![]() ![]() When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned the flames will not set you ablaze.” ( Isaiah 43:1-2).Īs I’ve heard my friend’s latest news, it simply feels as if the water is too high and the flames are too intense. The Lord says, “Do not fear…when you pass through the water, I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. Isaiah’s encouragement in the midst of these realities is to not look to the circumstances but to Jesus. Suffering is also depicted as a dense, hot fire generating so much smoke that it is difficult to see, creating the feeling of being lost and all alone. Isaiah described these situations like drowning, the feeling of being in a massive river or ocean that seems to be so vast and deep that there is no possibility of rescue, raging water that makes it difficult to stay afloat and crashing waves that topple us with doubt and fear. ![]() The Old Testament prophet Isaiah paints a remarkable picture of what suffering can feel like that gives voice to the common experiences of suffering. Prayer for Comfort in the Presence of God ![]() 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. So, I am bringing my friend before you to ask for your healing touch in her life. In faith, I am responding to the promises in your word that you listen to our prayers and those prayers can make her well. Even though I am powerless, I believe that you are powerful and capable of stepping into this situation and completely altering the outcome. It doesn’t seem fair for her to have to endure so much pain. And, while we are careful to realize that God may not provide earthly healing for our loved one, James wants us to pray in faith knowing that regardless of whether our friend experiences healing as a result of the prayers on earth, we will all receive the ultimate healing, eternity in heaven, that comes from the forgiveness of sins and the breaking of the cords of death that try to ensnare us. In addition to having your church elders pray for healing, we can all pray for those who are sick and facing trouble. When the shock of a health diagnosis seems to shake our world or the breakdown of a relationship shatters our expectations for the future, our desire is for healing and restoration. Our God can start the process of complete recovery.Īs you come alongside friends and family who are suffering, I hope the following prayers will provide some words to guide your own prayers based on promises and encouragements from the best source of comfort: God’s word. ![]() And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” ( Romans 8:26-27).Īlthough I am grateful for the Spirit’s prayers, there is still an opportunity for me to pray because God hears us when we pray ( 1 Peter 3:12), and I want to talk with God about my loved ones who are suffering and who desperately need healing whether physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. It is a great comfort that God’s Spirit helps me when I don’t know what to pray, and I cling to the assurance that “ the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Often, my initial response when I hear difficult news is to promise to pray.ĭespite my good intentions, it is sometimes hard to know how to pray for a friend, especially for healing and recovery. Looking over the names of friends and family that fill the pages of my prayer journal, my heart cries out for those whose suffering is so raw and gut-wrenching. A devastating medical diagnosis, the unexpected loss of a loved one, the discovery of marital unfaithfulness, a debilitating chronic illness, unrelenting depression. ![]()
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