Seven Minutes with God: Daily Prayers for the Chronically Ill
Protection
As I face the challenges of applying a yucky tasting prescription steroid gel inside my mouth twice a day and using a compounded prescription “magic mouthwash” that has a cocktail of four different prescriptions I find myself growing weary of treating my oral lichen planus.
Remembering to use the magic mouthwash at the right times is critical. Swishing and spitting after meals, not before meals is essential where I don’t swallow the mixture’s medicine with food or drink. It is not for internal use. The steroid gel is applied to gauze and then placed inside the mouth in the appropriate location for fifteen minutes.
Even under a physician’s care, it was hard for me to place something in my mouth marked external use only. After removing the gauze the mouth feels like I still have the gauze inside of the mouth for about an hour. Plus there is that terrible taste. Add to that I made the mistake of going to a forum on the disease and treatment. It was scary as I read about people claiming to have lost the sense of taste from using the medication. It made me cry out for God’s protection.
Today’s Bible verse:
Psalm 3: 3-4 King James Version (KJV), “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.”
What the verse means:
What the verse is saying in today’s English is that God shields me like a force field. His protection is three hundred and sixty degrees. around me. In Christ, I am both grounded in the reality of the situation and able to hold our head high. I know I am not alone. With all my strength I shout to the Lord. My cries do not go unanswered. He voice thunders His answer from His holy mountain.
Praying using the verse:
- Heavenly Father, I pray to You and You alone. I confess You are our shield.
- Lord Jesus, You are our glory.
- Thank you for being the lifter of our head.
- We rejoice knowing we can cry to You and You answer our cries.
Photo Source: Francisque Millet [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons; Page URL; File URL.
Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Christian publications like Deacon Magazine, Church Leadership Magazine, Discipleship Training Magazine, and Sunday School Leader Magazine as well as secular publications like Bewildering Stories, Beyond Imagination, Poetry & Prose Magazine, and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. He is a former Captain in the US Army. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in English and Military Science from The University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Arts and Master of Religious Education degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Doctor of Education degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. His books and collections are available on Amazon. This blog post is from his forthcoming book, “Seven Minutes with God: Daily Prayers for the Chronically Ill.”
