Knowing God and experiencing his deep love in our hearts, not just having knowledge about him and his love in our minds, is one important way in which we grow in our relationship with him and how we receive healing.
Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus to have this deep knowledge and experience.
“[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him.” Ephesians 1:17 – The Amplified Bible
God wants you to have a deep spiritual awareness of his love and to experience his love in your heart. The source of this knowledge is God and the Holy Spirit is the channel through whom God reveals this to you deep in your mind and in your heart.
A secret to living – to experiencing – a full life on this side of heaven is to know God deeply and to experience God’s love. Spending regular quiet time with him is essential to growing in relationship with him. And, the quality of the time we spend with him is key as well. God invites us to quiet our mind and earnestly seek him and his presence. The posture of our heart during quiet time is also important. Being humble, contrite, meek, surrendered, dependent and expectant sets an atmosphere for us to sense his presence and experience him. Then, when we are like this, it’s more likely that we’ll have an encounter with the Holy Spirit and that God’s love is more likely to be felt in our hearts.
Are you yearning for a special touch from God? Do you need to experience the deep love he has for you in a personal way? I pray, as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, that you’ll set aside some time to be quiet with him. Be intentional with the inner posture of your heart as I described above. Earnestly invite God to reveal himself to you by the Holy Spirit. And then, just be with him.
As I was writing the last part of this post, this song below began to play. You may consider listening to it play softly as you sit quietly with God and experience his presence.
Almost 60% of American adults say they had difficult childhoods featuring abusive or troubled family members or parents who were absent due to separation or divorce. Nearly 9% say that while growing up they underwent five or more “adverse childhood experiences” ranging from verbal, physical or sexual abuse to family dysfunction such as domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse, or the absence of a parent. This data was reported in the Dec 17th, 2010 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the report, Dr. Lee M. Sanders, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine said that “There is a connection of these events to lifelong implications, not just for mental health for adults, but also for physical health.” Valerie J. Edwards, team lead for the Adverse Childhood Experiences Team at CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, says that a person who has several of these events is more likely to get cancer and heart disease. In the report, Edwards said. “This is serious and it’s not just a quirk of statistics. It’s a real relationship.”
The Faith and Health Link
As the experts have indicated, if left unaddressed, issues like these childhood traumas can likely affect one’s emotional health in adulthood. Over time, these emotional issues can affect one’s physical health. Deep-rooted emotions and beliefs associated with such trauma such as anxiety, resentment, shame, low self-worth, rejection and unforgiveness can play havoc with one’s endocrine, cardiovascular and immune system resulting in a host of chronic diseases.
In general, medical practitioners do not care for these issues of the soul that are at the root of these diseases. This is where faith in the healing power of God and his Son Jesus comes into play. Jesus’ compassion, love and power expressed through his followers and accompanied with prayer, can bring inner healing to the soul of these traumatized individuals. This inner soul healing then favors improved physical health.
The sooner a child or young adult can come to experience the deep love and healing power of God, through Jesus, the more likely they will not succumb to these long-term emotional and physical health problems. Healing and restoration is part of the life transformation that God desires that his children experience in this life on earth.
Such experiences of healing and improved personal wholeness can be a witness and encouragement to others of God’s love, grace and power. It can also enable healed these healed individuals to better give their life away in service to others. In all this, God receives glory.
It’s sad that the statistics in this report are what they are, but it’s Good News to know that God is still in the business of healing and restoration of his children. Our role as believers and followers of Christ is to be a conduit of this message and his love.
Related Scriptures
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22
A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Proverbs 14:30
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed meto proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisonersand recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:12
“When individuals, regardless of their faith, incorporate these powerful biblical principles of the Christian faith into their lives, the spirituality and health connection occurs and they will tend to enjoy better health and well-being.”
With record-high suicide rates among U.S. soldiers, the Army’s Chief of Chaplains has proclaimed Wednesday, April 8, a day of prayer and fasting for the military. Read the proclamation here. Chaplain (Major General) Douglas L. Carver has called on all Army chaplains, as well as concerned Christians, to pray for the safety and peace of mind for soldiers and their families, according to Military Ministry.
The day of prayer and fasting focuses on suicide-prevention awareness and coincides with the Army’s 120-day “stand down” and unit training, which began Feb. 15.
Carver says, “This has been a long war we’ve been in – for eight years since 9/11,” in an interview with the Baptist Press. “The war has been on an up tempo and at an almost unsustainable rate, with fighting on two fronts,” he said in reference to Iraq and Afghanistan. “Suicide is something we’re now seeing as one of the residuals of this long war.”
In 2008, there were 140 suicides in the Army – the highest recorded number since the early 1980s, Carver said. Some chaplains, who are themselves under great stress, have also committed suicide, the chief of chaplains said.
Carver urges Christians to pray for all U.S. military servicemen and women.
“May God be glorified in the lives of our Army’s Soldiers and Families, and may God bless the United States,” wrote Carver in the Proclamation of Prayer and Fasting letter.
Having served 20 years in the Army and attended and presented at a Army chaplain’s training event recently, this initiative is touches me in a special way an is dear to my heart.
I invite you to join me in prayer and fasting on this solemn day.
We are truly fortunate to live in a country where we have so many freedoms. A big “thank you” to our forefathers who had the vision to write up our founding documents in such a way to pave the way for these freedoms. And, I am honored to have been a part of the Armed Services for 20 years in which millions of men and women are still serving throughout the world to protect our nation’s liberties. To them another “thank you!”
An even greater and more significant personal liberty is available to those who may struggle with any sort of destructive and unhealthy behavior and thinking pattern, feelings of unworthiness or a lack of being accepted or loved.
Many of us try to cope with the stressors of life and to meet our basic needs of self worth, acceptance and identity by our own resources and apart from God in ways that are unhealthy and can be self-destructive. These self-sufficient attitudes, thinking patterns and behaviors often become habits that have a negative impact on our emotional, spiritual and physical health.
We are so fortunate that there is a God that loves each and every one of us so much that He sent His son Jesus to live on the earth to teach others about God and of His love and then to die for us. Jesus came to set us free from our self-sufficient and sinful nature that hold many of us captive and in bondage. Getting to know Jesus in a personal way and believing in and embracing the truths of the Bible can set us free from our unhealthy attitudes, manner of thinking and habits that we may have developed over the years to meet our needs apart from God. See John 8:32
Then, if we stay close to Jesus and the Spirit of God is alive in us, we can be rewarded with love, joy, peace, kindness, self control and other such ‘fruits.’ Our life will be more abundant and meaningful. Finally, because our life will have been turned around, we’ll want to share with other people what Jesus has done and encourage them to turn to Him so that they might also experience true personal freedom and liberty. This will all bring tremendous glory to God.
Thank you Jesus for giving me the type of freedom that can come only from you!
Are you discouraged? Feel like God has abandoned you? Wonder if you can turn your life around after making a mess of it? Read on …. and be encouraged.
“So let me tell you what Goliath I slayed today. I stand before you today January 12, 2008 delivered from alcoholism for the past year and 3 months, smoking, pills, obesity, loneliness, depression and it is all because of my Lord and Savior JESUS the Christ! So this blog is for anyone who thinks that God has forgotten about them.“
The quote above is taken from a blog started by Adriane Stone, wife of an Army Sergeant stationed in Hawaii, and a finalist in the Olympic Trials Women’s High Jump scheduled for July 4th in Eugene, Oregon. (She jumped 5′ 11 1/2″ on Monday night in the preliminary round to qualify.) Her story is about how God can do wonders in a person’s life if she turns to God in desperation and humility. In her own words, her blog “documents my comeback to the high jump after 7 years of living a life that was a fast track to the pits of hell.”
I’m going to add a few more of her quotes so you can take a peek into her heart and spirit:
“You see going from a complete wreck to having the glory of God shine upon you in a public way is very intimidating and humbling at the same time.”
“Lord allow me to soar on wings of eagles as I feel your Spirit guide me along this path. You inspire me through you Holy Word. You give me a passion that I want everyone to yearn for. Come and taste what He has to offer. He brings life. He is Life!”
The day she flew to Oregon for the trials: “Now is not the time to begin second guessing the mighty hand of the Lord. Now is the time to rest in His presence and trust Him. Please pray for me, and know that this is God’s great plan. Whether I qualify, lose, win or not even jump, nothing can take away the great testimony of my life changing death to myself (Galatians 2:20). We are already conquerors through Christ Jesus.”
About two months ago, Adriane came across my website and sent me an email, asking for prayers. Perhaps you’ll join me in praying for Adriane as she prepares to jump on Friday, July 4th…. for the glory of God. Or, consider sending her an email of encouragement.
To learn more about Adriane’s journey over the last year and a half and to see how God can turn around the life of someone who, on her own made a mess of hers, I encourage you to read her story on her blog.
Does life have you down? Be encouraged by Adriane’s testimony!
Living by Design… Discovering the Spirit, Soul and Body Connection is what I’m currently reading.Ray Strand, MD and Bill Ewing, a Christian counselor, do a terrific job of explaining how God designed us and how our bodies function when we are under the stressors of life. The book, based on Biblical principles, points us to peace, love and possibly better emotional and physical health.
Here are chapter highlights:
Stress and the body
Unresolved anger
Motivation of the heart
Rest for the soul, power for life
Exercise and diet
Oxidative stress, free radicals and the need for nutritional supplements
Healing God’s way
An eternal perspective
If you know of someone who might have a chronic degenerative disease, inflammatory-related disease, panic attacks or another stress-related condition, this book would be a wonderful gift for them. I highly recommend it!
Do you struggle with past hurts? Is your body in a constant state of inner tension and stress? Are you battling an addiction of some sort? Do you eat emotionally? Is there some other thinking pattern or behavioral pattern that keeps you from feeling totally at peace and free? If this is the case, your emotional and physical health is likely to be suffering.
The New International version of 1 Timothy 2:6 says that Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all men.” The Greek word for ransom is antilytron which means a purchase price for liberation from oppression. All of us have probably felt oppressed at some time or other in our lives. Life is hard and many of us have experienced circumstances that have resulted in us feeling burdened, abused or that we’ve been taken advantage of. If we keep this attitude over a period of time, it can’t help but affect our emotional, spiritual and physical health. How can we move past this oppressed state?
God has provided a way. He can free you from anything that keeps you from experiencing a flourishing and whole life. God loves you so much that He sent his son Jesus to die for all your past and future sins so that you can have an abundant and eternal life. This week’s scripture says, “For he (God) wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Jesus Christ. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.”
God’s done His part. Our part is to believe this deep in our heart. Then we have to claim this truth and get it into our spirit. The evil one, Satan, would like us to hold on to these past hurts and thoughts and keep this oppressed state of mind. This will keep us from feeling free. That’s not the way it has to be and it’s not what God wants.
Get to know God in a personal way, and His truth will set you free. John 8:32 says “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Once you are totally free from oppression, aspects of your emotional health will likely be positively affected. This could bring about improvements in your physical health.
The choice is yours. Will you accept the total freedom and the abundant life that Jesus provides?
In this scripture, Luke tells us of a woman who had been crippled for 18 years. Satan had been keeping her in “bondage” and because of this, she had been unable to stand up straight. But Jesus freed her… He healed her.
Perhaps this woman had held on to deep resentment and bitterness towards someone for a long, long time. Satan could have been telling her over the years that she should not forgive someone that hurt her. He could have told her that she was fully justified to have this mindset.
Medicine shows that when a person carries deep anger inside, it can actually eat away at our body. For some people this poison, in the form of unhealthy chemicals and acids, can attack their digestive system. Problems with the GI system can prevail. For others it can attack their joints and cause major joint problems, even severe arthritis. I suspect that most people don’t make the connection between this unresolved, deep inner stress and their health problems. Often, in an attempt to alleviate the problem, some turn to taking medications or elect surgery to correct the condition.
The Bible tells us of another way, through forgiveness. It’s not surprising that Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:23 that we should forgive others not seven times, but seventy times seven. He knows that if we carry a spirit of bitterness for a period of time that we will be adversely affected, to include in our bodies.
Do you have a health condition, perhaps like the woman in this week’s scripture, that might be affected by harboring some deep negative emotion? Search your heart. Ask God to help you go deep. If you do become aware of something, prayerfully ask Jesus to take it from you and to replace that anger with His love.
Jesus is still in the healing business. It can take many forms. Sometimes, all we have to do is believe in His healing power, and cry out to Him in the most genuine way possible. Then he’ll heal your hurting spirit and your body.
Have a great week!
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This is an excerpt from Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now that speaks to this week’s scripture with an example:
When I was growing up, we had a former Methodist Minister in our church. His hands were so crippled with arthritis, he could hardly use them. They looked as though thy had shriveled up and were deformed. He couldn’t open a car door. He couldn’t shake hands or anything like that. For as long as I’d known him, his hands had been that way.
But one day, he went to my Dad (the church minister) and showed him his hands – they were perfectly normal! He could move them like any of us, almost as though he had received a new set of hands.
My Dad was surprised, but so happy for him. He said, “Man, what in the world happened to you?” – “Well, it’s an Interesting story, the former minister said. “Several months ago, when you were talking about unforgiveness. You were speaking on how it keeps God’s power from operating in our lives, and how it Keeps our prayers from being answered. As I listened, I began to ask God to show me if I had any areas of unforgiveness and resentment in my life. And God began to deal with me. He brought to light several situations that had happened to me down through the years in which people had done me great wrong. I didn’t even know it, but I still had anger and resentment in my heart toward those people.
That’s the odd part – I didn’t realize I was carrying it around. But as soon as I saw it, I made a decision to forgive them and totally let it go. And then the most amazing thing began to happen. One by one, my fingers started straightening out. One week went by and this finger would get healed. The next week this finger. As I continued to search my heart and eliminate all that bitterness and resentment, God brought complete healing to me, and now look at my hands! I’m perfectly normal!”
Knowing God and experiencing his deep love in our hearts, not just having knowledge about him and his love in our minds, is one important way in which we grow in our relationship with him and how we receive healing.
With record-high suicide rates among U.S. soldiers, the Army’s Chief of Chaplains has proclaimed Wednesday, April 8, a day of prayer and fasting for the military. 
our forefathers who had the vision to write up our founding documents in such a way to pave the way for these freedoms. And, I am honored to have been a part of the Armed Services for 20 years in which millions of men and women are still serving throughout the world to protect our nation’s liberties. To them another “thank you!”
I’m going to add a few more of her quotes so you can take a peek into her heart and spirit:
Let’s Connect!