocking the blessing waiting on the other side of the door may not look like the ones we thought would be waiting, they are much better and out life is even better than we could have imagined at the beginning of our illness and prayer requests. 

Eventually all of us will receive the ultimate answer of healing in response to our prayers, but in the meantime, persistent prayer has surprising and unexpected blessings tucked away for us. Those blessings that are like onions that need to be peeled back one prayer at a time.

Heavenly Father use my persistent prayers to reveal Your will in my life and through my illness. Amen     

 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. (Luke 13:10-13)

 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!—Psalm 34:8

It was such a refreshing taste! I don’t do well with dairy or soy products, but I love ice cream, so finding a reasonably priced, frozen treat in the ice cream section that’s not made from dairy or soy was the best taste ever! All it took was one taste to know I am sold for life! 

I’ve lived with my chronic condition of IBS long enough to know not even the best tasing treat or food is worth eating if I only experience pain and discomfort afterward. I’m my own best policer anymore! But I will stick with something that is not problematic or won’t circle back to do harm or cause pain later.

David knew once people experienced God, they would not leave Him! Just one “taste” of the goodness of God, tasting God’s mercy, kindness, compassion, strength, peace, and hope and they are hooked for life! Those who are new to God may “taste” Him cautiously; as a child tastes the new vegetable or entrée his mother is introducing, but when that one taste proves to be the very best veggie or entrée they have ever eaten they will ask for it again and again.  

When we taste of God’s goodness we are sold for life! Those one who trust in the Lord will not be disappointed; only blessed and delighted.

God, You are not only faithful, nothing in this world compares to You or Your goodness! Amen  

Then he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many unto remission of sins (Matthew 26:28, ASV)

This is better than good or great news, this is news that should cause us to break out in a holy dance! Medically speaking, the term remission means “a diminution of the seriousness or intensity of disease or pain; a temporary recovery.” Such as what someone might experience with cancer or an autoimmune disease like Lupus or Sickle Cell. Financially it means “the cancellation of a debt, or penalty.” Such as what one might experience when their student loan is forgiven. To be in remission means a decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms. The act or process of; a state or period during which something is remitted.” 

It's my goal to put my IBS in remission; to experience a decrease in or disappearance of symptoms. I’m praying to have that needful level of disciplined eating and exercise that helps on the physical end and at the same time, asking Jesus to touch and heal my digestive system. That means I cannot engage in mindless eating or going off the grid eating or drinking things that trigger or aggravate my chronic and often painful IBS. 

Spiritually speaking, it’s so easy to come to the Lord’s Table out of habit. Receive the elements of grape juice or wine, bread, cracker, or wafer and drink and eat without much thought about what takes place in our soul and over our future as we eat. But each time we eat and drink this holy meal, we are reminded that our sins are in remission. Meaning we are still sinful, we still transgress, but our sins will not be the death of us. They are a part of us, but through the blood of Christ and having faith in His saving work on the cross, they have been diminished in their capacity to kill us eternally. We are no longer under a death sentence because we are sinners but have the promise of eternal life despite our condition of sin. 

At the Table where the Lord Jesus meets us, we hear those words we should covet and long for; “Take and eat, take and drink… Do this for the forgiveness of sins…” 

It’s great news when those with chronic conditions hear their doctor say, Congratulations you are in remission, but its even greater news when we hear the words of Institution which declare our sins are “in remission” knowing we are set free to live, not sentenced to die.

Lord Jesus, no greater gift will we receive during our life than we receive at the only meal that has the power to turn our life around and no greater news will we hear than the words that our sins are forgiven, and we are in remission. Amen 

  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.—Psalm 103:2-5, ESV

When we first read David’s psalm of praise we might be confused, especially if we still have our chronic illness or condition to deal with. Some might say we should think of all the sickness and diseases God has healed us of in the past like our common colds that come and go, seasonal flus and allergies, broken bones and other sicknesses that are no longer with us. 

When we look at it from that standpoint it’s easy to see how David’s prayer of praise and thanksgiving about healing apply. But if we are praying for healing for something we struggle with physically today, we might feel confused about the promise of God to heal every disease. 

But if we read Psalm 103 from beginning to end, we also detect David must have been praising God for other kinds of healings too. It seems David’s praise included how God healed him spiritually and morally in addition to physically. David was happy to be physically well, but he was even more grateful to be healed of his struggle with lust after women and for more power. 

Being healed physically is a great reason to rejoice. After all, who doesn’t want to be free of their aches, pains, sickness, medical bills, endless appointments, medications that line our shelves or fill our drawers? But being healed spiritually and morally is far greater reason to praise God. 

God gives us strength to bear up under our physical conditions. With God’s help we can bear up under pain, discomfort, and inconveniences. But because God promises to heal us at those deeper places, we can be glad and rejoice knowing nothing will keep us from enjoying complete healing in heaven.    

God, my provider, for right now I may have to put up with my chronic condition(s) but that is only or a period of time. What You make sure of is that I don’t have to continue this journey being spiritually or morally sick. More than any other healing I thank and praise You for spiritual healing. Amen     

  Therefore God has given him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11  

Have you found yourself calling on the name of Jesus throughout your day or night? Thank goodness He’s always there, always listening, always available. It’s a good thing He doesn’t keep office hours. There’s no message to call back during normal or regular hours of operation.

Says Jesus is a strong tower. The name of Jesus is the essence of who and what He is. Jesus is our Healer, our Deliverer, our Peace in the storms of health crises, He is our everything. When everyone has turned in for the night, or their shift is over Jesus is still with us. When the doctors don’t know what to make of our case or come up with solutions, Jesus is with us, our Great Physician. When we are lonely on our journey trying to stabilize and find balance, Jesus is with us, taking us by the hand, encouraging us and at times, holding us up. There isn’t anything Jesus can’t do for us. He is our ever-present Savior, Friend, Shepherd., He is God with us, all the way through. 

Jesus there is just one word and name I need to whisper or say when life is reeling and rocking: Jesus is enough! Amen           

 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.—John 10:27

Because of playing the pipe organ for several decades my hearing has been impacted. Once I was diagnosed with tinnitus and I noticed the ringing in my ears intensified each time I played I retired as a church musician. While I do miss playing this beautiful instrument, I am grateful for the years I was able to. Because deafness runs in my family, I am very guarded about my hearing and so far, my tinnitus has only caused minor annoyances. Though it’s with me all the time but I’ve learned to not focus on it. Even so, I’m blessed because there are many who suffer with tinnitus, and it does affect their daily life and overall hearing.

As you cope with your chronic condition(s) you’ll learn important strategies and you’ll be able to hear Jesus’ voice lead you in the way you need to go to make wise choices about your health, and choosing plans of care that help you strengthen and live confidently knowing Christ the Healer is with you and will never abandon you on your journey to better health.  

As Jesus’ sheep we cannot just hear His voice, He said we are to follow His voice. That’s because Jesus will never lead us astray or down a wrong path. He will only speak wisely and only be encouraging on our journey. He will never tell us to do harmful things to ourselves or to undermine our doctor’s efforts to get us to a better place in our health. Even when the facts in your medical chart or file don’t look very encouraging and your diagnosis or prognosis is grim, Jesus will never tell you, you are a hopeless case, or you might as well give up your fight to stay in the race, or it’s no use in trying to do things to better your condition, etc. Jesus will always speak in ways that encourage you and strengthen you on your journey. He knows it is the Father’s decision when to bring you home and not one moment sooner. People have outlived their life-expectancy based upon diagnosis and prognosis, surprising everyone. Hearing Jesus speak is promised, listening to Jesus is an art worth learning, and following the voice of Jesus is imperative to receiving blessings in our health hand life.

Speak to me Jesus and I will follow whatever You say. Amen              

 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.—Habakkuk 2:20

I read an interesting article by someone who suffers from migraine headaches. It seems she has found a new degree of healing through silent walking. She wrote about her journey of migraines and how many things she and her doctors have tried to get her to a better place. She described her migraines as feeling like a freight train was running from the back of her head to the front. So intense, that she often needed to be in the dark and unable to get out of bed for days. For as long as she can remember she walked and did yoga with her headphones on, listening to music or a podcast while she exercised, but after coming upon an article about silent walking she has taken up the practice and wrote what a relief it has been. She now experiences longer periods without migraines, but not only that she has been able to connect with God on a deeper level.  

I don’t suffer from migraines, but because my mother did and now my daughters and granddaughters do, I have made it a point to understand what they experience and pray for them to have needed relief and be healed from chronic and tormenting migraines.

You don’t have to suffer from migraines to benefit from spending a time of silence with God. Reading the prophet Habakkuk’s words and connecting them to the Apostle Paul’s words in I Corinthians 6:19-20, “Did you not know that your body is the temple of the Lord” and understanding when God is present in these bodies that are strong yet fragile, well, yet sick, it’s not uncanny to think how God might use times of silence to connect us to His strengthening and healing presence.

Chronic conditions can wear us down. They can be noisy and demanding, requiring our full attention and lots of energy. Our days and nights can be filled up with their demands. We might welcome sleep just to get away from them. Being silent in the presence of God from time to time, or even for a period of time daily can help us hear from God, receive His wisdom and counsel, understand His plans for us, and more than anything, experience His healing as He fills us and replaces our energy with His.

Thank You, Lord for reminding us that silence can not only be a way to worship you, it can also be healing. Amen    

 As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.—Luke 8:42-43

If you suffer with a chronic ailment, then you probably know what it feels like to go back to the drawing board, and more than once. Your doctor or specialist says, “Let’s try this and see if it works…” Sometimes you and they have high hopes for good results but when it doesn’t help, or even makes things worse, the only thing you can do is go back to the drawing board and try another way or something else. The woman with the issue of bleeding must have felt like that. The text says she had been to numerous doctors and spent all her money, still, no cure was found for her issue. They were stumped. How many times she described her symptoms, told her story, took tests, underwent procedures. Still, nothing helped. Her bleeding persisted. Her embarrassment, pain, and isolation continued. 

We are not told that she felt making her way to Jesus felt like going back to the drawing board. In fact, she had high hopes, great faith and it paid off. She believed Jesus could heal her and that’s what he did.   

As you seek treatment that works. A cure for your ailment, or even coming to grips with knowing there is no earthly cure for what you have going on in your body, it’s normal to feel doctor-weary, treatment-leery, emotionally worn and physically exhausted. Know that Jesus has your healing in His hand. He has the cure for your predicament and ailment. Seek Him in faith. Know that He can heal. Put your case in Christ’s healing hands. Pray and wait, and as you wait on the Great Physician trust Him. In due season Your healing will be granted. 

Jesus, I press to You and believe You have my healing. As I touch the hem of your garment I’m not worried about the time frame, I just believe You can heal me of this…    

The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.—Psalm 41:3

 Lengthy illness, or chronic conditions that continue and go on and on can make us forgetful. After a while, years and decades, we might forget some very important truths. Truths such as even though we are sick we are still an important part of sharing and spreading Gods plan of salvation to others, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, We are strong even though we may be weak in our body, we are brave and courageous; we have endured a lot! We always maintain power to speak life over ourselves. When we need God through the power of His Holy Spirit to transform our thoughts, we can talk to Him. He is aware of our struggle to stay in that right mindset and encouraging frame of mind. He knows we have an enemy speaking to us, but one look at His word, one reminder from someone else can put us back on the right track. God is always whispering His powerful truth: Always remember and never forget more than anything we are loved by God and we will never be separated from His love or caring heart. 

Father, thank You for reminding me to always remember and never forget I am your child and You’ll never leave me or forsake me in my hour, years or decades of need. Amen

 But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.—Jeremiah 17:7

If you continue reading in Jeremiah, what a beautiful sermon it is as the LORD speaks through his prophet to remind His children if they put their complete trust in Him they will be like trees planted along a riverbank. With roots that reach deep into the water. Those trees are never bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. But their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit (Jer. 17:8).

What a special word for His people. God recognizes they and us cane become weary on these journeys! The promises of God lifted the spirit’s and hope of those long ago just as they do for us today.  

What a beautiful picture of what happens when we trust and hope in the Lord our God! What encouragement and comfort we enjoy from the lips of God who is with us. Chronic illness has its own challenges since we are living with our condition day after day, year after year, and likely will be until the Lord brings us home to be with Him. And since we are challenged to endure remain hopeful and trusting in God to help us, it can bring joy to our soul and refresh our spirit to remember the blessing God promises all who put their hope and confidence in Him. 

Father God, You give us strength and cause us to hope continually and when we look to You and trust in You we are like those strong, flourishing, fruitful trees we see which are planted by the water! This is a promise we will cling to when life becomes hard, and we grow weary of our physical conditions. Amen.  

  And there was a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.—Mark 5:25-27

One reality in this world is that sometimes as we deal with our chronic illness and condition we’ll run out of money, run out of resources, go from doctor to doctor, and even at the end of it all have no cure, no good, doable or realistic plan of care, no answers, no better off than when our journey first began. Those are difficult times to endure because in the meantime we are suffering and depleted. This woman’s healing did come but her journey to it was fraught with aloneness, frustration, poverty, pain, discomfort, and more pain. Between the time she had heard the reports about Jesus and He came to her village she suffered a great deal. Whatever you’re suffering as you search for answers and make it to your appointments you are not invisible to the Lord. Like the woman in Mark’s gospel, your healing may be delayed—perhaps it will evade you all your earthly life—but there is one for you. You keep doing all you can, keep doing your part and trusting in the Lord who has promised to heal all of the faithful. You don’t need to come up from the rear as the woman did out of fear but can look into the face of our beautiful Savior who has compassion on all. He will heal you at just the right hour.  

Jesus, I am doing all can, all I’m supposed to do concerning my chronic condition. Sometimes I feel like this woman in Mark’s Gospel, running out of money, doctors to see, and suffering greatly. Today I reach out and touch the hem of Your garment. I believe You can heal me. Amen.                 

  A voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”—Luke 9:35

Digestive issues run in my family. On my mother’s side many of us have problems and are living with chronic conditions that involve our digestive system. I am an IBS sufferer. I’m getting better at managing my IBS, but at times, no matter what I do I can still have pain or unpredictable episodes. I’m getting better at learning the rhythms of my body and paying attention to that little voice inside that alerts me of something going on or about to happen. I’ve noticed the better I become at listening to my body the better I feel and experience strength and wellbeing more consistently.     

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples accompany Jesus witnessed the appearance of Elijah and Moses. They saw Jesus transformed and his clothing become a brilliant white. They also heard God speak from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” What an awesome day and event to be part of!

Listening to Jesus will always lead us in the right direction. When Jesus speaks, He shares important information. He speaks truth and He gives needful insight, we are brought out of darkness into the light. Sometimes people say there is an angel in one ear, and they can hear the devil whispering in the other. It’s good when we learn which voice to listen to, which voice is for our good and which is for our destruction. We can’t go wrong or be led astray listening to the voice of Jesus!    

Being a good listener is important. When we listen—really listen to our body, we can learn important information. By listening we may discern warnings and symptoms we would otherwise miss. When we are living with chronic conditions listening should become part of what we do on a regular basis. Just like the wisdom that comes from listening to God’s son, Jesus, there is wisdom that comes from listening to our body.

Lord, help me become a better listener both to You and to my body! Amen

 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.—Psalm 16:5-6

My husband and brother-in-law were talking on the phone. I could hear bits and pieces, mostly lots of laughter which was nice to hear since my brother-in-law has been undergoing some major health issues for the last year or so. I thought to myself how nice it was to hear laughter. When they finished their phone call, I mentioned to my husband that Everette must be feeling much better. “Yes, he seems to be. It was a good conversation.” Hearing that my brother-in-law was finding some joys in his new routine even though it was not the routine or activity he had been planning for his future reminded me of David’s psalm as he said the lines God had drawn for him landed in pleasant places. It’s not that David’s life was perfect but that he had found and made peace with the shape of his life.

Chronic illness can introduce and cause us to enlist some very uncomfortable and unplanned routines. Can put us in some unexpected places in our journey that can also shape how we feel about our life and the direction it took. No one wants to be sick or know that pain or medical procedures is what lies ahead for unknown or extended periods. It easy to feel resentment or let our thoughts of “this isn’t what I thought my life was going to be like…” keep us from seeing or experiencing any pleasantness or joys. It can feel like God is more working against, than for us.

Coming to a place of peace or finding some comfort and okay-ness with our new, even if unexpected paths, must be all-God. One of the great mysteries God performs in our lives. 

Recognizing pleasant places or saying the lines that God has drawn for our lives have fallen in pleasant places is one indication we are submitted to God’s plan for us. Our resolve is not based upon doom and gloom, but knowing however our life is turning out we remain in God’s hands and He’ll always shape it in such a way we are blessed through our experiences and circumstances. 

Lord, dealing with chronic illness was not in my plans but here I am. I want to be able to say, like David, that the lines –even with chronic illness—have fallen in pleasant places for me. Amen   

 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”—2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul’s initial encounter with Christ may have been under dramatic circumstances. Being knocked down on the Road to Damascus as he was on his way to seek out and persecute more Christians, but the Lord had a special ministry in mind for Paul. He was going to use him in mighty ways to spread the Gospel Good News about Christ crucified and risen to the Gentiles. Along with preaching and teaching, Paul was given special powers to heal and authority to drive out demons. His face to face and personal encounter with the risen Savior could have made him boastful and arrogant, but Jesus allowed him to have what Paul called a “thorn in his flesh,” some chronic condition that kept him humbly dependent upon the Lord. Although Paul asked the Lord to relieve him of his chronic condition numerous times Jesus said His grace would be sufficient for Paul. Paul learned to boast in his weakness and dependency upon Christ and not see his chronic ailment as a hinderance or something that kept him from serving the Lord.

It's understandable that Paul would ask the Lord to restore his health and give him full strength, but Jesus had a greater purpose and plan in mind. What do you ask the Lord to take from you so you can be less dependent upon others, serve Him, your family, or others more? What condition has the Lord said His grace will be sufficient for you? 

Jesus is the Great Physician and He has power to heal any sickness or disease but when He doesn’t it’s because He has a desire to use it for your good and God’s glory. If He doesn’t take it away, He’ll make sure His grace is sufficient for you to live with and bear up under it until He brings you home to be with Him where all sickness and disease is a thing of the past and gone forever!

Jesus Your grace was sufficient for Paul, and it is sufficient for me! Amen   

 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. –2 Corinthians 4:18-16

Losing heart means we begin to feel that we cannot do something that we have been trying to do. If you’ve struggled for years or even decades with a chronic condition then you know how difficult it is to maintain a balance of thoughts, hopefulness, and trust in God. You may have may have spent years or decades praying to God for strength, healing, or even just trying to hang on in there. No one knows but the sufferer what all it takes just to be in your body and skin. No one can judge or ridicule you for wanting release from your body or release from this veil of tears. The life, existence, and day for the chronically ill is much different from that of the reasonably healthy. 

Many of those Jesus healed had been ill for some time, some all their life. They may have even had times of being discouraged to the point of wanting to give up and losing heart. Paul said we look for the things that can be seen (our healing) but in fact what we don’t see can be just as real and powerful, and even more so. The blessings the Lord has in store for the chronically ill are not just awaiting us in heaven, they are in our today’s and our tomorrows.  They are in our present and our future. While we wait patiently (or impatiently) God is also at work. Though these outer bodies may be challenging to live in—and increasingly so—God is renewing us inwardly day by day. The chronically ill do suffer—perhaps more than most—but the glory that will be revealed will make the long-time suffering worth all the wait, all the prayers, all the hoping, and all the strengthening. Hold on chronic sufferer, don’t lose heart!

Jesus help me to not lose heart no matter how long I have suffered in this body or been the way I am. I hear your plan Lord I won’t lose heart. Amen    

 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them—Romans 1:18,19

What are proving to be your biggest challenges as you live with a chronic illness? I find just sticking with the things I will need to do always—for the rest of my life—to be my biggest challenge. I’m good about taking my medications but unfortunately, I’m not always good with or steadfast about staying away from things—like sugar—which only aggravate my digestive system. I’ve always loved sweets, and these are the hardest for me to give up. Once I am determined to do so, I do well, and I feel so much better and experience fewer symptoms. But one little slip or reasoning with myself and I’m off the wagon again. Praise God we have help to say on track and help us hold the line to whatever it is we need to do in our conditions. Without God’s help we would be lost, doomed to have no relief. Paul’s words in Romans 1:18-23 are a great reminder that the more we know and understand—whether it’s about our faith or our health—the more we are accountable for doing. As Paul says, we all have enough knowledge of God to be held accountable before him at the Judgement Day. And for most, we have enough knowledge or access to it about our health condition to be wise in our actions.        

Father, I pray for that higher discipline that comes from the knowledge I have. Knowing should be enough to help me stay on the narrow path of feeling better. Amen 

 These twelve Jesus sent out and instructed them. (Matt. 10:5) 

Fred’s doctor was explaining to him why he ended up in the hospital. And why it was imperative that Fred follow the directions on the prescription bottle. While doubling up on his meds to take the edge off his pain made since to Fred, his doctor explained that was too much for his system at one time. Pain medications have to be managed well and carefully. It would have been better for Fred to have contacted him and let him know he needed help with his pain so his Dr. could have increased the dosage. Once Fred was released he would have a higher dose and they would see how it worked or if other adjustments needed to be made.

When we are in pain and having difficulty managing our pain or other symptoms that come with chronic illness it’s tempting to try things out for ourselves, make our own adjustments with medications or add over-the-counter pills. The danger is our system could react in ways that cause further sickness, pain, or setbacks and we could have a reaction to the different chemicals going into our bodies, and worst yet, it could be fatal. Following directions are important to achieve the best or desired outcome.  

When Jesus gave directions to the disciples as they embarked on their missionary trip, they needed to follow his instructions for the best and desired outcome, doing otherwise would have meant they were not able to heal the sick, drive out evil spirits, or worst yet, ended in their own death. They had a good outcome because they followed their Master’s directions and we’ll have a good outcome when we follow directions for taking our medications help us achieve the best or desired outcomes also.     

Jesus, sometimes it’s tempting to disregard the directions provided for taking pain or other medications. May I never ignore my doctor’s orders or what’s on the prescription bottle. Give me a wise and disciplined mind and spirit. Amen  

 For the Lord will not cast off forever, but though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.—Lamentations 3:31-33

A misconception is that God makes his children sick or suffer. Or being sick as a Christian must mean God is unhappy or displeased with us. Or, that God causes our sickness in order for us to have a stronger testimony about Jesus to others. Nothing could be further from the truth. You do not belong to the world nor have a hardened heart against God; therefore, He has no reason to bring suffering or sickness upon you. You already belong to Him and are a sheep in His pasture under His tender care. 

God will sometimes afflict the unbelieving to get their attention or bring them back to Himself. But for His own, God does not make his children sick, but He doesn’t always stop or intervene when sickness or disease comes upon us. Sickness is part of the human experience and what comes with living in this world and in an environment where natural sickness and disease exist. Sickness and disease can also come upon us due to the natural breakdown of the human body. 

When God doesn’t heal our broken or sickened bodies, he has a purpose for allowing it to remain or be part of our journey here on earth. Only God knows the why’s of this. The children of God who are sick and suffering can be assured they have the covering of God, the compassion of God, the aid of God to help them as they endure and persevere. Separating the truth from misconceptions can help strengthen and encourage you as you endure sickness and pain in your life.

Thank you, Lord, for helping me understand through Your Word that You are not causing or taking any pleasure in my suffering. I am one of Your own sheep, whom You tenderly care for and love. Amen           

 And a large crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. –John 6:2 

Once the word got out that Jesus had some kind of healing power, from that time on, everywhere Jesus went, every town and village, everyday there were large crowds following Him, people always calling out to Him, reaching for Him to touch them and heal them also. There were none that called out to Jesus for healing He did not heal. What a blessing today to still have Jesus to call out to whenever we need healing and what a blessing He still heals. Just like in the Scriptures we see some received their healing immediately and others it was delayed. Like the time He told the lepers to go and show themselves to the priests. When they left Jesus’ presence, they still had leprosy but on their way, they were healed. We don’t have to worry if our healing does not come right away; but we can know if we’ve asked for healing Jesus will not deny us. If we don’t see it right away, we can be at peace and even excited to know it’s coming! 

Jesus you never turn anyone away who askes you for healing. Today I ask for healing from…   

Lord, I believe you can make the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the mute speak. I believe you have authority over sickness and darkness. I believe you can heal every disease and cease any storm. I believe there isn’t anything you cannot do. I believe you can cure cancers and all other sicknesses that have no earthly or scientific cure. I believe if it is your will and your desire you can heal me of my sickness and take away my pain. I believe in your power and sufficiency; Lord and I trust in you to do whatever is in the will of God for my life. Amen 

  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word—Psalm 119:67

Sickness can be humbling. And sickness that is brought on by our undisciplined ways or being in denial of the things we need to do can be even more humbling. It’s not uncommon for people who suffer with chronic illnesses and having a long run of feeling better, not so sick, to veer off their plans or routines. The very things that are keeping them well, helping them feel good and become strengthened, to start backing off and returning to old patterns and practices. 

It’s easy to start believing we don’t need our medication, that we don’t (really) need to include this or that in our diet or to leave something out of our diet in order to be well or feel better. 

The mind plays tricks on us, and it can be in those moments of feeling better we determine we don’t really need to do all those things and we can be just as well without them. Like the psalmists’ said concerning his sin, we all have relapses. We all start to think we can do it a different way but find out we can’t. 

We can use the occasion of sickness to ask God for a new attitude and way of living that supports good health and being strengthened. If we have suffered a relapse in body due to inattentiveness or returning to old habits it’s a good time to spend time in prayer asking God for a mental reset. 

There’s nothing like suffering in our body to give us a new perspective or incentive to adhere to the things that help us feel better and keep us on the road of wellness.

Jesus, give me that needed discipline so I can stay on the right track with my health. Just because I start feeling better does not mean I can return to old ways. 

 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.—Psalm 41:3

Psalm 41 is one of the most comforting psalms we can turn to during sickness. When we are not feeling well—not just a little sick—but sick to the point we don’t know if we are going to come out of it or when it will end. To know and be reminded that God sustains us on our sickbed can make al the difference in our getting through our ordeal. We are living proof that God does not heal every illness, on earth anyway—though we are guaranteed healing in heaven. But what the Lord does promise us is he will sustain us on our sickbed. He will give us strength to endure and persevere until the time he does heal or until the time he brings us home to be with him in heaven. When we are sick whether it is for the long term or only briefly, the Lord will cover us with his grace and love us in his mercy. 

Jesus, let me experience your grace today. Send your comfort so I can endure my illness. I trust in you and in your care. Amen        

 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing. And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.—Matthew 8:23-26 

When we are having a crisis of any kind, including when we are experiencing a crisis with our health, the last thing we need is to be surrounded by people who are alarmists. People who stir up our fear or make us panic (more). What we want are those who can bring calm to our already anxious heart and thoughts and help us see things from a more positive angle and perspective. People who can help usher in calmness and slow our racing thoughts down. 

When the seas stirred up and the waves began crashing violently into the boat, Jesus took control of the situation and brought calm, not only to waters but the disciples who were panicking and getting worked up. Thank goodness Jesus still enters our atmospheres and situations and brings that same sense of peace and calm. He comes to remind us he is in our lifeboat with us and we don’t have to panic or become anxious but stop and breathe; He’s got it. Jesus helps us have a presence of mind to pray and allow His Holy Spirit to have control over our thoughts and emotions.   

Lord, surround me with those who have a calm nature and attitude and can bring calm and peace into my situation 

 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy was cleansed—Matthew 8:1-3

Jesus has authority over sickness and disease. We can believe being healed from sickness and disease is guaranteed for all who put their faith in him. The full will of God may or may not include complete healing this side of heaven. That is for the Lord to know and determine. Even if we do not experience healing of our ailments on earth, we can rightfully anticipate it is ours in heaven. In that case, the Lord will generously and graciously give us the strength we need to live with our illness or condition in this life. When our pain is unbearable, He will supply whatever we need to have ease. When the sickness becomes too much, He will make sure we have the moments of relief needed so we can continue our journey. Being sick or having pain in our life is not a reflection of our faith but faith in God will help us bear up under even the most difficult illness. 

Jesus, I understand You have authority over sickness and disease. If it is not Your will to heal me this side of heaven, I pray you will supply me with everything I need to handle it until I can make it through to heaven where I will be completely pain free, healthy, and whole. Amen      

 I was sick and you visited me—Matthew 25:36, ESV

A visit from others during illness can mean so much. During sickness we may already feel alone or isolated from others. Outside our rotation of caregivers, we may not see much of anyone else. A visit from family or friends, church members, and caring neighbors can not only lift our spirit, but help strengthen and bring healing to us. When Simon Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever Jesus went to visit her. Jesus was a busy man so seeing him enter the room must have automatically lifted her spirit and touched her heart (Read Luke 4:38-41).

Jesus said one of the most compassionate things we can do as his disciples is take time to visit the sick. Many factors can keep people who care about us from coming to visit us. Whether you have a steady flow of visitors or times when no one or very few come to see about you during illness, know that just as He did for Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus will come and visit with you every day. 

Jesus, thank you for the ways I can be encouraged, strengthened, and healed on during my season of sickness. Visitors help me to heal and be strengthened in mind, body, and soul. Amen      

 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on a Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.” And e laid how hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.—Luke 13:10-13

Like the miracles of healing Jesus performed on the man blind from birth (John 9:1-38),or the man deaf and mute (Mark 8:22-26), Jesus performed both miracles on people who had their conditions all their life or for many years. The woman bent over in Luke’s Gospel had suffered for more than 18 years. Reading these can give us hope of being healed no matter how long we have been sick or suffering. In the presence of Christ everyone is healed.

You may have already exceeded eighteen years in your pain and sickness. It may be going on for 2, or 3, decades. It’s hard to keep our hopes up when we’re waiting, every day in sickness or pain is a day.

We’re going to need the help of the Lord to endure sickness and pain. We’re going to need the companionship of the Holy Spirit to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Because of heavenly and divine help to keep going we will not be disappointed. We are guaranteed healing in the presence of Jesus.

Lord, I will wait on you. I will keep pressing, trusting, anticipating and looking forward to when You heal me… 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you—Acts 1:8

Believing the Holy Spirit is with you today to give you strength and power and will help you as you face your health condition and concerns. The Holy Spirit will be with you to keep you encouraged. He will comfort you when comfort is needed and strengthen you to face tests. He will give you patience as you await news or a report. He will give you wisdom to make wise decisions concerning your health and future. He will give you a mind to comprehend what you are hearing and learning. Through all of this you will be witnessing to others the presence of Jesus and the power of God is real and active. You will inspire others, including medical staff, doctors, nurses, therapists, and even volunteers to walk closer with the Lord and believe He is with them also to make a difference in their day and give them the power that’s needed as they work, heal, and perform their tasks.   

Lord, let Your Spirit fill me and shine through me so others are encouraged and inspired to draw closer to you also. 

 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.—Isaiah 57:15, ESV

It wouldn’t be uncommon or unusual for you to feel the need to be revived. Especially after enduring a lengthy or aggressive illness. Sickness can take a lot out of us. It can deplete us on so many levels. 

God promises to come and revive us. That’s refreshing to our ears and spirit! In this life and on our journey, we will need reviving from time to time and for various reasons. Sometimes we will experience something traumatic, sometimes we have had our heart broken or our hopes dashed, sometimes we have battled through difficulties and problems, and sometimes we have endured sickness and pain for long stretches and season. Whatever the reason God will come and He will revive us; put new energy and strength into us, help us rebuild and move forward.

It is just one of the promises of God that have no limits. Like His mercies they are new each and every day.

Lord, I pray to be revived in my body, my soul and in my…  

 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portions forever.—Psalm 73:26

Dear God, 

I am glad and filled with gratitude that You are truly the strength of my heart. My heart and this body may fail. It may weaken or even give out. But You are my true, inner strength that helps me make it through, and when this life and journey become too much for me, too much to handle, when my health and circumstances are too much to bear, I can turn to You for help and strength. 

I release all my weariness and exhaustion to You and draw from Your well of care because You nourish, feed, and strengthen me by Your gracious attending. Today I affirm this beautiful, encouraging promise over my person, my circumstances, my health, and my heart. Thank you for being the strength of my heart and my portion forevermore. Amen 

 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.—Ephesians 4:32

When you are tenderhearted you are compassionate, easily moved to love, pity or have sorrow for. God teaches us to be that way towards others because he is that way towards us, first and always. 

Even and especially during our times of suffering God is compassionate and tenderhearted towards us. We might lose count of the ways God is tenderhearted toward us during sickness and suffering. 

In Isaiah God says he does not come to break the already bent over or make things harder for us as we suffer in any way, instead he comes to ease our suffering because he is compassionate and tenderhearted.

Your suffering moves God to show love toward you. He sends others to you to help care for you. He finds ways to help you know how much he loves and cares for you. God does not forget you for even one moment of the day. For as long as you live on earth God will feel tenderly toward you. 

Dear God, thank you for being tenderhearted toward me and for being moved by my suffering. I am comforted just knowing your compassion toward me is daily. I will depend on your mercy and find strength in your care. Amen         

 I love you, O LORD, my strength. 

You are my rock and my fortress and my deliver,

You are my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.

You are my shield, and my horn of salvation, my amazing stronghold that does not totter or collapse under the weight of my needs and concerns. 

I call upon your name day or night and you are always listening, always responding, and bringing something good to me; gifts in my day I did not know were coming.

I praise and thank you for always delivering me from my strong enemies. Not the enemies that are around me. They do not concern me. But those that lurk, just waiting for an opportunity to rise up that are inside me: 

doubt, fear, skepticism, self-rejection, other-rejection, pride, hard-heartedness…

all these and so many more waiting to way lay me, not wanting me to enjoy a moment’s peace or joy.

With my whole heart I bless you, Lord!

With my whole being I praise you, O my God! 

 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “bless me, even me also, O my father!”...Then he said have you not reserved a blessing for me…Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” –Genesis 27:34,36,38 ESV

The woman bent over for eighteen years in the Gospel of Luke may have felt like Esau at times. She must have seen many healed of their conditions in her time of suffering. Her private prayers may have been a lot like the plea Esau said before his father, Isaac, “Father don’t you have a blessing for me also? do you have just one blessing? Isn’t there something left in the storeroom of heaven for me?”  

During lengthy illness or severe chronic conditions it may feel or seem as though all the blessings of healing are being been distributed and poured out upon others but for whatever reason you have not gotten yours. As much as we try to keep the faith and put on a good and hopeful front, sometimes in the secret places of our mind and heart we wonder when is our blessing of healing coming. God is not offended by that. He knows its hard to suffer and the longer we suffer in our bodies the frailer and weaker we become. 

There is one thing to hold onto: there is always a blessing with your name on it. God is never depleted and never runs out of blessings. Its not a matter of if there is a blessing of healing for you, but a matter of when God will send it. Until then, he asks you to trust him, continuing holding on to him, bring your weariness to him, and let him love and care for you. 

Isaac dug deep and knew he had not run out of blessings and was able to give one to his son, Esau!

Dear Lord help me hold on as I wait for my blessing of healing…        

 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. –Daniel 1:8

You don’t have to adopt the eating styles of a vegan or vegetarian to experience and live in sound health. You can make it one of your principles to eat a well-balanced and healthy diet and enjoy better health that way.  

Eating healthily in a world where there is temptation all around is extremely difficult. We are tempted by the smells and fragrances that assail our nostrils and it doesn’t help if we are out and about and hungry! The temptation to grab something; anything is almost more than we can bear and sometimes is more than we can fight against.

Daniel had a way of eating that he refused to go against. Everything from the king’s table was available to him and he could have folded in under pressure, but he didn’t. He had a point to prove. He planned to bring glory to the MOST High God in a pagan atmosphere and environment. The chief eunuch was skeptical but gave Daniel permission and in the end, Daniel not only looked better and was stronger than all the others he was promoted and held in high esteem.

When we want to have strength to resist those things that are bad for our health God will give us the strength we need, and our God and body will benefit from our disciplined lifestyle.

Lord, I don’t always have the discipline I want to have when it comes to eating healthy. Help me Lord to incorporate more…          

The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness. –Psalm 41:3

People who have endured lengthy illnesses know what its like to be sustained by God. Being sustained means to have endless supply, to be nourished and supported. Biblically speaking being sustained by God means to experience his continual blessings.

You don’t have to have a boatload of energy or strength in your day or journey. Just enough to accomplish the things that are necessary and most needful. God knows how much strength or energy to send you.

What is your testimony about being sustained by God during your health crisis? How have you personally experienced God in your life and circumstances in amazing ways? Does the ways God sustain you surprise you? Are they surprising others?

Knowing God will sustain you can help take your mind off what the medical tests show, the diagnosis and prognosis say and put your focus on who and what you know about the One who can keep, hold, and sustain you in every condition.

Lord, your promise to sustain me on my sickbed and restore me from my bed of illness comforts and strengthens me in my journey… 

Thus says the LORD, “Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.” Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LOIRD saying, Now O LORD, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart. And have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, “thus says the LORD…I have seen your tears I have heard your prayer…I will add fifteen years to your life. –2 Kings 20:2-5, 6    

King Hezekiah had gotten a word from the Lord he didn’t want to hear. Instead of being told he would recover from his illness he was told he was going to die. His first instinct was to turn to God and pray. God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and changed his mind concerning Hezekiah’s fate. What a rejoicing moment! 

Hezekiah had a good outcome. He received disappointing news, but God reversed his decision concerning Hezekiah’s death. We shouldn’t let anyone tell us all things aren’t possible with God! No matter what news we receive concerning our health we can know God is mighty to act on our behalf and we can pray in faith knowing God can change our outcome. The apostle James wrote “we have not because we ask not.” We won’t know what God is willing to do on our behalf until we ask him to do it. The child of God can approach the throne of God in faith knowing not only are God’s love for us is perfect, God’s power is perfect, and God’s decisions are also perfect.  

God, even when we have received a prognosis that says we are terminal we don’t have to give up praying for more time. We believe you can answer our prayers, honor our requests, and extend our days. All human life is in your hands and we accept your decisions. Amen          

  The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. –James 5:16

When we are sick or laying on a bed of affliction, it’s hard to pray for ourselves at times. We might find we don’t even have the wherewithal to pray. We may even start to worry and be concerned that we cannot pray as we once did. This is the time we need the prayers of others. 

Several places in the Scriptures remind us there is power when others pray for us. James wrote the prayers of the faithful are powerful and effective. 

What a blessing to have a group of prayer warriors on our team! Those who are praying for us and taking our needs to the throne of God. When we know people of prayer are praying for us, we can relax and do the work of getting better. We might not be able to pray as we once did, but we can fulfill our end and believe those prayers being lifted up for us are powerful and effective and be assured God is taking each one in and working a healing on our behalf.

Father in heaven, thank you for all who are praying for me now!     

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen—Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV

In our thoughts and mindset, it can be so easy to limit what God can do based upon our own human limitations and resources. In our thoughts or subconscious, we can be thinking God can heal but he “probably” cannot heal our kind of illness or our drastic circumstances. We‘ve heard of God healing cancer but we may be thinking that our kind or stage of cancer is beyond his healing touch. We’ve heard and experienced him paying bills and providing financially but may believe our large hospital or medical bills are more than he can pay. On and on our thoughts can go. 

Paul gives a good reminder that God can do abundantly more than anything we can ask or think or pray. According to and based upon our power then we might expect God to do only so much, or only go so far when, in actuality, God can go all the way and beyond that.

Everything God does is for his glory. Everything Jesus does is for the glory of God. And everything the Spirit does glorifies both Father and Son. They are all working in concert and in everything they do—including healing, providing, answering our prayers and our needs they will be glorified.

Lord, Father of all hep me to reacclimate my thinking to know without a doubt you can do abundantly more than all I could ask or imagine or think…   

And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine—I Samuel 17:32, ESV

David was a brave young man. He stood against the giant, well-armored Philistine when all the others were quaking in fear. None of Saul’s men wanted to fight the giant. Day after day the giant came to the front line and taunted Saul’s men. And day after day the men stood at a distance. 

David had sized Goliath up and figured out his strategy. He inquired about the reward for fighting the giant and then offered to do it. Saul was more than willing to let him and even had David fitted with his own armor, but David refused. He wasn’t comfortable in it and decided to go onto the battlefield the way he was. So, he took his slingshot and five smooth stones and stood against the giant Philistine. Even when Goliath taunted David, he didn’t back down or tremble, he took his shot and the giant fell.

Sometimes sickness can be scary. Sometimes we must come up against giants such as cancer and diabetes, sickness and diseases medical science hasn’t found a cure for yet. 

Sometimes we are offered treatments we aren’t comfortable with and decide to find alternative treatments. The way we battle a disease can be as personal and unique as we are. Whatever we are up against and whatever way we feel led to address or fight it, God will give us David strength and courage. We can remember, just as there is nothing so big God cannot overcome it, nothing so broken God cannot fix it, nothing so damaged God cannot restore it, and no one sick God cannot heal them.    

Whatever sickness you battle today God will give you the strength and courage you need.

God, you gave David understanding and strategy to fight against the giant Goliath. May I have that same courage and strength to fight the illness that is threatening to take my life…         

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope—Romans 15:13, ESV

In some places its taught that when a Christian becomes ill or has disease they are under Satanic attack, that the devil is messing with them, or that they have done something wrong. 

This is not only not helpful, it’s not always true. Yes, the devil can petition God to make us sick, but God will only allow that to happen when it serves Gods purposes for our life and not because Satan has any favor with God. And yes, at times we will experience illness and health conditions because of things we have been doing or not been doing but that is not God getting back at us it is because our bodies are flesh and need to be cared for properly and we’ll feel the effects of mistreatment.    

Because we live in a fallen world and have frail bodies, we will experience sickness and disease at times. Whenever sickness comes, however sickness comes, what God wants us to do more than anything is don’t despair and don’t feel hopeless but look to Him! He is still on the throne of heaven and still in control of healing our earthly conditions. We can never be too sick for God to heal us on earth if that is His desire for us.  As Paul preached and prayed even in sickness may we not only be filled with hope but abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit! 

Jesus, we could ask to be filled with hope but let us, like Paul pray to abound in hope and pray that those who are feeling hopeless today will do the same. Amen 

 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust—Psalm 103:14

We are constantly learning how to live in and care for these frail bodies. We are blessed to live in an age where new inventions with medical science and in technology can assist us more and more as we strive to be in greater health and take better care of ourselves.

Our first admittance might be the very thing that sets us upon a path to greater health and strength. Just knowing our body is not invincible, gets weak, weary, and sometimes breaks down to the point of becoming sick or experiencing disease and dis-ease.

One way sickness can help us go forward in a good way is making us acknowledge we are humans and prone to the things and conditions humans experience. We are not superhuman but human: flesh and blood which is not a bad thing. When we experience illness, we don’t have to fear or be discouraged although we are human and frail God is neither one of these and will help us and strengthen us and renew us! God never loses sight that we are human and need His help and assistance in daily life.

Whether we are working towards getting better or healing from sickness or just in general God is here to go the distance with us and help us rebuild and move forward.

Father, thank you for keeping our fragile state in mind. Today I pray for…    

  And I will ask the Father, and h will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth—John 14:16

At times we receive a diagnosis and prognosis we didn’t want to hear. Not all news is good news—we may know this in the back of our mind and logically but when we hear it, that is something altogether different. 

We have a Friend in the holy Spirit who will help us receive and accept the truth we learn about our health just as he has assisted us in all matters of our life. The truth is not always easy to take but the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends to us, will help us. In fact he will reveal truth to us in such a way many times we are not even surprised at what we learn from medical staff or the doctors attending our case. 

When God reveals truth he knows it may take us a minute to process and digest the news—especially when it is not the best news. But he will also come to us to help us see ways we can go forward with what we know. We can ask him to help us use the truth we have learned to glorify him, witness his power to those around us and even have the best quality of life we can give the truth we have learned.

Jesus let your Holy Spirit help me process and accept the truth I learn about my health so it…  

 When we are not feeling well our mind can think about many things; not all of it good or hopeful. Sometimes our minds can go down dark and discouraging paths. 

Concerning the Holy Sprit who is your constant companion during sickness and recovery, here is something to think about and the Word of God reveals during sickness or recovery:

He is your friend

He is your Comforter

He is your Healer

He is your wisdom Imparter

He is your peace

He is your joy-giver

He is your calming presence

He is your Strengthener

He is your teacher

He is your Self-control

He is your Guide

He is your Helper

He is your Advocate

He is an encouraging presence

He is your Hope

He is your loving presence with you and with those who come to your aid and assist you

He is faithful and will never fail you nor leave your side.

Holy Spirit thank you for your presence I ask to be aware of you today and always. Amen  

Holy Spirit, I pray, be with me in my season of weakness. Help me in my hour of need. I am weak and lowly. I am suffering with discomfort in my body but also in my soul. Sickness strips everything from you but I know it is God’s grace that sustains me day and night. It is my Father’s strength that holds me fast when I don’t think I can hold on any longer. I praise You, Lord because even in my darkest moments I can sense Your presence. I can feel the warmth of Your light and I am filled with hope. I pray for courage to endure this trial, I pray for patience as I wait on my God, help me stay in continual hope as I look to you. Amen        

But if anyone suffers as a Christian he should not be ashamed, but should glorify God with that name.--I Peter 4:16

These bodies of ours are frail and fragile. God said we just made of dust and like the grass and flowers of the field we have a short lifespan (Psalm 103:14).

truth is, we are decaying from the moment we enter this world and experience weakness, pain, and sickness during our lifetime--and some more than most. We quickly learn that not even our faith in God, nor our belief in Jesus exempts us from sickness. Just like the unbeliever and the wicked, the righteous will suffer sickness, be challenged, have challenges and disabilities.

Peter's words are encouraging. as he says there is no shame in suffering or being sick for the believer. There is no need to bow our head. The Christian who suffers in their body is not suffering due to faithlessness or weakness of faith but because even sickness serves the purposes of God for our life and can act as a welcomed instrument for leading us closer to God and experiencing his grace. It can help us call upon him for strength, leaning on him daily. This is pleasing to the Lord! 

Jesus, if we must suffer let it be for your purposes... 

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Blessed are you who are hungry now for you shall be satisfied.—Luke 6:21 

When we think of hunger, we might automatically think of that state of our body when we need to eat, but hunger can be more than longing for or needing physical food, there is also spiritual hunger we can experience in life. 

During sickness we may hunger and long to experience better health. Sometimes on earth we may not have our physical hunger satisfied immediately. Sometimes we will have to wait before we can eat food. The same is true with hungering and longing for a return to health in our bodies or mental health. Sometimes we will need to endure a journey where there is pain or procedures or tests or readjustments before our longing for health is satisfied and sometimes, we may not experience the degree of health we’d like on this side of heaven. But there is one hunger God always satisfies while we are living on earth in these bodies and that is spiritual hunger. God will satisfy our spiritual hunger by giving us more of himself. Because Jesus enters into our journey with us, we may not be free of pain, we may have to live with chronic conditions, we may have to go through procedures and tests or be disciplined to take prescribed medications to keep our body or mind in check or balanced, but Jesus is with us all the way and because he is with us to the very end, even when we don’t experience perfect or renewed health we will have strength for our unique journey and in that way we will be satisfied and at peace. 

Jesus, my soul longs for renewed health. I don’t want to be sick in this body forever. I will keep praying for better health but I will also remember that even when better health does not return right away you are here to satisfy my spiritual health so I can be filled, strengthened and at peace. Amen          

 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:2-3, ESV) 

Can you sense your inner thoughts and attitude shifting if you begin to think about your time of recovery as resting in God’s meadow grass and pastureland or being beside quiet or still waters?

If it seems as though the Lord has purposely arranged a special place for you to heal, he has. Meadows and quiet streams are for the weary, the sorrowful, the troubled and the sick. Even before there was a need to heal, God made a place for you because he knew it was coming and would be needed for your body and soul.

Your healing and strengthening is important to God. He knows all humans are frail dust and has our fragile state in mind, always. Notice how David didn’t say God forces us to quiet places but leads us. Taking us by the hand, not shoving us forcefully. In the Gospels we also see how Jesus set the example for his disciples after they returned from their tiring journeys of ministering to others, he took them away from the crowds to rest and talk and today he leads us by his Spirit to be healed in the places he provides. Jesus shows his love for us by providing healing places and we show our trust in him by enjoying those places he provides for us.

Prayer Starter…

Jesus, thank you for providing everything I need for my healing journey. May I take these opportunities to meet with you in the places you provide for me…     

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life for I am no better than my fathers.” (I King 19:4)

Whether we’ve been sick or suffering in some other way for an extended time it’s hard to keep a positive attitude and stay hopeful. The prophet Elijah had been battling enemies and he was emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. He was so discouraged he ended up asking God to just take his life. He had had enough and just wanted to go home to be with the Lord. Then he laid under broom tree and waited for God to take his life. 

My oldest sister has suffered physically for many years. Her list of sicknesses mostly digestive and colon related have hospitalized her, kept her from her work as a professional braider for celebrities, caused her to undergo more than two dozen surgeries and enduring pain beyond the tolerance of most. At times it hasn’t looked very hopeful that she would continue to be with us. She has been through a lot without compliant but there have been times she has shared that death will be a welcome relief. Though we keep her encouraged to press through her suffering her feelings are understandable and we don’t judge her. 

The prophet Elijah felt overwhelmed with life and had grown weary. He found a place in the wilderness to be alone and wait for death but God would not let him slip away so easily. God baked a cake for him on hot stones and provided a jar of water for him to drink. Like he does my sister and so many others during severe suffering, God cared for Elijah.  

When we are at that place that says we’ve “had enough” God does whatever is needed to undergird and strengthen us. For all of us there will come a time when we are delivered from all suffering, when God will answer of prayers of “enough” by brining us home to be with him, but until then God will care for us and let us know we are not alone on our journey.

Prayer Starter…

Thank you, God for sustaining and strengthening me whenever I feel I’ve had enough. Today I pray for…      

 Surely he has borne our griefs( sickness, weakness and distresses and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment)…and with the stripes (that wounded ) he in we are healed and made whole (Isaiah 53:4-5, AMP)

When our children were small and became ill, I always wished I could take their sickness from them and bear it myself. I hated to see them suffering in the way they were. When one of our daughter’s was in kindergarten she went through a difficult period. She started out with the flu and after that had meningitis. It was difficult to see her so sick and at such a young age. She was already small but her sickness was taking its toll and she lost weight and looked pale. Most days were spent sponging her down to give her relief from her fever, holding her, praying for and over her, and helping her get as comfortable as possible. At one point she became so hot she began to hallucinate. I was grateful for her pediatrician who was always available and a tremendous help. We praised God when she pulled through. She missed out on most of her kindergarten year but when she returned to school she received the Most Improved award because she worked hard to catch up to the rest of her classmates academically.

Our daughter’s ability to pull through and hang on during sickness reminded us each day the Lord’s promise to bear our sickness. To this day we remember that is what he does. As you are enduring sickness or in recovering you can remember what the Lord does for you as well. He takes our pain and sickness onto himself and leaves us with the little we can bear. Because he bears the brunt we can pull through the rest. Jesus is truly a faithful, loving partner in sickness.

Prayer Starter

Jesus thank you for this fresh perspective. On days I feel as though I can’t bear anymore I will remember I don’t bear my sickness alone but you are my partner through it all…        

 Build houses and live in them. Settle in the land. Plant gardens and eat the food you grow. Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters be married. Do this so that they also may have sons and daughters. Have many children and grow in number in Babylon. Don’t become fewer in number. Also, do good things for the city I sent you to. Pray to the LORD for the city you are living in because if there is peace in that city, you will have peace also. (Jeremiah 29:5, ERV) 

This was not what the Israelites wanted to hear. What they wanted was to be rescued, delivered. After all, God was able, capable to do whatever he wanted to do. Why would he tell them to settle in a place they didn’t want to be, a place where they didn’t have control and were foreigners at the beck and call of their captors. All the same, God instructs them to not merely make the best of their time in captivity, but to prosper, increase.

The Israelites’ captivity was not much different than your time of illness. You’re in a place you don’t want to be also. You’re not the one in control. In sickness—no matter how severe or brief—you don’t have complete control but it’s your body that is in control. What you want is to be released from sickness. To be healed. 

The Israelites increased and were fruitful because they followed God’s instructions and you can increase and be fruitful in a number of ways also.  Sickness might prove to be a time where your character, your mindset, your attitude or principles for living are challenged and changed. The capacity of your endurance is tested but enlarged. The season you deepen your faith in God. You can increase in any way God has planned for you during this time.     

God can use any time of life, any season—including that of illness—to do wondrous things in our life. If we let him, he can take the times that only seem barren and void and turn them into times where we gain new life, new focuses going forward, and a new appreciation for life and for his companionship and headship. 

While God knows how you feel about being sick and want to get on with life, he asks you to trust him. Trust his timing and trust what he wants to accomplish in and through you is going to be great and fruitful.

Prayer Starter…

Lord, I’ve just wanted to be on with life, on to the next thing, not remain here in sickness. I recognize you are in control of everything, including how long I am here. Since this is so, I pray to/for… 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18, ESV)

When I had major surgery, it was a good feeling to know I had one of the best surgeons in his field to perform the surgery. It gave me and my family also a great deal of peace and assurance that I was going to not only make it through the surgery but had a good prognosis for life going forward. We believed God was building a solid team of doctors to help me get my health on track and be strengthened.

Our heavenly Father has put a Team in place for as none other than the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each one has a unique purpose in our life. When we are part of God’s family we are surrounded by the very best.

Right now, during your illness or recovery your Spiritual, Supernatural Team us in place guarding, keeping, watching over, strengthening, protecting, and healing you. Knowing with certainty they are with you. You can be at peace, sleep soundly, awake with fresh faith and look forward to the day ahead of you. 

Whenever you become afraid or uncertain you can talk to any of your Holy Team. They’ll know exactly what to say and do to help you have the peace of mind you need. 

Prayer Starter…

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, how comforting it is to know I’m covered and surrounded by the very best. Not for one second of the day am I left alone or on my own. Today, as I face…

But he knows where I am going and when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. (Job 23:10)

Job suffered multiple losses: children, possessions, even his physical health was impacted. Yet, through it all he held fast to one thing knowing when God was through testing him he would come forth as pure as gold. That’s not saying every sickness or loss is arranged or sent by God to test our faith, but it is to say every sickness and or loss can show us what kind of faith we have in God. Especially sickness and our attitude during can reveal is our faith is rock-solid or built on the sinking sands of ease and comfort.

The devil temps us during illness to turn away from our faith, to accuse God. Jobs wife and his friends could not understand how or why he continued to hold onto God as strongly as he did, yet Job would not be persuaded to let go of what and who he knew.

We can repeat Job’s words as we suffer anything, including illness. Like Job, we can remember God has a reward waiting for us at the end of all suffering. When God get’s through with us and our test is complete God says what we long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”    

Prayer Starter…

Thank you, Lord, for the assurance of what awaits me when I come through my health struggle. It may not be that you are testing me through sickness, but I can still let my attitude show how firmly my faith is in you now and always. Amen 

 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. (Matthew 8:3) 

In Jesus’ day lepers were isolated. Once they contracted leprosy, they could no longer be part of the community. They had to leave their family, they could not attend their synagogue, they could not go to the market to shop or be in a crowd. Gone were their days of getting hugs or visits from friends. They were not able to have human contact except for these who had leprosy. How miserable and isolated their life became all because of a contagious disease. Can you see how Jesus touching a leper was all the more astonishing and noteworthy? 

Sometimes, even in this modern day and age people are still uncomfortable being too close to the sick, touching those who are ill it’s not even about if they have an infectious disease, some people just don’t like to come that close. The distance of people can sometimes make us feel worse, unworthy, and lonely. The good news is that Jesus still loves to hug, he still loves to touch and he will make sure to send someone your way so he can hug you through them.  

Hopefully, unless you have something that is highly contagious, you are still receiving lots of hugs from family and friends. A hug can go a long way in helping us heal and feel better! 

Jesus, thank you for the hugs you send to me through others…  

 I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him. (Exodus 15:1-2, ESV) 

God had just done an amazing thing for his people. He had won a battle for them against their enemies. 

Have you ever heard the saying “God is a man of war”? (Exodus 15:3) not because God is violent like the violent, we encounter and hear about in this world, but because he will not be overcome in battle he will not be defeated whether it’s a battle with an earthly enemy, a battle with Satan and the devil or a battle with any sickness. There is no battle God cannot or will not win on behalf of his children.

Moses led the Israelites in song when God helped them win their battle. God is your strength and will be your song also. 

You don’t have to wait until your battle with sickness is over, you can praise God now. A song of praise to God can help strengthen us as we battle illness!

Great and glorious God, my battle’s not over yet but in anticipation of healing and victory I can praise you through a song of praise today…          

 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.—Matthew 8:1-3 

Such a simple request filled with faith! Such a simple response from Christ! And shouldn’t you believe He is ready to do the same for your own? Certainly, there are many that might come to mind today that need your prayer in this way, but today the greatest need you know and feel may be your own. You can pray this text for yourself as you suffer any type of infirmity. The need may be different, but the Savior who is willing to hear and to heal is the same!

You might pray something as simple as,

Christ, my Healer, if You are willing You can heal me. I pray, stretch out Your hand and touch me! Thank You for your willingness to heal me. Thank You for hearing my pleas for healing and thank You for Your willingness to share Your healing power with me as I struggle under the condition of…   

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me. (Genesis 16:13)

Hagar called God “El Roi” which means “the God who sees me.” Knowing God saw her in her suffering was important to Hagar. She was in a complicated situation. She didn’t make the rules and it was difficult—to say the least—to endure mistreatment in a situation she didn’t create. Hagar wanted to run away but God sent her back home, promising to take care of and provide for her and her child.

God’s promise of care is not limited to circumstances like that of Hagar, Sarah and Abraham. His promise of care extends to and covers you also. God’s promise of care is not limited to one set of problems or needs, but whatever our needs are God will provide the are we need.     

God knows how much you are and have suffered with your illness/disease. How much you’ve had to endure and deal with. He also notices how you have used the time of illness to draw closer to him and seek his help to manage your illness. And how you are relying on his word for encouragement and strength. He saw Hagar in her struggle and he sees you also. Sickness, relationship problems, life struggles, financial challenges, it doesn’t matter what our need is or why we need Go to see us and care. He always does!

Prayer Starter…

You see me, Lord and that’s the most important thing to me. I don’t know how long this will take to heal but just knowing you see me in my health struggle is encouragement to get me through… 

 Key Verse to Read and Treasure:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9)

Do your strengthening exercises… 

Don’t forget to take your meds…

Make sure you…

Doing the things that are prescribed by our doctors or that we just know are beneficial for healing and strengthening can be, not just physically, but  mentally and emotionally exhausting. When we don’t see results right away we’re tempted to give up; resolve ourselves to be sick or remain in a weakened state.  

Whether we are doing good spiritually, towards others, or for health and healing there is a great reward or harvest in our future. Staying with the good work of healing and doing those things that support and lead to healing will pay off.

It’s a good reminder that we don’t always see immediate results even when we’re doing all the right things; following doctor’s order to the “T.” 

Part of doing good is waiting on the harvest to come. Knowing it will pay off if we keep going in the same direction. Part of the “harvest” you will reap from doing good is being strengthened and encouraged yourself, through your own encouragement and well-doing. You will also fall under God’s radar for someone who keeps the faith and finds their strength in him. You will experience the warm smile of God and he will reward you now and in eternity! 

Dear Jesus thank you for this encouragement! I try to stay encouraged but some days it’s hard to do. Your Word keeps me strong and focused. Thank you for your faithfulness. Amen

For Application

What is the good you are doing right now to be stronger and heal? Do you respond better to outside encouragement or, are you plus Jesus your own encouragement squad?  

 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ[‘s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV)

Have you ever heard it said “sometimes God will reduce you to a place of strength?”

At times God will allow us to be reduced to our place of strength, meaning he does not want us believing we are our own rescuers or healers. 

God does not bring about or cause our suffering, but he will often allow us to be in a weakened state for a period of time to let us see he is our only true Rescuer. It is only by his power we are delivered. By his healing we are healed. By his grace we are sustained and kept.

When we know without a doubt we didn’t become stronger on our own, healed by our own power, are humbled to turn and give God the glory and praise him. 

God’s grace and care are his special gifts to us. We are humbled to know his grace has been sufficient to sustain and carry us through. 

God will reduce us to strength in order that we may depend upon him even more. In order to allow his grace to be enough until he raises us off our sickbed.

Prayer Starter…

God, your grace is sufficient, and is enough. Your power is made strong in my weakness…

 And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man of his parents, that he would be born blind?” (John 9:2)

It was a common thought during Jesus’ day for people to equate illness with sin. Even Jesus own disciples often wanted to understand how someone became sick. Jesus carefully explained to them sickness does not have to be anyone’s fault.   

It’s a sobering thought, but true, simply living in these bodies of flesh can cause illness. Whether from poor genetics or from age, our body starts to die from the time we are born. We cannot leave our fleshly body until we die, so we can expect that while our mind and spirit are strong, our body will be weakening. Whether its airborne illnesses or something else many things contribute to our illness and can infect us without God or the devil being the cause. 

When we become sick, if we recognize the things we have done or not done that have contributed to our illness we can confess them and ask God to forgive us, but even without any known or intentional negligence on our part there is not much of anything we can do to keep our bodies from breaking down and growing weaker as we live on earth.

What we can do is be at peace knowing God is with us and is able to show his glory through our illness.  

Prayer Starter…

Father God, you made these bodies to be flesh and blood, but you did not mean for them to last forever, only to take us through our earthly journey. Hel pus to care for them properly and forgive us when don’t always. I pray your mercy and healing on my body as I try to heal from the condition of…  

 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statues.” (Psalm 119:67-68)

Verse 71 states, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” 

The psalmist was not saying we are sick because we are wicked. He is not saying that God is punishing you for the sins you have committed through your illness. But rather, how suffering can be a way of getting closer to God and finding God’s will in a new way. 

These verses are a reminder that sickness causes us to stop and think more about what God wants and give us an opportunity to hit the reset button on our life. 

In sickness we can enjoy a renewed relationships with God and experience how God is waiting to nurse us back to health so we can follow his ways more faithfully. 

The treasures of sickness can be hidden but hey are rich and worth exploring.

Prayer Starter…

Thank you, God, for even though suffering and sickness if difficult to endure there is great good to come out of it. We can have a chance to reset our life and renew our faithfulness to you. As I come out of my illness help me to…   

 “But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time.” (Galatians 4:13, ESV)

No one is quite sure what Paul’s ailment was that caused him to stay longer in Galatia. He could have been suffering with Malaria or even Epilepsy. What is certain is that a blessing came from him having to rest where he was instead of moving on in his travels. Because he had to stay awhile in Galatia, he was able to preach to the congregation there. They formed a close knit relationship as a result. Later, in writing to them, Paul remembered how kind they were. Though he wasn’t well they did not treat him as though he were a burden. He remembered that always. 

We never know how God plans to use our time of sickness. There are blessings we cannot conceive and only God knows are coming through our illness. Illness is a wonderful time to be attentive to the Holy Spirit. It is also at these times the Spirit will guide us, send us to places we need to go, arrange for us to meet someone who will turn out to be a blessing to us or we to them. We can thank God for the blessings only he can see and only he can arrange and just as Paul did, we end up saying to others, later, “If it had not been for my sickness, I never would have…”.

Prayer Starter…

Lord, keep me open to your voice help me to be sensitive to your direction for surely there is a blessing in in for me or others…            

 As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11, ESV) 

God did not cause your suffering or sickness. God never brings sorrow and suffering. He is a loving, caring, compassionate, providing God who only wants to bless his people. God did not cause your suffering or sickness but he will use it to accomplish his purposes in you and on earth. 

Your times of sickness will not be wasted but God will put them to good use. If it were left up to God you would not suffer at all but since sin entered in suffering has become part of the earthly life. God will not reverse that but he will use it for his glory and our good. 

Rain and snow seem the opposite of what we want which is sunshine all the time. But the farmer needs rain for their crops and the ground needs snow to saturate the earth. It may be hard to believe today but even your sickness will end up being a place of blessing. Causing your life or the lives of others to flourish in some way that cannot be understood today.   

Prayer Starter…

Father, just as each season on earth and the elements of rain and snow all have a purpose. They water the earth and make it to flourish. I know my sickness has a purpose also. I can’t see it right now but I am trusting you for/to…  

Abide in me. (John 15:4, ESV) 

What did the abiding life in Jesus look like for you when you were well? Were you a dedicated follower? Were you one who took time to worship and read your Bible regularly? Were you someone who took time to pray and nourish your soul in God’s word? Chances are that your abiding life before sickness has gone a long way to strengthen you now during sickness. 

To abide means “to come and never leave. To remain or stay. To live or to dwell.”

In sickness or in health Jesus invites us to abide in him. Today you may not have the strength of body or mind to study the Word of God as you once did. You might not be able to get out and attend worship or even participate in online or virtual worships and Bible studies. Jesus understands that. You may not even be your best at praying anymore, yet, you can still abide in him.

Did you know the name Christ means Healer. Jesus invites you to abide in Christ the Healer and that can be as simple as spending time in his presence during your quiet moments. Even if your days and weeks are filled up with attending to self-care, going to the doctor, and going through various therapies you can still abide. See yourself in the Lord’s presence. Ask him to enrich your soul with his own sweetness and strength.  

The Bible says only one word “Jesus”, or one sigh and the Lord will hear and draw close. No one knows your condition better than the Lord and no one knows more than he does that you want to continue that deep, sweet, life-giving, abiding relationship with him, more than you do right now.      

Prayer Starter…

Jesus, even though I am weak in my body I still desire to have (continue) our abiding relationship. I ask you to give me strength to…

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.—Romans 15:13

As you have experienced illness have you also noticed how God is your best cheerleader? How he’s always coming alongside to not only comfort or strengthen you but to encourage you on your journey to wholeness? Paul writes God is a God of hope. He can fill us with all joy and peace not just for times we are feeling well but during our illnesses also.  

When we abound in something it means to be plentiful, to be filled up, to have an abundance of. God comes to fill us up with himself and his Spirit of hope. He enters in and makes sure we have plenty of and an abundance of hope so we will not run out or experience depletion in this area. God is our God of hope and he passes on that hope to us so we can have strength of body, mind, and soul to keep going forward and continuing this life full of hope. 

During illness hope is especially important to have and hold onto because there is so much than can drain us, so much that discourage us and cause us to be hopeless. The character and attitude of God is one of hope and he passes that hope to us, so we share it with him.

We don’t have to wait for test results or results from scans or results from biopsies to feel hopeful. We don’t have to be told we are in remission or everything is all clear to be full of hope. We can be hopeful because our God of hope is with us and filling us with hope that does not run out.    

Prayer Starter…

Lord, I welcome your hope especially now as I await...   

 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.—Proverbs 3:5

It was a warm day for February. We went outdoors to get a few things done. While I waited for my husband I leaned against the car enjoying the warm sun. As I did so I had no doubt it would hold me up. I didn’t feel the need to brace myself in case it didn’t. The car was not only larger than me it is a sturdy piece of machinery. Rock solid. My weight would not move nor budge it at all. 

The word lean means depending on something for support. In our lifetime we might lean on our own understanding for various things. But in other times like sickness when only so much can be known to human wisdom we need to lean on God. Just like I leaned against our car with certainty it would hold me up and not let me fall God is that reliable presence and power to lean on, depend upon to hold us up, get us through, help us endure and persevere.

Prayer Starter…

God, you are my mighty God, my Rock, the One I can lean on during this time and any time of life. When I am afraid or confused help me to lean not on my own understanding but solely on you. Today I lean on you for…    

 Yahweh, you’re the bedrock beneath my feet.—Psalm 18:2 (TPT)

Bedrock is the unbroken solid rock overlaid by soil or rock fragments. It’s that unweathered rock lying between surface deposits of soil. The rock a geologist would have to dig for, removing the top layers of looser rocks and soil to get to.

To call God our bedrock is the same as saying he is that solid, unweathered rock, that unbreakable rock that can be found when all other fragments have been washed away or removed. You may have sung about this kind of rock when you sang “On Christ the solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand” or, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,” or Rock of Ages, Cleft for me.” 

God is the Rock that cannot be moved nor does he shift like sinking sand. He is the Rock we can build our faith, our trust, our hope, and devotion on. 

If God is your bedrock during illness, then no matter what report you get back, no matter what your chart says, no matter what your prognosis, no matter how long it takes to get stronger or be healed, you are standing on the firmest foundation that ever existed. If God is the bedrock beneath your feet, then it won’t matter what else collapses around you, you won’t fall nor will your foot of faith slip.  

Prayer Starter…

God, because you are my bedrock, I will not be afraid. Amen  

 Father of all mercies, help me to keep my focus on you when the pain and sickness I feel are overwhelming. Illness may have weakened my body but it doesn’t have to weaken my faith and trust in you. In fact, my faith and trust in you are as strong as they have ever been. I may have to put up with a long list of unpleasant things that come with being sick, but I won’t entertain doubt or unbelief. Drive them far from me, Lord. 

Jesus, I don’t know when my healing will come but I pray until it does may I be strengthened in my mind, heart, and body. Strengthened through others you send my way, strengthened through your promises. 

I pray for healing today, but if it not today then tomorrow, or the day after that or the day after that. 

Whenever you let me have comfort and peace, I will rejoice in that. Lord, guide me and bring me closer to your Holy Spirit who is my companion and strength. Amen      

For thus said the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”—Isaiah 30:15

It was a whirlwind week. My husband became ill, and we ended up at the Urgent Care. After that an appointment was made to see his Gastroenterologist. After that he was sent to the surgeon for a procedure. He returned home with a list of things to do, new meds to take, a wound-care kit, and instructions to rest. And that’s where the challenge starts.

Sick or not, the last thing we want to do is lay around all day and do nothing. Rest doesn’t seem like our friend, but an enemy. Rest is an intrusion upon our normal activities, it takes us out of the mainstream and keeps us from doing the things we love and want to do. For my husband its attending to the needs of his congregation. But when we are not feeling well or needing to heal from anything rest is the best thing we can do.

God told the people of Israel if they learned to return to him, find rest in his quietness they would be strengthened. Though the rest God invited the Israelites to was spiritual in nature the same applies to the physical body. When the people learned to heed God’s instructions, they were better off for it; they were spiritually and eternally blessed. When we learn to receive and observe rest as our bodies heal, we are emotionally, mentally and physically blessed also.

Prayer Starter…

Lord, I don’t want to be still. I don’t want to rest. What I want is to get back to my life! Help me accept rest as a necessary inactivity as I allow my body to heal from…  

 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.—James 5:14

“Thy will be done.” Is a common way to end our prayers. We may have spent time in prayer for particular outcomes, asking God to do those things that seem best in our situation or circumstances, as far as we can tell, anyway. Mentioned people by name, talked to him about our health concerns, discussed our diagnoses and prognosis and at the end, still said, “Thy will be done.”

James writes that “the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” James isn’t saying for sure God will heal us when we pray. God may choose to heal us and he may choose to wait until we are at home with him. It’s up to him. Praying in faith acknowledges God’s sovereignty over our life and circumstances.

“Thy will be done” may be the purest prayer we can pray. Praying “Thy will be done” tells God no matter what we have asked for we believe that ultimately, his will for our lives, his judgment and wisdom will be best and we are at peace to leave particular outcomes to him. We are believing his compassion is great enough, his love perfect enough. 

When we are sick, praying, “Thy will be done” is a brave, courageous, and trusting prayer. God will raise us up, maybe not off our sick bed, but to that place where higher faith lives.

Prayer Starter…

Lord, I keep seeking that “perfect” prayer that will lead to my healing. I’ve prayed so many ways, but the prayer I find the most courageous is to pray “Thy will be done….” That prayer makes me…       

 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.—Psalm 55:22

It’s never too late to start taking care of yourself. God is concerned about your health your whole life. He wants you to be the very best you can be in life. You don’t have to have perfect health to enjoy life. Church Reformer, Martin Luther said one of the blessings God gives us is to have “reasonable” health. To be in reasonable health means we may have things going on with our body—who doesn’t) but not so much that we are completely incapacitated. When we have reasonable health, we can use that as a starting point to build upon and do good with the health we have. 

Just like God can keep us in perfect peace, God can make sure our health—though not perfect—can be sustained and we can set our goals to take great care of the health we have. Chronic conditions can sometimes be considered burdens. They take a lot of emotional, mental, and physical energy to manage but even so they don’t have to keep us from living the best life we can with that condition. 

We may not have the same our neighbor or family member has but we can make it our goal to do whatever we can with the strength and health we have. When we ask him, Jesus will have us live a good life with our reasonable health as believers whom the Lord has died for, we are living in his blood and righteousness and he has promised to care for us all of our life, chronic conditions and all.

Prayer Starter…

Lord, thank you for reminding me even though I have chronic conditions I can still enjoy reasonable health and enjoy life. Help me to live as best I can with my condition of…             

 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”…then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house.—Matthew 9:1-2,6

Here's one that perplexes us. Why did Jesus forgive the paralytic’s sins before healing him? After all there are many documented healings that Jesus did not offer forgiveness first but simply healed the one infirmed. Yet, in this case—which is mentioned in three of the Gospels the people gathered around were silently wondering what the man had done to become paralyzed—which was a common association in Jesus’ day. Even the disciples often thought infirmity was caused by sin. And Jesus also knew the mind of the man needing to be healed. It doesn’t mean forgiveness was a condition of healing, only that Jesus knew the mind of the people and the man and spoke forgiveness to satisfy their carnal mind.

If forgiveness of sins were a prerequisite for healing none—or very few of us—would experience healing. God wants to make sure we are not wrestling with the thoughts of “it’s my fault” or looking for someone to blame when sickness happens. 

Though God does not withhold healing based on our innocence sometimes our guilt can keep us from realizing the healing God has sent. What Jesus was saying to the paralytic was, “Let it go, forgive yourself, take up your mat (or guilt) and go home. 

Prayer Starter…

Jesus you know the mind of humans and especially of those who are holding anything in their heart that would keep them from enjoying your healing. Today, I release 

 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?—Psalm 56:3-4 

Sitting in the doctor‘s office with my husband and waiting for him to be seen, our discussion centered on the amount of courage it takes to address our ailments.

 Fear is natural. Fear of the unknown. Fear of outcomes. Fear of findings. Fear or medical tests and procedures. Fear of what we might hear. Fear of now knowing. Being fearful can keep us from doing anything at all. Of course, indecision or inactivity may be the worst decision we can make, but, when fear is big and powerful it can also keep us from moving forward. 

One of the things most people who came to or were brought to Jesus for healing had at least one thing in common: they had overcome their fear(s). Regardless of how long they had struggled with fear, at some point fear no longer had the ultimate say, control or made the decision for them. 

It’s said that there are at least 365 references in the Bible concerning fear. Perhaps that’s because God wants to assure us every day of the year that we are not to live in the grips of fear but overcome fear by being people of courage. Being courageous doesn’t always mean we’ll have a good ending or get the news we want to hear, but at least we will know what we are dealing with going forward.

We can pray for lots of things during sickness but one of the most powerful prayers we can pray are those that ask for courage and to be courageous no matter what.

Prayer Starter...

Jesus, I am asking for courage so I can…                      

 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick—Matthew 14:14

Jesus had never been sick in his life, but he had compassion for the sick. You don’t have to have experienced sickness to have compassion. All you need to be able to do us empathize with someone who is suffering and feel compelled to reduce their suffering in some way. Having compassion is more than feelings but feelings accompanied by action.   

Our family once had a dentist who had never had a toothache in his life. Thank goodness he was a compassionate person and could empathize with his patients! 

Because he was compassionate he took great care to make sure his patients did not have any more pain than necessary for a procedure. No one loves going to the dentist when it’s going to involve pain but because he took great care and was compassionate, we never dreaded an appointment with him.

The compassion of Jesus visits us in whatever way is needful for us at the time and unique for our circumstance. If you’re sick as quickly as today, Jesus will make sure his compassion is with you in your situation.

Prayer Starter…
Jesus, thank you for your compassion already it has…

 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you.—I Peter 5:6

Sometimes God’s mighty hand seems like a heavy hand. We may not doubt his love for us but during extended sicknesses we may wonder if he has forgotten to ease up off us or give us a breather. 

The mighty hand of God is still a loving and wise hand. When we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, we are humbling ourselves under his wisdom and plans for our life. Knowing that he knows best what he is doing with us. Knowing for whatever reason our illness, ailment, or suffering is also fulfilling God’s purposes. Knowing, even in sickness God will still provide for our needs and keep his loving eye upon us every moment.  

When is the “proper time?” that God will exalt you? Only God knows. But while you wait to be exalted—whatever that exalting may look like, God is with you. His mighty hand is not just a wise and loving hand it is a protective hand and he will not let any harm come to you.

Prayer Starter…

Lord, illness is difficult to endure and humbling ourselves under your mighty hand can sometimes cause us to wonder how much longer we will endure. Thank you for being with us and knowing you will not leave nor forsake us, ever. Amen             

  Casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you--I Peter 5:8

Growing up I used to go fishing with my grandparents. My grandfather L.C. was an expert fisherman. I loved watching him get all his gear together and I especially loved watching him cast his line. He had a way of doing it that I could see, even as young as I was, he had spent time practicing and becoming very skilled at it.

Peter said we are to “cast our anxieties (cares) on the Lord, knowing he cares for us. 

Here’s a useful and effective activity to do at any time but especially when we are sick, and that is making a physical list of all the things that cause us to be anxious or to worry. If you are someone living alone, you might have concerns about who will keep an eye on your house or who will take care of your pet. Others may worry about how bills will get paid or if their insurance will cover all their medical expenses. Other concerns might be who will help care for the children or how long they will be away from work. Your list might be extensive but that’s okay. God does not set limits to what we can cast onto him. But as Peter writes, we should cast all that makes us anxious; withholding nothing.

The key to casting our anxieties is much like my grandfather did when he was fishing. He found a focal point and aimed for that. He might do this several times until his line reached the spot he was aiming for because that’s where the fish were. 

When we cast our anxieties, the Lord becomes our focal point. It may take us several tries; we may have to practice this prayer skill many times before we have become good at it, but we’ll know we have succeeded when we don't bring our anxieties back with us after prayer. 

Peter says the person who is willing to cast their anxieties on the Lord also knows they belong to a loving God who will take care of all their needs, and this gives them the peace they need.

Prayer Starter…

Jesus, I will learn to cast all my anxieties on you beginning with…

  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.—I Peter 4:12-13

Most of us will say we don’t questions God’s wisdom and why we experience sickness. “Why, me Lord.” Might not be the question we dare ask God on becoming sick but we might feel that way secretly, we might have times we entertain those thoughts when no one is looking. 

God does not think poorly of us or accuse us of being less than faith-filled when we wonder or are surprised at the fiery trial of sickness that has come into our life. He understands how we might feel surprised at the turn life has taken. The longer we are well in this life the harder it is when sickness comes upon us, and if we are those who are “sickly” from the beginning or as early as we can remember, then we are surprised and wonder about that.

God’s “rejoice” is not an admonishment or indictment, merely an encouragement. Whether he reveals his purposes for our unique journey of sickness while we are still on earth or waits until we are at home in heaven, we can know our suffering is never in vain and the glory of God will be revealed when God is ready to share it. In the meantime, we can know we are an important part of God’s plan to display his glory and power to others. We can depend upon him to give us daily strength and fill us with hope, courage, and peace each day.

Prayer Starter…

It’s hard to suffer, Lord, and sometimes we are surprised at the amount of suffering we experience. Sometimes we are surprised how our life or health is going. Thank you for not judging us when we wonder and thank you for not admonishing us when we ask…          

  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:29-31

Have you ever fainted? Fainting is a sudden temporary loss of consciousness due to lack of blood flow to the brain. Sometimes this can be caused by a drop in blood pressure and in turn the heart doesn’t deliver enough oxygen to the brain. If you’ve ever felt faint or fainted, then you know feeling that weak is not a good feeling or experience. 

Physical fainting isn’t the only kind of fainting we can experience in life. Sometimes we feel faint (weak) due to the pressures of life, due to the pressures that come with being sick for a lengthy time or experiencing an illness that stumps the medical community. Sometimes the troubles that we face in this life, sick or well are enough to make us feel weak and exhausted. 

Just like cold compresses can be helpful to those who faint physically God has a solution to our spiritual or emotional fainting: he promises to come and renew us. When we feel spiritually weak or emotionally exhausted God has an answer and remedy. He will come and renew our strength. Before long we will be strong again, ready to face our life with a new energy and outlook. The weariness will be gone, we will be good-to-go, and we will be surprised that once again we feel ready to run the race and fly like an eagle.  

Prayer Starter…

Thank you God for having a remedy to our fainting for knowing exactly what to do to revive, restore, and renew us. Lately I pray for your renewing and strength as I…                      

  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior—Isaiah 43:2,3 (ESV)

Nobody can say it quite like the Lord. He knows exactly how to give you that needed word of encouragement at just the right time. He knows when you have grown weary of medical tests, examinations, procedures. When “just one more…” becomes the mantra of the day and season.

Sometimes our health is such that we are really “going through it.” Enduring so much and more than we could ever imagine in our worst nightmares. God says he is going to stick with you in those times. He’s going to give you the strength you need, he’ll make sure you make it through, make sure you survive these rough and trying times. Most importantly he will make sure you are not consumed or overwhelmed by your trials that accompany illness. 

Who is God that he can make such big promises and do all this? He is none other than the LORD your God, the One who formed you and has plans for you, the Holy One of Israel who delivered his own people from enemies and defeat, the one who is your Savior that redeemed you and died for you. That God!

Prayer Starter…

Lord, you know all that can come when we are ill. Not just a cold or something that passes through quickly, but a condition that requires tests, doctors’ visits, treatments. Thank you for promising to…           

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”—Psalm 4:8

I’ve had times in my life when I couldn’t sleep. When I experienced serious insomnia. One is during menopause. And the other is after surgery. I had long bouts of being awake. My body was tired. I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t. on those nights which turned into early mornings I would think a lot of things; ask myself a lot of questions. Was I feeling unwell? Was I worried about anything? Was God giving me time to pray without interruption? Why couldn’t I go to sleep? Sleeplessness when we want to be asleep is a hard state to be in. You’re tired but sleep alludes you. Its pointless counting sheep or doing things to distract you. Sleep won’t come until it does.

You may be surprised to know someone as spiritual as King David had experience with insomnia. We had worries about running a kingdom, enemies attacking, family problems, sins he regretted. But he left us a wonderful and comforting reminder in Psalm 4. It is only in God we can find safety and comfort. It is at God’s door we must leave the day’s worries and activities behind. 

Sleep is the one time of our day we get to let go of everything and just restore in the safety of God’s protection and presence. If we find ourselves tossing and turning the day over and over in our mind, trying to find solutions or make plans, then it’s a good indication we haven’t given over the day or our problems and questions to God. 

God is our trustworthy Father. If he helped his own Son, who had all the sins and problems of the world on his shoulders—find rest, then he can help you sleep also.

Prayer Starter…

Father, thank you for understanding about our times of insomnia. Help us turn the day over to you so we can rest and restore. Tomorrow will come soon enough. Amen          

 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling…Be still and know that I am God—Psalm 46:1-3, 11 (ESV) 

When you are sick you pray with faith, you hope in faith, you trust in the One whom you know has everything in his hands, yet, what do you do when things don’t seem to be getting any better? When it seems as the whole world is giving away, as though the earth itself is quaking? What do you do, then?

Well, God says continue to pray with faith, hope in faith and trust in the One you know has everything in his hands. God knows when your health is not getting better and things look bleak at best your faith is tested and you start to question outcomes and even if God’s plans for your life going forward have changed. 

When the answers don’t come back the way you’d like or was hoping for God will continue to be with you. He will ride the storm with you and wants you to ride it through with him. He wants to to keep in mind that “it’s not over until it’s over,” and he has not called your life to an end so keep trusting, hoping, and praying until he says otherwise. As David says at the end of his psalm, God, the God of Jacob is your fortress you can put your trust in him. You will not be disappointed.

Prayer Starter…

Jesus, I’ve nowhere else to turn. Part of me wants to be afraid the other part wants to trust you perfectly. Help me to do the later no matter how badly things seem…                

 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him I the land and not surrender him to the desires of his foes. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.—Psalm 41:1-3

The Lord sure knows how to give us a good and strong word of comfort and encouragement just when we need it. He is an on time, right on time, God. If there is ever a time, we need to be encouraged from the Lord it is when we are weak, sick, or healing from sickness. God wants us to take his promises seriously and to be aware of what he can and will do for us. 

David said God saves us from our foes. Who are our foes during sickness? The voices and thoughts that rise within our own mind. The voice that says we will never get well, never feel better, have been forgotten by others or by God. The voice that sounds so confident telling us we are weak and good for nothing. God refutes all of this by reminding us we are his and he is our God who will do marvelous things in our life and condition he will deliver us from our time of trouble. It is he who will sustain us on our sickbed.

Prayer Starter…

God, this is music to my ears! Just what I need to be reminded of, just today I was thinking/feeling like…        

 I will never leave you nor forsake you.—Hebrews 13:5

When we become sick, we hope to get better. We hope life will not be filled with pain or sickness all our life. We hope the doctors can discover the source of our illness, we hope surgeries and procedures will go well and as planned. We hope for a number of things. Sometimes we get what we hope for and sometimes things turn out differently, but there is something we can always be sure of and that is God will never leave nor forsake us. Caregivers may change; someone new may show up to draw your blood or take your blood pressure. People may come and go; some will be strong some will faint. Some family will not be able to be close by because of geography and distance, and at some point, you may find yourself alone, without anyone around. Regardless of all the changes there is a constant presence you can rely on and that is the presence of God. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you, no matter what. No matter how long you are sick or how long it takes you to recover. God is by your side day and night, 24/7, 365/66, every second of the day and night. God’s constant presence can be a source of comfort and peace in uncertain times.

Prayer Thought…

Thank you, God for being that one constant in my life and during my illness. Your presence brings me peace of mind and strength of heart. Amen    

 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them I the inn—Luke 2:6-7 (ESV)

Jesus knows what it’s like to live in such a busy, fast-paced world that geared for the well and the strong, where there’s no room for you to be sick or take the needed time for healing. As Jesus was trying to make his entrance on earth, Mary and Joseph were turned away, being told there was no room for them anywhere. The best a woman in labor could do was take shelter in a cold stable to have her baby; God’s own Son. During your sickness or recovery, you might feel pressured to hurry up and get better, hurry up and heal because you’re slowing progress down, but God makes room for you to be sick, he provides space for you to heal. As you recover and strengthen he will be your strong tower that you can come into and be strengthened, rest, restore, and heal. Even as the world is screaming to get up, God is inviting you to take up shelter in him until you are stronger.

Prayer Starter…

Thank you, God for understanding my need to have some space to be sick/heal/become stronger. I don’t feel rushed in you, and I am so grateful for...  

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power—Ephesians 6:10 

God does not leave you to rely on your own power. When you’re sick, not feeling your best, or in the process of healing you probably don’t have much strength (if any) of your own. During sickness God will become your power. God’s power isn’t ordinary, human strength. The source of God’s strength is found in himself, the creator of all things, therefore it is not human strength, it does not have peaks and valleys; good days and bad, but is mighty, divine, unquenchable and bottomless.

Prayer Thought…

Mighty God, my strength is in you today and every day. I receive this encouraging word for my journey of healing…

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you, he will never leave you not forsake you.—Deuteronomy 31:6-8

Anyone can tell you to be courageous when they aren’t the ones going through medical tests, enduring needles, being poked and prodded, waiting for answers, feeling the pain you feel or living inside your body. And you understand—and even appreciate the encouragement of others, still, they don’t know what all it takes for you to go through what you’re going through. God commands you to be courageous and you don’t have to be that way by your own strength, but knowing that he goes with you. God is with you in every doctor’s appointment, in every medical test, each time your blood is being drawn or you’re undergoing a procedure. He’s right there. He understands. 

Prayer Thought…

Father, I try to be courageous and I might look that way on the outside, but sometimes I’m feeling anything but. Thank you for being with me. Your presence makes me strong. Your presence helps me be courageous. Amen        

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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. –John 14:27

During sickness have you had days where peace is hard to hang onto? Maybe found yourself praying to have peace as you were being told unpleasant news? Just like Jesus breathed his peace on the disciples after his resurrection, he will come to breathe peace on you. Peace might be hard to come by right now. You might still be waiting for final results or trying to determine how life will be going forward, or if you are going to feel better in the amount of time you’d like. When you have more questions than answers peace might feel allusive, but Jesus will be your peace. He will not only breathe his peace on you he will be the peace that stays by your side and takes up residence inside your heart and soul.

Prayer Thought…

Jesus, you are my peace even when I don’t have the answers I’d like or know the plan of care going forward. In you I have complete peace. Amen

 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first—Jeremiah 33:6 (ESV)

For Reflection

When we read God’s word and see the word health and healing our minds might automatically jump to bodily conditions and physical healing. But God’s promised healing and health extends beyond the physical to every aspect of human and earthly life. 

We can see how, at times God/Jesus/Holy Spirit have brought healing to the troubled mind, giving healing to the mentally unwell, healing the brokenhearted healing and restoring broken relationships; especially when our relationship with him has been broken through sin. 

From the beginning God made us in his image and treats us as whole beings. Through Paul God reminds us we are made up in three parts: mind, body, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23). Our bodies become sick and weakened, but this is not the only area God brings completeness to; not the only part of us God is concerned for. We are God’s own special creation, and he is concerned for every part of us. 

As God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, he promised health and healing to his people. He promised to bring to “it” health and healing. Judah and Israel had been wounded, broken, by their own sin against God and for a while because of their disobedience he had “hidden his face from them”(Jer. 33:5) but he now declares his promise to heal them and allow them to experience security of relationship with him and prosperity as they once knew it.  

As you look at your own life where are your broken places? Are they more than physical? Where does your need for health and healing emanate? Your brokenness or need for health and healing does not have to be for any particular reason, it can be due to your own negligence or just because you, like all of us, live in an imperfect world full of sin and people become broken or wounded for many reasons. 

God gives no conditions; he does not place stipulations. He can heal anything. 

For God it does not matter. No parts of your life are beyond his touch, no parts of your life are outside of his concern. Wherever your pain is that is where God wants to heal you. Wherever your hurt is that is where God wants to restore you. Whether it is inside or out, relational, financial, spiritual; God wants to return you to that place of security and prosperity. 

Father, thank you for your promised healing. You have made me mind, body, and spirit and in every place there is hurt, pain, brokenness I pray for your healing touch. Amen      

Application:

Because God has your entire wellbeing in mind what area might his promise be most meaningful for you?

 We recently celebrated my husband’s sixth anniversary of surviving his stroke. I still get a little emotional, choked up, and especially prayerful as we approach that date. Remembering as though it was yesterday how the team of doctors took time to explain, sit with me, answer my questions, reassure me, be patient with me. But I especially remember how each one, neurologists, cardiologist, speech therapist repeated in amazement, “It’s a miracle he made it…a miracle he came through as he did, a miracle it wasn’t worse…a miracle it wasn’t fatal.”

It seems my husband’s life has been dotted with miracles from beginning to present. Starting at birth when his mother was told she would not have any more children and continuing through childhood where he was plagued with sickness and a weak stomach. My husband recalls as a child how he fell against the hot oven and burned his wrist and face…In his teens dropping a large vat of hot oil onto his foot while at work…one accident after another, one miracle after another.

The trials of life can make us feel as though God’s miracles for us have stopped but miracles are the story of our life because God is our God all our life. Think of your own life, how many times—can you actually count—has God visited you with a miracle? What about now have you experienced a miracle of God? Are you awaiting your miracle? Even if your miracle has not arrived yet, it’s coming. That’s what God does. He sends his miracles to you through both subtle and dramatic ways, but they come at just the time he’s planned.

Working miracles are not only part of God’s activity on earth and throughout the universe they are part of his nature and care for us. They are woven into his love and he will not fail to execute them for you at just the right time.

Father, I believe in miracles. I know you have one planned for me. I can wait patiently because you are never late and you never forget me. Amen               

Reflection

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.—Psalm 77:14 (NIV)

The Apostle John was writing to his friend Gaius, whom he dearly loved. He began his letter saying “I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes with your soul.” 

What a beautiful way to begin a letter to a friend. Praying they are enjoying good health in every area of their life. Praying that all is well with them, not only spiritually, but they are experiencing good health emotionally, mentally, financially, relationally. In every way and area that can be thought.

John knew without a doubt that Gaius’ faith in the Lord was steadfast, and he rejoiced about that, but he also wanted his friend to know it wasn’t just his spiritual health that was God’s concern but his entire being.     

Some have said God does not care if we are happy or well, but Scripture does not support this. What we learn from God’s own words is that God is concerned about everything we are concerned about, and he wants us to be fulfilled and healthy in every way. God has a plan for your life and he wants you to prosper. He made you a whole being. You more than spirit. You are flesh and blood and have a life to live on earth. God wants you to live the best life possible and to be well cared for as you strive for heaven and eternity. 

That Gods is concerned for us in every way is one of the wonderful things we get to share with others. The world may not care if they are doing well, their own family may not care, but God does. Their lives and our lives are important to God he created us for himself and will watch over us for the entire journey: when we are well, during sickness and as we recover, becoming stronger. God wants it to go well with our soul just as it goes with our spirit.  

Thank you, Lord, for Johns’ careful concern for Gaius’ life. John’s letter reminds us that your care extends beyond the spiritual but encompasses our entire being and life. Amen      

For Reflection

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.—3 John 1:2 (ESV)

Have you notice how someone sharing gracious words and conversation are just the thing you need to inspire and convince you to do better about caring for yourself? Your mind is in a different place after talking with them? They might be aware of your need to make changes or have a greater discipline of health, but they are not those who fuss and ride you. Their way is gentle, loving, understanding. 

That’s another thing about Jesus, people loved and respected. They may not have realized it at the time, but he spoke the truth in love. Every day Jesus met people who needed to make a change in their attitude, their relationships with others and with God. He didn’t guilt them into doing it but simply spoke to them graciously. 

Many of Solomon’s proverbs highlight gracious people. Those who possess a combination of human tact and spiritual discernment. They always make a difference in our life and impact our health in such a way we experience healing. 

Gracious words don’t just make us feel good, they are truth. The right message delivered in the right way bless us. A person who is gracious can tell us the hardest things about ourselves and our life, the dangers they see coming our way if we continue the path we are on, yet we take them well. We do not tune them out of reject their visit or phone call. They can accomplish in one conversation what others have tried to get us to see over a hundred. Their advice is not accusatory or condemning but inspire us and makes us want to do better about ourselves; to pursue greater health. They act as messenger angels from heaven bringing gracious words that are sweet to our soul, our health and to our body.

Lord, thank you for those with human tact and spiritual discernment. They make a difference in our lives and inspire us to do better. Their few words do what a thousand have not been able to. We will not resist or reject these angels but only be inspired to listen and heed their wisdom and advice. Amen

For Reflection

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body—Proverbs 16:24

 How many prayer lists are your name on? If even one praying person knows you need prayethen its very likely there are tens, possibly hundreds of people praying for your healing. Prayers are being prayed for you in more places than you can possibly know. People love and are willing to pray for others. All they need to know is someone needs God’s help and prayers start going up. 

When Jesus returned to Capernaum the first person he encountered was a Roman officer seeking healing for his servant who was paralyzed and in a great deal of pain. The Roman officer might not have been a follower of Jesus but he knew Jesus reputation as a Healer. Jesus did not refuse the requests of the officer but simply said, “I will come and heal him.”

In the past we may have believed it’s only the prayers of the faithful that get a response from heaven. Surely the prayers of the faithful are powerful and effective but Jesus’ response to a non follower also reminds us he does not refuse the requests of those who may not follow as closely or at all. It is not our faithfulness or goodness that moves God to respond, but based upon his compassion, mercy, and faithfulness to his own promises to heal that cause him to move heaven and earth to heal us.

Whether prayers for your healing are spoken at the altar in the Lord’s house, at the kitchen table of a sometimes-occasional churchgoer, or at your bedside by someone who has never set foot in church, Jesus hears and responds just as he did to the Roman officer, “I will come and heal him/her.”              

Jesus thank you for not refusing the prayers of all who come on behalf of the sick or thins in need of healing. Amen 

For Reflection

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”—Matthew 8:5-7  

As you heal or recover, have you been thinking of all the benefits you enjoy because you belong to God? The benefits that come because of relationship.

Certainly, there are the benefits of knowing you are going to go to heaven when this life is over, and the benefit of being forgiven, not just once or a few times in life, but each time you pray and ask for forgiveness. What about the benefit of provision? God has promised to provide for his children and his provision is not limited to spiritual or heavenly matters but everyday things, practical things. If you need shelter or food or even companionship God will provide. Then there is the benefit of having the Holy Spirit coming to you and living in you to guide and keep you. He has so much beautiful fruit that he brings with him. And don’t forget the benefit of strength and bravery or courage.

David says there is another benefit too. It is the benefit of being healed. He writes, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.” The children of God have the benefit of being healed by God. 

If you are sick knowing God will heal you is a comfort beyond words. It’s true, there are some illnesses that God chooses not to heal on this side of heaven just as there are some things God will allow to remain on our medical chart, yet he continues to sustain us here on earth, but God is always healing our bodies from all kinds of sicknesses: colds, viruses, cancers. There’s nothing God can’t heal. 

When we are sick it’s a perfect time to think about David’s psalm, knowing David had experienced the benefits of being God’s child and could personally testify that God was not only a provider and Redeemer, but he was also a healer.  

God is your healer too and his promises are as strong and effective for you as they were for King David.      

God, I trust in your promises to heal me. Amen

For Reflection

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.—Psalm 103:1-4 (ESV)   

This is one of my favorite stories to revisit. This story always impresses and inspires me. Not because Jesus healed this woman in such a dramatic way, but because she maintained a spirit of worship even though she was in pain day after day, year after year. How many of us could hold on to our beliefs of worship and prayer while seeing nothing but our feet or the dirt for 18 years? By the grace of God she stayed determined to worship and pray no matter what. And it was the grace of God that sustained her until her Healer came. 

Mostly all of us know people like the woman in Luke’s story: mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, close and distant relatives who are suffering, and have been for a very long time. I know several who’s journeys of suffering are as lengthy and even longer.

Continuous, unrelenting suffering brings many questions to mind. We are not always brave enough to ask God what’s in the back of our mind. We believe if we do God will strike us down or be upset with us. As though asking is sin. What we want to ask God is “Why do so many suffer without relief and for such a long time? We want to ask why doesn’t God heal their or our suffering sooner? We want to ask what are we doing wrong when, even after we pray and fast, suffering does not go away or let up?”

The truth is, no one knows these answers and we would be deceiving ourselves and others if we pretend to have some inside information about prolonged suffering. Sometimes suffering just is. Suffering is part of life and only God knows why he allows and permits suffering for us. What we can know about suffering—no matter how long it goes on—is that, God is with us. His promise to never leave nor forsake us never changes. What we can know is that earthly suffering will remain on earth. It will not be in heaven with us, it will not be a part of our heavenly life, or eternity. We also know something else: if we must endure suffering on earth God will give us strength to endure just like he gave strength to the crippled woman for such a long time.              

Lord, so many questions we have about prolonged suffering, but you have answered all those that are important for us to know. No matter how long we suffer it will never be longer than our life on earth and you will never leave us in our suffering. Amen   

For Reflection

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years, She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God—Luke 13:12 (NIV

Do the odds of winning the lottery discurage you from playing? Are you one of those who sees you have only one chance in a million of winning that big ticket and already count yourself out because you know you will never beat those odds?   

I wonder how many people in that massive crowd gathered before Jesus started  feeling discouraged, a bit anxious and frantic that with so many crying out for healing it wasn’t likely they would be chosen; after all how could Jesus hear their cries above all the others? 

Even today there is no way to know how many might be crying out to God, calling upon Jesus  for healing at the same time as you. People all over the world: every country, every hemisphere: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. Billions of people everywhere praying to God for healing. But, just like then, you are not just a face in the crowd and there is no crowd too massive for God to heal.

This is an important, encouraging, hopeful word for those in need of healing. Jesus assures you are not just a face in the crowd or just another outstretched hand in the crowd reaching out to him for healing. Your voice is heard, Jesus sees your face, he hears your prayers coming through the crowds, more than anything he has compassion for you and will heal you.

Jesus, I come to you in the midst of the multitude; I am one of the large, uncountable crowd crying out for healing. I thirst for your touch, I am hungrier for your healing than for physical food. Even in my need I feel your compassion for me and I know you will heal me. Amen

For Reflection

Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.—Matthw 15:30-33

 O God, you will not be harsh or brutal to the broken, 

A bruised reed you will not break further, 

And a faintly burning wick you will not snuff out.

You will be gentle with the broken, the struggling, and hurting.

You will not bring or cause further damage

The sick will not grow sicker under your care,

The battered will not be beaten down more,

The weary soul will not lose its only remaining strength,

But all pain will be healed in you.

Under your care the weary soul will experience healing and regain life

You will not be impatient with the hurting, 

nor discouraged at their pace of healing

You will establish justice over their circumstances 

and in you even the wounded soul will experience justice and peace. 

Give us patience to wait upon your healing, Lord

Give us hope that does not disappoint us

Make us over so everything broken will be made whole and restored, 

given new life

The sick, the hurting, and wounded that have had little value to many, 

Are still precious in your sight and to them you will bring newness of health, faith, purpose, life, and joy.

Amen