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Tag Archives: Healing

Emails to God – Just to Touch His Cloak (Matthew 14:34-36)

20 Feb

34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Dear God, this constant attention must have seemed relentless—not only to Jesus, but also to the disciples.

It is interesting to see that the cloak is emphasized here. It doesn’t say that Jesus healed them or touched them. It says that they “begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak.” There was just such desperation. People were leaving their work and their lives to follow him around. Now they were coming from everywhere just to touch his cloak. There are times when I think that our society is drifting so far from you because we are simply not desperate enough. You can count me in that boat too. I think I am not more dependent upon you because I am not desperate enough to go anywhere or do anything just to touch your cloak.

Father, I don’t want to be desperate in a sense of need, but I do want to be desperate for you. I want to be willing to do anything you ask of me at any given time. I want to be a living sacrifice to you. I want to offer all that I am up to you for all that you are. I want you to live through me and touch others through me. Help me to be a better representative of you to my wife, my children, and everyone else with whom I come into contact today.

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – A God Who Understands Setbacks (Matthew 14:13-21)

16 Feb

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Dear God, when I stop and think about the numbers, 5,000 people (not counting women and children) is A LOT of people back then. That’s a good-sized small town. And they had followed Jesus to a remote place that he had chosen for solitude and mourning. He was a rock star by any definition, but he was a rock star that cared about their needs. He not only had compassion and healed their sick. He also cared about their need for food.

But I want to focus for a second on Jesus’ need for a little mourning time after John was killed. This must have been painful for him. John was his cousin, and, while we don’t know how much they knew each other from their childhood and earlier years, we know that they knew each other. We know that they each knew WHO the other was. This was surely something that shook Jesus as he made his way through human life.

There are things that shake me all of the time. I remember several years ago when I found out my parents were separating. I was in my mid-thirties and yet it really threw me. I took a day off from work to kind of clear my head. I distinctly remember sitting at a park and watching my five-year-old daughter play while I processed the potential death of a marriage that was important to me (they eventually reconciled). Sure, I eventually was able to function again, but just the idea of my parents divorcing shut me down for a bit.

Father, thank you that you are a God who knows what it is to mourn. You are a God who understands the human condition. You understand what it is like to lose a loved one, suffer poverty, be tempted by power, have a friend betray you, etc. Help me as I experience the various trials that come my way. Help me to accomplish the work outside of the home that you have for me to accomplish. Help me to love my wife. Help me to parent my children. Help me to befriend the friendless. Help me to draw closer to you and then allow you to flow through me into my own life and to others around me.

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – A Coded Message from Jesus to John (Matthew 11:1-6)

14 Jan

Matthew 11:1-6

1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns ofGalilee.

2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Dear God, there are two interesting things here: 1. John the Baptist doubted. Sure he was in prison, but his faith waned. 2. Jesus said, “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” That implies that there will be those who stumble, but it is their fault that they stumble. But there will also be those who do not stumble over Jesus and his teaching, but embrace it and walk with it. Those people will be celebrated (blessed).

Regarding John’s doubts, this is so encouraging for me because he knew Jesus for most of his life. He somehow knew who Jesus was in terms of being the messiah at Jesus’ baptism. And yet, sitting in prison, facing death for being so outspoken, he doubted. He wondered if he had done it all for nothing. He had been so radical in his life. Should he have been?

So Jesus affirmed him. The affirmation is a little cryptic. I wonder if it was an inside deal with them. I wonder if they talked as children and dreamed of what would happen when Jesus came into his ministry. In essence, this seems cryptic, but it is a code that John would understand?

I wonder if this second part (about the stumbling) was part of the code too. I wonder if, as children, they talked about how they would offend and be rejected by some. John was looking for some peace and restoration of his faith. I never thought of it before, but I wonder if Jesus was doing that by taking advantage of the personal relationship they had had since their childhoods.

Father, there are times when my faith fails. Frankly, my faith was needing some affirmation on Monday. I took a day to fast and pray and then you spent the rest of the week affirming my faith. Thank you. Thank you for how you have answered my prayers. Thank you for how you will continue to answer my prayers. You care about me. You care about those around me whom you want to bless through me. So I submit myself to you and thank you for not rejecting me for my mini crises in faith, but, instead, you affirm me and bless me.

 
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Posted by on January 14, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Riding Jesus’ Coat Tails (Matthew 9:18-26)

27 Dec

18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.

Dear God, this is almost the Cliff’s Notes version of these two stories. Matthew streamlines them for us. He doesn’t go through the whole process of Jesus asking who touched him to be healed. He doesn’t tell us about the little girl’s mourners who try to get rid of him. He just gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ power, and how it is related to the involved people’s respective faith. Mark gives us more detail, but Matthew gives us the basics. I am glad we have access to both.

In this case, Matthew is showing us a man who is, indeed, the Messiah. He is showing us the raw power that flowed through Jesus’ human frame. He (Matthew) remembers it as being one of the first things that happened when he joined the group. That must have been amazing for Matthew. I can imagine that he would have felt excited about his decision to leave his tax collection business and join Jesus’ entourage.

Of course, there will come a time when Matthew will wonder if he had made the biggest mistake of his life—namely the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. But for now, this is exciting stuff. Jesus is obviously special, and Matthew gets to ride the wave a little.

Father, remind me of how special you are. Yes, there are times of struggle, and each day has a little bit of struggle for me now, but for the most part, this is a time when I can look at just about every area of my life and see your blessings. So help me to remember that. Help me to feel your smile and live into the love that you have for me today. Help me to worship you the way you deserve to be worshipped.

 
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Posted by on December 27, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Do I Appreciate Sin Forgiveness? (Matthew 9:1-8)

22 Dec

1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”

4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Dear God, did Jesus intend to heal this man or simply forgive him of his sins? In reading the way this is written in the NIV, it is almost as if he would have let the forgiveness be the end of it. It was only when he was trying to prove a point to the teachers of the law that he moved forward with the healing. Perhaps he intended this all along, and this is how he was making his point. But it’s interesting to consider the idea that Jesus saw this man’s biggest need as getting his sins forgiven as opposed to walking. Do we perhaps take getting our sins forgiven too lightly?

I would say that we definitely take the forgiveness of our sins by you for granted. This is probably something that all Christians need to covet more—the idea that you would choose to forgive our sins. My mind tells me that healing someone and making them walk again is the bigger miracle, but I suppose if I were before you and your glory, and scared out of my mind (see Isaiah), then the idea at that moment that you would give me a “pass” for my sins would seem like a bigger deal than you healing my physical body.

Father, help me to remember the glory of your grace and redemption. Help me to remember to share that glory with others. For those who are lost and still seeking, please help me to share your love with them. Be glorified in me so that others might see you through me. Let that start with my children and my wife, and then flow into my coworkers, family and friends.

 
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Posted by on December 22, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Who will Pass This Way? (Matthew 8:28-34)

21 Dec

28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Dear God, the end of verse 28 strikes me: “They were so violent that no one could pass that way.” There was a problem in the community’s midst and no one was willing to deal with it. Instead, they all worked around it and just waited for it to go away.

I can easily see myself doing that. The easiest thing to see in my life is homeless people. I run across them all of the time in my work, and they are soooo hard to help. Frankly, it’s intimidating to help them because you know it will require 1.) so much and 2.) so long. There isn’t a quick fix for some people. We have to invest in them, and, unfortunately, I find that I am not often up for the investment.

On the other hand, I saw some people last week make the decision to invest in someone’s life. They found a woman who is seemingly homeless. I say “seemingly” because it is hard to know exactly what the truth is. They brought her to us for dental care, but, between this one couple at one church and other man at another church, they have helped her with food, shelter, and even got her a job. How will it end? When will it end? Where will it end? I don’t know, but I know that I really admire these people because they decided to do what the people in this story wouldn’t do. They went the way that others didn’t want to pass and reached out to help.

Father, first, I pray for this woman and the people who are helping her. Guide her and direct her on her path. Draw her into you. Help her to feel you and your presence. Give her a long-term solution for her life. Second, I pray for the people who are ministering to her. Protect them and give them the strength, wisdom, and discernment they need to be your hands and feet to her. Give them an extra measure of joy this Christmas. And, finally, I pray that you will guide my family and me through each situation we encounter. Give us the courage to “pass that way” so that we might be a source of your love for others. Help me to teach your compassion to my children. Help me to understand what it is you would have me to do at any given moment.

 
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Posted by on December 21, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Debating Prosperity Gospel (Matthew 8:14-22)

16 Dec

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities

and bore our diseases.”

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Dear God, I got into an interesting conversation with a couple of pastors last night. There is a certain television pastor out there who I cannot stand because of his prosperity message. This came up during my conversation with them and, to my surprise, they started defending him. Really? This guy? Is there something in this guy I have missed? Is there are depth there I haven’t seen? I respect these two men and feel that they have earnest faith. How can they support what this guy preaches?

I kind of liken it to this passage. In my own theology of how you work, there are people you intended to be wealthy, people you intended not to be wealthy, and people you intended to be poor. It’s not fair. To our eyes, it can sometimes seem like there is no rhyme or reason to it. Young, good people die. Old, grouchy people live. Who can explain it? But I think that a lot of my feelings on the subject come back to passages like this.

People started following Jesus because they got excited about him. They were excited about the miracles and they wanted to be near the power. So when a teacher of the law (I actually never noticed before that this was a teacher of the law who was saying this) said he would follow Jesus anywhere, Jesus had a surprising response. The same for the other disciple—a very insensitive response. He was saying that there was going to be a cost for following Jesus. Material possessions and ease of life were not necessarily part of the deal. For some they might be. But for others they won’t be. Heck, look at John the Baptist. He was fulfilled spiritually, but he did not live an easy life, nor did he die an easy death.

Father, I hope I didn’t offend these men too much, but, I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it. I just don’t buy that you intended all of us who love you to live materially rewarded lives. The poor widow who Jesus saw put in her tiny offering went home poor and probably spent the rest of her life poor. That’s just how it is for some. They have a role to play. In her case, she is an example to me, and she never knew she would be. Help me to be willing to endure whatever it is you have for me to endure regardless of whether or not I see the purpose. And while I am thinking about it, for the wonderful blessings you give to me, including a good job and a healthy family, I thank you so much. You have been more than doubly good to me.

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – What Would I Have God Do? (Matthew 8:5-13)

14 Dec

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Dear God, first, let me say that this has to be a top-ten Bible story. It is always fun to find someone who impresses Jesus. Nicodemus does. The woman who argues with him and says that even the dogs get the scraps from the master’s table does. The widow who gives her money in the temple does. Even Peter impresses him every once in a while. So these stories are fun to see. I wonder if my response to something ever impresses you.

Then there is this passage itself. I don’t think I ever noticed verse seven before. Jesus asks him if He should come and heal him. He “asks” him. He was looking for faith, and in the next few verses he found it.

As I sit here today I wonder if Jesus isn’t asking me, “What would you have me do?” Hmm. There are so many things I would have you do God. First, there are my children. Please help me to raise them. I want them to eventually be completely submitted to you. Please help me to love my wife. Give her peace, and give her what you need her to have through me and through her friends, family, and work. Please help me at work. Bless our efforts and use them for your glory. Whether it be in raising money for our work or finding services for our patients, bless our efforts. Please help our friends. My wife mentioned a friend last night who is really struggling. Please help her with the loss of her mother. Help her with her marriage. Help her with her children. If you are willing, please help her.

Father, I give all of this to you and more. These are the things on my heart, and they are what I would have you do, provided that you are willing. So I hope you are pleased with me. I hope you are pleased with my heart because it truly longs to serve you well.

 
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Posted by on December 14, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Lord, if you are willing… (Matthew 8:1-4)

13 Dec

1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Dear God, I got curious abut what gift Moses commanded so I Googled it (to no avail). Then I did a search for the word “leprosy” in the Bible and found that the word isn’t mentioned for the first time until 2 Samuel. Incidentally, “leper” doesn’t appear until Matthew. So I assume that the gift Jesus commanded him to give had to do with miraculous healing in general and not leprosy in particular. Interestingly, there is also no mention of this man disobeying Jesus in the rest of chapter 8, so perhaps he is one of the few healed people who did what he was supposed to do.

I wonder if the phrase I am looking for in my prayer life when I ask for remarkable things is, “If you are willing…?” I tend to hesitate to ask for supernatural things because I am unsure if you are “willing”. This uncertainty causes me not to ask. I know you can do anything. I have seen you do miraculous things. I am just hesitant to ask for the miraculous because I am afraid that it might be outside of your will.

Father, if you are willing you can provide for my family and make me the father I need to be for my children. Father, if you are willing you can heal our patients and our volunteers who are sick. Father, if you are willing, you can comfort those who mourn. Father, if you are willing, you can provide for our Center’s financial needs through our donors. Father, if you are willing, you can love others through me. Father, if you are willing, you can heal my heart and make me whole. But regardless of whether or not you are willing, I am your servant. You are my God. Help me to glorify you in everything that I do so that others might be drawn to you.

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2011 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Prayer Requests (No Verse)

25 Oct

Dear God, our Center received two prayer requests from patients today, and I want to focus on them this morning instead of figuring out where I will go next since I finished Genesis yesterday.

The first one is from a woman who has been to our clinic a few times. She has a hurt knee, for which she needs your healing, but she also asks for prayer for her family, including for “my husband to stop using drugs.” Her prayer broke my heart because it is one thing to face the frustrations of physical pain, money, etc., but it is another thing to be in a situation with a family member where you feel like they are out of control and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Some will ask why she doesn’t just leave him, but it is likely that she cannot afford to leave him. She needs your help. He needs your help. She doesn’t mention children, but if they have children then they need your help. Please be with this woman and her knee. Lead her to healing, whether you provide it through us or your Spirit just moves through her body and heals her supernaturally, provide for her healing. Relieve her pain and help her to be able to fully work. And then I pray for her husband, her, and her family, and how they all interact. It is hard to know how you can help them, but I pray that you will be able to be there for him. Make him the man you need him to be. Help him to turn loose of drugs and other things that he thinks can provide a peace and joy that only you can truly provide. Help him to be at peace, and use this entire situation as an opportunity for him to find you and then bring glory to your name through his life’s transformation.

The second one was from a man who, coincidentally, is recovering from alcohol/drug addiction. His prayer request is for “balance in [his] life with work and personal growth.” He is having trouble because he cannot make enough per hour to make ends meet for his family. He says he doesn’t want to work 60-80 hours per week because that tends to get him out of balance. Frankly, God, with the way the economy is going, there is a faithless part of me that doesn’t know if you can answer this one, but the truth is that I know you can. I know you can help this man in his recovery and you can provide for his family’s needs. He also asks for prayers for his kids. So I do, God. I pray for this man’s recovery, that it will continue and that he will be strong in you. I pray for his job, that you will somehow multiply his income like Jesus did the fishes and loaves. I pray that you will love and parent his children through him and through their mother. Like the other family, use this as an opportunity to show up in their lives and reverse what could be generations of curses and vices that have passed down. Encourage this man. Give him hope. Give him your peace. Help him to bask in the middle of your presence.

 

 
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Posted by on October 25, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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