Faithbase

Prayer day eight. Start with prayer. Dear God, please help me to hear you and understand your message for me. Amen. The beams, or the background. The Israelites were God's people in the Old Testament. Generation after generation, we watch this back and forth dance. They draw near to God, they stray. They draw near to whom again, they stray again. During this time, God spoke to the Israelites through prophets in order to direct and comfort them. Today's verse is taken from the book of Jeremiah, one of those prophets. The verse, Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 14. Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed. Save me, and I will be saved. For you are the one I praise. The fill. What's the point? If you read through the time of kings in the Old Testament, you hear of the kings from other lands who conquer smaller nations and then boast that they were able to defeat the captive nation's God. To threaten and intimidate God's nation, these other kings would say things like, did you see what I did to the other nations? Their gods couldn't save them from me, so what makes you think your God will save you? Jeremiah's words were meant to comfort and affirm the Israelites with the truth that actually their God, the God of the universe, was in fact more powerful than anything or anyone they could ever face while down on earth. And his words are still true for you and me today. Jeremiah urges us on God's behalf to remember that God is bigger and more powerful than anything or anyone that you could ever face, my friend. Bistine, what does this mean to me, and how can I apply it to my life today? For today's challenge, I want you to begin with praising God for your blessings. Ask for discernment over your day, and then ask for His help with the things that you need. Unfortunately, suffering is something we will all experience in this lifetime. Illness, grief, depression, anxiety, loss, hardship, addiction, fear. These, among many others, are realities for many of us, whether in our past, present, or future. Jeremiah sets the example of crying out to God with confidence when facing those times of struggle. He says, heal me and I will be healed. To set the example that we too should pray for confidence for the things in life that we need help with. Petitioning God means that you're asking Him for something, so ask away. God sees the private struggles that you carry around with you, so instead of lugging the weight on your shoulders day after day, why not let Him carry it for a while? Is there a worry or a fear you can't let go of? Pray and give it to God every single day, because we're really good at picking things back up after we've handed them over. And that's okay, it's just why we need to get in the practice of handing things over every single day. Is there a physical issue you're facing? Whether it be your health, finances, or some other physical challenge? Share it with God, and ask Him to help you navigate the steps to fix the situation. Ask Him to show you what is within your control, like calling the doctor, getting a second opinion, listening to the doctor's orders, meeting with a financial planner, or setting up the budget. Ask Him to give you the step for today, and then to flood you with His peace. Is there a mental, emotional, or relationship issue you're facing? Pray and ask God to lead you to a therapist or a trusted friend to talk. Ask Him to help you speak truth into those dark corners of your heart, to comfort you and to give you strength to do what it is you need to do. Ask Him for strength and discernment in taking the steps you may be afraid or uncomfortable taking. The key here is to ask. Ask Him to help you get to the root of all the problems you're facing in life, and to guide you step by step to restoration. He is faithful to listen and heal, friends. Trust that He has you.