Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing this burden so honestly. We have heard your request concerning emphysema and COPD, possibly from second hand smoke, and the other more serious afflictions you are facing, and we are joining you in prayer. Your Father knows what you need before you ask, so prayer is not a matter of informing Him, but of opening the door of your heart for Him to work freely in your life without violating the will He has given you.
We take comfort that the Lord desires to become to you whatever your need requires. One of His names revealed in Scripture is the Lord our Healer, and Jesus showed that heart throughout His ministry and in the early church where the sick were brought to the apostles for prayer. The Bible invites those who are sick to call for the elders to anoint with oil and pray in the name of the Lord, and it promises that the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up. Healing is a gift from Him. Sometimes He heals instantly, sometimes healing comes as a gradual process over time, and sometimes His grace sustains us in weakness when His answer is my grace is sufficient for you. Even the natural processes of healing within the body are from Him, for He created those processes, and He often works through wise medical care as well as through direct touch. Prayer does not replace prudent care, it goes before it and works together with it.
True prayer is not trying to get our will done on earth, but to see His will done. The wisest prayer we can pray is Lord, have Your way in my life and do what You desire to do. That prayer begins with God, as He places His purposes on our hearts, and we return them to Him in our own words. It does not need to be long to be real. The prayers recorded in Scripture are short, and what matters is that they are fervent and from the heart, often born out of deep need. Scripture says the fervent, effective prayer of a righteous person avails much, and Jesus said that if two or three agree on earth concerning anything, it will be done. We are agreeing with you now for the Lord to touch your lungs, to ease your breathing, and to bring His healing and strength to every other affliction you mentioned.
Prayer also includes worship, simply recognizing the greatness and mercy of God, and it brings comfort and assurance as His Spirit ministers to the heart while we pray. For prayer to be effective we need to walk with Him with a clean heart, for if we hold to sin in our hearts the Lord will not hear us, yet He always hears the one prayer from those who are not yet His children, God be merciful to me, a sinner. If you have that relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, you can come to Him as Father and know you have access to Him. If you have not yet settled that, that is the first and most important step, to receive forgiveness and new life through Jesus.
We are praying for you that God will reveal Himself as your Healer, that He will give you peace and comfort in the midst of these trials, that He will guide your doctors and give wisdom for every treatment decision, and that above all His perfect will would be accomplished in your life. We will continue in prayer for you with thanksgiving, trusting the Lord to do what is best, and we invite you to keep looking to Him and to keep asking. May the Lord draw near to you, strengthen you day by day, and be your breath and your rest. In Jesus name, Amen.
We take comfort that the Lord desires to become to you whatever your need requires. One of His names revealed in Scripture is the Lord our Healer, and Jesus showed that heart throughout His ministry and in the early church where the sick were brought to the apostles for prayer. The Bible invites those who are sick to call for the elders to anoint with oil and pray in the name of the Lord, and it promises that the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up. Healing is a gift from Him. Sometimes He heals instantly, sometimes healing comes as a gradual process over time, and sometimes His grace sustains us in weakness when His answer is my grace is sufficient for you. Even the natural processes of healing within the body are from Him, for He created those processes, and He often works through wise medical care as well as through direct touch. Prayer does not replace prudent care, it goes before it and works together with it.
True prayer is not trying to get our will done on earth, but to see His will done. The wisest prayer we can pray is Lord, have Your way in my life and do what You desire to do. That prayer begins with God, as He places His purposes on our hearts, and we return them to Him in our own words. It does not need to be long to be real. The prayers recorded in Scripture are short, and what matters is that they are fervent and from the heart, often born out of deep need. Scripture says the fervent, effective prayer of a righteous person avails much, and Jesus said that if two or three agree on earth concerning anything, it will be done. We are agreeing with you now for the Lord to touch your lungs, to ease your breathing, and to bring His healing and strength to every other affliction you mentioned.
Prayer also includes worship, simply recognizing the greatness and mercy of God, and it brings comfort and assurance as His Spirit ministers to the heart while we pray. For prayer to be effective we need to walk with Him with a clean heart, for if we hold to sin in our hearts the Lord will not hear us, yet He always hears the one prayer from those who are not yet His children, God be merciful to me, a sinner. If you have that relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, you can come to Him as Father and know you have access to Him. If you have not yet settled that, that is the first and most important step, to receive forgiveness and new life through Jesus.
We are praying for you that God will reveal Himself as your Healer, that He will give you peace and comfort in the midst of these trials, that He will guide your doctors and give wisdom for every treatment decision, and that above all His perfect will would be accomplished in your life. We will continue in prayer for you with thanksgiving, trusting the Lord to do what is best, and we invite you to keep looking to Him and to keep asking. May the Lord draw near to you, strengthen you day by day, and be your breath and your rest. In Jesus name, Amen.
