PRAISE AND PRAYER
“It’s hard to prove causation or improvement in faith based cancer patients, in terms of longevity, but it is well known that they have much less fear and anxiety. They have more purpose derived from the pain. They enjoy life. They have a reason for living post-cancer. They enjoy their communities, to give back, to be of service to others, to love and to be loved. There is no doubt that faith in a Creator brings some lemonade out of the lemons.” – Kristi Funk, MD
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” – Psalm 51:10-12
Maybe you’re angry at God right now. Totally understandable. Maybe you’re thinking you’ll focus on God later, when you get through surgery or finish treatment. Totally understandable. But the fact is that our relationship with God is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT to our well being that exists in the entire universe. All of these other things, every bit of it, CANNOT come before God. Anything we put our trust in above or before God is an idol that just can’t help us. It’s that simple. And we CANNOT do that. We can utilize all of Creation that will benefit us, but we CANNOT worship anything but the Creator. We can take action (and we should), but we CANNOT take action until we PRAY.
And if you don’t think God understands what you’re going through, remember Jesus. He suffered excruciating pain, physically and mentally, before he died. You’re not alone. He understands.
PRAISE
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! – Psalm 150:1-2
Praise means to express warm admiration for someone. Praise means to elevate someone based on their attributes. But it has actual benefits for the person doing the praise as well. Engaging in the spiritual practice of praise can reduce stress and anxiety, which always helps boost the immune system! Praise and worship can provide a sense of peace, hope, and emotional strength, helping patients cope better with all the things cancer can throw at them. A study published in the Journal of Religion and Health found that participation in religious activities, including praise and worship, is linked to better psychological well-being and lower levels of distress in cancer patients (Koenig, 2015).
Plus, GOD INHABITS PRAISE (Psalm 22:3).
WISDOM
When we find out we have cancer, we will sometimes do things we never imagined we could do. Some of those things can show us how brave we are, like going through treatments and surgeries. But some things we do may actually show us the ways we need to recalibrate our spiritual compass. This may be a little controversial, but I’ll still say it… If we are trying to spiritually manifest our own health or call upon anything other than the Great Physician, God himself, to come into our bodies and heal us or help us, we might be inviting spiritual elements into our lives that are more destructive than constructive.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. – Romans 12:1
Trusting God can be hard sometimes. But the more we steep ourselves in biblical wisdom, the more natural trusting God becomes. And it’s real. And it’s good.
PRAYER
God, help us! We’re scared, we’re sad, we’re frustrated, we’re hurting. And we need you. We ask for your healing touch on our bodies and our minds and our spirits. Please give us more strength than we ever thought possible to get through our surgery or treatments, give us peace right in the middle of our fears, and give us true HOPE in your love and your mercy! Let us give you our praise and let us give you our tears. “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” -Psalm 30:2
Jesus, YOU are the Great Physician, and we trust in your power to heal us physically and spiritually, even when it’s hard to trust. We believe! Help our unbelief! Jesus, guide the hands, eyes, ears and minds of the doctors and medical professionals who are caring for us. Surround us with a community of support and encouragement. AND encourage the people who are taking care of us! “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.” -James 5:14-15
LORD, heal us. Heal us. You know every molecule of our bodies, you have all the power, and you love us! We pray for miraculous healing because nothing is impossible for YOU! Help us to know you’re with us in every moment of this journey, even when we can’t feel your presence. Give us comfort, give us reassurance. More importantly than anything else, God…GROW US, bring us closer to you and change our hearts in any way you want to change them during this journey. MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE IN OUR LIVES. Use all of this for our good and for your glory.
In Jesus name we pray. What a powerful name it is. Amen.
I’m the first to say, there have been times when I’ve been so scared or in so much pain that my only prayer was, “Please. Please. Please.” And that’s ok. I know He was there.
PRAY! When we actively admire, elevate, and LOVE God…He likes it! He made us for it. It’s good.
“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” -Romans 8:26-28 MSG
Citations:
Koenig, H. G. (2015). Religion, spirituality, and health: A review and update. Journal of Religion and Health, 54(2), 2215-2230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-014-9840-9