Pray By The Book: Psalmsনমুনা

# Pray for Personal Breakthrough and Healing ## Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven. Some of us may be having a hard time going through the new normal as we face our own short-comings, sinful tendencies, and sorrows brought about by our situation. These things weigh us down, causing our vitality to dampen and our spirit to be deterred (v 3-4). But as we confess these things to the Lord (v 5) and seek Him in prayer (v 6), God will surely forgive and grant us mercy (v 1-2). Not only does the Lord absolve us of our faults, but He also lovingly redirects us with His instruction and counsel (v 7-8). The truly blessed person is surrounded by God’s loving-kindness and deliverance, brought out of trouble, and brought into the joy of the Lord (v 9-11). ## Reflect: In what ways can I be renewed by the Lord? Many do not realize how the spiritual and physical worlds affect each other. Before Jesus healed the paralytic in Mark 2, He first forgave the sick man—teaching us that true healing encompasses both physical and spiritual aspects. Our text clearly says that spiritual disease (sin) causes the body to waste away. This does not mean, however, that all sicknesses have spiritual roots. Some are genetic, others are psychosomatic, and the rest due to lifestyle (improper diet, lack of exercise, or work-related stress). Whatever the cause, God can heal all these sicknesses through various means–internal body mechanisms, medical prescriptions and procedures, and miracles. The point is simply to trust God to do what is best for us at any particular time. This may not necessarily mean physical healing, but whatever God does will surely be for our best. ## As we pray... Are you facing any discouragement, anxiety, conviction of sin, guilt, or fear that gets in the way of your relationship with God? Take the time to confess these things to God and ask for forgiveness and restoration. Ask the Lord for a personal breakthrough in seeking God’s wisdom and counsel for our lives; let the Lord provide a spiritual revival for you, with renewed strength and zeal to follow Him. Prayer for healing: Appeal to the Lord for His mercy and present your condition before Him. Ask for His will to be done in your life – whether through healing the ailment immediately and supernaturally, or allowing the healing gradually and naturally through medical procedures under doctors’ supervision, or ultimately entrusting the outcome to the Lord in His sovereign purposes. It is on the basis of God’s grace that we ask for healing, sustenance, and restoration so that we may witness not just the Lord’s renewing power but also His compassionate heart in being close to those who are affected by illness. Prayer for spiritual revival: Ask the Lord for a personal breakthrough in seeking God’s wisdom and counsel for our lives; let the Holy Spirit renew your strength and empower you to follow the Lord in a greater measure starting today.