During 2025, Peachtree Church is focusing on the Book of Psalms with a series called Dwell, through which we seek to deepen our conversation with God and open ourselves to hearing his response. The practice of praying three times each day will unite the voices of our hearts and souls as we seek the day when we will see the full realization of the Kingdom of God, promised in Revelation 21:3: “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
We will email devotionals twice weekly with Monday’s providing an overview of the Psalm as a whole, and Wednesday’s focused on that week’s Daily Dwell.
Praise the Lord, my soul
Psalm 103:2-3
and forget not all his benefits
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases.
Devotional
Many years ago, a woman who had been visiting our church called me. She was kind of a rootin’-tootin’ cowgirl of a woman, brash and energetic. She said, “I’ve been visiting your church, and I have a friend that I want to bring to visit with me. She has gotten a bad diagnosis recently and she wants to be prayed for.” The friend asked, “Does this church do healing prayer for people?” The cowgirl said, “Well, if it is a real church, it does!” Then she called me to ask for this for her friend. I agreed with her; it’s important for a church to help people who are sick to pray for healing. It’s scriptural, after all. We use the passage from the book of James that talks about healing prayer: James 5: 13-16. This is a passage that has been used for sick people for centuries.
When we do healing prayer, we ask for God’s power to heal to be added to all that is being done for the person medically. We ask for healing for them, in the body, in the soul, in faith, in memories, in relationships, in habits, in their family—all kinds of healing that might be needed. We ask, trusting in Jesus to bring healing. We place them in the midst of their families and friends, and we pray for them to be healed. We ask them in the coming days to be aware of the healing that God might be bringing and we remind them of their circle of care and prayer that has gathered that day, who will be praying in the days to come. And we wait in hope.
Sometimes, the prayers and the treatment combine to bring healing in this life and we rejoice. Sometimes the illness overwhelms the person and they go to be with God, which brings grief and sorrow to those who love them. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope! We remember that God sometimes heals in this life. Always, God heals in the life to come, where all that was wrong is set right. We live and pray in hope, remembering that life with God goes on after this life is over, and that healing will be perfect in heaven.
For Reflection
- Have you ever been part of praying for someone who is sick? What happened?
- If they did not get well in this life, and your faith was shaken, how did you cope with that?
- What did you learn? How hard is it to readjust your faith around events like this?
Prayer
Dear Lord, I want to pray boldly for healing, for myself, for others. I know you love to bring healing. I want that so deeply for myself and for my friends and family. I know you never forsake us or let us fall, and I know my own sight is not as far as Yours is. You see us into eternal life and we stop being able to see at the end of life. But we know that you hold us in compassion and we believe in your power to heal, to restore, to renew, to bring new life. Hold us in your hands and never let us go. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!
Published under
Devotionals