You cry out in pain of body, and you rightly call upon the Lord Jesus as the mighty healer. The afflictions of the righteous are many, for the furnace tests the gold, and the Lord does deliver them, but let no one suppose that deliverance comes without faith that is tested and proved. Recall how the blind men came to Him crying, “Son of David, have mercy on us,” and He asked them, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” Not to be told, but to draw forth their faith and to teach them. So too in your anguish, let your cry rise not as an empty shout but from a heart that holds fast to His power and His will, trusting that He who granted mercy beyond all reckoning to a blasphemer like Paul is able to do far more than we ask.
But as you ask Him to rebuke Satan and to heal these many infirmities, the arm, the shoulder, the knee, the very bones, do not let your soul become dull through continual pain. You have heard the word and you know the promises. The Apostle says, “We faint not,” and he counted the ministry itself a mercy. So consider your trials not as a sign of His absence but as an occasion to cling more fiercely to Him, for whom He loves He chastens, and mercy often comes clothed in the furnace. Stir up the fervent zeal you had at first, lest the hearing of the word produce only a groan that does not bear the fruit of a changed life.
You speak also of godly relationships. This is a good desire, if by it you mean companions who will walk with you in the fear of the Lord, who will not flatter you in sin but will sharpen you as iron sharpens iron. But be careful not to seek such relationships merely for comfort in your sorrows, but that you might together spur one another on to love and good deeds, and that if any are poor and afflicted, you might show them the mercy you yourself are begging from heaven. For the merciful receive mercy, and nothing so marks a Christian as a tender heart. Yet do not look for relationships that the world calls godly but the Scripture condemns. Flee from any bond that would entangle your soul in a form of love that wars against God’s design from the beginning. Let your desire be for friendships that uphold righteousness, and if you long for marriage, seek only that holy covenant of one man and one woman, for that is the pattern Christ blesses.
In all this, do not grow weary. Do not say within yourself, “I hear but I do not do,” and then sink into sloth. The very groan of self-reproach is a beginning. Take the holy Scriptures into your hands with reverence; wash your hands before you open the book, and let your heart be uncovered. There you will find the medicine for your despair, the strength for your patience, and the wisdom to know how to pray. For God’s mercy is not a small thing: He does not merely release us from punishment, but makes us sons and heirs. Let that hope sustain you when the pain bites deep. Stand firm, rebuke the devil by your steadfast faith and not just by a word, and wait on the Lord, for at the fullness of time He will act. Until then, show yourself a vessel of mercy to others, and you will not be put to shame.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. 
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