Silas
Beloved of All
Your burden for this dear sister is evident and it is a beautiful testimony of how she has poured herself out in prayer and in the Word for you and for many others. To hear that she now can keep down only water and milk, that she is weakened from chemotherapy, that there is fear the cancer has spread to her bones, that her body is retaining water and her arm is so limited after surgery, is heartbreaking. It is right to bring her before the Lord with urgency and tenderness.
We do pray for her healing, and we pray with confidence that Jesus is able to heal. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah bearing our sicknesses and carrying our pains, and Matthew tells us that Jesus fulfilled that when He healed the many who were brought to Him in the evening. When Jesus broke bread and said this is my body broken for you, He was showing that His suffering reaches to the whole person, spirit and body. So we have solid ground to ask Him for physical mercy and restoration, not only for forgiveness of sin.
At the same time Scripture helps us keep a balanced hope. The apostle Paul prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, and the Lord answered that His grace was sufficient and His strength would be shown in weakness. That reminds us that we cannot presume healing in every case according to our timeline, and we cannot turn a beautiful prayer like the wish in 3 John, that we would prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers, into a guarantee that God must heal everyone immediately. It was the heartfelt wish of John for his friend Gaius, and it does show us something precious, that God cares about the whole person and that there is a real connection between the health of the soul and the health of the body. The proverb says a joyful heart is good like a medicine, and we are learning more and more how true that is. Fear, sorrow and anxiety can harm the body, while peace and joy can strengthen it. So as we pray for her body, we also pray for the prospering of her soul, for peace and comfort in Christ to sustain her.
The gifts of healing are also in the hands of the Holy Spirit, who gives to each one as He wills. Scripture asks, do all have gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, and the answer is no. The body has many members with different functions, and we are to earnestly desire what God will give, while remembering that there is something even greater than any gift, and that is love. Love is patient and kind, it bears long and does not keep a record of wrongs. That kind of love is what has marked this sister as she has prayed for others, and it is what the Lord is forming in all of us through these trials. Even suffering, though it is not good in itself and is part of this fallen world where sin has brought death and disease, can be used by God to teach us trust, obedience, hope and deeper fellowship with Christ. This does not mean God sent this cancer or that her illness is a direct punishment, for many faithful people suffer illness while many others do not. In a general sense all suffering comes from the brokenness sin brought into creation, but often there is no direct cause and effect for an individual. What we do know is that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us, and that even light afflictions are working for us an eternal weight of glory as we look to Christ who Himself suffered for us.
We will not treat a fast as a way to force God to act, but we do believe the Lord sees a humble heart that seeks Him. So we ask Him to be merciful in these days, to ease her nausea, to help her retain nourishment, to reduce the swelling throughout her body, to bring relief to her bones, and if it is His will to bring about healing that astonishes the doctors. We ask Him to restore movement to her arm and to ease the damage from surgery. Above all we ask Him to surround her with His presence, to give her rest, to let her know how deeply she is loved and how her faithful prayers have borne fruit.
Father, in the name of Jesus we lift this dear sister to You. You know her body, every cell, every pain, every fear. Have mercy upon her. Lay Your hand upon her for healing according to Your perfect will. Give wisdom to those who care for her, comfort her heart, strengthen her faith, and fill her with Your peace that passes understanding. Let her soul prosper in Your love, and minister Your life to her body. Sustain her family and this friend who intercedes for her, and let Your love, which is patient and kind and endures long, be evident through them all. We trust her into Your wise and gracious hands, knowing You do all things well, and we thank You that whether in this life or in Your eternal presence, complete wholeness is certain for those who are in Christ. Amen.
We do pray for her healing, and we pray with confidence that Jesus is able to heal. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah bearing our sicknesses and carrying our pains, and Matthew tells us that Jesus fulfilled that when He healed the many who were brought to Him in the evening. When Jesus broke bread and said this is my body broken for you, He was showing that His suffering reaches to the whole person, spirit and body. So we have solid ground to ask Him for physical mercy and restoration, not only for forgiveness of sin.
At the same time Scripture helps us keep a balanced hope. The apostle Paul prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, and the Lord answered that His grace was sufficient and His strength would be shown in weakness. That reminds us that we cannot presume healing in every case according to our timeline, and we cannot turn a beautiful prayer like the wish in 3 John, that we would prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers, into a guarantee that God must heal everyone immediately. It was the heartfelt wish of John for his friend Gaius, and it does show us something precious, that God cares about the whole person and that there is a real connection between the health of the soul and the health of the body. The proverb says a joyful heart is good like a medicine, and we are learning more and more how true that is. Fear, sorrow and anxiety can harm the body, while peace and joy can strengthen it. So as we pray for her body, we also pray for the prospering of her soul, for peace and comfort in Christ to sustain her.
The gifts of healing are also in the hands of the Holy Spirit, who gives to each one as He wills. Scripture asks, do all have gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues, and the answer is no. The body has many members with different functions, and we are to earnestly desire what God will give, while remembering that there is something even greater than any gift, and that is love. Love is patient and kind, it bears long and does not keep a record of wrongs. That kind of love is what has marked this sister as she has prayed for others, and it is what the Lord is forming in all of us through these trials. Even suffering, though it is not good in itself and is part of this fallen world where sin has brought death and disease, can be used by God to teach us trust, obedience, hope and deeper fellowship with Christ. This does not mean God sent this cancer or that her illness is a direct punishment, for many faithful people suffer illness while many others do not. In a general sense all suffering comes from the brokenness sin brought into creation, but often there is no direct cause and effect for an individual. What we do know is that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us, and that even light afflictions are working for us an eternal weight of glory as we look to Christ who Himself suffered for us.
We will not treat a fast as a way to force God to act, but we do believe the Lord sees a humble heart that seeks Him. So we ask Him to be merciful in these days, to ease her nausea, to help her retain nourishment, to reduce the swelling throughout her body, to bring relief to her bones, and if it is His will to bring about healing that astonishes the doctors. We ask Him to restore movement to her arm and to ease the damage from surgery. Above all we ask Him to surround her with His presence, to give her rest, to let her know how deeply she is loved and how her faithful prayers have borne fruit.
Father, in the name of Jesus we lift this dear sister to You. You know her body, every cell, every pain, every fear. Have mercy upon her. Lay Your hand upon her for healing according to Your perfect will. Give wisdom to those who care for her, comfort her heart, strengthen her faith, and fill her with Your peace that passes understanding. Let her soul prosper in Your love, and minister Your life to her body. Sustain her family and this friend who intercedes for her, and let Your love, which is patient and kind and endures long, be evident through them all. We trust her into Your wise and gracious hands, knowing You do all things well, and we thank You that whether in this life or in Your eternal presence, complete wholeness is certain for those who are in Christ. Amen.
