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Welcome to season 2 of the Determined to Dance podcast. I pray that you’ll be uplifted, encouraged, and will move forward each and every day. Today’s episode, Prayerful Situations: Pain, focuses on different types of pain and how to deal with them through prayer.
Show Notes: Prayerful Situations: Pain
Suffering. Distress. Pain. Wow. I don’t know if anything messes with our emotions and mental health more than pain.
I experienced several types of pain last week. My husband and I were camping about an hour away from our home when urgent phone calls came from both children. My mother was having a heart episode and they were taking her to the hospital.
Instantly, emotional pain struck me with a hollow feeling inside, tears trying to form, and my mind racing as I had several decisions to make. We hurried to close up our campsite for the night and then work our way to the hospital. On arrival, I had to gather information and make decisions regarding care. I then spent an uncomfortable night in a chair, half-asleep at times, while they stabilized Mother’s heart rate and rhythm and made her comfortable. By morning, I’d experienced physical pain from the chair, emotional pain because she was my mother, mental pain from decision-making, and even spiritual pain as I felt hopeless at times to intercede.
Hurting, whether on the outside or inside, can break through our willpower and self-confidence quickly, like the demolition of a building. During times of hurting, we desperately need God.
We, humans, are subject to physical pain, mental pain, emotional pain, and spiritual pain like I experienced last week. Some studies link mental and emotional pain and explain them as one but I wanted to explore some different ideas.
- Physical pain-Unpleasant bodily sensation causing mild to severe discomfort, usually caused by injury or disease. From a toothache to cancer, pain affects each person differently.
- Mental pain- discomfort, dysfunction, or distress of the mind. Decision-making, mental tasks, and studying can bring on mental pain.
- Emotional pain- pain or hurt that originates from non-physical sources. Divorce, death, or something as simple as an unkind word can produce emotional pain.
- Spiritual pain-Pain within one’s spirit. For those who don’t know Jesus, the pain can be spiritual distress as in feeling lost, without direction, or a sense of emptiness. For those who know Him, the pain can come from unforgiveness, sin, or unanswered questions.
How do we pray when we’re in pain? Are there specific ways to intercede for our friends or loved ones or even total strangers when we see them suffering? The Bible shows people from Moses to Jeremiah to Jesus and Paul, constantly lifting up others in prayer. We’re encouraged to do the same. Here are some examples to aid you when you pray. As always, seek God and let Him lead you when you address specific situations and the people involved. (Including yourself)
For physical pain-Begin by asking for complete healing of the sick or injured person. I ask this every time, knowing that healing might occur here on earth or as one enters heaven, completely healed in an instant. We can pray for the specific area of the body affected and speak comfort and peace from God to flood over the person. Pray for strength and perseverance as the person heals and against anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.
For mental pain-We can start with a prayer for peace of mind, then ask for clarity and wisdom over any root cause of this pain, for forgiveness and release from any guilt or shame involved, and the ability to let go of whatever is out of our control. Also, for relaxation of the mind and the wisdom to allow the mind to rest. Many times, I add the ability to sleep because this can be difficult when we are in mental pain.
For emotional pain-In Psalms 34:18, God says He is near the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. We can pray for the person to feel God’s presence and for the broken and crushed to be renewed and restored. Pray against loneliness and isolation that might attack a person when emotionally wounded. Pray for release from past pain that might try to be revived and attach itself to the new pain.
For spiritual pain-Pray for any who don’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to know Him and embrace salvation. And for people, songs, or spoken/written words to be placed in their path to point the way to Him. Pray that Christians will dig deep into the Word as they seek to forgive themselves or others, overcome sin, or understand the hard questions in life. Pray for an extra measure of hope and faith as people search for answers.
My mother spent two days in the hospital, received new medicine, and instructions on how to better live with A-fib. Recovery for her and myself from these different types of pain has varied and continues even today.
Pain will always be with us on the earth, though I believe it can be alleviated as we pray and seek God. Revelation 21:4 promises, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Let’s pray: Father God, the world is full of hurting people. Heal physical pain, minister to those with mental distress, comfort those whose emotions are shattered, and embrace those who search for understanding in their spirit. Lead us to speak Your words of peace and comfort over all who suffer. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
One day, pain will be no more. But until then, we can pray for and encourage others during their times of distress and suffering. Next time, we’ll look at death and ways to pray for the dying and those left behind.
Until then, stay determined to dance.
You can find downloadable printable resources for this series at jenniferhallmark.com here:
- Natural Disasters
- Money Problem
- Sin
- War
- Illness
- Pain
- Death (next week)
Printable Resource of Prayerful Situations: Pain
Links:
My debut novel, Jessie’s Hope
Remember: Prayerful Situations: Pain
Video of the week:
I absolutely love music and each week I’d like to share a relevant song we can enjoy together.
