A Prayer for Bringing Our Broken Friends to Jesus
Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:3–5 NIV)
Loving Jesus, today I woke up thinking about friends who live with chronic illness— those with mental and emotional illnesses in particular. I come bringing you both the sufferers and the caregivers, confident of your great compassion.
Jesus, I cry out to you on behalf of the sufferers— these precious men and women whose capacity to think and feel is painfully distorted. I pray for those who suffer with various degrees of depression. I pray for friends trying to make sense of hard providences and your promises. I pray for those unable to grieve losses and betrayals in a healthy way. I pray for those who live in the angry void of despair and hopelessness. I pray for those whose war with self contempt makes death look like a good choice. You know the names and the details, and you alone have the grace.
All I know to do is bring these dear ones to you in prayer, much like those who brought their paralyzed friend to you on a pallet. I know you are merciful and I know you are mighty. Only you know what’s going on in each of them. I wish a clear and certain diagnosis was easy to secure. It’s not always easy to discern what’s physiological, psychological, demonic, or just the absence of the gospel. Give us what we need to love and to serve these broken ones well.
When we’re fearful and confused, when we are fed up and used up, give us all the wisdom, compassion, and faith to love well. Jesus, it’s this kind of suffering that makes me wish for miracles on demand. Help us trust you for supernatural intervention and grace for supernatural long term caring. Write the stories that will maximize your glory.
How we long for the day when every form of brokenness will give way to the end- less joys of spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional health. I pray in your holy and healing name.
Amen.