I have good news! God loves you and He is still in the healing business, He is not the author of sickness and disease! It is not His will that people are sick, marriages are falling apart, that people are at war in the world or killing each other on the streets of our cities.
We have a loving Father who is crying for us to come home, to receive the love that He has for us, to help us solve our problems and to nurture us and bring us peace. He sent his son Jesus to die for us so that we might be saved. He didn’t come to bring us sickness or to punish us or condemn us. (John 3:17) He loves us no matter what we have done! Hosea 4:6 says My people die for lack of knowledge.
Today with computers and the internet, we have information on virtually everything but very few real answers to our most serious problems – sickness, drugs, war, crime, broken marriages.
God has answers to these problems! He is crying – look to Me, look to my Word! I have the answers! Ask Me. I’ll help! Scripture says ask and He will answer; seek and you will find. (Luke 11:9)
If you’ve prayed and didn’t get an answer, keep praying. Pray diligently. Don’t give up!
Many of Jesus’ parables show how we must persist and diligently seek him: The woman who hounded the unjust judge until he gave in. The woman who pressed through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. The men who cut a hole in a roof to lower their friend to Jesus. These people didn’t give up! They persisted in the face of difficulties and were rewarded by God for their diligence! (Luke 18:1-8, Luke 8:40-49, Luke 5:17-26)
Our Emotions Need Healing
When we think of healing, we often think of physical healing from sickness, disease, injury, etc. God’s healing, however, often has to start in our hearts. Most of us have not gotten through this life without being wounded emotionally. Some have had parents who were physically or verbally abusive or worse. Spousal abuse, abandonment, and marriage difficulties abound today. Wounds can come from a teacher or friend, a relative or a stranger. Other wounds can stem from a traumatic experience in life, such as an accident, sickness, or a death of a loved one.
Our experiences, especially from childhood, influence our current relationships. We build walls around our hearts. We fear that the same thing will happen again. We fear rejection and hurt. We don’t trust anymore. We don’t allow ourselves to be honest and vulnerable. We get angry without reason, lash out at others when they aren’t the real problem.
We may cover up our hurt by joking about everything, laughing a lot, or criticizing others to make ourselves look better. Often that prideful attitude is just a cover-up for hurt. This cover-up takes its toll mentally and physically. Our woundedness, if not dealt with, eventually manifests itself in physical illness.
A Father’s Day Message
This is Father’s Day. This is especially a message for fathers. So many families today are without fathers or have fathers who can’t seem to show love to their families. These men didn’t receive love from their fathers, and thus have difficulty in expressing love to their families. The hurts go from family to family, generation to generation. We must open our hearts to receive love, before we can give it to others!
But I have good news! Jesus said, I came to heal the broken hearted. He is the compassionate father to the fatherless, husband to the widow, comforter to the lonely. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me… For My yoke is easy and my load is light!”
He asks us to forgive. But without His power, forgiveness is virtually impossible. We may think we have forgiven but we just bury the hurts. He is crying – look to Me. I want to give you that power to forgive. I want your emotions healed so that you can start a new life!
My Story
Until I accepted the Lord as Savior at age 47, I had never known peace. I hid my terrible anger well from most people. My parents and family bore the brunt of it. I had a fierce temper and cursed constantly. I was hard hearted and prideful, my pride covering my insecurities. Deep-down, I hated myself but took it out on others.
When my body and mind got bad enough, I had to pay attention and began looking for answers. I started by changing my diet, formally studying an oriental life style called macrobiotics. Although I found that approach was limited, I claim to this day that eating lots of brown rice helped soften my heart so I could hear from God!
One day a new friend prayed a prayer with me to accept the Lord. I had no idea what that prayer really meant, but I was really hurting. I was miserable and lonely and had accidentally cut the palm of my hand with a very sharp utility knife, the cut requiring 16 stitches. I was in physical pain, but my emotional pain was even worse – a fact I didn’t understand at that time.
From that point on, God started to lead me. I began to desire to go to church. I hadn’t gone for 25 or more years. I heard preachers and evangelists on the radio talking about healing and I started looking for a church where I could learn more.
I started reading the Bible and learning God’s Word and His many, many promises. I learned that salvation doesn’t just mean being saved and going to heaven. The Greek word sozo includes deliverance and healing. Jesus not only paid the price on the cross for our sins, but also for our diseases and emotional wounds. I learned that we must accept His salvation by faith. We can’t earn it by good works. I had heard these words before but I never understood them. (Ephesians 2:7)
I discovered that God’s transformation of a life is His greatest miracle. It is a gradual but revolutionary process, a process that continues as long as we live. I liken it to peeling the layers from an onion. He removes one layer at a time. I am still a work in progress.
God Wants Healing for You!
God wants to start that healing in you today. He wants to touch those broken places in your life. When they are healed, you won’t need to mask them or hide them anymore. The memories will return, but less frequently. And the miracle will be that when they do return, they won’t cause anymore pain!
I would like us to pray together. Give our hearts to him and let God’s healing hand reach in and touch those broken places. Could everyone repeat this after me? Let us bow our heads.
Dear Father in Heaven –
I have a broken heart. I have been hurt many times
and rejected by family, friends and others.
Your Word says I must forgive those who hurt me.
I have been carrying these wounds long enough.
I am ready to give them up now.
Now silently forgive each person that the Lord brings to your mind. Then repeat the following with me.
By an act of my will, I have forgiven those who hurt me.
Now Lord, I ask forgiveness for my sins,
I also forgive myself for the wrongs I have committed.
Wipe away my guilt and shame.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and give me the
new life that you have promised.
Thank You Lord for healing my heart.
I am ready to learn from Your Word and Holy Spirit and
follow the path You have set for me.
AMEN!
Now I’d like to pray.
Dear Lord:
Thank you for healing each wounded heart.
Give each person who prayed this prayer
peace, joy and strength that only You can give.
Bless each one, Lord. Meet every need.
Fill them with Your love
so they can pass it on to others.
AMEN!
I would like to conclude by repeating that God is still in the healing business. Jesus healed when He was here on earth and scripture tells us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He loves you and a loving Father always wants the best for His children. He has a plan for every life and it is to bless you and not to harm you! (Hebrews 13:8, Jeremiah 29:11)
God Bless You all!
DLH – June 18, 2000
Evergreen Methodist Church, Fathers’ Day
Long Island, ME
Craig and Suzie Perkins
This service featured special music by Craig and Suzie Perkins. A week or so before the service I received a CD in the mail from a church organization in Boston that put on large convocations each year. This short song about New England was the theme song for a recent meeting. I loved the song and called and asked about getting more copies. They suggested that I call the composer Craig Perkins and talk to him.
When I told Craig that I was to speak at our Long Island Methodist Church on Father’s Day, he offered to bring his family and do the service with me. What an honor! Craig and family were living in Seekonk, Massachusetts at the time and Craig’s ministry was called Father’s Heart. How appropriate!
I met the family – Craig, Suzie and the two boys – at the boat on Friday, watching as the crane unloaded Craig’s heavy speakers and much other equipment for the service.
On Saturday, Craig prepared for the service. He met Pastor Kathy before she left and prophesied to her at length in song. Then for an hour or two, he just played and sang as the Holy Spirit led, filling the small church building with hope and joy. As he played, I sat outside on the church steps listening, as squirrels and a chipmunk and even a deer came close.
On Sunday Craig and Suzie sang before a large group of Long Island residents and guests. I don’t recall what they sang but hearts were touched. There wasn’t a dry eye in the church!
I don’t believe that Craig gave his testimony at that time but his is a powerful one of being abandoned by his parents (as were his siblings) and put in an orphanage. He grew up filled with anger and hatred until he began to accept God’s great love. Through his testimony and music, he has been pouring it out to others ever since.
On Craig’s website you will find many wonderful healing CD’s and many samples of his music. Here is a link to Craig’s website. Please receive his musical blessing.