There are many days I’m aware of what seems to be an increasing amount of pain and suffering all around us. God is good and kind, full of mercy and grace, yet that doesn’t remove pain from our lives.
I’m so grateful God has given us the invitation to pray. The invitation to be near Him. That is where spiritual power begins. Prayer is the door that opens the potential of Heaven to bring healing to earth.
John Wesley said, “God does nothing but in answer to prayer.”
The intent of Wesley’s quote is clear: Prayer finds its way to the heart of God and opens a window for blessings from heaven.
The theme of this post includes:
- Physical healing
- Prayer
- Encouragement and Hope
A good way to bring clarity is to offer a brief glimpse into the story of a friend of mine who was diagnosed with stage IV uterine cancer in September of 2020.
Her name is Janene. She and her husband Ron are dear friends of ours.
Janene is a visionary artist fueled by passion. She is a gifted designer of beautiful spaces where we live. Janene sees things most of us don’t. She sees creation and creativity through God’s eyes and has never seen a home that couldn’t be renovated. They have personally lived in and renovated 23 homes. One of my fun moments each year is asking if there is a new address for their Christmas card.
Among other gifts, Janene is a writer who has courageously chosen to share her journey with cancer through her weekly journal posts. She writes with a poetic overtone and conveys life insights that encourage many, especially in the arena of physical healing.
The following is an excerpt from a recent journal entry titled “Presence is the Miracle”
“I do not have good news. To refine that statement, there is some good news served up with the hard. The first is my body is vigorously and impressively repairing and restoring. Yet, this healing is also woven into an environment saturated with disease.
He inhabits the wounded temple. . . .We don’t often think of it that way. We imagine God drawing near when the sanctuary is swept clean, when the offering is fragrant, when the body is whole.
The truth is stranger and more tender: the Holy Spirit sets up residence inside broken structures, scarred places, cells that carry both life and death.
This is where my struggle lies. Not in believing that God can heal – I know He can. The wrestle is whether He will heal me. And so, the cry rises: for Presence, for intervention, for something greater than the limits of the body. What I crave most, His nearness, has already been given. He inhabits the wounded temple. He has made my scarred frame His dwelling place. The miracle is not His arrival after my plea. The miracle is his residency before I asked. Already here. Already indwelling.”
These profound thoughts ring true for the human condition in far more than merely the physical realm; from our own salvation to freedom from the addictions that hold us captive. The Spirit is resident within and with Him comes power.
For this post, and the sake of brevity, we’ll remain focused on physical healing as part of the bigger picture in which God is working.
Janene’s question of “God can heal me – but will He?” is a question of the ages. It’s not a doubting question; it’s a brave and honest question.
When it comes to healing, how do we pray for a miracle considering this question?
There are no easy answers when it comes to praying for a miracle, but it is enough to know God can, so we ask with boldness. Not with presumption, but with faith. Not with a demand, but with hope. A hope based on His love and kindness.
We ask for a miracle, praying by faith, believing God can heal us even though we don’t know His mind in the matter. There is no need to add caveats. Pray like you believe He will. We are not assuming, we’re asking the One who loves us.
We know He loves us, and we can accept the invitation to pray, to ask, to believe He can. That’s enough. To presume or declare more is to overstep our privilege and miss His presence and purpose.
Knowing God is already with us and His presence is near, is the grace that meets our needs until His answer is clear.
“To pray, then, is not to beg God to arrive but to awaken to the God who is already here.” Janene Kraft
God is with us but also provides community through the body of Christ – to bring comfort while we lift prayers for healing. It is His design to have others close to us, so in our human experience we don’t walk the difficult roads alone.
Excerpt from the journal: Practices for Presence and Prayer
1) Presence as Environment
Practice: Breathe slowly and whisper, “You are the air I live in.” Picture every cell resting in His nearness the way lungs rest in oxygen.
2) Presence as Reversal of Exile
Practice: Place your hand over your heart and say, “I am not cast out; I’m carried in.” Let His Spirit remind you that disease does not exile you from Him.
3) Presence as the Already of Healing
Practice: Each morning, thank God for one way you were already being healed – peace in despair, comfort in loneliness, strength in weakness. Let gratitude anchor you in the healing already begun.
4) Presence as the Healer Who Shares Space
Practice: When you notice pain, lay your hand gently there and pray, “You dwell even here.” Remember: He is not outside the wound but within it.
5) Presence as the Final Word
Practice: When fear or lab results speak loudly, respond aloud: “But You dwell here.” Let His indwelling be the louder word over your body, your story, your future.
The practice of prayer is essentially the practice of presence. Being present – in the presence of God.
God cannot be rushed, take time for prayer.
If you are battling a physical illness, I pray God’s healing for you. If you are prompted to pray for others, please do.
You can follow Janene at SanctuaryLiving.life
2 great books on prayer:
- Playing Chase with God, by Chris Morgan
- Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, by Tyler Staton
Dan, one of your best pieces. Very helpful. Keep up the good work, brother. You are appreciated. Dave Roadcup, TCMI Institute
I appreciate how you deal with the questions we have when we have no answers, and when the answers we have don’t seem to make sense. You touched on the deep trenches of life. Thanks for reminding us.
Agree with David’s comment above. Very moving. Thanks Dan,
for sharing.
Dan,
As usual, you are on time. This post is an encouragement to all of us needing the healing power of Jesus. I am grateful for this testimony and claim the promise found in #5…. God has the Final word! Thank you for sharing.
Great post! Endearingly beautiful. Captures the razors edge of a profound desire to see God heal while staring at sickness, disease and injury in the face. Thank you for the honesty. But also thank you to the Lamb of God that poured out his blood to heal us. May we see a ground swell of miracles and healing in days to come. Love you Dan!