January 19
But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.
Hebrews 10:39
A significant factor in healing is determination. It is determination that is a true survival trait. Determination is strength of mind and purpose, a resolve which comes from within; from the inner well-spring of power that God has given to all of us. Determination is a healing tool, empowering us to find courage and stamina, enabling us to act when we need to. It delivers us from the immobilization of passivity. It is the gift God gives us to help us follow God’s will. Determination is a by-product of our faith, an acceptance of God’s guidance and a willingness to go where God leads.
My faith in you gives me strength, O Lord. It helps me to have courage and gives me the guidance I need to find my way on this journey. I am so blessed by the help you give me and I offer you my thanks for all you do. Amen.
January 20
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:11
It’s amazingly easy to go down the path of complaint and disillusionment. Cancer has an innate way of taking over our lives and robbing us of its goodness and joy. But only if we let it. Yes, cancer is tough to deal with. But don’t give it more than it is due. Don’t give in to its darker powers. Recognize when it’s taking over. Confront it when it’s creating an unwelcome imbalance in your life. Acknowledge its impact. Meet it head on. But choose to reveal its imperfect ways. And choose as well to minimize its place by deciding to be well and live well again.
It does me no good to focus only on things I see as wrong, O God. So I turn this day over to you to help me see with great clarity all that is right as well. Amen.
January 21
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Psalm 40:3a
Today take a good look at your outlook and attitudes. Do you more quickly find the good around you or do you more readily find fault? Do you more easily list the positive things in your life or do you gravitate toward recounting mostly the negative? Do you naturally see each day as an opportunity for joy and possibility or do you see mainly drudgery and debilitating challenge ahead? Healing needs a hopeful and positive environment. It requires us to view our lives and the world with joy, gratitude and grace. What are you doing within your own spirit to help nurture these qualities? Possessing them can make a transforming difference in every part of your life.
When I am inclined to complain about every little thing I don’t like, I know that I need to adjust the way I react. I pray for your help today to see a more positive way, O God. Amen.
January 22
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Romans 8:5
It’s too easy and all too common when we live with cancer to focus exclusively on the physical challenges we face. But our emotional, mental and spiritual natures require just as much attention. If we are constantly disheartened, if we are negative and disquieted or if we feel empty and uninspired, we do not lend strength to our physical healing. Our ultimate hope comes in creating an atmosphere where our bodies and spirits work in constant connection. Authentic healing begins to come when we understand how important it is to combine our bodies and spirits into a cohesive whole.
Help me to gain the proper perspective today, dear God. Help me to focus not just on my physical challenges, but just as much on my spirit. Help me to build it up and nurture it to be a stronger and healthier person in every way. Amen.
January 23
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 27:1b
There’s a lot to be afraid of when cancer threatens us. The future seems so uncertain. Our confidence falters. We dread that our strength may diminish. We fear that the disease may take over everything in our lives. We worry that pain may overwhelm us. We agonize that we may lose all that is dear to us. We are troubled that recurrence may occur. The list goes on and on. We can get utterly caught up in the possibilities that each day ahead might bring that we lose sight of the gifts today does bring. When we lose that perspective we lose this day. And then we can find ourselves in a downward spiral that does us no good. The challenge for us is to remember that God is a God of hopeful possibilities and that God offers those possibilities to us without fail every day.
I don’t like living in fear. I don’t like what fear brings to my everyday life. So, on this day, loving God, take my fears away and fill me instead with calm reassurance and encouraging peace. Amen.
January 24
…therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope.
Acts 2:26
When we make a concerted effort to look for the blessings in our daily lives we can experience an astounding change in our perspective. When we determine that we will find goodness we will find it. When we make it a matter of course to express gratitude we will discover even more things for which to be grateful. When we decide to focus on the constructive aspects of our lives we will make strides in ever more healing directions. Hope is born in gratitude and appreciation. When we nurture those concrete feelings we will be amazed at how much more hopeful and confident we will be.
Whenever I look to you in thanksgiving, O God, I am sustained in greater and more special ways. I want to approach you with gratitude today and I want to make it a habit to maintain that attitude in everything I think and do. Amen.
January 25
May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Psalm 29:11
Strength and peace. They are two of the most significant blessings of life. They are very essential to possess when we are living with cancer. We need to stand firmly upon a foundation of strength in order to meet the challenges upon us. We need to rest confidently in an embrace of peace to know that we are loved and cared for. We must never forget that God is the ultimate source of both strength and peace. God’s strength is unbreakable. God’s peace is eternal. God offers both gifts to us in endless ways. Through every difficulty that stands in our way, we need to reach out for these gifts that will reinforce us in ways nothing else can.
When I am weak and tired and worn down, dear God, I need the blessed assurance of your power and tranquility. When I feel them I am uplifted and renewed. What great hope is mine when I have them in my life! Amen
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