Manageable Pieces (Part 1 of 2)
March 11, 2020
A few weeks ago, someone texted me to pray for a friend whose cancer had returned and spread to other organs. They were seeking advice on how to pray. The last sentence of the text was: “How do you even pray for something like that?” In this post and the next, I will share some of the advice I gave.
First, break this situation, this monstrous illness, down into smaller, more manageable pieces. It is easy to be so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem that you are stumped or just freeze. By attacking it on several fronts, you can make some headway in your prayers.
Be a friend. When someone has a major illness, some friends will pull away because they don't want to watch someone die. But, a real friend will lean in. My recommendation is to regularly visit this very ill friend. Listen to her. Being a friend speaks volumes and gives you opportunities to gather more information about her moods and condition. Staying up-to-date on her medications and complications allows you to focus your prayers.
Don’t buy the lie. John 10:10 says that the enemy (Satan) comes to steal, kill and destroy, but that Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. As a Christian, never ask why God let this happen or say that God put this sickness on her to teach her a lesson. That is a lie, lie, lie. Sickness is the work of the devil. Jesus is the healer. If you don’t believe that it is God’s will to heal you, there is no way to effectively pray for healing.
Is she saved? Has she accepted Jesus? It is easier and more effective to pray for people who are saved. Saved people are more likely to cooperate with you in pressing in to pray. They are willing to go read the Bible. They are more willing to listen to and participate with you in your prayers. They are also less likely to blame God for the illness. They are more likely to believe that Jesus loves them and wants them to be whole. If they are not saved, find a short salvation prayer and be ready to pray it with them when you visit them, and the opportunity presents itself. You can find a salvation prayer in the back of Four Weeks.
If she is not a believer in Jesus, you will have to stand in the gap for her in your prayers. By that, I mean you have to pray for her because she can't pray effectively for herself. One of your prayers will be that she come to know the truth about God’s will, which is that everyone be healed and that the power to be healed is in God’s Word and the words of her mouth.
Find Healing Scriptures. Share healing Scriptures with her. When it comes to healing Scriptures, it is best to identify one or two that really resonate in the situation, then personalize it, and repeat it frequently. Here is a good list: https://www.kcm.org/real-help/healing/speak/healing-scriptures-speak-daily. An example of personalizing for 2 Timothy 1:7:
I thank you, Father, that you have not given (name of friend) a spirit of timidity, but You has given her a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. (name of friend) has a well-balanced mind and she does not fear, in Jesus name.
Continued in Part 2…
