Jun 27
Today’s Truth
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)
Friend to Friend
A friend of ours has struggled with heart problems for years. He’s gone through seasons of wellness and seasons of strain. Recently, his health challenges moved from the back burner to the front when his doctors recognized the need to operate.
He didn’t just need a simple procedure. He needed open heart surgery to the max. I mean we’re talking valve replacements, ablations, hole repairs, and more.
In the wee hours of the morning before his surgery, my friend’s heart decided to cause problems that led them to the Emergency Room instead of the Operating Room. Thankfully, his surgeon rushed to the scene and took him right into surgery.
Hours later his heart was repaired. In the days that followed, scary setbacks came and went. Each one was dealt with head-on. I asked his wife how I could pray for him. Was there anything specific? Her answer surprised me. “Just pray that he will have the will to press on through the healing process because it is going to be a long, hard haul.”
When I hung up from our conversation, I paused and reflected on her request.
In essence, I will be praying for him to have the heart (the strength, the guts, the determination) to fight for his heart to heal fully.
Wow. I know that struggle well.
Week after week, loved one after loved one, struggle after struggle … this is one of the biggest challenges we face. Having a heart fixed on healing. To press through to a place of wellness and strength: spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. To not back down from the resistance before us in light of the rewards that await us. To run the race of faith well!
I’ve asked God for forgiveness, but I just don’t know how to forgive myself.
I know the Bible says God loves me, but I feel invisible. I don’t FEEL loved and adored.
I believe that God has a plan for my life, but I’m so tired of waiting for it to develop.
I want restoration in my relationship, but I’m not making the first move.
I know my eating patterns are unhealthy and they undermine my wellness, but God loves me just the way I am!
I worry all the time and struggle with anxiety. I really want to trust God, but often fail.
After we go through initial heart repairs with Jesus, many of us find ourselves as wounded believers. Close to whole, but still broken. We want healing but won’t or don’t know how to move forward in the direction of the Healer toward the complete wholeness He has for us.
This is hard stuff. I know. I struggle too. We all do.
Ultimately: every one of us is a work in progress. Our challenges and failures are real and should be acknowledged and confessed. But our faith that God can and will tend to our wounds must be greater.
So, I join in prayer as our friend faces months of therapy, doctors’ appointments, medicine changes, emotional exhaustion, and unseen struggles.
And I’m grateful we pray to the one, true God who loves, sees, hears, purifies, answers, comforts, protects, forgives, and heals those who cry out to Him. He is the great Surgeon who rushes to us in our emergency rooms and takes us to the operating room of His presence.
The One who knows how to care for each wound, burden, and bruise.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
So, when your heart needs healing, pray and press through barriers in the strength and grace of Jesus. His plan is good. His faithfulness is unwavering. His presence is always accessible.
Move in God’s direction and give Him the burdens of your heart.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, This is hard! Thank You for allowing me to be honest about the challenges that tangle me up. Please move in my heart and in my circumstances today so that I can move forward in faith as I hold tight to the hope I have in Christ.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Let’s Keep in Touch
June 30, 2023, Girlfriends in God is coming to a close. Thank you for linking arms with us in ministry for the past 17 years. We still want to share life with you! Click here to continue receiving devotions from Sharon Jaynes on Tuesdays. Click here to continue receiving devotions from Mary Southerland on Wednesdays. Click here to continue receiving devotions from Gwen Smith on Thursdays.
Now It’s Your Turn
What would heart healing look like for you today?
If you’re ready to move in that direction, I sure would love to hear about it and pray for you. Click here to leave a comment or to post a prayer request.
More from the Girlfriends
Feel like giving up? Learn how God wants to bring you beyond your past heart-wounds and your present challenges to His wholeness, strength and beauty. Broken into Beautiful is filled with Scripture and stories that will inspire you toward the life-changing grace of Jesus. To order the book, go to Amazon or, for a signed copy, visit Gwen’s web store.
© 2023 by Gwen Smith. All rights reserved.
Please pray for our 31 year old daughter who recently shared with us that she is in a lesbian relationship. Her father and I are heartbroken and know this is not God’s will for her life. She doesn’t want to hear anything related to Biblical truth on this matter. She was a strong believer but the enemy has blinded her. I am so angry and ask for prayer for our entire family as we struggle though this awful situation. Our pastor has put us in touch with a counselor who deals in this and he has been very helpful and practical. There are consequences that we have had to share with her and boundaries now in place as a result of her choice to live this lifestyle. She feels so far away from God and from us. Thanks for your prayers
Oh, Carolyn. I’m so sorry. Praying for her and you now.
Gwen
This site has been such a blessing to me through the years. It has helped lead me to a closer relationship with God. It has also met me right where I have been at so many times. This morning was no exception! I felt God telling me to come and read it today and “Wow!” I needed to be told to keep keeping on, with God carrying me. Thank you! Also, Gwen, your journey through the Psalms were a bridge that led me into reading God’s word more consistently. Girlfriends in God, I am thanking God for your ministry and I will continue to check in with Mary, Sharon and Gwen on their personal pages.
LOVE hearing from you, Krista! All glory to GOD. So happy to have had the privilege to walk toward HIM with you over the years. Blessings and love, GWEN
Wow! I cannot tell you how timely this devotional was. Thank you!
I am going to miss the ability to come to this website and receive devotionals every day. Thank you for the time and sacrifice of each lady that has contributed over the years to make this possible. Undoubtedly, these devotionals have touched many hearts and brought women closer to Jesus. I pray for whatever God is leading you all into, individually or together, that even greater impact will be had. Many thanks.
I sure needed to read this today. It’s how I feel. Funny how things show up when you need it. I’m struggling. Your Prayers would be very much appreciated. I need God’s guidance and answers to how He wants me to move forward. Thank You. God Bless
I’m so sad this is ending!
I can’t recall how I came across “Girlfriends in God” but I’m grateful that I did. There have been many times where that day’s Word spoke to what was going on with me then and today’s entry did as well. A week ago today, two days before my 35th birthday, I underwent a procedure to get an ICD (defibrillator and pacemaker). My heart needs an “upgrade”. To make a long story short and omit details, the first thing that you should know is that God has been faithful and He kept me after six weeks of consistent issues of trouble breathing, heavy chest pain, and terrible coughing. I finally went to the ER after seeing midwives, a GI doctor, and going to local clinics (I had just birth my 4th child late December). I was told that might that my heart was skipping beats and was officially diagnosed with Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (I had no issues with any of my pregnancies). Here we are a week post procedure and I am healing with a foreign device connected to my heart in three places. One of those places was a struggle and I am thankful that my doctor did not give up on it as the procedure was expected to be 45 min to an 1 hour and it ended up being 4. He called in help and that person couldn’t connect it either. The doctor told my family, “Every time we tried to quit I had to tell them that she’s young, she’s a mom and has to get back to her babies. We have to give her the best chance at life”. The team decided a week prior to my procedure that they wanted to continue to monitor me and not put me on the heart transplant list right now because I would almost immediately receive a heart. Even though all of this talk about heart function and transplants started with me in March, it all still is surreal to me. I want the same prayer as your friend asked for her husband. I don’t know if I’ll ever need a new heart, I pray that I don’t and will be healed with this ICD, but I know this is a season that I have been forced to rely on others and trust God even more. I need to sit with Him and enjoy the less busy world right now.
Oh, KaSteesha! I’m sorry about the struggles you are going through… and am praying for your heart right now. You are not alone. Hunker down in the refuge of our Mighty God. He is ABLE to meet you in extraordinary ways… and HE IS ABLE to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we can ask for or imagine!!
With you all the way,
GWEN
Hace 10 años que leo el devocional de las novias de Dios. Una gran bendición para mi vida,innumerables veces la palabra llegaba en el momento exacto. Les agradezco por toda la sabiduría qué comparten, y que Dios puso en uds.
Las seguire independientemme a cada una novias.
Muchas bendiciones.
Prayers for healing emotionally & spiritually after going thru Chemo/radiation. I thank the Lord for healing me from cervical cancer.❤️🩹
I believe I was meant to read your message today. I am dealing with heart health as well as other issues including anxiety. God is so good. He always gets a message to me yo let me know he hears my prayer. Please pray for my health issues and my anxiety. I also pray that I will be able to just put all my trust in Him and let go of my problems. Thank you and God bless you..