THE PEACEMAKERS

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

With the possession of a meek spirit, we are equipped to step into the midst of conflict and be ambassadors “waging peace” that passes all understanding. The richness of the New Testament word “peace” describes a condition of perfect and complete positive well-being. It also describes right relationships—intimate fellowship and goodwill between human beings. Peace comes not from avoiding issues but from facing them, making peace even when the way is through trouble.

Blessed are those peacemakers who produce right relationships in every sphere of life, for they are doing a God-like work.

Such actions may involve laying down one’s life, like Jesus did, in order to reconcile men with God and break down barriers among men (Galatians 3:26-29). Are we willing to pay the price so that others might find peace with God? Are we willing to insist that all should hear the Gospel and believe? In some conflict areas of the world, Christians call this “waging peace.”

Our brothers and sisters in Israel and the West Bank—where “peace” is sought but very evasive—remind us that Jesus’ high moral teaching is that we should not resist evil with evil (Matthew 5:39). Jesus is calling His followers not to respond in kind to the acts of injustice and dehumanization directed against them, but rather to respond with transforming initiatives. This unique perspective that He teaches contrasts with the “fight or flight” responses so deeply conditioned in human beings.

Dr. Salim Munayer is a wonderful example of such a peacemaker. The organization he founded takes groups of Christian Palestinians and Israelis on trips to the desert where they must work together in a situation that breaks down barriers and promotes trust relationships. Brother Andrew comments that this ministry doesn’t “just talk about the problem between Palestinians and Jews. It brings the two sides together and provides the means for them to reconcile.”

“Waging peace” involves: promoting love not hate; fostering unity among brethren; being a witness of a higher kingdom; and following the non-violence example of Jesus.

RESPONSE: Today I will be proactive and “wage peace” in my sphere of influence.

PRAYER: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. May I counter hatred with love and injury with forgiveness today.

Sometimes She Needs A Touch

By Tia McCollors

Sisters in Faith

But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. – Luke 13:12-13

She’d been crippled and bent over for eighteen years, but that didn’t deter her from going to the synagogue on the Sabbath to hear Jesus. People stronger and taller than she no doubt blocked her view because she couldn’t straighten up, yet Jesus saw the woman and called her to Him. He spoke words that set her free, and then lay his hands upon her. She immediately stood up and praised God. I can imagine that her friends who’d walked with her during her infirmity praised God, too. Still others scoffed because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. Jesus disregarded legalism and was moved by love. Often times our sisters need more than an encouraging word, they also need a hand up. We can uplift each other with our mouths, and sometimes more importantly with our actions.

Practical Application: Encouraging words usually flow easily between sisters of faith, but lending a hand is an act of sacrifice. We may have to step out of our comfort zones or be willing to make the crowd uncomfortable so that God’s love can be shown to one. Begin to show God’s love with acts of kindness. Find a person to bless today and every day. Your simple touch may change her life.

Prayer: Lord, let my love be an action word. I pray the people I encounter will be encouraged and changed when I leave their presence. Show me the people whom you would have me to bless.

Tia McCollors is a wife and mother who loves to encourage women to wear their faith like a designer label. Information about her inspirational novels and devotions can be found at www.tiamccollors.com.

Athaliah and Jehosheba

ATHALIAH

Her name means: “The Lord Is Great”

Her character: Granddaughter of Omri, one of Israel’s most idolatrous and evil kings, she was the daughter of Ahab and most likely of Jezebel as well. She was the only woman to rule over Judah. While Ahab and Jezebel spread Baal worship in the northern kingdom of Israel, Athaliah was busy promoting it a few years later in the southern kingdom of Judah. Controlled by her need for power, she murdered her own family members to secure it.
Her sorrow: That her attempt to destroy the royal line of Judah failed.
Her joy: That her ruthlessness paid off, at least for a time, making her the ruler of Judah.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 22; 23:11-21

JEHOSHEBA

Her name means: “The Lord Is Great”

Her character: A princess and the wife of the high priest, she was a courageous woman whose actions preserved the line of Judah, from which the Messiah would come.
Her sorrow: To have endured Athaliah’s reign in Judah and to have suffered the loss of many of her nephews at the queen’s hand.
Her joy: To have preserved the life of her brother’s youngest son, Joash, so that he could become the rightful king of Judah.
Key Scriptures: 2 Kings 11:2; 2 Chronicles 22:11

Their Story

Wicked queens are the stuff of fairy tales. Remember the snow queen in the tales of Hans Christian Andersen, or the evil queen in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? Athaliah was at least as bad as her fairy-tale counterparts, a queen who chilled the hearts of God’s people by murdering her own grandsons and promoting Baal worship in the southern kingdom of Judah, just as her parents, Ahab and Jezebel, had promoted it in the north.

Athaliah married the king of Judah, thereby cementing an alliance between the northern and southern kingdoms. But after a few years he died and was succeeded by Athaliah’s son, Ahaziah. In just a few months, Jehu, Jezebel’s nemesis, slaughtered the new king.

After Queen Athaliah’s husband and son were killed, she must have felt vulnerable and isolated, doubly so since her father Ahab’s line had also been destroyed in Israel. Her paranoia and lust for power formed a toxic mixture, moving her to murder her own son’s children to secure Judah’s throne for herself. Indeed she may even have gloated that she, Baal’s emissary, had snuffed out Judah’s royal heirs, making it impossible for God to fulfill his promise of a future Messiah from David’s line in the tribe of Judah.

For a few years, from about 841-835 bc, Athaliah reigned in Judah, promoting Baal worship and leading the people further and further from God. But right under her nose a conspiracy was brewing. Unknown to her, one of her grandsons still lived. Her own stepdaughter, Jehosheba, had hidden the infant, Joash, before the queen could murder him along with Ahaziah’s other sons. Married to the high priest, Jehosheba risked her life by tucking the royal heir away in the temple for six years. Then, when the boy turned seven, her husband arranged a coup, crowning young Joash king.

As soon as Athaliah caught wind of the plot, she rushed to the temple, tearing her robes and screaming, “Treason! Treason!” But like her mother, Jezebel, before her, no one paid the slightest attention. Instead, Queen Athaliah was promptly seized and executed just outside the temple. As soon as the queen was dispatched, the people of Judah celebrated by destroying the temple of Baal along with its chief priest.

While the comparisons between Athaliah and Jezebel are all too obvious, their story reminds us of another that took place seven hundred years before. Egypt’s Pharaoh, determined to destroy God’s people, had ordered every male baby drowned in the Nile River. Like Pharaoh, hoodwinked by one of his own children (his daughter saved Moses and raised him as her own), Athaliah was fooled by her stepdaughter, Jehosheba. Once again a woman’s courage and compassion helped to subvert evil and keep the promise alive.

Their Promise

God always wins. That’s a pretty simplistic way of saying it, but it’s true nonetheless. Even when people like Athaliah try to stomp out an entire family and put an end to God’s plan for redemption, when people like the priests of Baal lead others to worship idols instead of the true God, God will always triumph in the end. The negative forces of our culture make us wonder where we’re headed as a people. Many of our leaders show little integrity or morality, and dishonesty is overlooked in the workplace. Kindness is often the exception rather than the rule. But don’t despair. This is not a battle God plans to lose. In the end, he will prevail!

“So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her.” 2 Kings 22:14 (ESV)

When I was a younger woman, I knew where I could always go for wisdom. I planted myself on the tapestried bench in front of Mona’s desk. There I found both answers and affirmation.

Mona was our church’s receptionist and resident godly woman. In response to any dilemma I had, she’d open her Bible. There she pointed me to the solution for every problem. Although she could have filled our time with her opinions or her own version of the truth, she never did. She directed me to God for His Truth instead. Mona was a woman who proclaimed the authority that Scripture holds, an authority unmatched by our own advice.

I wasn’t the only one who turned to Mona for wisdom. Some days I’d make a beeline for her bench only to find it occupied by one of my pastors. They, too, sought out guidance from Mona. Regardless of age or gender, humble hearts knew that she would lead them to the truths in God’s Word. Mona mirrors Huldah, a Jewish woman who lived long ago.

Huldah’s short but powerful story makes it clear that she, too, was known for affirming humble hearts that sought the authority of God’s Word. When faced with the dilemma of the nation’s sin, King Josiah’s advisors sought Huldah.

The Book of the Law, which was written on a scroll, had been neglected and then lost for decades within the walls of the temple, despite the instructions given generations before by Moses. He directed leaders to read the Book of the Law every seven years to the community so that they would fear the Lord and follow His commands. (Deuteronomy 31:10-13) Instead, it was lost, and God’s people turned to sin and idolatry.

When the scroll was found, King Josiah had it read to him, and he felt such grief that he tore his robes. The words in the Book of the Law revealed the nation’s violation of God’s ways. Then King Josiah said to the High Priest and other advisors, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found” (2 Kings 22:13a, ESV).

Under the Old Testament covenant, a mediator, like a prophet or prophetess, was required to seek the Lord. King Josiah’s advisors headed straight to a source they trusted: Huldah. “So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her.” (2 Kings 22:14) In the remainder of the account, Huldah the prophetess faithfully shared the message that God gave her. She told them that the promised judgements in the Book of the Law would come to pass, affirming the book’s authority. (2 Kings 22:16) And she revealed that godly King Josiah would be protected, affirming a humble heart.

This story fascinates me. It’s extraordinary on so many levels, but there’s one truth that I have held tighter than any other.

I want to be known as a woman who’s faithful to the authority of God’s Word and the humble hearts who seek Him.

When we only give our own opinions rather than point to the wisdom of Scripture, we let down those who are seeking advice. Let’s replace our own wobbly viewpoints and weak solutions with the reliability of God’s Word. Let’s lead humble hearts to Him instead of tethering them to us. Like Huldah and Mona, let’s be women known for touting God’s truths instead of our own.

Lord, when others seek me for wisdom, remind me to lead them straight to Your Truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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ENGAGE:

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FOR DEEPER STUDY:

Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (ESV)

Proverbs 23:12, “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.” (ESV)

When someone comes to you for advice or wisdom, are you more likely to give them your truth (opinion) or God’s Truth found in Scripture? What step will you take today to know God’s Truth better so you can share it with others?

If you’re in need of wisdom, pray for God to bring you a person who will point you to His Word.

As we focus on God’s Truth today, we invite you to share in the comments a biblical truth that has changed your life.

Promise #200

Promise #200:
My armor will help you stand against the plans of the enemy.

Ephesians 6:11 (WEB)
Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.

In Ephesians 6, Paul the Apostle exhorts the church at Ephesus to put on the full armor of God in order to be able to stand against the tricks of the enemy. It is interesting to note that the armor does not belong to us, but it belongs to God. It is His armor.

He has given us His helmet of salvation to guard our mind and give us peace. He has given us His breastplate of righteousness to protect our heart. He has given us His belt of truth so that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. He has prepared our feet with shoes of peace so we can proclaim the good news wherever we go. He has given us His shield of faith so that when we lift it up, we quench all of the arrows from the enemy.

And last but not least, He has given us an offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, the very Word of God so we can advance the kingdom. Our God and Father has given us everything we need to live a godly life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We stand in His armor, His power, His protection… not our own. So having done all to stand in the power of God’s might, continue to stand today.

Love God And Love Others Well

The Lord Our Husband

“In that day”, declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband'”. — Hosea 2:16

The apostle Paul. John the Baptist. Amy Carmichael. John Stott. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Corrie ten Boom.

What do these spiritual giants have in common? They were unmarried.

Sadly, many people, even in the church, have bought into the idea that marriage is the be-all and end-all, and that singleness is somehow “less than”. But this is ridiculous, especially considering that Jesus was also on that singles list!

The Lord invites us to know Him as “Husband”. You might ask, “What about physical touch and audible conversation?” True — literal touch and audible conversation aren’t possible in a romance with one’s Creator, and it’s natural to long for them. Still, God promises to fulfill everyone who pursues Him, married or single: “[God] will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11). There’s no such thing as the solitary life when you walk with God.

I receive by faith, Lord, Your perfect love that always satisfies. With You, I know I am never alone. Amen.

Jesus speaks…
Instead of rushing to pursue a goal, take time to talk with Me about it.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

God’s Special Creation

by: DaySpring

In all the world, there is only one you— 

you have a laugh, a smile, a heart 

that no one else can duplicate or replace. 

That’s because you are 

a special creation of God— 

He formed you with His hands 

and loves you with all His heart. 

You are a blessing to those around you, too, 

and your life is a wonderful reason 

to thank God. 

Today’s Reading: Job 10:10-12 NLT

You guided my conception
    and formed me in the womb.
You clothed me with skin and flesh,
    and you knit my bones and sinews together.
You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love.
    My life was preserved by your care.

Looking for more inspiration? You can find more resources for hope and encouragement, such as products to help you grow in your faith or resources in our article library on DaySpring.com.

Should I Trust a Dream about Who I Will Marry?

Hope Bolinger
SEO Editor

Editor’s Note: Crosswalk’s Singles Advice is an advice column for singles featuring an anonymous question from a Crosswalk.com reader with a thoughtful, biblical reply from one of our single contributors.

A friend of mine dreamed he met a girl even before meeting her in real life. My friend thought it was a sign from God, however; when the girl came into his life, after years of being together in love, their relationship ended.

The girl he thought was “the one” as a sign from God ended happily with another man. I believe that dreaming of someone before you meet them doesn’t necessarily mean it’s from God or that you’re going to marry them.

The best way to know is to pray to God, seek guidance, ask if that person is from God, or if she or he is the one you will end up with marrying. What do you think?

Great question! As someone who remembers her dreams vividly, and has often mistaken some as signs from God, I’ll try my best to answer this question.

One can often look to Scripture and see many dreams, or visions, rather, that do come to fruition (All of Daniel 7-12, for instance).

And honestly, looking at the book of Daniel alone, it’s seldom you’ll find a chapter without a dream and an interpretation. We even hear instances of God communicating to nonbelievers through dreams, such as indicated in this article.

So sometimes Christians can interpret dreams as the same thing as the inerrant word of God.

Why Should We Put More Stock in the Word of God Than Dreams?

True, sometimes God does communicate via dreams and visions, but we have to keep in mind the context of most of the dreams and visions we see in the Old and New Testament.

Many of those who received such dreams didn’t have access to Scripture. Abraham, for instance, in Genesis 15:1. Even those in the New Testament, who had access to the Old Testament, didn’t have the complete canonical Bible as we know it today. Dream and visions served as supplementary means for God to communicate his vision, as seen in Acts 10:19-26.

God still does communicate in this way, but not as a primary means. We have his voice right in front of our fingertips, in hardback, through Bible apps, and websites.

Does Scripture Say Anything About Dreams Misleading People?

Somewhat. Although we do see examples in Scripture where God uses dreams to communicate something (for instance, a dream to warn the Wise Men not to go back to Herod, Matthew 2:12), Ecclesiastes 5:7 indicates that most dreams are worthless in terms of interpretation or bearing any weight on our future.

Sometimes dreams can even be deceptive, as indicated in Jeremiah 23:25-27.

Dreams, by definition, are typically our brains attempting to process the events of the day and to sometimes problem solve.

Yes, God is fully capable of sending us messages through dreams, but it’s more likely he’ll convict us through his Word or through speaking with fellow believers.

A final answer to your question:

I can sympathize with your friend, because it would seem like a clear sign from heaven that the friend was the one if they hadn’t even met prior to the dream. But this shows a clear example of why we should test the spirits (1 John 4:1) for anything outside of the inerrant word of God.

Although dreams can be a means of God to communicate a message, they often are pure nonsense, and therefore, shouldn’t carry a great weight in our mind. If we do receive a vivid dream that appears to be from God, we should pray and read Scripture to make sure the dream holds up against the inerrant word of God.

Related Resource: Listen to our new, FREE podcast on marriage: Team Us. The best marriages have a teamwork mentality. Find practical, realistic ideas for strengthening your marriage. Listen to an episode here, and then head over to LifeAudio.com to check out all of our episodes:

https://www.lifeaudio.com/embed/2390

Disclaimer: any single editor replying to reader questions through this advice column is a Christian seeking God’s direction through his Word. We are not trained psychologists or licensed professionals. As we explore issues with you, we will seek God’s guidance through prayer and the Bible.

Have a question? If you have a question about anything related to living the single life, please email singlesadvice@crosswalk.com (selected questions will be addressed anonymously). While we cannot answer every question, we hope you’ll find encouragement in this column.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Kinga Cichewicz

8 Prayers for Mental Health and Those Struggling with Illness

Jolene Underwood
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

One of the hardest things about being human in this broken world is experiencing pain without quick-fix answers and consistent happy endings. We all face challenges that feel overwhelming. We struggle when we don’t know what to do. For those with mental, emotional, or physical health concerns, the feelings of overwhelm can seem never-ending.

We aren’t guaranteed beautiful endings or perfected situations. Our desires aren’t automatically fulfilled. No matter how much we want things to be perfect, we live in an imperfect world full of imperfect, even harmful, people.

Even so, there is hope. So much hope. There is goodness. Our God is bigger and better than we know. One thing we are guaranteed is that the presence of God is with us through every challenge and struggle we face.

Scripture reminds us that Jesus knew pain and suffering well. God understands the deep cries of our hearts. He knows us intimately and cares about what we need.

If you’re feeling depressed and anxious, or weary and worried, please know that God wants to meet you through prayer. Prayer isn’t meant to be the be-all and end-all. It’s meant to bring us close to the One who holds it all.

May these eight prayers encourage your heart no matter what mental health struggles and illnesses you may be facing.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ijeab

1. Prayer for Abundant Life

Slide 1 of 8

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Lord, you give life and life abundantly. I don’t always experience the goodness you have to give. I don’t even know how good your goodness is. But I want it, Lord.

Sometimes what I think should happen isn’t actually good. My limitations, my inabilities, my refusals, my attempts to get things my way make it hard to receive what you want for me. I’ve struggled and pain is all too familiar. The enemy wants to destroy me, and he has taken much.

I ask for more of what you have to give, Lord. Help me experience the power of your life at work in me, and your beautiful life flowing through me. Replenish what’s been stolen or lost. Fill me to overflowing with what comes from you. When I feel troubled and unable to do simple things, I choose to receive new strength. You are fully alive and renew my life. Thank you.

When abundant life seems impossible, and my thoughts take me down with reminders of all I lack, renew me with glimpses of your love in this life. Remind me of what I have because of you. Help me see there is more to enjoy than what I know now. You have more to give and more for me to embrace with you. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Shane Rounce

2. Prayer for Compassion

Slide 2 of 8

Isaiah 49:10
They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

Isaiah 54:10
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Lord, thank you for being a God of compassion. When I feel hungry or beat down by the heat of this world, you offer refreshment. With you there is nourishment for dry and hurting places. May I see where you provide for me, because sometimes I don’t notice it. Sometimes I reject it. But Lord, I admit that I need your refilling often.

When I feel shaken, you are not. You never cease to offer love and compassion for those who are weary. When I can’t figure out what to do and it feels like everything I do is wrong, your arms remain open to receive me. I can’t understand your acceptance and love, but you offer it. Help me accept it.

Have compassion for my doubts, fears, actions, thoughts, and the wrestling that happens in me. Show me new ways, Lord. Help me see your care and kindness, especially when I feel empty and alone.

Lord, I need compassion from others. I need compassion for myself too. Help me notice and embrace compassion offered to me. Help me extend compassion to myself and others, especially when it’s hard to do. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Fizkes

3. Prayer for Relief from Loneliness

Slide 3 of 8

Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

In my struggles, Lord, I often feel alone. You say you are with me, but I can’t always feel it. Sometimes, I can be with people and still feel alone. Others don’t understand what I’m going through and it’s hard for them to know what to do. When this happens, I feel even more alone.

You created us because you love us and want to be with us. You designed us to need you and others. Help me receive your loving presence. Help me see when you are moving on my behalf, whether it’s through other people, through hard steps I’ve taken, through your created beauty in nature, or through some way I would never expect. I need reminders, and I need revelations of your presence with me.

Help me reach out to others when I need help, encouragement, and fun. Give me courage to ask for what I need and the courage to offer the same for others.

Heal my heart and mind in all the areas that keep me closed off, isolated, withdrawn, or defensive in relationships. I ask for your wisdom and spiritual discernment so I can see when you and your creation provide relief from loneliness. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Wavebreakmedia

4. Prayer for Courage Amid Fear

Slide 4 of 8

Matthew 14:28-31
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Lord, all around me and swirling within me there are things that are scary, hard, and painful. When I feel afraid and too small to do the hard things I need or want to do, give me courage.

Like you did with Peter, and so many others, show me where you are and where you want to take me. When you call me out of my places of self-protection, help me trust you fully.

Give me courage to focus on you and not the fear I feel. I am reminded that you will not sink. You will not fall. You love me even when I doubt and am afraid. You offer courage to move ahead anyway. I need to see you reaching out for me and know your solid foundation under me.

In the middle of my stormy fears, show me you are near, and you hear. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Benjamin Davies

5. Prayer for Courage to Take the Next Step

Slide 5 of 8

Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

God, sometimes I tremble and shake from not knowing what to do. Sometimes, it seems as if I’m frozen in time. There are times when it feels as if I’ve tried everything. I’m at a loss for what may be next.

When I cannot see beyond what I see now, remind me that you see more. Give me vision for the things you have for me. Give me willingness to trying something new. If I need to try again something I’ve tried before, give me courage to do so. Help me to rely on you and trust that you will be with me even if I get it wrong.

When the next step feels tremendously big, or far too small, help me take it anyway. If I need assistance to take that step, show me where I can find it.

Sometimes I feel like I cannot move forward. Sometimes I try to take action on my own when I need to rest. Help me to discern what is your best in this moment. If I get it wrong, you will not leave me.

God, I need your guidance. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Hydromet

6. Prayer for Healing

Slide 6 of 8

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Lord, I am struggling. Sickness is not your design. Where my mind and body struggle to function the way they’re designed to do, I ask for healing. May you bring health to every cell. I don’t know if I’ll ever live fully well while on this earth, but I ask for wholeness in every way possible.

When my mind spirals and my thoughts are filled with negative things, nudge me towards you and what you have for me instead. Strengthen my mind.

Give me guidance to know where to turn for help when I need it. Give me strength to endure difficult processes that lead to greater freedom and healing in body and soul. I ask for your powerful healing touch in my body. Help me trust you whether healing comes the way I want it or not. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

7. Prayer of Responsiveness to God’s Voice

Slide 7 of 8

1 Samuel 3:8-9
A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Lord, you call to me often.

I’m not always able to hear you. Sometimes, I ignore you. Sometimes, I don’t know it’s you. Help me to hear your voice and be ready to listen whenever you call to me. Help me to remember that you see more than I do and desire to help me through whatever I’m going through or is ahead of me.

When I’ve grown expectant that you will do things my way, help me to respond to your way instead. Help me to recognize when the voices I listen to aren’t from you. May I hear your voice above all others and be willing to turn towards you. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Simon Lehmann

8. Prayer of Grace

Slide 8 of 8

John 1:16
Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

Lord, you give what we need as we need it. Your grace is not something we can make happen, and like the manna in the dessert, it’s available on time, for me, every single day.

Sometimes I forget to give grace to myself. I struggle to receive the grace you give me. You give me time and space to feel the hard things and rest when needed. Help me to recognize when I need to receive your grace.

In all the challenges I face, your grace never departs. May I know this more fully. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/YoriHirokawa

Jolene Underwood is an emotional health coach and soul care mentor. She provides practical and spiritual support for cultivating life within the Christian soul by drawing upon her personal journey towards emotional health, her psychology background, and a passion for Christian counseling. Jolene writes regularly at JoleneUnderwood.com. Her tool, Unleash : Heart and Soul Care Sheets, has helped hundreds experience greater freedom. Connect with her online via YouTube/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest at @theJoleneU or via the Cultivated Life Newsletter.

Powerful Prayers for Personal Healing

Rebecca Barlow Jordan & Crosswalk Contributors http://www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com

The Healing Power of Prayer

Are you facing a difficult disease, illness or malady and want to cry out to God for healing but don’t know what to pray? If you feel scared, alone, unsure of the future, or don’t understand how healing works, pray these words below in faith today! Below are ten healing prayers, an interview with Max Lucado explaining how we should pray for healing, and some of our favorite Bible verses on healing.

God tells us that through prayer, He can speak to us and use us to work miracles for His glory. When you use this prayer for healing you are coming to God completely surrendered and expectant to let His Holy Spirit work in and through you. I pray that you will find miraculous healing as you seek God’s plan for your life – His plan to prosper you and to give you a hope and future!

Here are some of our favorite prayers for healing you can use today to speak life and hope into your situation. May you receive strength and comfort from God has you pray for healing for yourself and loved ones.

Download your personal PDF copy of beautiful Prayers for Healing HERE. Print these prayers and keep them with you at home, in the car or at work to remind yourself to take your cares to the Lord in prayer.

1. A Prayer for Healing Power

Father God, many of us need healing. I need healing for past hurts, random physical pains that I allow to waylay my days and Spiritual healing for various reasons. I reach up to You to receive this healing so that I may be whole and that I may be able to then minister to others in a way that brings You fullness of glory. How wonderful to be able to worship You without stain or blemish and to be totally healed. Show others Your healing power so that they may also be healed and walk in wholeness. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen! – Dawn Mast

2. Prayer to Believe

Dear Lord, I come humbly before You asking You to heal me in every area of my life. I give You my heart in faith that You can make me whole praise Your name. Jesus, I believe that You are my healer and redeemer! I love You, Jesus. Amen

3. A Prayer for a Breakthrough

Father, I ask You for a fresh vision for what breakthrough will look like in my life. Help me to pursue healing while I wait for my miracle. Show me how to rest right in the middle of the storm. Help me to enjoy the feast You prepare for me, right in the middle of the battlefield. I want my whole life to testify that there’s a God in heaven who knows my name and who will get me safely home. Fill me afresh with the wonder of Your love and power. I am determined to win this battle with anxiety. Help me to discern when to rest, when to feast, and how to actively engage my faith as I wait for You to breakthrough. May my life display Your power. Do the impossible in and through me, I pray. Amen. – Susie Larson

4. A Prayer for Personal Healing

God, you know me so well. You created me. You know the number of hairs on my head, and you even know the thoughts conceived in my heart before I ever vocalize them. You’ve told us to come to you and ask for every need of life. You are Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals, and you have the final word on my destiny, the number of years I’ll live and serve you on earth.

I’m coming to you today as your child, longing to hear from you and asking for your divine healing. There’s so much I don’t understand about life. But I do know that with one touch, one word, you can make me whole. Please forgive me of my sins, cleanse me of my unrighteousness, and begin your healing from the inside out.

I don’t always know what your will is Lord, especially in times like now, when I desperately seek your face. I offer you no promises, no bargains, no deals to exchange for my health. I simply bow my heart before you to tell you the desire of my heart: that I want to spend as many years as I can loving you here, loving others, and wanting to become more like you. However you choose to accomplish that is up to you—and okay with me. If you use doctors to provide healing, give them wisdom to know what to do. Regardless of how you accomplish it, the healing you give is always miraculous. And you deserve all the praise.

I absolutely believe you have the power to heal. You demonstrated that on earth, and you still heal in miraculous ways today. Even when my faith is weak, you say it is enough, and my love for you is strong. And I know you already hold my heart and life in your hands. It’s up to you. If I can bring you more glory through healing, then that’s what I ask for. That’s what I desire.

But if your answer is no, or not now, I know that your grace is sufficient for me. Ultimately, I want your will to be my will. I look forward to spending an eternity with you. But Lord, if you have planned still more for me to do here on this earth, I not only need and want your physical healing, Lord, but a thorough, deep-down cleansing and strengthening—a whole-hearted renewal of all that I am. Because all that I am is yours. Use this trial to strengthen me from a “what-if” faith to a “no-matter-what” faith. And no matter what, I choose to honor you and give you glory. In Jesus’s name, Amen. – Rebecca Barlow Jordan https://www.youtube.com/embed/TS7Ol5mCfyU

5. A Prayer to Receive Healing

Dear God, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I reach forward today, touch the hem of Your garment, and receive my healing. Yes, I want to get well. Give me the faith to walk in freedom and victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Sharon Jaynes

6. A Prayer When You’re Watching a Friend Suffer

Heavenly Father, It is so hard to watch _________ suffer. It doesn’t seem fair for her to have to endure so much pain. Even though I am powerless, I believe that you are powerful and capable of stepping into this situation and completely altering the outcome. In faith, I am responding to the promises in your word that you listen to our prayers and those prayers can make her well. So, I am bringing my friend before you to ask for your healing touch in her life. Thank you for the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal healing, but I am asking you to provide healing for her on this side of heaven. Amen. – Lisa Samra

7. A Prayer for Healing Power

8. A Prayer for Soul Healing

Precious Father, I marvel at the way You love me from immaturity to maturity, from brokenness to wholeness. You don’t berate me for my blunders or belittle me for my weakness. You meet me in those places and make me strong. You bind up my wounds so they can heal. You give rest to my heart so it can beat strong again. You are with me. You are God Most High. Do a miracle in and through me, Lord! Heal my soul and make me whole. Make me a Kingdom woman. Help me to live a life totally disproportionate to who I am. May others pursue You when they see what You do through me! In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen. – Susie Larson

9. Exchange Hurt for Comfort

Lord, I give you this hurt, pain, weakness and sorrow in exchange for your comfort. Amen.

10. A Prayer for Those Waiting on Healing

Father, you can heal us in a heartbeat. We pray for Your miraculous healing today. From depression, life-long disease, sudden failures, addictions and massive handicaps. We pray for miraculous healing because we know you are as capable of fixing our physicalities as you are to hold the oceans in place as the earth spins around. Through Your Son’s death on the cross, we have the opportunity to be healed spiritually. By believing in Jesus we are connected straight to You in prayer and presence. Bless our hearts to believe in You beyond our heart’s capacity. Strengthen our faith where it is weak and strengthen our resolve to linger in Your presence a little longer each day.

Take our pain away, according to Your will, in Your time. We’re not promised a painless life on this earth, but You do want us to live a happy one. Send Your Spirit to help us see past our circumstances and onto Your calling on our lives. Sickness and injury can’t stop God-placed dreams. Fill our hearts with hope as we wait on You to move in our lives and flow out from our hearts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Meg Bucher

11. A Short Prayer of Healing for Friends

Lord, your Word speaks promises of healing and restoration and I thank you for the miracles you still perform today. Today I claim those promises over my friend. I believe in the healing power of faith and prayer and I ask you to begin your mighty work in the life of my friend. Please reach down and surround my friend with supernatural peace and strength and give her the faith to believe that all things are possible for you. Protect her from Satan’s lies and discouragement and let her miraculous healing begin. Amen.

12. A Prayer for Healing and Grace

Dear God, We confess our need for you today. We need your healing and your grace. We need hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running all different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else. We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where no one else is able to fully see or understand. You know the pain we’ve carried. The burdens. The cares. You know where we need to be set free.

We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are Able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your Mighty Power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you, and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen – Debbie McDaniel

13. A Prayer for Healing Sick Family and Friends

Lord Jesus, thank you that you love [name of person who needs healing]. I know that you hate what their illness is doing to them/me. I ask that you would heal this disease, that you would have compassion and bring healing from all sickness. Your word says in Psalm 107:19-20 that when we call out to you the Eternal one you will give the order, heal and rescue us from certain death. In the Bible, I have read of miraculous healing and I believe that you still heal the same way today.

I believe that there is no illness you cannot heal after all the bible tells of you raising people from the dead so I ask for your healing in this situation. I also know from my experience of life on earth that not everyone is healed. If that happens here than keep my heart soft towards you, help me to understand your plan and help me to be excited about heaven. God, I thank you that [name of person who needs healing] belongs to you and that you are in control of everything that happens from our first breath to our last sigh. Amen. – Wendy van Eyck

14. A Prayer to Heal the Hurt

Father, help me get my focus back on you. I know I need to stop dwelling on my hurts and frustrations. Help me be faithful in prayer and put my hope in you. May the Holy Spirit guide and comfort and strengthen me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. – Living Free Every Day Devotional

15. A Prayer for Forgiveness

Dear God, I’m sorry for my sin. I ______________ (what you did), which was a sin against you, as well as a sin against __________ (who you hurt). Please help me turn from this behavior. I will begin ________________ (how you’ll change) instead of what I have done. Please forgive me and help me to grow in my relationship to you and _________, whom I’ve hurt. Thank you for your love and mercy. Thank you for forgiving me and choosing to forget my sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen. – Sue Schlesman

16. A Prayer for Comfort in God’s Presence

Jesus, As I’ve heard my friend’s latest news, it simply feels as if the water is too high and the flames are too intense. Please help ________ not to give into fear that can come from focusing on the circumstances swirling around him but to remember the promise that you are with him. While I know that you are always with him, please give him a tangible reminder of your presence today and that you will faithfully comfort the hurting. Perhaps a verse posted in an unexpected place or a prayer offered by a co-worker or a kind gesture from a stranger. I entrust him to you knowing that you will be with him on this journey and your presence is greater than anything he will face. Because of your love for him, please give him your comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding and guide him forward into your love. Amen. – Lisa Samra

17. A Prayer for Freedom in Healing

You are a miracle-working God. Give me a vision for what freedom looks like for me. Give me faith to believe You for my miracle. Show me what makes me tired. Show me what masters me and slows me down. Help me to lose my taste for that which weakens me, and acquire a taste for that which strengthens me. Heal me from the inside out! Help me to make the necessary changes. I want to participate with You in my healing process. Awaken fresh life in me! – Susie Larson

18. A Prayer for Health

Father, strengthen us to hold captive the joy You bless our lives with daily. Help us to walk freely in Your love. For as Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 4:8, “Although training your body has certain payoffs, godliness benefits all things–holding promise for life here and now and promise for the life that is coming.” Send us more of Your Holy Spirit, to help us focus on Your Word daily. Give us hearts like Jesus.

Give us the wisdom to seek You first each day, before each decision. It’s often the little thoughts and daily decisions that lead us into a sudden spiral of bad health. Enlighten us and guide us through Your Word. Let our hearts burn for more of You each day.

Help us endure the pain of chronic conditions, some of which will not find healing in this broken and sinful world. We know that You work all things for good, but in those moments of chronic pain and suffering, it can be impossible to understand Your perfect and just hand in it all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Meg Bucher

19. A Prayer for Those Who Feel Wounded

Dear God, We feel wounded, betrayed, and brokenhearted. We wonder sometimes if we can ever fully recover from the deep hurt we feel inside. Thank you that you know what we’ve been through and the struggles we still carry. Help us to forgive. Help us to let go. We know that we can move forward with you in peace and freedom. We pray for those who have hurt us right now, and ask for your power to work mightily within their lives. We leave them in your hands and find our comfort and strength in your spirit.

Thank you that you understand all that we’ve faced, that you see and you care. We ask that when the enemy taunts us with lies and tries to bring up the hurt of the past, you would silence his voice and allow us to walk free. We bring you all the stuff that he would use to try to trap us or stop us – the pain, the past, the mistakes, the struggles. And we lay it at your feet, again. Thank you for your healing, for your grace, for your hope. Thank you that you have set us free and will not waste the pain that we’ve carried. We look forward to the greater good and purpose you will bring through this struggle. We love you Lord, we need you, we trust you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Debbie McDaniel

20. A Prayer to Heal a Struggling Relationship

Dear God, I struggle in my relationship with ______. I need You to give me wisdom on how to love ____ well. You are my shield and defender. Show me how, when and where to erect boundaries in our relationship. I believe You are my healer and I trust You to guard my heart and mind. I need Your specific directions on how to interact with ______.

I want to love _____ with a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5) I forgive ______ for hurting me and forgive me for ______. Help me to love ______ courageously. Fill me with Your truth and compel me to fearlessly tell the truth with love. Let Your perfect love cast out all of my fears related to our relationship. I surrender what I think our relationship should be. Please transform it so that it honors You. In Jesus, I pray. Amen – Jennifer O. White

21. A Prayer for When Time Doesn’t Heal a Broken Heart

Lord, my heart is so heavy this morning. My sorrow is so great. In the midst of all this pain I am feeling, I am so thankful that you are God and I am not. I am thankful that you are all-powerful, that I do not have to hold it all together or be strong for everyone in my life. You are my strength. You are strong for my loved-ones when I can’t be. I am thankful you are all-knowing – that you know the outcome to this misery I am facing. That I don’t have to figure out what the next week or month or year looks like, because you have it all held together. And you promise my feet won’t slip. Help me, Lord! Strengthen me for today. Give me daily bread, that I can be sustained through this heartache. Thank you God that you are close when I am hurting. Thank you God for the comfort, grace and joy that only you can give. Hold me up today. In your name I pray, Amen. – Cortney Whiting

22. A Short Prayer for a Broken Heart

Lord, please heal my broken heart. Fill me with the peace and joy I know can only come from You during this hard time. Walk closely beside me during my journey to healing and recovery that I know is possible through Your power alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Tracie Miles

23. A Prayer to Heal from Depression

Lord, it seems as if my world has collapsed, hurling me into a deep, dark pit. I come to you in complete surrender. I am desperate for you, helpless and afraid. Please lift me out of this pit and show me the way, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen – Mary Southerland

24. A Prayer for Friends and Family Who Are Watching a Loved One Suffer

Gracious God, My heart grieves for my friend but I am also so saddened for her family and friends who are deeply impacted by the magnitude of this heart-wrenching situation. As these family members navigate their own pain and suffering, please remind them that you are near to comfort them as well. When they are overcome by sadness and fear, provide them with the reminder that you do not sleep, or even take a nap; instead, you are always alert and available to provide the strength they need. You are the only true source of healing and recovery. As they provide practical care and faithfully serve, please strengthen them when they are discouraged. As they lift their eyes to you, remind them of your love and that the empowering presence of your Spirit is available to them at every moment of each day. Amen. – Lisa Samra

25. A Prayer for the Sick

As my Good Shepherd, Jesus, I know you will lead me beside quiet places and restore my soul and body. I trust you and want to follow your leading. Help me to welcome this time not as an interruption in my carefully planned schedule, but as an opportunity to draw strength and nourishment for the journey ahead. You are my healer and my Great Physician. I look to you and give thanks for the promises in your Word that assure me of your presence and your help.

Teach me what you want me to learn during these unpleasant times, Lord. Help me not to take out my discomfort on those around me, and show me how to be a good patient while I’m recovering. In these days of sickness, Lord, I’m trusting you and asking you to make me well. And when you’ve restored my health, give me wisdom so I can treat my body as the temple of your Spirit. I’m eager to get back on my feet serving you, but I realize that even in sickness, I can still draw near to you. Thank you, Jesus! – Rebecca Barlow Jordan

26. A Prayer for Surgery

Father, we trust You with our lives. For You promise us: “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” (Psalm 30:2)
Bless the surgeons and medical staff that will operate on us. Be with them and equip them to be extensions of Your healing hand. Remain present with me, Lord, even when I fall asleep from the pain medication. Help me to feel Your presence, and remember that You are always with me. Never leaving. Always faithful. Loving me more than I’m capable of understanding.

And now for the hardest part: Truly trusting the outcome of my life in Your hands. For it’s when our plans for healing don’t look the same as Yours that we become frustrated, and faith threatens to pull out of our hearts. Doubt can seep in through the cracks in unexpected circumstances. In those moments, Lord Jesus, strengthen us to remember You. Your ways are not our ways, because only You can claim true love for us. Only You know what is perfect and just in the daily happenings of our lives. Our time here is so fleeting, but our belief in You, Jesus, sets us apart and ensures us life everlasting. Pain free and full of peace.

Father, let all who know me witness my peace in this process, and know that it is from You. Thank You for life, God. Bless and heal me today through this surgery. Whether You bring me through these ailments to restore me upright on this earth, or take me through to You, I trust You… today, and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Meg Bucher

27. A Prayer for Loved Ones as They Suffer Near the End

Jesus, When it came time for you to comfort your disciples you told them about the home you were preparing for them in heaven. Thank you for knowing we need the assurance that this life is not the end, and the promise that _________ will have eternity in heaven with you. For the pain and suffering he must endure now, please reassure his mind and help him to grasp onto the truth that he will be with you, and heaven will be his forever home. Please strengthen him with the knowledge that you will be the one to wipe away all his tears, and that there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Though he can’t see it now and it is beyond our human abilities to comprehend, give him faith to continue to believe your promise to help sustain him each moment of this journey. Amen. – Lisa Samra

28. A Prayer When You’re Hurting

Dear God, Some days feel too hard. We’re hurting. Struggling. Fighting fear and worry at every turn. Thank you in the midst of it all, you haven’t left us to fend for ourselves. Forgive us for doubting you are there. Forgive us for thinking you’ve forgotten. Forgive us for believing we somehow know the better way. You are fully trustworthy. You are All-Powerful. You are Able. You are Lord over every situation no matter how difficult it may seem. You are Healer and will never waste the grief we carry today. You will use all things for good in some way. Anything is possible with you. Nothing is too difficult for you.

We pray for those who grieve today. We ask for your comfort to surround those who weep. We pray for the peace of your presence to cover our minds and thoughts, as you remind us, the enemy can never steal us out of your hands. He never has the final say over our lives. We are kept safe in your presence forever, whether in life or in death. We thank you that your ways are higher than our ways and your thoughts are bigger than our thoughts. We lay it all down at your feet, every burden, every care. Believing that is the safest place for it to be. We love you, Lord, we need your fresh grace. In the Powerful Name of Jesus, Amen. – Debbie McDaniel

29. A Prayer for a Miracle

Lord, Jesus, here I am again, asking You to do what only You can do in my life. Scripture tells me that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. You are the God who performs miracles! So do a miracle in me! Heal me through and through! Deliver me from my tendency toward anxiety and worry. Show me how You fight for me. Give me a vision for what a healthy-healed-me looks like, and help me to go after that girl with tenacity and purpose. Take my efforts and multiply them, Lord. My soul waits for You to do what only You can do. I love You, Lord. Amen. – Susie Larson

30. A Prayer to Heal Broken Marriages

Father, these things in Ephesians seem impossible right now. All of the things these verses say are things we cannot do apart from You. But we vow today, to have faith in You. We promise to trust You through the brokenness and heartbreak, trusting that it will not last forever. The process of forgiveness will begin in our hearts this very moment, but we will leave restoration and reconciliation in Your hands.

Take it all – our marriage and our lives. We have come to the end of ourselves and the ability to repair what has been broken in ourselves, our spouses, and our marriages. We are taking a backseat to Your sovereignty. Break it all if you must, in order to restore completely what has been lost. As we walk through the unknown state of our futures, we are believing You for who You say You are. Come Lord Jesus. Into our lives with miraculous healing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Meg Bucher

31. A Prayer for Healing Power

Father, please forgive me for wanting to give up and turn away from You. I am so tired and so hurt. Please give me the strength to go on. Today, I choose Your healing power to work in my life. I will guard my heart against bitterness and anger. I will not retreat. I choose to believe that the pain of today is the foundation of tomorrow’s victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Mary Southerland

32. Time Brings Healing

Dear God, if I’m honest, there are times where I feel deep pain. It’s hard to continue. There are no smiles. I don’t feel joy. Please help me trust You when it’s hard. Help me believe that, with time, You can make something beautiful of my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen. – Chrystal Evans Hurst

33. Healing Surrender

Lord, it seems as if my world has collapsed, hurling me into another deep, dark pit. I come to You in complete surrender. I am desperate for You, helpless and afraid. But today, I choose to trust You, even in the darkness, knowing that Your healing for my life is on the way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Mary Southerland

34. A Prayer for Emotional Healing Through Forgiveness

God, I’ll admit that I sometime pick at emotional scabs. I replay what was done and how it was done. I don’t want to do that any longer. I want to get up off my emotional mat, get up, and walk in freedom. Today I forgive ________ for _________, and will no longer hold the offense against the offender. I also accept your forgiveness for my sin of __________, and will no longer live in shame and condemnation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Sharon Jaynes

35. Prayer to Heal the Broken Places

Dear LORD, thank You for mending my broken places, filling my empty spaces, and healing me with Your graces. Help me to be an instrument of healing by sharing the good news of what You have done in my life. Help me to never waste my sorrows, but invest the riches of my story with those in need. In Your Name, Amen. – Sharon Jaynes

36. To Heal the Broken

Dear Lord, You are compassionate, gracious, faithful, and powerful. Please forgive my loved ones and me for the ways we’ve disobeyed. Please bring redemption and healing to _________________. Pour out Your favor and mercy on us today, and help me to follow Your leading. Amen. – Gwen Smith

37. Grant Me Spiritual Healing

Dear Lord, forgive me for sometimes coming to You for help only after I have exhausted all efforts to handle the problem on my own. Please fill me with a peace that surpasses all understanding in the situations I am facing. Grant me spiritual healing, and help me see You working in and through me. Thank You for always being available and on call. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Traci Miles

38. A Prayer to Believe for a Miracle

Heavenly Father, As much as I trust You, I know there are doubts hindering my faith. Lord, I want You to chase those doubts away. Today, I choose to believe for a miracle which I know You will accomplish in Your precious time. Thank You for increasing faith and what You will do in my life for Your glory. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. – Carolyn Dale Newell

39. Heal the Hurt and Anger

Dear Lord, there is so much hurt and anger inside of me. I’m tired of living this way. I’m giving it to You to heal my hurt. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Micca Campbell

40. A Prayer to Find the Source of Pain

Dear God, I need Your help. I’m hurting and I need You to help me address my source of pain and set me on a path to healing. Please show me where I can get help in Your Word or through Your people. Help me be patient as I wait for You to answer my prayers. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Chrystal Evans Hurst

41. God, Please Take the Hurt

Dear God, I know You see the deepest places of my heart and know the lies and words that continue to haunt me and hurt me. Will You take that hurt away, please? Heal me and help me to accept and understand that You didn’t make a mistake with me. You made me perfectly wonderful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. – Shari Braendel

How to Pray for Healing – Max Lucado

Healing Bible Verses

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Proverbs 40-22

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:17-20

Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. Jeremiah 17:14

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:34

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

More Healing Scriptures

What are you praying for healing over today? Join our large praying community in the comments below and experience the power, hope and healing that comes when you allow others to cover you in prayer.

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.
Prayer for Strength
Prayer for Protection
Morning Prayers
Prayer for Forgiveness
Prayer for Guidance

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Finding Joy in the Midst of Grief

Finding Joy in the Midst of Grief
By: Chelsey DeMatteis

The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. – Daniel 6:23

I can still see the sunny Sunday morning sun piercing through the windows as I got dressed to meet my friend for coffee. We met every Sunday before church to talk ministry, marriage, and all things life. In this particular season, I was in a hard place of trying to become pregnant. Unfortunately, I know some of you know this season all too well. You feel like every commercial on TV is about pregnancy tests, diapers, and baby toys. Not to mention every time you open up a social media app on your phone there is yet another announcement of a birth or pregnancy.

That Sunday morning, just as I bent over to grab my jeans from the drawer, I felt the Lord boldly place on my heart my friend was pregnant. My eyes filled with tears, my mind filled with questions, and my heart grieved because again, someone else was getting the blessing I was praying for.

My grief clouded all of the joy God had been gifting me. I remember thinking in a weird way I should be joyfully thanking God for His kindness in sharing this news with me before I got blindsided over a cup of coffee.

It’s a hard thing when you find yourself in a season full of His blessings; comfort, provision, community, but you can’t see any of them when your heart is sinking in grief. I remember asking the Lord, “why her and not me, why can’t I be happy for everyone else, why can’t I be happy with what I do have?”

The asking of these questions created a pivotal point in my walk with Jesus. I realized joy can’t be based on my circumstances. True joy from Christ comes from our relationship with Him, not the circumstance He’s allowed us to be in.

Daniel, and his experience in the lions’ den, is who comes to mind when I think of someone who had a supernatural peace and joy in Christ. He could’ve much more easily allowed the grief of his situation cloud God’s goodness. People scheming against him, then telling him he cannot pray to his God for 30 days, then arrested for praying in private, and wrongly stuck in the lions’ den. That to me sounds like a whole lot of grief-filled happenings.

Now, I am not comparing myself to Daniel because one, I am not him and two, my situation didn’t match the magnitude of his. BUT, his life story in the Bible is one that shows us how important it is to have a heart that deeply trusts what God is doing even when we cannot trace His hands. Many people would’ve validated Daniel feeling abandoned, but Daniel knew The Lord was working in it all.

Due to us living in a fallen world we will certainly find ourselves in places of pain. Hard, grief-filled seasons will, unfortunately, find their way on the pages of our story. Allowed and permitted, used for good, but never wanted for us by God. In the wise words of Lysa TerKerust, “It’s not supposed to be this way.” God didn’t intend grief to plague our lives, but sin made it what it is. By his grace and mercy, He’s given us a way to be delivered from it all, thank you for the gift of Jesus. I love how in Daniel’s story he doesn’t stop praying once the law was put into place to not pray to any other God except King Darius for 30 days. Insert whatever season you are in; infertility, loss, estranged family, broken marriage, disobedient children, addiction crisis. Never cease praying, don’t let this part of your life steal the gift Christ died to give you. Your life, this moment, this season is a testimony being written by The Lord when you allow Him to work in and through it.

Look at Daniel’s story, it was King Darius who asked through the stone door, “has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions.” Someone will absolutely ask you, “how did you make it,” “what did you put your hope in,” The Lord doesn’t waste anything. He will give you a person to share His goodness with, and because you never stopped leaning into Him you’ll have able to respond just like Daniel, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.”

I am so thankful God didn’t leave this season of grief out of my story, not only did he not leave it out, but He joined me in it. He prepared my heart for a moment that would’ve left me feeling completely alone. I’m so thankful He permitted me to be in a place of finding His gift of joy in the penning of grief. Finding joy in grief comes from trusting God’s goodness no matter what the ending looks like. A true lasting joy-filled life will all begin with where we find it. If it’s found bound to people, places., things, and circumstances it won’t be around for long. But when tethered to Christ and trusting His penning of the story it will be deeply planted in the depths of your soul.

You can find more from Chelsey on her website, https://www.chelseydematteis.com/.

For More Great Resources for Women, Visit iBelieve’s Faith Channel.

Christian Parent, Crazy World, Catherine Segars

Listen to Our FREE New Parenting Podcast! Christian Parent/Crazy World with Catherine Segars is now available on LifeAudio.com.

⚔️ use prayer as your weapon

Fretting easily leads to worry; worry casts a big shadow over small problems — a shadow that should never cross our lives. — Margaret Fishback Powers

Prayer Combats Worry

by Margaret Fishback Powers from Footprints

Neither the sun, nor the son, has gone out of business.

Editor’s Note: In 1964, Margaret Fishback Powers wrote the poem called, “Footprints”. It’s become a well-known and widely-loved poem that has reminded those who read it and re-read it that the Lord will never, ever leave us in the hardest of times. From Margaret’s poem her new devotional was born. She often reflects on the poem with her husband in their daily time with the Lord. She’s developed short and thoughtful devotions along with deep reflection questions for your personal daily devotional time. There’s even journaling space! Enjoy this preview of Margaret’s devotional, Footprints: An Interactive Journey Through One of the Most Beloved Poems of All Time.

Footprints

One night I dreamed a dream.

I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

one belonging to me and one to my Lord.

When the last scene of my life shot before me

I looked back at the footprints in the sand and to my surprise,

I noticed that many times along the path of my life there was only one set of footprints.

I realized that this was at the lowest

and saddest times of my life.

This always bothered me

and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma.

“Lord, You told me when I decided to follow You,

You would walk and talk with me all the way.

But I’m aware that during the most troublesome

times of my life there is only one set of footprints.

I just don’t understand why, when I needed You most,

You leave me.”

He whispered, “My precious child,

I love you and will never leave you

never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints

it was then that I carried you.”

God is With Us in Our Worry

Fretting and a kitchen blender have a lot in common.

With the push of a button the contents of a blender are whirled and swirled until they become a frothy mixture. In our lives, worry gnaws away at us until our lives become a churned jumble. But God doesn’t want us to live “blender-ized” lives.

Fretting easily leads to worry; worry casts a big shadow over small problems — a shadow that should never cross our lives.

When the outlook is not good, we should not fret. We need a change of perspective to realize that God sees tomorrow more clearly than we see yesterday. The future is completely in His hands!

Don’t fret! Cheer up! Neither the sun, nor the Son, has gone out of business. He is with us. A new day will dawn and the Lord will bring Himself to the center of our problems.

Remember, worry will only tie us in knots. Prayer is the only way to cut short our fretting — to cut those knots of worry and care and grant us God’s peace instead.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6–7

Excerpted with permission from Footprints by Margaret Fishback Powers, copyright Margaret Fishback Powers.

Your Turn

How can fretting lead to worry? What does Jesus say about the consequences of worrying in Matthew 6:27–30? Make a list of your worries and give them to the Lord. Come share on our blog!

Romans OBS: session 5 ~ the path we follow

Romans: In the Grip of Grace

Session Five – The Path We Follow

To walk in the footsteps of Jesus is to walk in love. To become more like Jesus is to love others more freely. When we receive the agape love of God, it overflows to every person we encounter

Have you ever played the party game called “Two Truths and a Lie”? The simple concept is that each person declares three things about his or her life experience. Two are true, while one is not. The others in the group then guess which one of the three declarations is not true.

“I have never had a cup of coffee. I have had only one cavity my entire life. I love jazz music. Tell me, which is not true?”

I can juggle three balls at the same time. I am double jointed in both my arms. I know all the US states and capitals. You tell me, which is not true?”

You get the idea. It’s just a way of sharing fun and random information, but the truth always reveals part of a person’s story. The more we know the truth about a person, the more we know who they truly are as a person. In the same way, in Romans 12–13, God unfolds the truth about those who follow his Son. As he does, we come to discover the truth about our selves now and the truth about the people we are becoming.

Imagine that you are using Romans 12–13 as your source for what is true about you. As you begin to read, you quickly discover:
• Your life is a sacrifice pleasing to God.
• When you surrender to God, it is an act
of worship.
• Your mind is being renewed by God.
• You can know and follow the will of the
living God.
• You have been given grace.
• You are called to humility and to think with
sober judgment.
• You belong to God’s family, his Church.
• You are gifted by God.

Those truths are found in just the first six verses of Romans 12. There is a lot more to learn. So read on! And if anyone asks you to play “Two Truths and a Lie,” maybe you can look at the list of truths from the book of Romans for your truth statements.

~ Max Lucado

Scriptures of the Week: Romans 12-13

Companion Reading in the Book (optional): Chapters 13-15, In the Grip of Grace

3 Things This Week

Watch Session Five

Watch the video from our study home and take notes in your study guide on pages 73-78, then dig deeper between sessions with the Personal Study (Days 29–35) on pages 79-87.

Discuss in the Facebook Group

In the private Max Lucado Community Facebook group…

What are your thoughts on this week’s memory verse? What does this verse mean to you?

Memory Verse of the Week

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:2

hope it forward >>

Our hurts may be personal, but our healing can be communal.

— Katherine & Jay Wolf, Suffer Strong

Hope It Forward

by Katherine & Jay Wolf, from Suffer Strong

Our hurts may be personal, but our healing can be communal.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

One ordinary day my wife Katherine and I were eating lunch as our baby slept in the next room. By the end of that ordinary day, I would be sitting in a hospital waiting room surrounded by friends and family, praying Katherine would survive emergency brain surgery.

Katherine and I grew up in the Bible Belt and rarely spent a Sunday morning outside of a church pew, but I’m not sure I had truly experienced the fullness of what the community of Christ could be until I sat in that waiting room.

It’s not when everything is perfect that we experience our purest form of connection to God and to others. Opportunity for true connection happens when reality splinters in a hospital waiting room, when your twenty-six year-old wife has a stroke without warning, when life balances on the edge of a surgeon’s scalpel. In that space of recognizing our own helplessness, we can either find ourselves in despair or find ourselves released into something bigger than ourselves — the safety net of each other. When we cried out to God, He answered. He gave us Himself by giving us other people. When our lives fracture, God is making space for His people to fill in the gaps.

Suffering — on an individual level and at a global scale — unveils a profound opportunity for us, the Church, to make the invisible God visible to one another. When we choose to reframe suffering as a universalizing means of connection rather than a point of isolation, everything changes.

Our hurts may be personal, but our healing can be communal.

The individual no longer bears the burden of mustering up hope for herself because we get to tell each other, “We’ll hope for you until you can hope for yourself again.”

That compassionate, incarnational, intercessory ministry was the beginning of hope for me on the day that everything fell apart. Knowing I was not walking alone through such hell empowered me to keep walking alongside Katherine.

Because my community showed up for me, I could show up for Katherine. Because my community hoped for me, I could hope for Katherine as she clawed her way back from the brink of death into a whole new post-stroke reality.

Presence is the key. No need to overcomplicate it. I don’t remember many of the words spoken to me by my friends in those days following Katherine’s stroke, but I remember that they showed up. They sat and waited and brought food and cried and prayed and strolled my baby around the halls.

They offered me what we can all offer each other: the ministry of their presence and, most poignantly, the ministry of their tears. They grieved when I grieved. And, even in the thickest parts of the suffering, sometimes they even laughed when I laughed. Doesn’t that take the pressure off? We’re not responsible for crafting the perfect condolence or offering the life-changing nugget of wisdom. We’ve just got to show up.

Even the kindest among us may want to look away in the face of another’s pain. Acknowledging someone else’s pain is a sobering reminder of the pain inevitably headed your way. Most humans would rather offer a quick fix to suffering and push toward a redemptive resolution rather than sitting in the grief at what has been lost. With this understandably flippant engagement of pain, we can further wound already wounded hearts. Katherine and I have been on the receiving end of some incredibly timely and encouraging words, but we’ve also been offered some shockingly hurtful and poorly-timed words. As a general rule, it seems less words are the best words, particularly during seasons of acute pain.

How many out-of-context Bible verses have been slapped on us in the midst of our tragedy? We’d be more upset about it if we weren’t also guilty of doing the same thing to other people, too! Without a doubt, we all need to be reminded of the truest things about God and His goodness and His purposes and plans, but timing is everything.

Sitting with the weight of someone’s loss, mourning it with them, offering our own emotions, and fulfilling their basic needs reflects a Gospel reality more clearly than any well-meaning recitation of a Bible verse could. Showing up reinforces the deep truth that we are not alone in any of our pain because Jesus joined us in our deepest, most universal pain: separation from our Creator.

As the life and ministry of Christ demonstrates time and again, Jesus encountered hurting people and had compassion for them. He saw them. He sat with them. He acknowledged their pain. He helped and healed them.

Instead of being offended by their humanity, He joined them in it. And in our own way, we have the privilege and responsibility of embodying that kind of compassion to each other. In fact, the word compassion is translated “to suffer with.” Compassion isn’t warm, fuzzy feelings; compassion is making the choice to suffer. Suffering is what’s required when we kneel under the weight of the world together, intentionally entering into a mess that’s not your own, lightening the load for another and, in so doing, lightening the load for ourselves.

Compassion has the magic effect of taking our eyes off of our own hurts long enough to truly see another person in all their fears and humanity and hopes. For those of us who have been on the receiving end of this ministry of presence, we are empowered to enter into a holy process that Katherine and I like to call “hoping it forward.” As Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians, we get to take the comfort we’ve received from God and give it to others in need.

When we’ve received comfort, we might be tempted to hoard it for ourselves. We’ve been through so much already.

We deserve to be comfortable!

But Paul’s invitation to give to others what we’ve been given — to “hope it forward” — doesn’t leave us empty. God never calls us to give from a void, but rather from the abundance He’s already given us. And when we open our hands and offer up something precious, it leaves space for us to be refilled to overflowing.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Jay Wolf, co-author with Katherine Wolf of Suffer Strong.

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