healing

Opening Prayer: I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. (Psalm 30:1-4)

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Journal: What does the Scripture for today do within you?  How does it give you hope?  Where do you want to turn to God and ask him for healing today?

Reflection: As long as our wounds are open and bleeding, we scare others away.  But after someone has carefully tended to our wounds, they no longer frighten us or others.

     When we experience the healing presence of another person, we can discover our own gifts of healing.  Then our wounds allow us to enter into a deep solidarity with our wounded brothers and sisters. (Bread for the Journey by Henri J. M. Nouwen)

We are wounded people, in dire need of healing.  If you don’t believe it, just read the morning paper.  And unfortunately, in lieu of healing, our tendency is to shove our wounds into each other’s faces, demanding that they be noticed and paid attention to.  Or we try to inflict wounds upon others in anger, frustration, or retaliation.  Neither of these actions, however, get us the end result we were hoping for.  We must take our wounds to God first, only then can we have any hope of the healing and the wholeness we most deeply long for.  Only then can we be the agents of healing and wholeness to a wounded and broken world.

Prayer

Closing Prayer: O Lord, we are wounded people.  We are a people in need of healing and wholeness and peace.  Unless you heal our wounds, O Lord, we have no hope.  Heal our land, O God, that we might choose love and kindness over violence, anger, and aggression.  Have mercy on us!  Amen.