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A Prayer for Carrying Our Hurting Friends to Jesus

     Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:3-5

Dear Lord Jesus, today I woke up thinking about various people and friends who live with broken health and chronic illnesses—those with mental and emotional issues in particular. Because you are such a wonderful, merciful Savior, I come boldly to your throne of grace. Like the friends who brought their paralyzed friend to you on a pallet, I come bringing you both the sufferers and the caregivers, confident of your great compassion.

Jesus, I cry out to you for those whose memories are fading and ability to reason is being skewed; for those whose emotions are being held hostage by different thieves. I pray for those who suffer with various degrees of melancholia and depression; for friends trying to figure out how hard providences and your promises fit together; for friends sidetracked and stuck in the journey of grieving losses and betrayals in a healthy way.

I pray for those whose days are marked by angry despair or the sadness of hopelessness; for those whose war with self-contempt makes death look like a good choice. Have mercy on them, Lord, have mercy. You know the names, stories and the details. Jesus, it’s this kind of suffering that makes me wish for miracles on demand.

Help those of us who walk with the broken, and grant physicians and caregivers wisdom. I wish it was a lot easier to discern what’s physiological, psychological, demonic, or just the absence of the gospel. Give us what we need to love and to serve these broken ones well. May we love to your glory.

When we’re fearful and confused, when we are fed up and used up, give us all the wisdom, compassion, and faith to love well. Help us trust you for supernatural intervention and grace for supernatural long-term caring. Write the stories that will maximize your glory.

How we long for the Day when every effect of sin, expression of brokenness and result of the fall will be eradicated forever. Jesus, please hasten the Day of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional wholeness. Your death has secured our life—eternal life. So very Amen we pray with gratitude, in your holy and healing name.

 


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