Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:29
Where can we find relief from the relentless challenges that often wear us down? How can we find respite and recovery? When can we find healing and hope as disease continues to haunt and hurt us? We can find them when we resolve not to carry the burden all on our own. We can find them as we learn to rely on God’s promise of guidance and support. We can find them when we rely on the genuine support of others. We can find them when we develop strategies to care for ourselves in healthier ways that bring us renewal and refreshment. We can find them by actively developing an attitude of positive and realistic hope. We can find them by believing that indeed we can and will be healed in countless ways.
Dear God, I need to have the burdens lifted and respite restored. I know you provide that help in more ways than I can imagine. Help me to imagine them today. Amen.
November 6
…spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
Psalm 5:11b
Seek out people who are positive in outlook and affirming in manner. Find those who believe in the loving help of God. Cultivate relationships with others who exhibit an active trust in the power of hope. These people serve as wonderful role models and mentors for us on the cancer journey. They know that God does bring healing to us and they live in that knowledge every day. They have experienced and witnessed the gracious care of God and they live in gratitude for the tremendous blessings they have received. Their very lives praise God. They are the very people we need to be around. We can learn from them and grow because of them. We need them in our lives.
I thank you, O God, for those in this world whose lives are a rich and special tribute to your goodness. I am grateful for those in my life who show me this way. I pray to find even more of them to lift me closer to you. Amen.
November 7
And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight,
Philippians 1:9
So often it’s not that God isn’t actively working to help us and answer our prayers, but it’s that we don’t understand what God is doing. Indeed, God is always working, always reaching out, always offering us solutions and support for our needs. But so many times in our very limited human understandings of what we need and of God’s infinite power to provide for our needs, we have a failure of imagination and possibility. Our ability to discern God’s care and concern for us is hindered when we limit what we believe can be real. It is hindered when we limit what God can do.
Dear God, I’m sorry when I close my mind and soul to your offers of grace and renewal in my life. But today I ask for the wisdom and spirit to expand my thinking and to open my heart to the tremendous help you give. Amen.
November 8
…you cover them with favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12b
More than anything else, God wants to protect and save us – from our own self-destructive tendencies, from the hurtfulness of others and from the ravages of disease and pain. Our hope and salvation comes from believing so strongly in God’s redeeming power and amazing grace that we accept them as the ruling principles in our lives. When we have a foundational belief in the unconditional love of God as our source of healing and life, we elevate our lives to a higher level and set a standard for living and being that transforms us positively.
Today I will allow your love to lift me higher than I have ever been lifted before. Dear God, I need your presence to see me through. I know, when I allow it, it will empower me like I’ve never been empowered before. Amen.
November 9
But he answered, “It is written, `One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4
As important as it is to care for our physical needs, it is at least equally important to care for our spiritual health as well. As we focus on the threats to our bodily well-being that cancer brings, it is very easy to neglect our spirits and souls. But a spirit that is depleted and a soul that is empty cannot provide us with the inner strength we need to fully confront our diagnosis and maximize our potential for survival. We must pay care and attention to nurturing the part of ourselves that provides us light, gives us hope and transcends the fear around us. That care is as important as anything else we do.
When I don’t take the time to connect with you, dear God, I lose something vital inside me. In this moment as I pray to you, I reclaim my need for you and your amazing grace. Amen.
November 10
I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill.
Psalm 3:4
My answers alone are never quite enough. My perspectives by themselves are limited in their scope. While I know might know myself intimately, God knows me even more. God’s view transcends this world, this moment. God’s view is an eternal one. God’s understandings go beyond this place and time. God’s holy view, from the vantage point of eternity, sees what we do not and cannot. This perspective is the one with which we need to connect to know our way, the way that is best for our healing and our ongoing journey through life.
Holy God, you answer me in greater ways than I can imagine. You call back to me with thoughts I have never considered. You speak to me with the clarity I really need. Because of your eternal understandings I am richly blessed. Amen.
November 11
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having everything, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:13
Surround yourself with caring people whom you can trust, those who love you and want only the best for you. Commit to whatever form of exercise brings you energy and enjoyment. Create and maintain an attitude of expectation and hopefulness. Nourish your body with food that is fresh, whole and colorful. Nurture relationships with medical professionals that are mutually respectful and honest. Connect with God constantly in prayer, especially to express thanks. These things together make up the armor of God. These things will give you strength, empowerment and the courage to stand for healing in the midst of distress and disease.
You provide me with more power than I can begin to name, dear Lord. You are my protector, my deflector and my defender. My gratitude is endless. Amen.
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