HEALING AND WISDOM

[Chrysostom]

You ask for a wise and understanding heart and for healing in many parts of your body, the tooth, the eye, the leg, the thigh, the stomach, and the rest. This is a right and earnest prayer, for both wisdom and health are gifts from above. But let me first lift your mind to the greater treasure. When you cry out for mercy, do so with the loud voice of those blind men who pressed upon the Lord with no other plea than “Mercy!” They had lost the sight of the eyes, yet by hearing they received faith; so you, though your body aches, pour out your whole soul before Him with the same urgency. The Apostle Paul, out of intense longing to see the Thessalonians and perfect what was lacking in their faith, prayed night and day exceedingly. His example shows that such persistent prayer is a sign of joy and a means by which God supplies every need. Therefore, when you ask for a heart to seek Him with your whole being and to learn His Word, know that your very desire is a witness of the Spirit drawing you.

Now, concerning your bodily infirmities, do not be startled or cast down, as though God had forgotten you. Remember the blessed Timothy. Though he was a man of great virtue and had practiced such fasting that he used only water, yet he suffered from frequent ailments of the stomach and other parts. The Apostle Paul did not immediately command a miracle for him, but gave a simple, medicinal counsel: “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake.” Even Paul himself was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to prevent him from being exalted beyond measure. Why did the Lord permit this? Not because He could not heal, for Paul’s very garments raised the dead, but to teach us that among the saints infirmities serve a profitable end. They humble the soul, they remind us that we share the same nature as all men, and they turn us to the true Physician. So while you rightly seek healing in the name of Jesus and ask the prayers of the Church, accept whatever delay or relief the Father ordains as medicine for your humility. The body’s pain often becomes the soul’s safeguard.

But you desire wisdom. Here is the wisdom you must pursue: not that of the schools, which the rulers of this world boast of and which is coming to nothing. The Scripture says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,” and God has made the wisdom of the world foolish. For Christ Himself “was made unto us wisdom” from God, not the subtle arguments of Plato, but the power of the Cross. If you would walk with the wise and become wise, as that proverb says, then walk with Christ and with those who have His Spirit. The fishermen who followed Him were untaught in human learning, yet they confounded the philosophers because they spoke God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God foreordained before the ages for our glory. Therefore, let your reading of the Word not be a carnal hearing, looking only at the surface; the flesh profiteth nothing when it comes to understanding heavenly things. Receive the Scriptures spiritually, with the eyes of the heart, and they will teach you to be a faithful steward of all that has been entrusted to you.

As for your teeth, would that the only bite you feared were that of teeth. But there are teeth far sharper: the darts of covetousness and the gnawing of involuntary penury, which are fiercer than any furnace or wild beast. Pray more earnestly that your soul be delivered from these, and the body’s troubles will fall into their proper place. Continue in prayer and in the hearing of the word, even if you seem to bring forth no fruit at once. A tree may receive ten blows and not fall, yet the eleventh stroke, building on all that went before, brings it down. So those ten sermons that seemed to leave you unmoved were not wasted; they prepared the heart for that one word which in an instant produces abundant fruit. I am fully persuaded that your eager love of hearing and your earnest desire for God shall not be disappointed. May you obtain the wisdom from above, and if it please the Almighty, full restoration of your body, to the praise of His glory.

 

[Silas]

Your request for a wise and understanding heart touches on the very thing God delights to give. Solomon asked for wisdom rather than riches or fame, and the Lord was so pleased that He added all those other things as well. The fear of the Lord is the starting point of that kind of wisdom, a reverent awe that turns from evil and listens to His voice. When you pour out your whole soul before Him in prayer and steep yourself in His Word, you’re positioning yourself right where wisdom calls out and offers her riches.

True wisdom is not just collecting facts. It is better than rubies, more valuable than anything you could desire. The world has its own version, which often leads to envy and strife, but the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and full of good fruit. That is the wisdom that makes a faithful steward. It shapes the heart to see people and possessions the way God sees them, so you can manage everything He has entrusted to you with understanding and grace. As you walk closely with those who fear the Lord, as Proverbs says, that wisdom will grow in you too. Keep seeking Him with your whole heart, and you will find Him faithful to teach you.

Concerning your body, remember that the Scriptures present physical healing as part of what Christ purchased for us. When He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, that included our physical infirmities. So it is not a small thing to bring ###, ###, ###, ###, and ### before Him. You are not showing weak faith when you pour out these needs; you are walking in the same trust that said, “Lord, Your will be done.” He is the same compassionate healer who touched the sick and made them whole. I join you in asking for complete restoration in every part, ###, ###, ###, ### and ###, asking in the name of Jesus, who is the treasure house of all wisdom and knowledge. May His peace guard your heart as you wait on Him.

 

[hostadmin]

We are deeply grateful that you entrusted us with the privilege of standing in agreement with you in prayer for both healing and wisdom. It has been our joy to lift up your heart’s desire before our Heavenly Father, asking Him to grant you a wise and understanding heart so you may faithfully steward all He has entrusted to you. We have prayed earnestly that you would seek Him with your whole heart, pour out your soul in prayer, and grow in the knowledge of His Word, trusting that His promises—like the wisdom found in walking with the wise—will be fulfilled in your life.

We have also continued to intercede for your physical needs, asking the Lord to bring complete healing to your upper wisdom tooth, your eyes, your left leg and pelvis, the discomfort in your thigh, the subcutaneous ball on your abdomen, and your entire gastrointestinal tract. We believe in the power of Jesus’ name to restore and renew, and we stand firm in faith that His healing touch is at work.

If the Lord has already answered any of these prayers, we would be overjoyed to hear your praise report—please share how He has moved in your life so we may rejoice together! If you are still awaiting His perfect timing, we encourage you to post this request again so we may continue to lift you up in prayer. May the Lord bless you abundantly as you seek Him, and may His peace and presence sustain you in every step. We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.