Strength in Healing
A friend has been battling heart problems for several years. Her journey has seen periods of good health followed by times of immense struggle. Recently, her health issues took a turn for the worse, and her doctors determined that she needed extensive open-heart surgery. This wasn’t just a routine procedure; it involved valve replacements, ablations, hole repairs, and more.
In the early hours before the scheduled surgery, a sudden cardiac event sent her to the Emergency Room instead of the Operating Room. Thankfully, her surgeon acted swiftly, rushing her into surgery to address the immediate crisis. After hours of intense surgery, her heart was repaired, but the days that followed were marked by nerve-wracking setbacks, each of which was met head-on.
I asked her family how I could pray for her, expecting a specific request. The answer, however, caught me off guard. Her sister said, “Pray for her determination to endure the long and arduous healing process ahead.” As I hung up the phone, I pondered her request. Essentially, she was asking for prayers for her inner strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment to fully recover – a challenge I could relate to all too well.
Week after week, we encounter loved ones facing various struggles, and one of the most significant challenges we all share is the tenacity to pursue healing. It’s about pushing forward toward a place of wholeness and strength on spiritual, emotional, and psychological fronts. It’s about not retreating in the face of adversity when the rewards of wellness beckon. It’s about running the race of faith with endurance.
Many of us grapple with similar inner dialogues:
“I’ve asked God for forgiveness, but I can’t forgive myself.”
“I know God loves me, but I often feel unnoticed and unloved.”
“I believe God has a plan for my life, but waiting for it is exhausting.”
“I want to mend a relationship, but I’m hesitant to take the first step.”
“I know my eating habits are harming me, but I’m content as I am.”
“I battle constant worry and anxiety, and trusting God feels elusive.”
After our initial encounter with Jesus, many of us find ourselves as wounded believers, close to being whole but still broken. We yearn for healing but often struggle to move in the direction of the ultimate Healer, unsure of how to attain the complete wholeness He offers. This is undeniably challenging, and I understand this struggle intimately.
In the end, we’re all works in progress working toward perfection. Our challenges and shortcomings are real and should be acknowledged and confessed. But our faith in God’s ability and willingness to tend to our wounds must be stronger.
So, I join in prayer for my friend, who faces months of therapy, numerous doctor’s appointments, changes in medication, emotional exhaustion, and unseen battles. I’m grateful that we pray to the one true God who loves us, sees us, hears us, purifies us, answers us, comforts us, protects us, forgives us, and heals us when we cry out to God. God is the ultimate Surgeon who rushes to our side in times of crisis and leads us to the operating room of God’s presence. God knows how to care for every wound, burden, and bruise.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
So, when your heart needs healing, pray and persevere in the strength and grace of God. God’s plan is good, God’s faithfulness unshakable, and God’s presence always accessible. Move toward God and entrust God with the burdens of your heart.
Pray with me: Dear Lord, this journey is challenging, and I thank You for allowing me to be honest about the struggles I face. Please work in my heart and circumstances today, so I can move forward in faith, holding tightly to the hope I have in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In the early hours before the scheduled surgery, a sudden cardiac event sent her to the Emergency Room instead of the Operating Room. Thankfully, her surgeon acted swiftly, rushing her into surgery to address the immediate crisis. After hours of intense surgery, her heart was repaired, but the days that followed were marked by nerve-wracking setbacks, each of which was met head-on.
I asked her family how I could pray for her, expecting a specific request. The answer, however, caught me off guard. Her sister said, “Pray for her determination to endure the long and arduous healing process ahead.” As I hung up the phone, I pondered her request. Essentially, she was asking for prayers for her inner strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment to fully recover – a challenge I could relate to all too well.
Week after week, we encounter loved ones facing various struggles, and one of the most significant challenges we all share is the tenacity to pursue healing. It’s about pushing forward toward a place of wholeness and strength on spiritual, emotional, and psychological fronts. It’s about not retreating in the face of adversity when the rewards of wellness beckon. It’s about running the race of faith with endurance.
Many of us grapple with similar inner dialogues:
“I’ve asked God for forgiveness, but I can’t forgive myself.”
“I know God loves me, but I often feel unnoticed and unloved.”
“I believe God has a plan for my life, but waiting for it is exhausting.”
“I want to mend a relationship, but I’m hesitant to take the first step.”
“I know my eating habits are harming me, but I’m content as I am.”
“I battle constant worry and anxiety, and trusting God feels elusive.”
After our initial encounter with Jesus, many of us find ourselves as wounded believers, close to being whole but still broken. We yearn for healing but often struggle to move in the direction of the ultimate Healer, unsure of how to attain the complete wholeness He offers. This is undeniably challenging, and I understand this struggle intimately.
In the end, we’re all works in progress working toward perfection. Our challenges and shortcomings are real and should be acknowledged and confessed. But our faith in God’s ability and willingness to tend to our wounds must be stronger.
So, I join in prayer for my friend, who faces months of therapy, numerous doctor’s appointments, changes in medication, emotional exhaustion, and unseen battles. I’m grateful that we pray to the one true God who loves us, sees us, hears us, purifies us, answers us, comforts us, protects us, forgives us, and heals us when we cry out to God. God is the ultimate Surgeon who rushes to our side in times of crisis and leads us to the operating room of God’s presence. God knows how to care for every wound, burden, and bruise.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
So, when your heart needs healing, pray and persevere in the strength and grace of God. God’s plan is good, God’s faithfulness unshakable, and God’s presence always accessible. Move toward God and entrust God with the burdens of your heart.
Pray with me: Dear Lord, this journey is challenging, and I thank You for allowing me to be honest about the struggles I face. Please work in my heart and circumstances today, so I can move forward in faith, holding tightly to the hope I have in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Posted in Mid-Week Devotional
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