Father, we thank you for the life we enjoy in your good creation as your image bearers. Even though we live in a sin-damaged world with sin-damaged bodies, that image still shines through.
We know that you are a God who values health and wholeness.
You gave your Chosen People the Law thousands of years ago as a gift of life and health, to protect them from disease and contamination.
And your Son summarized his ministry with these words:
The blind receive sight,
the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cured,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and
the good news is preached to the poor.
We look forward to the day when the perishable will clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.
We look forward to the day when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
We look forward to the day when creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
In the meantime, as participants in your kingdom, we stand against evil in whatever form it takes.
And so we invest our time, our money and our prayers in pursuing healing for those who are sick and in pursuing cures and improved treatment for those diseases that rob your people of life and health.
May your kingdom be fulfilled among us. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
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Thank you Pastor Rod for sharing that encouraging prayer. It is a wonderful declaration of God’s unfailing goodness, faithfulness, and redemption. It has also encouraged me to share a personal experience from last week.
A little over a week ago I was feeling some reoccurring symptoms of an illness from earlier this year. I remember at least two people at church last Sunday greet me with the normal after-Sunday-service “hi, how are you?” Setting aside the typical “I’m fine, how are you?”, I decided to be bluntly honest and told them that I was frustrated and really tired of this lingering illness. It made me feel better just to be honest about how I was feeling. And yet, at the same time, I’m keenly aware of others who are battling life-threatening sicknesses.
By late Wednesday morning I think I was improving, and then at lunch on Wednesday I read the following Scripture verse from a daily calendar: “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.” Exodus 23:25, KJV
I remember thinking something like “Lord, you made this promise to the children of Israel. Are you speaking to me? You know I’m trying to serve You. I’ve already prayed for healing. I’m trusting you Lord. Please deliver me from this in the Name of Jesus. Strengthen my weak faith and overcome any unbelief in me. Your will be done.”
Was I immediately healed? No, but I kept thinking about that verse. It was an easy verse for me to remember because it is in a Paul Wilbur song that I like. By some time on Thursday or Friday I was basically back to my normal self. Did God intervene in a special way or did He simply speak His truth and peace into my life while my immune system performed its God ordained function? I don’t know, but I’m healed, and I give God the glory!
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