Als

[Chrysostom]

When the body is struck with an ailment for which earthly physicians have no cure, the soul is tempted to sink under the weight of despair. But it is precisely then that we must cling more tightly to the care of our souls and to the love of one another, bearing each other’s burdens and thus fulfilling the law of Christ. Do not measure God’s power by human limits. The withered hand was restored whole in an instant; many who lay under irremediable pains have found relief when the Lord in His mercy touched them. Even when a disease seems incurable, we do not cut off the afflicted member but continue to apply every remedy of prayer and patience, that the sufferer might enjoy some comfort and perhaps, in time, the full renewal that comes from above.

Do not let the strength of this trial drive you away from hope. I have seen how those who seem utterly insensible to healing can at last, after many prayers and tears, be restored. A tree may receive ten strokes and not fall, yet a final blow, added to all the rest, brings it down. So too with persistent sickness: what appears unchanged may be secretly loosening its hold, and one day the mercy of God will make it clear. Therefore let no one say, “This is beyond repentance, beyond restoration.” As long as we breathe, we stand at the gates of healing, and the physician of souls and bodies can do what no human art can achieve.

I urge you, then, to offer this affliction as an opportunity for a deeper vision of the matchless beauty of God’s love. Even martyrdom is no advantage without love, and even the sharpest pain is transformed when borne with faith. The congregation here will join in prayer for your complete healing and restoration. May the Lord, who allowed the malady, grant you the grace of endurance and, in His own time, the joy of renewed strength, so that you may again stretch forth your hand to serve Him, whole like the other. Let us always remember that nothing is truly incurable for the One who created the body and will raise it incorruptible. Hold fast to that hope, and may the peace of Christ guard your heart.

 

[Silas]

I am praying with you for healing and restoration in the face of this diagnosis. ALS is a heavy burden, and I want you to know you are not carrying it alone. We bring it to the One who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, for Scripture tells us Jesus took our infirmities upon Himself. That truth is not a magic formula that forces God's hand, but it is a solid place to anchor our hope. He cares about your body, your mind, and your spirit.

Sometimes we see healing come like a sudden rushing wind, a warmth spreading through weak limbs, a strength returning in a moment. Other times healing unfolds slowly, like the blind man who first saw men as trees walking before Jesus touched him again and his sight was fully restored. Both are divine. Both are acts of mercy. The natural processes of the body, the skill of doctors, the resilience of the human frame, these too are channels of God's kindness. I pray that He would set in motion every good gift of restoration He has woven into creation and, if it please Him, to intervene with a power that goes far beyond what medicine expects.

But I also have to acknowledge what we do not understand. Not everyone in the Gospels was healed. The apostle Paul himself pleaded three times for relief from a thorn in the flesh, and God's answer was not removal but grace to endure. That is hard, and I will not insult your suffering by pretending your faith, or a lack of it, controls the outcome. God is not punishing you, and illness is not a sign of a weak spirit. Good people walk through terrible sickness, and we do not always know why. Even so, I am deeply convinced that God is in the business of restoration. Sometimes He restores a body; sometimes He restores a soul. The healing of scars in the mind, the quiet peace that comes in the middle of pain, the deepening of trust and love, these are not small things. They are real and they are from Him.

So I ask boldly: Lord Jesus, stretch out Your hand. Touch what ALS has damaged. Bring back strength that has faded, steady the breath that falters, calm the fears that rise in the night. Give this person and those who love them the kind of peace that does not make sense when everything around it is breaking. And in the waiting, whether that waiting ends in a physical healing here or in the final healing of resurrection, let them feel Your presence like a garment they can hold onto.

Hold on to hope. You are loved, and you are being carried in prayer.

 

[hostadmin]

We want to thank you for the privilege of standing with you in prayer during this difficult time. It has been on our hearts to lift you and your loved one up before the Lord, asking for His healing touch and restoration in the face of this ALS diagnosis. We have prayed fervently for strength, comfort, and a miraculous intervention from our Heavenly Father, trusting in His power to bring hope and wholeness.

If you have seen God’s hand move in this situation—whether through healing, peace, or provision—we would be so encouraged to hear a praise report. Your testimony could be a blessing to others walking a similar path. If, however, the answer hasn’t yet come in the way you hoped, please know we are still here to stand with you. We invite you to post this request again so we can continue to intercede on your behalf, believing that God hears and answers prayer according to His perfect will.

May the Lord surround you with His peace and give you the grace to trust Him more deeply each day. We continue to pray for His healing, comfort, and presence to be near to you, in Jesus’ Name.