One of the great trials in this life is illness. Sometimes it is an annoying cold that makes the body weak and sore, but there is the assurance of recovery. Other times, people are faced with a diagnosis that is a true risk to their wellbeing, or will involve long and painful recovery times. Such diagnoses can be daunting, even for Christians, and can lead to anxiety or despair.

God is both Healer and Comforter, our Great Physician and Shepherd. He cares when people get sick and has it in His power to make them better, though it may not always be in His will. Going to the Lord in prayer during a time of illness is important, and can be the difference between losing hope and growing closer to the Lord in-between sickness and health. 

1. A Prayer for Faith

Holy Father,

Thank you for always being there for us, for Your steadfastness, and Your patience. Lord, I am facing a serious illness, and in my weakness, I know that my faith will be rocked through this experience. It will be tested, tried, and I don’t want it to be shaken.

Your Word says that faith like a mustard seed can do many wonders, and I want my faith to grow during this difficult time. Please help me stand firm in my belief, and to draw closer to You even as I go through this illness. My flesh is weak, weaker still while I try to recover. But Your Word says that we walk by faith and not by sight, and that without faith it is impossible to please You.

I know that trials and tribulations can grow someone’s relationship with You if they are willing to trust. I am willing, but help me to grow. Help me to learn from the experiences of Your servant Job, who refused to denounce You during His experience with illness. Lord, strengthen me. Also, please strengthen the faith of my friends and family, since seeing other people suffer and struggle can cause others to have doubts and lose heart.

In Jesus’ name, I pray,

Amen.

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Even the early church, mere decades after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, were looking for His imminent return to bring forth this wonderful kingdom. But today, it still hasn’t happened. Given all the pain and suffering in the world, why does Jesus still tarry in returning for His church, judging evil, and beginning His earthly reign?

While the Bible has much to say about patience, it has less to say about the state of being impatient, and some even feel justified in moments of impatience. Is it a sin to experience impatience? Sometimes things are urgent, and people feel they need answers and solutions right away. Is it wrong to want them?

This verse does not require spouses to meet a quota in their relationship, but it does encourage them to be giving to one another to avoid sin. Intimacy between a man and a woman is a gift from the Lord, but God set appropriate boundaries on it.

God made women to be different from men – different, but not inferior. They have their own unique set of talents and capabilities that equip them to serve the Lord. While they work in the spheres that God has called them, they sometimes feel like they do not have opportunities to lead. However, while the Bible lists roles that are exclusive to men, leadership is not one of them. Throughout the Bible, we see women step up to defend their homes, to set the model for godly behavior before their communities, and even to save their people.

Leadership is not reserved just for men, and the Bible illustrates this fact by featuring many women who take on that mantle. Leadership and strength in women can look different than it does in men, but it is just as important. When a God calls a woman to lead, it is because she is uniquely empowered in that situation. Some women abuse their strength and position of leadership, just like some men do, but there are many insights we can gain from studying the examples of both good and bad leadership in God’s Word.

Here are six strong female leaders in the Bible.

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Many wonder what each of the apostles, who feature prominently in the four Gospels, went on to do. Some of their activities are addressed in the Book of Acts, but much of what we know and believe about the apostles’ lives after the Ascension comes from tradition.

Whether you believe in guardian angels or not, it is important to remember the message of the angel to the Apostle John. Angels are servants of the one who truly deserves worship and praise, and who ultimately desires a personal relationship with each person. This relationship with Him should be each Christian’s first priority.

The bigger topic in this part of Paul’s letter is living the Christian life appropriately, how to have healthy relationships between believers, and what Christian marriage should look like. After he addresses wives, he addresses husbands.

The Bible says menstruation is unclean for practical reasons, as well as to communicate truths symbolically about the Nation of Israel, not to express that women are lesser than men, or somehow more unclean than men.

Some people wonder if this practice is a worldly one that Christians should avoid, while others see it as an opportunity to re-focus on the Lord. Because it isn’t something directly expressed in the text of Scripture, it is something every Christian has to decide for themselves.

One of the great wonders and mysteries of the New Testament is the star that shone in the sky so the magi from the east could find the Messiah and worship Him. It is intriguing, but the Bible says very little about it, since the purposes of the gospels are to tell about the life of Jesus, not to present scientific explanations about one-time phenomena.

There is so much that we can study about our Lord and Savior! Christmas is about more than just thinking about Jesus’ birth. It is also meditating on how incredible it is that there were so many prophecies about Him.

While the changes shook culture and politics, the way it completely re-contextualized Sunday worship was perhaps the biggest change. The relationship between the individual and God fundamentally changed the way people, especially those who had previously practiced Roman Catholicism, understood their eternal salvation.

Praise God! Hallelujah! These are the same phrase, just in different languages, but the Bible says that one day in Heaven, people from every nation and tongue will glorify the Lord.