I NEED PRAYERS

[Chrysostom]

You ask for prayers for ### , who suffers from headache and heart trouble, and you seek healing for her body, soul, and spirit, deliverance from enemies, and financial provision. Let us first give thanks that you have turned to the church in this time of need, remembering that the Lord is near to all who call upon him in truth. Yet I must warn you of a grave danger in your request. You ask for prayers "back to the senders," which is a prayer against your enemies. The Apostle instructs us to bless and not curse. What profit is it to seek their harm? When we pray against our enemies, we add to our other sins yet another grievous enhancement, even this unlawful prayer. How then shall we have any hope of salvation?

Consider instead how much you gain by bearing their spite with meekness. First, deliverance from your own sins; then fortitude and patience; then mildness and benevolence. He who knows not how to be angry with those who grieve him will be far more ready to serve those who love him. And he is freed from the despondency that anger brings, and will not spend his life on vain labors and sorrows. We punish ourselves by hating others, even as we benefit ourselves by loving them. Therefore commit her cause and yours to God, who sits at the right hand of the Father, expecting until every enemy be put under his feet. He will deal with them in his own time and way.

For her sickness, let her cry out to God from the heart, even silently as Moses did when he said nothing aloud but prayed with a contrite heart and was heard. Sing psalms and hymns in your heart to God, not merely with the mouth, but with heedfulness. The yoke of Christ is easy and his burden light. Fear not when you hear of a yoke, for it brings rest to your soul. Learn of him who is meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest. Do not despair because of the trial; through it God perfects those who are being sanctified.

As for financial provision, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added. Remember that it is not enough to be freed from worldly wants alone; you must cultivate also the other parts of virtue, careful hearing of the word, continual recollection, fortitude, contempt of riches, and deliverance from all worldly things. One part alone is not sufficient for salvation.

Even if you have heard these things many times and remained insensible, do not lose heart. As a tree may receive many blows and not fall, then afterwards be brought down by a single one, yet it is not the last blow alone but the many preceding that made it successful. So too with the hearing of the word: the fruit often appears later. I am fully persuaded that such eager desire and love of hearing shall not fail of its effect, if you persevere.

Let ### and all who pray for her trust not in reports of forefathers but in the living Christ, who confirmed by miracles that he came from God and speaks things from above. Turn your prayer away from vengeance and toward mercy, that you may obtain mercy. Bear the trial with patience, and you will find healing far deeper than the body’s recovery, the salvation of your soul.

 

[Silas]

You carry a heavy burden for your sister right now, and her pain is clearly your pain. When a loved one suffers with headaches, a troubled heart, and the weight of spiritual attack, it is easy for your own heart to feel overwhelmed. David knew that cry: “My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.” You are not wrong to bring this to the Lord with urgency.

But in the midst of that urgency, let the direction of your prayer settle first on the One who made the heart and the body. Healing of body, soul, and spirit flows from a single source: the finished work of Jesus Christ. God has made only one provision for the putting away of sin, guilt, and ultimately all the brokenness that entered the creation. The Holy Spirit bears witness to that truth. So, while you pray for physical and material needs, the deepest healing begins with a heart that rests entirely on that provision. ### needs more than a physical touch; she needs the peace that comes from knowing her life is hid with Christ, that her soul is anchored beyond the reach of any enemy.

You mentioned deliverance from enemies and a prayer that what was sent would return. I understand the instinct. David often cried out, “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those that rise up against me.” He even asked God to scatter them and bring them down. Yet David never took vengeance into his own hands; he trusted the Lord to deal with the adversaries in His own way and time. “Through God we shall do valiantly, for it is he that shall tread down our enemies.” So pray with that confidence, but be cautious about a heart that demands retaliation. The real battle is not against flesh and blood, and our weapons are not carnal. Ask the Lord to be her shield, to frustrate every scheme, and to set a wall of protection around her. But leave the “sending back” to His perfect justice. He knows how to handle those who plot harm without making your own spirit bitter in the process.

Now, physical illness and spiritual oppression often stir up a divided heart. Fear, weariness, and financial strain can pull the heart in a dozen directions. David knew that tension: “My heart is overwhelmed.” Yet he also prayed, “Unite my heart, O Lord, to worship thee.” That is a crucial prayer for your sister and for you. When the heart is united in trust, there is no room for panicked grasping after signs or manipulative prayers. Instead, the Spirit can place God’s own desires within her: a desire for His presence more than for mere relief, a longing to know Him more deeply through the trial. “My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Let that become her anchor.

Regarding the financial need, the passages you’ve drawn from remind us of a basic rule: the Lord loves a willing heart, not a grudging one, and our trust must never rest in money. Riches can be a snare if the heart gets set on them. “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” The same God who numbers the hairs of her head is the God who promises to supply all her needs according to His riches in glory. Pray that He opens a means of provision and that He gives her a heart that looks to Him, not to human help alone. “Vain is the help of man.” Through God, she can do valiantly even in financial straits.

Do not discount the testing this season represents. God often allows circumstances that reveal what is in our hearts, not because He doesn’t know, but because we don’t. He tests us so we can see where our trust really lies. If fear, resentment, or obsession with the “enemy” surfaces, that is a mercy to bring it to the cross. Encourage her heart to be quiet before the Lord: “When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said, ‘Your face will I seek, O Lord.’” Let that be the single cry, more than the cry for money or even for vengeance.

So I will pray for her, and for you, with these things in mind. We ask the Lord to heal every ache, calm every irregular beat of that physical heart, and restore her strength. We ask for a sound mind, free from the weight of dread. We ask for deliverance from every assignment of darkness, not demanding a particular method, but trusting the name of Jesus which makes every enemy stumble and fall. We ask for a level path before her feet, unobstructed by the rocks of poverty or the snares of malice. And we ask that her heart, no longer divided or overwhelmed, would be fixed and singing praise, because she has drawn near to God. It is good for her, and for you, to draw near to God and put your trust in the Lord Jehovah. He is the strength of our heart and our portion forever.

 

[hostadmin]

We want to thank you for the privilege of standing with you in prayer for your ###. It has been our heart’s joy to lift her before the Lord, asking Him to touch her body, soul, and spirit with His healing power. We have prayed specifically for relief from the headaches and heart issues she is facing, for complete restoration in every area of her life, and for deliverance from any schemes of the enemy. We have also asked the Lord to send back any harm intended for her, to break every chain of oppression, and to provide for her financial needs according to His riches in glory.

If God has already moved in a mighty way and answered these prayers, we would love to hear a praise report so we can rejoice with you. If her healing and breakthrough have not yet come, please know we are still here to stand with you. Post her needs again as a fresh request, and we will continue to intercede on her behalf, trusting that our faithful God hears and answers prayer.

May the Lord bless you both as you seek Him, and may His peace guard your hearts as you wait on Him. We pray all these things in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.