Prayer and healing - December 4
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7; PM Psalm 110:1-5, 116, 117; Amos 5:18-27; Jude 17-25; Matt. 22:15-22
Confession time: sometimes I don’t know what to pray.
This week, a dear childhood friend let me know that her mother had a stroke. Amazingly, they were together at the very moment the symptoms of the blockage became apparent, so she rushed her mom to the hospital. And then, my friend had to wait and wait and wait to hear what the doctors were going to do. She texted to ask for prayer. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon. This dear family remained on my heart that evening, and as I prayed for them the next morning driving to work, the only words I could find were these: “Be present with them, Jesus. Be present with them, O Lord.” At a loss, I did not know what else to ask.
There is a service of public healing used in the Episcopal church (referenced as Ministration to the Sick in the Book of Common Prayer) that comes to mind as I think about healing prayer. After laying hands upon someone and anointing them, the priest can say, “The Almighty Lord, who is a strong tower to all who put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth bow and obey: Be now and evermore your defense, and make you know and feel that the only Name under heaven given for health and salvation is the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
I love those words – the name given to us for health and salvation is the Name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. This prayer reminds us that it is the redeeming work of Jesus that heals us and binds us together as Christians. It is God’s work of healing that we wait for and long to see. This prayer reminds us of the strength and promise given to us as we keep trying to put our trust in the strong tower of our Almighty Lord. When we call out for God to be present with us, we are doing just that…trusting in God.
One of the psalms appointed for this morning has the ring of a prayer of reassurance, or a blessing offered upon our lives, sending us out into this day, regardless of what will come into our path:
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble,
the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
Send you help from his holy place
and strengthen you out of Zion;
Remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
Grant you your heart's desire
and prosper all your plans. (Psalm 20:1-4)
These ancient words remind us that in praying for one another, we can ask God to answer cries for help, protect those in danger, strengthen those who are weak, receive the gifts we offer, and be with us in all that we do and desire.
This excerpt from Psalm 20 is the prayer I am praying for each person reading this reflection today. Oddly enough, it is not unlike the rudimentary prayer, “Be present with them, O Lord.”
Who in your life needs to know and feel God’s healing grace this day?
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What does health and healing look like for you? How does prayer factor into your whole-self treatment plan?
Who is on your heart today, in need of healing?
Daily Challenge
Write a prayer for healing. If you need inspiration, you may copy one derived from a psalm, like this reflection, or from the Book of Common Prayer (pages 453-461). Share it with someone.