Five Minute Friday – HEAL
It’s Friday again! Every week join a special group of writers to write for FIVE MINUTES on a one-word prompt. No editing. No revising. Just WRITE. This week, the word is HEAL! Go! (The // indicate the start and stop of five minutes.)
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// Healing is a beautiful thing. It’s also a mysterious thing. This is coming from someone who has struggled with chronic tendonitis for 25 years. Have I prayed for healing? Of course. Have I trusted Him for breakthrough? Definitely. Have I stopped praying cuz I didn’t want to be disappointed again? Oh dear…
It’s true. We can sometimes become discouraged at the lack of breakthrough in our own lives that it taints our desire to pray. Of course, God heals people today. I’ve seen it. But does He REALLY want to heal me?
The problem is when my mind gets involved. I understand that I must pray in faith. Therefore, if I’m not healed, then that means that I don’t have enough faith. That means there is something wrong with me.
But it also means that I’ve now crossed into “works” because I’m assuming that God’s goodness is dependent on my performance. That’s legalism, not faith.
We must settle something deep in our spirits… God’s desire to heal His children is solely based on His LOVE for us. Period. Full stop. He heals because He loves. He IS love. //
I write this, not as though I have fully arrived. Definitely not. I’m still working through what I believe about healing, especially since recently writing my story about tendonitis. The issue of healing is once again fresh in my mind.
Father, will I ever be completely healed?
Do you remember in Matthew 6 when Jesus was teaching His disciples about prayer? He basically said this (and I’m using the SBV, Shauna Blaak Version, here),
“When you pray, don’t pray like the heathen who panic and say, ‘What are we gonna eat? What are we gonna wear?’ Stop fretting. The miracle you are looking for isn’t dependent on your performance anyway. You can’t earn it. Father knows the things you need already, even before you ask Him. So just ask, and then rest. He’s a GOOD DAD!”
I needed to remember that. He’s a GOOD DAD. He’s not just filled with love―HE IS LOVE.
So, that’s what I’m busy doing―relearning what I believe about healing and about God. One of the tools that has been so instrumental in this learning process has been the book, Grace Revolution, by Joseph Prince (in fact, we’re all reading it as a leadership team in our church).
Book of the Month: Grace Revolution, by Joseph Prince *
What a powerful teaching on the whole message of Grace! Too many people have warped views of who God is and what He thinks about us. Even I’ve had warped views of God over the years. I’m just now starting to grasp who Jesus really is and His heart toward me.
Basic theme of the book = “Grace isn’t a teaching, doctrine, or formula. Grace is a person and His name is Jesus!”
Concerning healing, Chapter 3 reads:
“If you want to know what God is really like (and not what man portrays Him to be), look at Jesus in the Gospels. He is God’s will in action, and He went about doing good―saving, delivering, healing, restoring, providing, guiding, and loving the unlovable. That’s our God!”
Read it! You won’t be disappointed!
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For more information on Five Minute Friday, check out Kate Motaung’s site!
* Disclosure: Blaaklist Writers is a participant in the Amazon.com Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
I love that you’re working through what you still think about healing. When you are suffering, it changes everything. Stay strong, sister! Praying for relief for you.
Thanks, Christina! I’ll take it. So glad you came by. 🙂
Hi, Shauna! I am returning the visit! I love how you referred to God as a “good dad”. He is a wonderful mighty Father…and yes, such a good Dad. So thankful to be His child.
Thanks, Lisa! He really is, isn’t He? I’ve been singing “Good, Good Father” all weekend. Funny how music just sticks inside your brain.
I’m so glad you visited. Have a lovely week!
Great post! I wrote about the mystery of healing too and I think it is one of those things that we’ll never completely understand. I like how you point to the fact that God is a good Father and that even when we can’t understand why our prayers are not answered as we hope we can trust in his love. (Visiting from #25)
Thanks, Lesley! He really is a Good, Good Father, regardless of our circumstances or emotions.
I’m so glad you stopped by. I just left a comment on your article, and also sent you an email regarding Write 31 Days. 🙂
Have a great week!
“We must settle something deep in our spirits… God’s desire to heal His children is solely based on His LOVE for us. Period. Full stop. He heals because He loves. He IS love.”
I feel like I need to pin this somewhere, just write it on a piece of paper and hang it up. I struggle so much with feeling like I need to do something with no mistakes and then I can be loved. Or fast enough. Or honest enough. It makes me so sad that I think like this. Thank you for the verses in Matthew. I’ve never heard of that version before ☺️
Visiting from fmf
Haha! That’s a great idea! I’ll work on it and then send it to you 🙂
Thanks so much for visiting today! Have a great weekend!
You inspired me to be creative! See if this will work for you…
http://blaaklistwriters.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/He-Heals-Because-He-Loves.png
Umm, I just realized I never responded to this! I’ve been meaning to save the picture, but you know life and 50 million distractions. I love it so much..I tried to make it as the home screen for my phone so I could see it always, except it cuts out most of the words. Do you know how to fix that?
Regardless, thank you for getting creative! I hope you have a lovely weekend. ☺️
Hey, Julia. You are very welcome!
I’m not sure why it’s doing that. I actually thought it would be on the small side, not big. I’ll do some research and see if i can fix it for you. I’ll try it on my home screen too. 🙂
Have a great weekend!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the SBV! Where can I get a copy?
The way I figure it, I don’t really worry about whether I get healed or not. Not up to me, and I still have to stand post regardless. What happens, happens, and this is just a speck of time in Eternity anyway. Good to go, and please pass another belt of 556 and a few frags when you get the chance.
This is not the worst place to suffer, and not the worst place to die.
#1 at FMF
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/09/your-dying-spouse-204-soft-side-of-hard.html
Haha, you are so funny! I’m busy negotiating a contract with Zondervan as we speak, but I’ll let you know when it’s available for purchase 😉 In the meantime, just copy and paste.
I so agree, Andrew. There’s too much living to do to obsess about when and how. God is ultimately in control and He’s a GOOD DAD!
Have a great week!
I’m reading Lysa TerKeurst’s new book Uninvited. She poses three questions I needed so much I made an image of them for my desktop background: Is God GOOD? Is God good TO ME? Do I trust God to be GOD? Keep wrestling. Keep praying. He is good. He is good to me (and you). And He will always be God. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Thanks for the book recommendation! I’ve heard it’s good. And thanks for visiting!
Have a great week!
oh I Love the SBV… reader friendly version 😉 Shauna, you are a mighty warrior in prayer and worship … so encouraging!!! I pray that God will start to touch your every STEP.. so you will begin to discover HIM in every step.. even the small tippy-toe steps… and that you will begin to feel light as a feather — because He will carry you even another 25 years – only THIS TIME with less effort, more (understanding) grace and less pain… I even believe and stand with you for COMPLETE healing, in the GOOD DAD’s name, J.E.S.U.S! amen
Oh, Rone! Thank you so much for your kind words! You are always so encouraging. Such a precious friend!
Thanks for visiting! ❤️
Love this – God heals because he LOVES. Full stop. Hard to remember, but so freeing.
I agree. We often make it so complicated and think we need to jump through hoops, when it’s actually so simple… He’s a good Dad and He loves me!
Thanks so much for visiting, Annie!
Love this: “We must settle something deep in our spirits… God’s desire to heal His children is solely based on His LOVE for us.” I’m catching up on entries from last week. I can’t wait to read yours for this week. Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog for this prompt. <3