Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing what is weighing on you and for inviting prayer. I am joining you in prayer for your health and for these two practical matters that you need to get done, the vehicle inspection and the follow up with social services about the letter.
The Lord cares about your body and your health. Scripture shows that when Jesus came he bore our sicknesses as well as our sins, and Matthew under the guidance of the Holy Spirit applies the words of Isaiah to the healings Jesus did, even that evening at Peter's house when many were brought to him. The bread of communion reminds us that his body was broken for us. At the same time the Bible does not teach that God wills instant physical healing in every case in this life. Paul prayed three times about his thorn in the flesh and God had a different purpose in allowing it to remain. There is much about healing we do not fully understand. I believe God does heal, sometimes instantly, sometimes gradually, and sometimes through the ordinary processes he built into our bodies. Any true healing is from him, whether it comes quickly or over time, whether through prayer or through the natural means he created. So we can bring your health needs to him with confidence and also trust his wisdom and timing if the answer is not immediate.
There is also a connection in Scripture between the health of the soul and the health of the body. John wrote to Gaius that he wished above all things that he would prosper and be in good health even as his soul prospered. That was a loving wish, not a guarantee of perfect health for everyone, but it does show that God knows how our inner life, our peace, our hope and our joy, affects our physical well being. Proverbs says a joyful heart is good like a medicine, and we now know how true that is. As you wait on the Lord, asking him to guard your heart and mind in Christ will be part of his care for your whole person.
I also hear the frustration of trying to reach an office that asks for more information but is hard to reach, where you have to leave messages and wait for a call back and need an appointment to be seen in person. That kind of waiting is difficult. Scripture calls God the God of patience and the God of comfort, and says that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope. We are told we have need of patience, that after we have done the will of God we may receive what he has promised, and that through faith and patience the saints before us inherited the promises. James points to the farmer who waits with patience for the early and late rains as he waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and to Job who endured hardship and in the end saw the Lord's pity and tender mercy. God himself is long suffering and patient as he works out his purposes, and he calls us to learn that same patience as we wait for him.
So as you do what is yours to do, making the call, asking clearly what information is still needed, keeping copies of what you send, going for the inspection, you can ask God to give you patience in the waiting and comfort while the answers are delayed. He sees the effort you are making and the limits you face when you cannot get through.
Let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus I lift up this dear one to you. You know the health needs and the concerns about the body. Lay your hand upon this life for healing according to your will, whether quickly or gradually, and give peace to the heart and strength for each day. Give wisdom to the doctors and to all who can help. For the vehicle inspection and for the questions about the letter from social services, I ask that you make the way clear, that the right information would be understood and provided, that the calls would be returned and the appointments would be available, and that both tasks would go smoothly. Give patience when there is waiting, comfort when there is worry, and hope as your Word is remembered. Help this one to rest in your care and to know your tender mercy today. Amen.
The Lord cares about your body and your health. Scripture shows that when Jesus came he bore our sicknesses as well as our sins, and Matthew under the guidance of the Holy Spirit applies the words of Isaiah to the healings Jesus did, even that evening at Peter's house when many were brought to him. The bread of communion reminds us that his body was broken for us. At the same time the Bible does not teach that God wills instant physical healing in every case in this life. Paul prayed three times about his thorn in the flesh and God had a different purpose in allowing it to remain. There is much about healing we do not fully understand. I believe God does heal, sometimes instantly, sometimes gradually, and sometimes through the ordinary processes he built into our bodies. Any true healing is from him, whether it comes quickly or over time, whether through prayer or through the natural means he created. So we can bring your health needs to him with confidence and also trust his wisdom and timing if the answer is not immediate.
There is also a connection in Scripture between the health of the soul and the health of the body. John wrote to Gaius that he wished above all things that he would prosper and be in good health even as his soul prospered. That was a loving wish, not a guarantee of perfect health for everyone, but it does show that God knows how our inner life, our peace, our hope and our joy, affects our physical well being. Proverbs says a joyful heart is good like a medicine, and we now know how true that is. As you wait on the Lord, asking him to guard your heart and mind in Christ will be part of his care for your whole person.
I also hear the frustration of trying to reach an office that asks for more information but is hard to reach, where you have to leave messages and wait for a call back and need an appointment to be seen in person. That kind of waiting is difficult. Scripture calls God the God of patience and the God of comfort, and says that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope. We are told we have need of patience, that after we have done the will of God we may receive what he has promised, and that through faith and patience the saints before us inherited the promises. James points to the farmer who waits with patience for the early and late rains as he waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and to Job who endured hardship and in the end saw the Lord's pity and tender mercy. God himself is long suffering and patient as he works out his purposes, and he calls us to learn that same patience as we wait for him.
So as you do what is yours to do, making the call, asking clearly what information is still needed, keeping copies of what you send, going for the inspection, you can ask God to give you patience in the waiting and comfort while the answers are delayed. He sees the effort you are making and the limits you face when you cannot get through.
Let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus I lift up this dear one to you. You know the health needs and the concerns about the body. Lay your hand upon this life for healing according to your will, whether quickly or gradually, and give peace to the heart and strength for each day. Give wisdom to the doctors and to all who can help. For the vehicle inspection and for the questions about the letter from social services, I ask that you make the way clear, that the right information would be understood and provided, that the calls would be returned and the appointments would be available, and that both tasks would go smoothly. Give patience when there is waiting, comfort when there is worry, and hope as your Word is remembered. Help this one to rest in your care and to know your tender mercy today. Amen.
