August 20 – The One Who Heals

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. Psalm 103:3
(Life Application Study Bible)

Jesus Tells Us; I am a God who heals.  I heal hurt bodies, troubled minds, aching hearts, messed-up lives, and difficult relationships.  When you come into My Presence, the healing begins.  Whether you ask for it or not, My Spirit goes to work in your life.  But when you come to Me in prayer and ask for My Healing, amazing things can happen.  Remember that I am a God who can do awesome things!  Nothing is too difficult for Me.  I don’t heal all the hurts and troubles in a person’s life.  Why?  Because it is those very problems that keep you close to Me.  They are the things that help you grow, teaching you to depend on Me more and more.  Even My servant Paul was told, “My grace is enough for you,” when he asked to be healed. 

Jesus Concludes; While I may not take away every hurt, I will always give you what you need to live joyfully, in spite of hurts.  Just ask.

Psalm 103:3; James 4:2; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Matthew 7:7 Study Notes

Footnotes Psalm 103:1-22; David’s praise focuses on all the good God was doing for him.  It’s easy to find reasons to complain about life, but David’s list gives us plenty for which to praise God: He forgives us our sins, heals our diseases, redeems us from death, crowns us with love and compassion, satisfies our desires, and gives righteousness and justice.  We receive all of these without deserving any of them.  No matter how difficult your life’s journey, you can always count your blessings, past, present, and future.  When you feel as though you have nothing for which to praise God, read David’s list.

Passage James 4:2; You desire but do not have, so you kill.  You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.  You do not have because you do not ask God.

Footnotes James 4:2-3; James mentions the most common problems in prayer: not asking, asking for the wrong things, and asking for the wrong reasons.  Do you talk to God at all?  When you do, what do you talk about?  Do you ask only to satisfy your desires?  Do you seek God’s approval for what you already plan to do?  Your prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to his will for you.

Passage 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; 7Or because of these surpassingly great revelations.  Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  9But he said to me “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Footnotes 2 Corinthians 12:7-8; We don’t know what Paul’s “thorn in my flesh” was, because he doesn’t say.  Some have suggested that it was malaria, epilepsy, or a disease of the eyes.  Whatever the case, it was a chronic, and debilitating problem, which at times kept him from working.  This thorn was a hindrance to his ministry, and he prayed for its removal, but God refused.  Three times Paul had prayed for healing, and did not receive it.  He received, however, things that were far greater, grace from God, stronger character, humility, and the ability to empathize with others.  In addition, this benefited those around him as they saw God at work in his life. 

Passage Matthew 7:7; “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.

Footnotes Matthew 7:7-8; Jesus tells us to persist in prayer.  People often give up after a few halfhearted efforts to pray and then conclude that God doesn’t listen.  But communicating with God in prayer takes faith, focus, and follow-through, and Jesus has assured us that we will be rewarded as we develop a deep relationship with him.  Don’t give up in your efforts to seek God.  Continue to ask him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love, and understanding.  He will give these things to you.  The more you talk to him, the more you will be able to recognize his voice when he speaks to you.

Jesus Tells Us is from the Jesus Calling 365 devotions for kids.

THE WORLD…we see history

EPHESIANS 4:3-4 “I IMPLORE YOU IN THE LORD TO LIVE A LIFE IN THE VOCATION TO WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED” PAGE 38
BY DEACON JACK SULLIVAN

“AND ALL IN, THE LAITY HAVE EXALTEDE DUTY OF SPREADING THE DIVINE PLAN OF SALVATION TO ALL THE PEOPLE!! VATICAN IT ENTITLED “LUMEN GENTIUM” CHAPTER 4

Recall St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 4:3-4, “I implore you in the Lord, to live a life in the vocation, to which you have been called, and be careful to preserve the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace.  There is only one body, and one Spirit, and there is but one hope given to you by your calling.”  We also read in Ephesians 2:13, “Now in Christ Jesus, you who were far off, have been brought near through the blood of Christ Jesus.  For it is He who is our peace, and who made the two of us one, by breaking down the barriers of hostility that kept us apart.” Amen.  In the document of Vatican II entitled “Lumen Gentium,” in chapter 4 we read, “By divine intervention, our Holy Church is ordered and governed with wonderful diversity, the ordained and the faithful.  Just as the body has many members and all the members have different functions, also we are many in the one Body of Christ.  There is but one God, one chosen people of God, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.  There is also a common dignity of each of its members as they derive their being in Christ.  There is also common to our Church a common grace as children of God, a common vocation to perfection, one hope, and one salvation.  In our Church as in Christ, there is also no inequality of rank or superiority, for all are one in Christ!  Although the Church’s members may be teachers, pastors, and dispensers of the sacred mysteries, there remains nevertheless, true equality between all its members regarding the dignity which is common to all the faithful in building up the Body of Christ.”  Further in chapter 4 we read, “And all in the laity have the exalted duty of spreading the divine plan of salvation to all the people.