God is with you. In your pain, in the dark night of your soul, in your storm, in your confusion, in your sadness, wherever you are, He is. God is on the side of the sufferer. Scripture bears witness.
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” God shares the pain of every single person—including you. When you're hurting, he isn't distant, aloof, or unfeeling. He is aware of your pain, and he cares.
God doesn't promise deliverance from or avoidance of all pain. He does not always intervene to keep us far from hurt or harm. But in the times when we do hurt, he comforts us in the midst of our troubles. Sometimes he bolsters us through the kindness of others.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Sometimes God is silent because we aren't ready for the message. He wants to talk to us about something, but we aren't ready. We have to go through refining trials to make us ready to listen. God is sometimes silent because He knows we aren't willing to obey.
Pray not to be pain free, but to be set free in your pain. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7). Heavenly Father, in my pain I praise You and I lean into Your love and comfort.
8:18 Romans: The Pain You're Feeling Can't Compare to The Joy That's Coming!
1 Thessalonians 5:22 commands “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (KJV). And because punishment keeps us away from sin and evil, I would count it as a blessing. Another reason pain is a blessing is that it not only corrects us but can be used to guide us.
Psalm 147:3, it says “He heals broken hearts and binds up their wounds” (NIV). This beautiful reminder reminds us that God is capable of restoring broken pieces together so that they become whole again even after being shattered by emotional pain.
The truth is God can and will heal your body. In comparison with eternity, our pain and suffering are only for a short while. Some will be strengthened and healed in this lifetime, and sometimes God chooses to heal our bodies through death.
“Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them” (Romans 12:14, NLT). If I'm honest, this verse is hard to swallow, especially when I've been really hurt.
My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. The pain that I feel cannot outweigh the power that You have in my life. I seek You, my refuge, and reliever-of-pain. Thank You for being my strength and shield in times of great difficulty, Amen.
Moreover, the notion of suffering as punishment for sin was deeply embedded in ancient Hebrew tradition. Jesus rejected this notion and rather highlighted the unconditional love of God (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount -- Matthew 5:45 and the healing of the man born blind -- John 9:1-41).
Jesus knows your pain, and He knows how to help you get through it. He lived, suffered, and died for each one of us so we'd never have to be alone. Jesus came to earth so that He would know how to lift us during our trials. He's felt our temptations, pains, sadness, and afflictions.
The best Bible verse for mustering the power to get through the pain and grief can be found in Joshua 1:9. It is in this scripture that we are told to “be strong and courageous.” When grief and fear take hold, we are told not to be afraid and that God will be with us wherever we go.
Just because God seems silent doesn't mean you should doubt Him or stop praying. God's silence isn't a license for us to turn our backs on Him. Instead, it's an invitation to press forward and seek Him even more diligently. The psalmists modeled crying out to God.
If you feel God is hiding His face from you, that may be the exact blessing He has in mind for you. Tell God that you love Him and that you cannot be content without Him, and it will not be long before He turns his face toward you again.
Pray like Jesus did: “Lord, even though I'm asking you to take away the pain, I surrender to you. More than anything else, even more than relief, I want your will, not mine.” Are you ready to say that to God in your hour of greatest need?
Saint Raphael the Archangel is the patron saint of healing. In Hebrew, his name literally means "God heals." We can find Raphael in the Old Testament Book of Tobit, where he is revealed as a healer of mind, body and spirit. We can invoke his powerful intercession in our own daily lives.
Jesus adds, "Pray for those who hurt you." There is nothing wrong with asking the Lord to get them to stay their hand. But praying for them involves asking good for them, seeking the Lord's presence in their lives and transformation of their hearts.
“Father, please forgive me when I allow anger and bitterness to fill my heart because I refuse to forgive someone who has hurt me. Teach me how to lay down my rights and choose to forgive in the same way You have forgiven me.”
“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).
Heal my sickness, and ease my suffering - physically, emotionally and spiritually. May Your healing touch be upon me, restoring my body and mind to wholeness. Please comfort and strengthen my family and loved ones, and provide wisdom and guidance to those who care for me. In Jesus' name, I pray.