Summer of 2020 was when I really started feeling the restoration taking place. I started to understand what God was doing in my heart as he was slowly revealing it to me.
As the summer progressed and turned into fall I felt like a different person. I was amazed at how much God did in me from April to September. But he wasn’t through.
Often in the valleys of life or in the pruning process as some call it, we don’t like to speak of God’s goodness because what we feel and see are the opposite. I get it.
Valleys are where God does the most work though, he was working on my heart. Honestly still is today. It’s a process that doesn’t end.
I was seeing in my life that Jesus was not only my savior and provider but my Jehovah Raphah – The Lord my Healer.
God is a wonder working God who heals because he loves.
What God healed in me
1. Healing from lies
Before this season of healing and restoration I was believing stupid things that were far from the truth about me. I would hear things like “You are a terrible leader, an awful person, you don’t belong.” The devil was rejoicing in the fact that he had this foothold on me.
I remember one day before the healing began in me I felt the lies so strongly I came home one day in tears just feeling overwhelmed and defeated (that happened more than I’d like to admit). I walked in the door and one of my best friends was sitting there talking with Allison. They both helped me walk through all of this. Thank God for amazing friends like that and thank God for Allison… I don’t deserve her awesomeness.
I’m so thankful to be writing this good news to you, I haven’t had a day like that in over a year! I’m telling you, the Lord has brought me so far in this area of separating truth and lies.
This was seriously the biggest thing God healed and restored in me. He broke these chains off of me and because of it I understand this truth like I never have before:
Jesus is the only person that gets to define me.
2. Healing from anxiety
“When anxiety was great within me, your consultation brought me joy.” (Psalm 94:19)
The closer I got to Jesus in this season the less I felt anxious about things. I’m not saying I have no more anxiety or worry but I am saying it has significantly decreased.
What Jesus taught me is that depending on him decreases anxiety drastically. It’s true and time and time again he would tell me to just keep letting him work. Every day I would wake up and just admit something like this, “Jesus I can’t live today without you. I depend on you for everything.” I still do this and it’s super helpful in reminding me that even though I can’t control everything, Jesus will still take care of me if I depend on him to.
I’m still wrestling with it and I know I’m not 100% where I need to be with this but I praise God that I am not in that place I was in believing those terrible things about myself.
3. A new joy
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)
Because of the Lord dealing with all this anxiety in me I got to experience more joy. I am so happy, excited and thankful for how far he’s brought me and where he’s taking me.
My overall excitement for everything to do with life and ministry is back! I know this sounds like an invitation for the enemy to come back at me, but now I’m stronger. Now I’ve got more people in my life that care about me. I’ll say it again, I’m a work in progress. I’m unfinished. But I praise the Lord I’m not where I used to be! Hallelujah!
What healing do you need?
When I realized this season of healing and restoration was starting I simply prayed this over and over:
“Jesus, if this is really what you want to do in me. I ask you to heal and restore me in your way not mine. I believe you can do it.“
How do you need healed? Have you asked Jesus to start the healing in you?
Jesus cares about you and he wants to start the healing process in you right now. You may not see a way he can heal you from the hurt or pain you feel. Maybe you caused the hurt yourself by a series of choices you made. Maybe someone else caused the hurt to happen.
Jesus sees the pain. He sees you, he understands how you feel. He wants to start your healing today.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
No matter what kind of healing you need today, it could be emotionally, spiritually, something physical like a diagnosis you received. I want you to ask Jesus today, right now to start the healing process in you. Once you ask him, submit to his way of healing. Jesus knows what’s best for us.
No matter how Jesus heals you – if he takes you from the sickness and pain or if he takes the sickness and pain from you, either way Jesus brings healing in the way only he knows best.
Jesus takes our hurt and turns it into healing.
I want to invite you to pray this prayer. After you pray listen to the song below and let it stretch your faith. The lyrics have certainly stretched my faith.
Prayer:
“Jesus, I thank you for all you’ve done in my life. I thank you for my salvation and my identity in you. I pray right now for healing of my hurt and pain. Healing for my physical diagnosis. Jesus heal me in the way you know best. I trust you and I submit to your healing hand. Amen.”
If you’ve got a story of how God healed you from something write in the comments below, I would love to read it! Or if you’ve got something you want prayed for, drop it in the comments and I will be praying.
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Bryant Westbrook 