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A few weeks ago, I shared some thoughts on the theology of healing. I know this is a touchy subject, and I can guarantee many are reading who are disappointed because they or someone they love has not been healed. Maybe the person they were praying for even passed away.
I get it. I, too, have lost loved ones prematurely. I, too, have experienced the disappointment of failing to see people I pray for get healed. I, too, have miracles I’m still contending for.
It’s hard. There’s no denying it.
One of the most difficult parts of being a Christian is continuing to believe the word of God when our circumstances don’t seem to line up with what we claim to believe. Life doesn’t always make sense. God’s ways can be mysterious…and downright frustrating.
The Bible says that we know in part and we prophesy in part. We don’t always understand why things happen the way they happen, but as believers in Christ, it is our job to do just that: believe, and keep believing.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
1 Corinthians 13:9-10
I mentioned before how crucial I believe it is to surround ourselves with faith-filled people. We all struggle in our faith sometimes, and we all need supporters around us to pull us back up when we’re feeling down.
It is also important to grieve our losses if we haven’t yet done that. Jesus wept in the Bible, and the Bible itself tells us that there is a time to mourn. Mourning is Biblical and natural when we face disappointment, delay, or loss.
Jesus wept.
John 11:35 NIV
There is a time for everything,
Ephesians 3:1-8 NIV
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
We might also need to forgive someone…and maybe that person is the one in the mirror. Maybe you’re like me and you tend to blame yourself. Wishing you’d done things differently. Wishing you’d prayed harder or prayed more or had more faith.
Playing the blame game, whether with others or toward yourself, is never beneficial. Remember, our true enemy is satan! The Bible says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, so choose to stop the self-shaming (or others-shaming) and forgive anyone you need to forgive. Say it out loud if necessary: “I forgive myself. I release myself from punishment, in Jesus’ name.”
Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].
Romans 8:1 AMP
Process through your pain and emotions with God. He’s not afraid of any of it. On the contrary, he is kind and compassionate toward you. He, of all people, knows what it’s like to lose someone he loves deeply. He watched his beloved son suffer and die a torturous death on a cross. He understands.
The Bible also talks about the importance of strengthening ourselves in the Lord. King David did this, and so can we. (Bill Johnson wrote an excellent book on this subject!)
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV
If the person you’re believing to see a miracle for is still on this earth, don’t give up! Keep praying. Keep contending. Keep believing.
If they aren’t, first of all, I’m so sorry for your loss. When you’re ready, I urge you to let your disappointment motivate you to contend even more to see other people healed. Let your losses fuel your passion for praying for others, and become a part of their miracle stories. The enemy may have won a temporary battle, but he will lose the war!
You may have experienced deep disappointment, and maybe your loved one’s story has come to an end here on earth. But yours hasn’t. Get your fight back, stick that target on the enemy’s back, and rise up! You’re a warrior of the Most High and he has a special purpose for your life. Pursue the enemy and keep fighting for victory in every area where you have yet to see it!
It’s not the end of your story yet. God has created you for victory, and when you partner with him, your story will end in triumph. That’s a promise. If you’ve read the Bible, you know we win in the end!
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! Strengthen yourself in the Lord, and get back in the fight. There’s a war to be won, and there are victories yet to be seen!
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5b NKJV