Suffering a chronic illness affects people in different ways. Depression may come to live with some people. Results of depression’s visit can include bitterness and withdrawal from friends and family. For the Believer in Jesus Christ, it often mellows our heart to make us more compassionate. The chronic illness allows us empathy and often becomes the point of rapport where we can minister to others now walking down the pathway we have recently traversed.

Today’s Bible Verse:

2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 (KJV), “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

What the verse means:

The verses are a reminder of what a wonderful God we have. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy. He is the one who comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. Why does he do this? He does this where we can help other. When family, friends, or coworkers are troubled, needing our support, sympathy, and encouragement, we can pass on to them aid and comfort God has given us.

Praying using the verse:

1. Heavenly Father, we praise you for how wonderful you are.

2. We acknowledge you are the Father of our Lord Jesus.

3. We proclaim you as the one who wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in hardships and trials.

4. Thank you for teaching us how to comfort others by your example to us where we can give sympathy and encouragement.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, 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 US Army veteran, honorably discharged with the rank Captain.  Jimmie 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. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. He is an author. His books and collections are available on Amazon. This blog post is from his forthcoming book, “Prayers for the Chronically Ill.”

What do you when the doctor says you have cancer?
What if your spouse is the one with the diagnosis of incurable?
What if the future you had planned has just been erased?
The answer is to keep believing and trusting in God.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Romans 8:31b (KJV), “… If God be for us, who can be against us?”

What the verse means:

“If God is for us, then who is against us?” Who can be our foe or oppressor if God is on our side? The Apostle Paul explains how God is the one who justified us (Romans 8:33 ) and Jesus is the one who died for us (Romans 8:34). We miss out on life if we do not realize the extent of God’s love towards us. Jude tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21) because he knew that having this faith equips the saints to be powerful in the kingdom. Let the believer in Christ never forget that God chose you and called you to be his child. He died for you and sits at the right hand of the Father intervening for you. Nothing can sever the believer in Jesus Christ from God’s love. Understanding this will enable you to overcome any obstacle you face. Understanding this will rescue you from the fear that keeps you in chains.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father we are going to be thankful to God – in spite of the illness.
2. Thank you, Father in Heaven, for being our Shepherd.
3. We praise You for meeting our needs where we do not want.
4. Even if our dreams and future are frustrated, we stand strong on our feet of faith.
5. Thank you, God Almighty, for our gift of faith and a positive attitude.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. 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. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

Today’s verse helps us to have a confident acceptance of the reality of life. Part of learning to deal with a chronic illness is learning to not lose heart.

Today’s Bible Verse:

2 Corinthians 4: 16 (KJV), “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”

What the verse means:

Christianity understands the steady decline of the physical body. Though we are rescued from spiritual death and alive with Christ, our bodies remain in the process of decay. The follower of Christ should recognize that our outer bodies are wasting away. From the moment of birth, we begin to die. It is inescapable unless the Lord Jesus returns first. Therefore, we should be released from infatuation with the physical body. The Christian’s faith is far from a fatalistic acceptance of suffering and awaiting death. Every believer in Jesus Christ has their eyes open to something else. That is the continuous restoration of the inner person. The Christian should be aware of increasing inner, spiritual strength. God does not forsake his children, but he gives us growing supplies of grace. The Holy Spirit works in us as an infinite well of life. This is a constant process of renewal. The Lord does not wind us up like a clock at the time of new birth and then ignore us. No, he gives daily spiritual energy. Let us never forget the physical and the spiritual are part of your life every day.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father, help us to not focus on our decaying or diseased body, but to realize that our inner self is being renewed daily.

2. Lord, help us look to the things that are not seen, not the which are seen.

3. God, help us look to the eternal, not the temporal.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee-house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. 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. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

The Bible has much to say about God having the days of our lives numbered.

• Job 14:5 (KJV), “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;”
• Job 21:21 (KJV), “For what does he care for his household after him, When the number of his months is cut off?
• Psalm 31:15 (KJV), “My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.”
• Psalm 139:16 (KJV), “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”
• Ecclesiastes 3:2 (KJV), “A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.”

Today’s Bible Verse:

Psalm 39:4 (KJV), “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.”

What the verse means:

The verse shares thoughts concerning the psalmist meditations on human life. Je reflects on its brevity, its vanity, and its sorrows. He wonders why was life so short? Why was it so vain? Why was it so full of sorrow?

Praying using the verses:

1. Father in heaven, remind us how brief our time on earth will be.
2. Lord Jesus, remind us that my days are numbered
3. God, help us remember how fleeting our life is.
4. Lord, we find confidence in knowing you have are days numbered.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. 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. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

One of the hardest things about a chronic illness is its length. If it is not a terminal illness, you find yourself or family member facing its challenge daily. If it is a terminal illness, it may turn into a long goodbye.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Job 11:18 (KJV), “And thou shalt be secure because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.”

What the verse means:

Regardless of the length of the goodbye, for the Christian, there is hope in Jesus Christ.

Praying using the verses:

1. Heavenly Father, we feel secure because there is hope.
2. Because of the hope we have in you, we can rest in security.
3. Pray for a good day of rest.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffeehouse, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. 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. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.

Part of learning to deal with a chronic illness is learning to laugh.

Today’s Bible Verse:

Proverbs 17:22 (KJV),  “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

What the verse means:

Our attitude is crucial when dealing with a chronic illness. The cheerfulness of mind does good like a medicine for the body. Our attitude contributes to the restoration or preservation of bodily health and vigor.

Praying using the verses:

1. Lord Jesus, help us to enjoy the funny things that happen in life.
2. Heavenly Father, help us to take life one day at a time.
3. God, help our family and friends to not dwell on the seriousness of the illness, but rather help us to live life to the fullest as we know You hold our future.

Photo Source: Pixaby

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Jimmie Aaron Kepler is a novelist, poet, book reviewer, and award-winning short story writer. His work has appeared in over twenty venues, including Bewildering Stories and Beyond Imagination. When not writing each morning at his favorite coffee house, he supports his writing, reading, and book reviewing habit working as an IT application support engineer. 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. In his mid-forties, he returned to college completing the core curriculum for a computer science degree. His blog Kepler’s Book Reviews was named a 100 best blogs for history buffs. He is an author. His books and collections available on Amazon.