This week, my 2-month old baby got sick for the first time. It was heart-breaking to see him not being able to breathe through his little nose that was congested with thick snot and swollen sinuses. I could not sleep well at night, hearing his heavy breathing, frequent dry coughs, and quiet but pained crying. Because of stress and a possible developing gluten allergy, I also broke out in hives all over my body. All of this humbled me to turn to the Lord. But as each time God brings suffering into my life, he taught me how and what to pray. Just as important as showing up before the throne of God is knowing what and how to pray. Jesus’ ultimate prayer was not “Take this cup from me” – yes he asked for it but it was not is ultimate goal – but “Your kingdom come, your will be done”. My prayer began, “God, heal Paul. God, let me sleep. God, recover my body fully”. I am sure the Father is pleased to give these things to me. But what pleases him most is the prayer of our Lord Jesus and that is his kingdom to come and his will to be done in and through us. 

For the Christian, the greatest evil is not physical death, it is sin. And the highest goal is not health, or wealth, or family, or even human goodness – it is Christ. What we must pray and pursue, then, is not just to get better for the sake of getting better, or getting that job promotion just for the job promotion, or to get married just to get married. No, it is that through all things we may gain Christ and glorify his name. If it be through health and wealth and success, so be it. But if also through sickness and suffering, and failure, so be it. Jesus had to go through the cross to bring that glory to God. So, it should be no surprise to the saints that we must undergo the same cross to reach his glory. But may our encouragement be this: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Amen. 

Father, please heal us, but let it not be so that we may go on with our lives  seeing and pursuing only that which is temporary but that we may pursue all the more that which is eternal – Christ himself. Though it is not easy to pray, if the only way is to go through suffering and trials and loss, so be it. May our greatest hope and desire truly be for your kingdom to come, your will to be be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.