the problem of pain&healing

“But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but SHOUTS in our pain!” ~ the Problem of Pain CS Lewis pg91

i have had a lot of things to be praying about lately. Our church has an amazing Prayer Network where our members receive over 15 prayer concerns every day. Some of theses prayers are to lift up family, some a pain and hurt, some a sickness, some for friends, some for people across the world. It really lifts my spirits seeing how rooted in prayer our church is… even as i type this I received a prayer request from Mark Matlock to pray for his wife’s uncle who is fighting cancer. the world is never not in need of prayers and things happening! i become overwhelmed when i stop and think about how much pain there is in it

I am surround by times to pray… and i pray…but its hard for me to pray. its hard because i want to see immediate remedies. i want to see these men and women healed. We have a youth worker who is battling lymphatic leukemia, this man is fighting so hard for his life…he is in pain… then i think of a dear friends dad who is dying from drinking himself to death… he is in pain… my youth worker wants to be made well… this father… doesn’t seem to care… the problem with pain is as CS Lewis says… it attacks us all, the kind and caring & the loveless and harsh. it does not judge the character of a man or women it simply enacts its job… to test and trail and bring forth its pain unto the person and family.

the problem i have with pain… is that i feel i can’t help… it is so hard for me to see hurting people.. it breaks my heart it pains me to know that there is nothing i can do… i want to take their hand and pray for healing… and then most often in my case…nothing happens for them (in the physical). why can’t i be blessed with some gift of physical healing? i feel become jaded sometimes because i know my King and Savior can heal and make whole. i have seen him do it… i just dont understand why he doesn’t always do it… i dont have answers for it… but am reminded of a great book by Pete Greig called God on Mute. this book changed my way of thinking about prayer. and there is so much to go into it all. but the mysteries of prayer and why some are answered and some are not falls into the greater scheme of Gods story for His Kingdom. where the healing of one person is a miracle, the healing of all people becomes ordinary and normal… our God is neither ordinary nor normal…

i find some comfort in God being miraculous but not as much comfort as i would like honestly… i still want hurting to stop…pain to be no more… i want the promise of Revelations that there will be no more tears or pains… i pray for that kingdom now… this is why i believe Christ taught us the piece of the Lords prayer

Our Father in Heaven (greatest of fathers in the greatest place of peace) Hallowed be your name (perfect and never ending of praising) Your Will (the will which is perfect and beautiful and merciful and caring) be done here on Earth (our Hell and torment) as it already is in Heaven (no pain, no tears, love abounding)… this is why we pray this prayer… it is a hope and love that we rest in… Father your kingdom of healing and love come to this place. sweep our land and make us well!

my problem with pain and healing… is that i can only inflict pain… i can not heal. God is the healer, may we hear his shouts for restoration and hope through our Pains… i may never know what my touch might do for the hand of the hurting… it might be to simply calm and love that may be the best i can do…

Father if you deem it not an act of healing the physical help us heal the spiritual and use our hands that hurt to be hands that help the hurting…father continue to soften us through what ever means so that we may know and love you and trust in your plans