Praising God in the Midst of Suffering

1 Thessalonians 5-16-18

A very dear friend is constantly praising God and praying for people. Even if someone has done something that should make her angry, she doesn’t complain on and on about it. She will discuss it, then pray about the situation. So imagine my surprise when I found out about her numerous, very serious, medical issues.

I was floored when she mentioned it. She only told me because it would affect something that we thought she would participate in. Before then, she never mentioned it. But this illness pretty much ruins her entire day, one day a week, due to her medications. On top of that, it is causing other problems for her that would make me want to crawl under my covers and cry. But does she do this? No!

When she had to have some procedures done and was told by he doctor not to work or do anything strenuous, she did not complain. Instead, she praised God for the time off and was excited to spend a few days lounging in her pjs. During that time of solitude, she studied her Bible and spent time with God. This is a perfect example of the following verses.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

She’s not giving thanks for being ill, of course, but because of what she can do in spite of her illness. For the people in her life who reach out. For the many miracles that show themselves.

I also recently found out about another friend in a similar situation. Even with his medical condition, he is constantly praising God. He reaches out to others to help them and spread the message of God. You truly wouldn’t know there was anything wrong if you’d just met him. And, when he’s in his office, he has sermons playing while he’s working. Always learning!

I am absolutely blessed to have both of these people in my life. Even with medical conditions that, to me, are quite frigthening, they both soldier on. Without complaint!

They are both true examples of people who have complete faith in God. In spite of everything they are facing, you don’t hear either of them complaining. Due to their close relationship with God, they push forward, praising His name and spreading His message along the way.

We can all have that type of relationship. It starts with prayer. Like my friend who celebrated her doctor-ordered quiet time by spending it with the Lord, let’s create a quiet time and do the same. It doesn’t have to be a major event and you don’t need a set of scripted words to repeat. Just find a quiet spot and speak to the Lord. Speak from your heart and be sure to listen. Do this as often as you can and don’t hold back. This is the first step to building that close relationship.

For me, I have a number of long scarves that I use to cover my head when I pray. When my daughter sees the scarves come out, she knows it’s my ‘quiet time’ with the Lord. I find that this calms me and I’m able to hear when the Lord speaks. The more I do this, the stronger my relationship becomes. I’ve noticed that the time I spend in prayer is also longer when my head is covered. Things I haven’t thought about in a long time will come up out of nowhere and I give it to God. I’m at peace when I’m done.

I hope to be there one day. In a place where, no matter what I’m facing, I can still find things to praise. I’m getting much better, but I do have my days. 🙂

Have a blessed day.