A’s Heavenly Downloads

I’ve been reading about the names of God and how they describe various  features of God’s character. Today I’m learning about Jehovah Rophe (sometimes spelt Rapha) – the God who heals- which is apt, because I just received healing through prayer. yesterday. I’d been experiencing a niggling lower back pain for just under a week, so much so that I struggled to turn in bed at times without grimacing from pain and discomfort.

Last night I went to a prayer meeting at my church. I almost didn’t go as I ended up working late because I had a deadline to meet today and was nowhere near finished, but then my computer slowed down. It became almost impossible to complete the task I’d set out to accomplish, so around 7.30pm I  gave up and left my desk out of tiredness and frustration – almost 2 hours after the end of my official workday.

After pacing around for a few minutes, not knowing quite how to spend the rest of the evening, I realised I still had time to make it to the prayer meeting by its start time of 7.45 pm. I was tired, and worried about whether I’d be able to complete my work by today’s deadline. But then I also thought: “Seek first the kingdom of God”. I needed to shift my focus and wanted to spend time in the Lord’s presence. So I went. 

As I drove to church I heard the following Bible passage from Matthew chapter 6 being read out on the Christian radio station playing in the car, where Jesus said (my emphasis in bold): 

“… Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

This was the same scripture that came to mind earlier! Expanded! I took this as confirmation that I’d made the right decision to leave my work and go to the meeting, and that everything would turn out well with my work. 

I arrived at church just after the meeting had started, along with some other late-comers, so I wasn’t alone and didn’t feel too conspicuous. At the meeting we sang praise and worship songs, I imagined myself on stage in a room by myself singing to an audience of one: my Lord. Then we prayed together as a church and for each other across various prayer points, using the Lord’s Prayer as a guide:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6: 9 – 13 ESV) 

As we prayed for the Lord’s kingdom to come and for His will to be done, for Him to give us our daily bread  – what we need – we also prayed specifically for healing. I indicated my need for healing from back pain and three people  came to stand by me and prayed for me. I felt an intense internal release as I was prayed for and began to shake mildly, there was a deeper release of breath and suddenly I felt lighter.

Since then the pain has subsided drastically. I felt almost nothing last night as I turned in my bed, I slept well and have been pain free again today. And, some shoulder pain that I’ve been experiencing for a weeks has also subsided. Thank you Lord Jesus for everything You have done and everything You continue to do 🙏. I praise Your holy name 🙌 .

So that’s it. I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank God for his healing. To testify of His goodness, kindness, grace and mercy which He has shown towards me. And also to encourage anyone who needs to know this – that God is real, He loves us and heals us: body, mind and soul. He also heals sin. He is a restorer and repairer. He wants to heal us, and if not in this life then certainly in eternity. He made a way to do so by sending His son Jesus Christ as a gift to us, to make it possible for us to come before His throne of grace and mercy… as children… as sons and daughters and receive healing, forgive of sins, restoration and ultimately reconciliation to our Heavenly Father forever. All we have to do is accept the gift. 

So draw near to God through Jesus Christ and trust that He has the same healing power today as He did in biblical times. Acknowledge your need for Him, for a saviour. He’s a good God, and mighty to save above all else. 🙌 

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 chronicles 7:14 ESV).