Are you feeling better since you confessed your sins to God and to others??? It may not be immediate, but it will come. Even if the other person has not forgiven you, you did your part. Leave it in God’s hands to work in their heart.
Surgery. The examination we talked about a few days ago is the beginning of the process. Part of the healing process sometimes involves surgery. When you have surgery, you don’t always instantly feel better when you wake up in recovery. It takes time for the pain of the surgery itself to go away before you realize that the cause of the pain having been removed is now bringing healing. So it is in your heart. Once you’ve examined your heart, confessed your sins to God and others, now the true healing can begin.
Recovery. You may have carried guilt and sin with you for a long time and it’s left its mark. Now that’s behind you and you can allow the healing process to begin.
“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.”
Psalm 103:3 NLT
Researchers have found that forgiveness and right relationships contribute to healing of the body. Of course it does because God is the ultimate healer. We probably have no idea how some of the things we do or say affect our bodies but occasionally get a glimpse when they are resolved and we are feeling better. God wants to see us whole in spirit, mind, and body. Take a moment to listen and worship with the song “I Am The God That Healeth Thee”.
Rest. What does rest have to do with healing? I think we all know that when we’re sick, we need to rest our body. Sometimes a nap replenishes our strength and allows our body to heal. If you break a bone and keep using that part of the body, it isn’t going to heal as quickly or properly as it would if you give it rest. When we’ve come through a time of examination, confession, and forgiveness, we need to rest in the Lord for strength to continue on the right path. Read the Bible and meditate on the words you read. Let them seep into every pore of your body.
Pray. During this period, spend extra time in prayer. Keep praying for the person(s) you’ve wronged, that God will bring healing into their lives. Keep praying for yourself, that you will not fall into temptation again and that if you do, the Holy Spirit will nudge you right away before you succumb to it. Years ago I was on a prayer team and I made the patch in the picture above for us to wear so that people in that particular camp setting would know who the prayer team members were. We made ourselves available to pray with and for everyone in that camp, and many did come and ask us to pray with them. That is something you may want to do—find someone who is willing to pray with you.
In the beginning of this series for the season of Lent, I wrote more extensively about preparing ourselves with prayer. So I want to remind us here that prayer is not a once-and-done thing, not a once-a-day task, nor an as-needed action. It is CONTINUAL! We need to be in the habit of praying without ceasing.
Suppose you decided you would only talk to your child once a day in the morning. Then he or she goes to school or to a friend’s. When they come home, isn’t it natural to talk about their day? If you didn’t talk to them, you’d miss out on a lot. God wants to hear from us throughout our days. Yes, He already knows what’s going on in our lives, but He wants to hear about it from us. As a parent, I might see something on social media about my kids and grandkids, but nothing beats hearing it straight from them via a phone call or text! I’m sure God feels the same way.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about fasting, and then head into a new topic of communicating with God.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, thank You for bringing resolution and healing to me. I pray for those I’ve wronged, that they, too, may experience Your healing.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
- Easter – resurrection and salvation