Day 23: Heal Me and Help Me Care for My Body

Lord, I thank You that You are the Healer. I look to You for my healing whenever I am injured or sick. I pray that You would strengthen and heal me today. Specifically I pray for (name any area where you need the Lord to heal you). Heal me "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ' He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sickness' " (Matthew 8:17). You suffered, died and were buried for me so that I might have healing, forgiveness, and eternal life. By Your stripes I am healed (I Peter 2:24). I know that in Your presence is where I will find healing. In Your presence I can reach out and touch You and in turn be touched by You.
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Only You know what is best for me and what is not, so I ask that You would reveal that to me. Take away all confusing and conflicting information, and instruct me in what to eat and what to avoid. I can't do this without You, Lord, for only You know the way You created me. Give me a solid ability to be disciplined about what I eat and drink and how I exercise. Enable me to discipline my body and bring it into subjection (I Corinthians 9:27).
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Lord, You have said in Your Word, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). I don't want to be destroyed because I lacked knowledge of the right thing to do. Teach me and help me learn. Lead me to people who can help or advise me. Enable me to follow their suggestions and directions. When I am sick and need to see a doctor, show me which doctor to see and give that doctor wisdom as to how to treat me.
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The area I struggle with most in caring for my body is (name the area that presents the greatest challenge to you). Be Lord over this part of my life so that I can bring it into alignment with Your will. Help me to find freedom and deliverance in this area where it is needed.
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Lord, I want everything I do to be glorifying to You. Help me to be a good steward of the body You have given me. I confess the times I have sat in judgement upon it, criticizing it in my mind for not being perfect. I repent of that and ask Your forgiveness. I know that my body is the temple of Your Holy Spirit, who dwells in me. Help me to fully understand this truth so that I will keep my temple clean and healthy. Help me not to mistreat my body in any way. Teach me how to properly care for my health.* In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

- James 5:14-16

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So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.

- I Corinthians 10:31

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*Make this prayer your own! From the book, The Power of a Praying Woman. Ordering information is at the bottom of this page. I strongly encourage you to read this book as the chapter content is so powerful!
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Today's prayer for your husband: His Walk
Today's prayer for your children: Avoiding Drugs, Alcohol, and Other Addictions

Day Eleven: His Health

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,'

declares the Lord,

'because you are called an outcast,

Zion for whom no one cares.'

- Jeremiah 30:17

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Lord, I pray for Your healing touch on my husband. Make every part of his body function the way You designed it to. Wherever there is anything out of balance, set it in perfect working order. Heal him of any disease, illness, injury, infirmity, or weakness. Strengthen his body to successfully endure his workload, and when he sleeps may he wake up completely rested, rejuvenated and refreshed. Give him a strong heart that doesn't fail. I don't want him to have heart failure at any time.
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I pray that he will have the desire to take care of his body, to eat the kind of food that brings health, to get regular exercise, and to avoid anything that would be harmful to him. Help him to understand that his body is Your temple and he should care for it as such (I Corinthians 3:16). I pray that he will present it as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You (Romans 12:1).
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When he is ill, I pray You will sustain him and heal him. Fill him with Your joy and give him strength. Specifically, I pray for his stress fractures (insert your concern there). Give him faith to say, " 'O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me' [Psalm 30:2]. Thank You, Lord that You are my Healer!" I pray that my husband will live a long and healthy life and when death does come, may it be accompanied by peace and not unbearable suffering and agony. Thank You, Lord, that You will be there to welcome him into Your presence, not a moment before Your appointed hour.* In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits:

who forgives all your iniquities,

and heals all your diseases.

- Psalm 103:2-3

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Your light shall break forth like the morning,

your healing shall spring forth speedily,

and your righteousness shall go before you;

the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

- Isaiah 58:8

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I will heal them and reveal to them

the abundance of peace and truth.

Jeremiah 33:6

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*Make this prayer your own! From the book, The Power of a Praying Wife. Ordering information at the bottom of the page.
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Today's prayer for your children: Following Truth, Rejecting Lies

Day Thirteen: Having the Motivation for Proper Body Care

Lord, I lift up my children to You and ask that You would place in them a desire to eat healthy food. I pray this especially for David right now, who is in the picky toddler stage. I know that throughout their lives they will be tempted to make poor food choices and eat that which brings death instead of life. Help them to understand what's good for them and what isn't, and give them a desire for food that is healthful. Let them be repulsed or dissatisfied with food that is harmful.
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I pray that they be spared from all eating disorders in any form. By the authority given me in Jesus Christ (Luke 10:19), on my son's and daughter's behalf, I say "no to anorexia," "no to bulimia," "no to food addiction," "no to overeating," "no to starvation diets," "no to any kind of unbalanced eating habits."
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Lord, Your Word says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Help them to see the truth about the way they are to live, so that they may be set free from unhealthful habits. I pray that along with the desire to eat properly, You would give them the motivation to exercise regularly, to drink plenty of pure water, and to control and manage areas of stress in their lives by living according to Your Word. Whenever they struggle in any of those areas may they turn to You and say, "Teach me Your way, O Lord" (Psalm 27:11). Give them a vision of their bodies as the temple of Your Holy Spirit.
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I pray that they will value the body You've given them and desire to take proper care of it. May they not be critical of it, not examine themselves through the microscope of public opinion and acceptance. I pray that they will not be bound by the lure of fashion magazines, television, or movies which try to influence them with an image of what they should look like. Enable them to say, "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things" (Psalm 119:37). Help them to see that what makes a person truly attractive is Your Holy Spirit living in them and radiating outward. May they come to an understanding that true attractiveness begins in the heart of one who loves God.
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Establish Your vision of health and attractiveness in their hearts this day, and permanently instill in them the desire to take proper care of their bodies because it is the temple of Your Holy Spirit.*
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Do the same work in me that I may be a good example to David and especially Elizabeth, since I am her mother. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,

that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,

holy, acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service.

- Romans 12:1

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Therefore, whether you eat or drink,

or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.

- I Corinthians 10:31

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*Make this prayer your own! From the book, The Power of a Praying Parent. Ordering information at the bottom of the page.

Please Pray...

Ironically, shortly after I posted this morning about healing, I discovered Elizabeth had just thrown up in her bassinet. She wasn't keeping anything down all day, not nursing, not even pedialite or water. I just finally got about half a juice glass of pedialite to stay down for about an hour. This may affect the time of tomorrow's post... if this continues, we'll be trying to get an appointment with the doctor. Please pray for Elizabeth's healing.

Lord, I claim today's prayer for Elizabeth. You are our Rapha and I place her in your hands.

Day Twelve: Enjoying a Life of Health and Healing

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all His benefits:

who forgives all your iniquities,

who heals all your diseases.

- Psalm 103:2-3

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Lord, because You have instructed us in Your Word that we are to pray for one another so that we may be healed, I pray healing and wholeness for David and Elizabeth. I pray that sickness and infirmity will have no place or power in their lives. I pray for protection against any disease coming into their bodies. Your Word says, "He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psalm 107:20). Wherever there is disease, illness or infirmity in their bodies, I pray that You, Lord, would touch them with Your healing power and restore them to total health.
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Deliver them from any destruction or injury that would come upon them. Specifically I ask you to heal (name a specific problem here - Thank You, Lord, that my children have no specific problems right now). If we are to see a doctor, I pray that You would show us who that should be. Give that doctor wisdom and full knowledge of the best way to proceed.
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Thank You, Lord, that You suffered and died for us so that we might be healed. I lay claim to that heritage of healing which You have promised in Your Word and provided for those who believe. I look to You for a life of health, healing and wholeness for my children. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. *
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He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

and by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

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But to you who fear My Name

the Son of Righteousness shall arise

with healing in His wings.

Malachi 4:2

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*Make this prayer your own! From the book, The Power of a Praying Parent. Ordering information is at the bottom of this page.