Oh, Christa, our hearts are deeply moved by your cry for help, and we come before the Lord with you, lifting your burdens to the One who sees your pain and knows your every need. Your suffering is not unseen by Him, and though these trials feel overwhelming, we must stand firm on the truth that God is sovereign, good, and working all things for His glory and your ultimate good—even when we cannot see how.
First, we want to gently remind you that your question, *"Where is God in this horrible mess?"* is one that many saints before you have asked in their anguish. The Psalms are filled with such raw honesty—David cried out in Psalm 10:1, *"Why do you stand far off, Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"* Yet even in his despair, he continued to seek the Lord, and so must we. God has not abandoned you. In fact, He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and collects your every tear in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). This trial, though agonizing, is not without purpose. The Apostle Paul was given a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him from exalting himself, and though he begged the Lord three times to remove it, God’s response was, *"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"* (2 Corinthians 12:9). Christa, we do not know why God has allowed this suffering to persist, but we trust that His grace *is* sufficient for you, even now. He is refining you, your husband, your children, and your faith in ways that will one day be made clear.
We also want to address the despair in your words: *"There is a good chance that I’ll never recover."* While we understand the weight of the medical prognosis, we serve a God who is not bound by human limitations. He is the God of the impossible—the One who raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11), who healed the man born blind (John 9), and who commands even the winds and waves to obey Him (Mark 4:39). We must never place our hope in statistics or human wisdom but in the Lord, who holds all things in His hands. Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, *"With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."* So we will pray boldly for your complete healing, trusting that God hears and answers according to His perfect will.
Your physical suffering is immense—the paralysis, the spasticity, the sleepless nights—and we plead with the Lord to bring relief. We pray that He would restore movement to your arm and leg, that He would loosen the rigid muscles causing you such pain, and that He would grant you deep, restorative sleep. Sleep is a gift from God (Psalm 127:2), and we ask Him to remove the anxieties and physical discomforts that are stealing this blessing from you. May He quiet your body and mind, allowing you to wake refreshed and strengthened for each new day.
We also lift up your husband, who has taken on the role of caregiver with love and devotion. The burden he carries is heavy, and we pray that the Lord would sustain him, filling him with supernatural strength, patience, and joy. We ask that God would restore you as his helper, as Scripture describes in Genesis 2:18, so that together you may serve the Lord and your family in unity. Marriage is a sacred covenant, and we pray that God would bind your hearts together even more tightly through this trial, that your love for one another would grow deeper, and that you would both find your hope and identity in Christ alone.
Now, let us speak to the concern for your daughter, Addison. It is clear that you love her deeply and desire God’s best for her. The laziness and lack of motivation you see in her are not just academic or athletic issues—they are spiritual ones. Slothfulness is condemned in Scripture, for it wastes the gifts God has given and opens the door to further sin. Proverbs 19:15 warns, *"Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger."* And Proverbs 12:24 says, *"The hands of the diligent ones shall rule, but laziness ends in slave labor."* Addison has been given talents and opportunities, and it is her responsibility before God to steward them well. We pray that the Lord would convict her heart, that He would ignite in her a holy fire—a passion to glorify Him in all she does. May she be reminded of Colossians 3:23: *"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men."* We also pray that you would have wisdom in how to speak to her, that your words would be seasoned with grace but also carry the weight of truth. Sometimes, love requires us to challenge those we care about, urging them toward godliness rather than enabling complacency.
Christa, we must also address something vital: in your plea for prayer, you did not invoke the name of Jesus. There is no other name under heaven by which we are saved (Acts 4:12), and it is only through Christ that we have access to the Father (John 14:6). When we pray, we come before the throne of God *in Jesus’ name*, for He is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). If you have not already, we urge you to place your full trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is not enough to simply believe in prayer—we must believe in the One to whom we pray. Romans 10:9 tells us, *"that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."* If you have never surrendered your life to Him, we implore you to do so today. If you have, then we encourage you to cling to Him more tightly than ever, for He is your hope in this storm.
Finally, we want to leave you with this promise from Isaiah 41:10: *"Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."* Christa, you are not forgotten. You are not abandoned. You are seen, loved, and held by the God who formed you in your mother’s womb. He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30), and He is intimately acquainted with your suffering.
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You on behalf of our sister Christa, who is weary, broken, and in desperate need of Your touch. Lord, You are the Great Physician, the Healer of all our diseases, and we ask that You would stretch out Your hand and restore Christa’s body. We pray for complete healing—loosen the rigid muscles causing her such pain, restore movement to her paralyzed arm and leg, and grant her the deep, restful sleep she so desperately needs. Father, You knit her together in her mother’s womb, and You know every nerve, every muscle, every cell in her body. We ask that You would knit her back together, that You would renew her strength like the eagle’s (Isaiah 40:31), and that You would give her the endurance to press on.
Lord, we lift up Christa’s husband, who has faithfully cared for her through this long trial. Strengthen him, Father. Fill him with Your joy and peace, and remind him that his labor in love is not in vain. Restore Christa as his helper, that together they may serve You and their family with united hearts. Bind them together in love, and let their marriage be a testimony of Your faithfulness.
We pray for Addison and each of Christa’s children. Lord, stir in Addison a holy fire—a passion to use her gifts for Your glory. Convict her of any laziness or sloth, and replace it with diligence and a desire to honor You. Open her eyes to the opportunities You have placed before her, and give her the discipline to seize them. We also ask that You would protect Christa’s heart from despair as she watches her children struggle. Give her wisdom to speak truth in love, and let her trust You with their futures.
Father, we know that Christa is weary, and we ask that You would renew her hope. Remind her that You are working all things together for her good (Romans 8:28), even when she cannot see how. Help her to trust You in the darkness, to cling to Your promises when her circumstances scream otherwise. Fill her with Your peace, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7), and let her rest in the knowledge that You are holding her family in Your hands.
Lord, we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. It is only through Him that we have access to Your throne, and it is in His name that we ask for Your mercy and grace to flood Christa’s life. Strengthen her faith, Lord. Let her see Your hand at work, even in small ways, and may she give You all the glory.
We also pray, Father, that if Christa has not fully surrendered her life to Jesus, that today would be the day she does. May she know beyond a shadow of a doubt that her hope is in Christ alone, that her salvation is secure in Him, and that no matter what happens in this life, her eternity is safe in Your hands.
We love you, Christa, and we are standing with you in this fight. Do not lose heart. Keep praying, keep trusting, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). He will not fail you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
