On the Journey In Prayer
With Yourself...
This week, I wanted to focus on a subject that I have been thinking about a lot lately. We all know about the importance of prayer, but interestingly there are many people (especially in the cancer community) who don’t know if it’s OK to pray for themselves. I know – – crazy! O how the enemy loves to lie and deceive. So, this week, I want to lay out my case for how and why prayer FOR ourselves is so critical.
Praying for your self is often mistakenly perceived as selfish or inappropriate. However, prayer for one’s self is a vital act of self-care and a powerful facilitator of spiritual growth. It allows us to:
- Cultivate Self-Awareness: Prayer provides a space for introspection. As we pour out our hearts to God, we become more attuned to our deepest desires, fears, and anxieties. We begin to recognize certain thought patterns, identify places where doubt and fear are potentially holding us back, and gain a clearer understanding of our own motivations.
- Deepen Our Relationship with God: At the risk of stating the obvious, prayer is more than our saying words to God and hoping for the best. It is actually a two-way conversation. It’s an opportunity to not only ask for things but also to listen for God’s guidance, comfort, and wisdom. I’ve had many instances where prayers for myself have given me a fresh understanding of my next steps – further buttressing my trust in him.
- Receive God’s Grace and Strength: Cancer complicates life. Prayer provides an avenue to receive God’s grace and strength to navigate this challenge. It allows us the opportunity to surrender our burdens to Him, find comfort in His presence, and experience the peace that surpasses all understanding (in real time).
- Develop Humility and Gratitude: When we pray for ourselves, we acknowledge our dependence on God. We recognize that we are not self-sufficient and that we need His guidance and support. We cannot do this alone. We may know all that conceptually, but saying it out loud in prayer fosters a spirit of humility and gratitude for all the ways he is so faithful in meeting us.
- Become Wounded Healers: By giving ourselves permission to prioritize our own spiritual well-being, we are better equipped to serve others. When our own needs are met through prayer, we have more to offer those who might benefit from our experiences. We can be more compassionate, more loving, and more effective in our service to others.
In short, praying for ourselves is not about self-indulgence, nor is it just about our own healing. Rather, it’s about seeking a deeper connection with God, cultivating inner peace, and becoming the best versions of ourselves. It’s about acknowledging our need for divine grace and allowing God to work in and through us to fulfill His ultimate purpose for our lives.
Soul Care with
Pastor Jenn
To Pastor (verb): to shepherd, advise, and guide into a place of deeper spiritual understanding
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Have you ever had a week of Mondays?
That’s how last week felt to me. I kept thinking, can we just start this whole week over? Every day felt more challenging than the one before. When I finally got to Thursday night, I was just so grateful that Friday was almost here. And then I woke up sick on Friday. [sigh….]
Some days/weeks/months are like that. Right as you feel like you might be turning the corner towards something better, instead of sunshine you find another storm. It’s enough to make you want to pack up your life, crawl in bed and never leave.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time over the last six months wishing I could just stay in bed while simultaneously wishing I felt “normal enough” to get out of bed. I remember one night in particular where all I could do was cry and beg God for rescue, wondering if He even heard me. In that moment, all I had to hold on to was His word. I learned His word was enough – not as some platitude that I can recite in difficult moments but because what He says is true.
I especially love the verse above. God promises to help. I don’t know about you, but there are so many moments in my life when I just need to know help is available – that I’m not alone in the struggle. We think of God in a lot of ways. I’m suggesting we add helper to the list. He is there to help. He is there to comfort, to give wisdom, to calm the storm or at least calm me.
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.”
Help doesn’t always look quite like we hope it will, but that doesn’t lessen the significance that God’s help is available to us. It’s not lost on me that this newsletter will be arriving in your inbox on a Monday, but just in case you wake up tomorrow to yet another “Monday” kind of day, hold on to the truth that God calls himself a helper. It’s who He is and who He wants to be for you.
Caregivers Corner with
Lori Smith
To Support (noun): to provide assistance that enables one to function or act.
I’m not sure how God speaks to you, but for me, it often comes through devotions I read each day in my email inbox. When He really wants my attention, He will ensure that my daily devotions are on that topic over and over and over again. And, sure enough, when we were walking our cancer journey He met me in those devotions. Except, it wasn’t in the way I wanted Him to. I wanted to hear about miraculous healing, what He pointed me to was how He would never leave my side. I wanted to hear about life after being healed of illness, but what I got were messages of His with-ness through grief and loss. Sure, I still read all the scriptures about healing and believed that He could. What I knew in my heart, however, was that His message to me was that He would never leave me or forsake me.
In Genesis 22, Abraham takes Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him, and God spares him by providing a ram in his place.
So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah Jireh, then, is the place where we trust Him. The with-ness He offered me during my husband’s illness became the place where I trusted Him because it was the place where He provided in a thousand little and big ways. When I was alone in the hospital, in another city, in a waiting room, or in my bed at night I felt comforted by His presence. And, that unwavering with-ness has been the key to my journey through grief as well. It’s why I talk about it so much here. He knew what I needed long before I knew the end of our story. As a result, I write these weekly columns for you, fellow Caregiver, because of …the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3b-4)
What is God pointing you to during this season of caregiving? Where is the place he is asking you to trust Him to provide? It may not be the place you were hoping He would offer, but it will be exactly what you need. And, it’s likely going to be the place He invites you to comfort others at some point.
Worship Moment with
Joel Salabarria
To Inspire (verb): to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
Song: Yet (Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music)
Band: Maverick City Music, Ashley Hess, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine
From: Encounter (2023)
This song is so powerful to me! To know I can come to my father in heaven, transparent and vulnerable and express that I need Him. It is just extremely special! Sitting at the feet of Jesus is truly a safe place! God can handle me at my worst and doesn’t throw me away or reject me!
God
Don’t give up on me yet
I know I’m not your best bet
But I’m trying
So don’t give up on me yet
And God (God, God)
Don’t leave me here alone
I know I need to grow, still
And I’m trying
Don’t leave me here alone
I know I’ve come so far
But got so far to go
And with these brand-new scars
And this broken heart
It’s hard to really know
If there’s a reason
And if I’ll ever see it
But I wanna believe it
So, don’t give up on me yet
Poetic Encouragement with
Julie Clarke
To Encourage (noun): to give support and hope to someone so that they will do or continue to do something.
Questions??
Tell me God what makes a Man
choose to take his life?
To leave behind the ones who love
His heartbeat, and his wife?
It’s not your will that made him go
What made him think it so?
What was he so deceived by
And what did he need to know?
What did he hear too little of?
Or what did he hear too often?
What was the truth he couldn’t accept
with alcohol he tried to soften?
Where was the confusion and,
why do we seek to know?
Because the loss of your child,
God Is always a difficult blow…
What do we do when to understand
Is not the path you’ve chosen?
What happens when our feelings,
Make us stuck, and scared and frozen?
How to return to your Glory,
when the horizon looks so gray?
What’s the message I need to know,
And what are you trying to say?
Is he a heart who has stumbled
In his doubt and disbelief?
Was he a heart in so much pain,
He couldn’t find your relief?
When all of these questions are adrift,
And occupy my mind.
\How do I find some peace in you
and remember you’re by my side?
How do I return to the blessed,
pure assurance of MY faith?
And take a long stride forward,
In the middle of your grace.
How do I grieve with honor
And with glory, Lord in you?
Help me Lord to set my gaze,
out far beyond the blue.
Only you can speak,
Lord in a voice I can hear
Only you can whisper
louder than every fear
Only you can know and dream
of a flawless family system
That prompts this wounded heart
to live a life full of your mission
Nutrition Nuggets with
Suzanna Hake
To Nourish (verb): the act or process of being nourished.
Looking for a soup you can love? This soup is so yummy and nourishing!
It’s easy to love 💚
Ingredients:
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 2 tsp sea salt or celtic salt
– 1.5 cups chopped white onion
– 2 cloves minced garlic
– 2 crowns of broccoli, chopped into florets
– 3 zucchini, quartered
– 3.5 cups bonebroth + 14 oz water
– Juice from 1 lemon
– 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
– 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, I like the @nativeforestbrand Organic Coconut Milk – Simple, No Guar
Instructions:
- Heat pot over medium. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the broth/water, broccoli, and zucchini to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium and cook covered for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- When the vegetables are tender, remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth or use an immersion blender. Serve with avocado or protein of choice.
And of course, enjoy!
Piet's Ponderings
To Ponder (verb): to think about something carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion
This is one my favorite quotes, because it is so true…
It can be something small:
- we get cut off in traffic, or
- someone is rude at the party, or
- a colleague takes credit for your work, or
- a friend makes a snide remark about how you look, or
- you receive a harsh comment on your social media post…
and it stings (in the moment).
Then we stew and plot. We rehearse the appropriate zinger and fantasize about the ‘gotcha’ moment. We can even ruminate over it for hours. OR, we can just let it go and get on with our lives…
Any guesses on what’s better for our emotional and spiritual health?
Prayer of the Week
from Jeremiah 17:14
To Pray (verb): Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer ad petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God )Philippians 4:6)
O LORD, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;
if you save me, I will be truly saved.
My praises are for you alone!
This prayer is rooted in the long-standing wisdom of the Bible. It offers a profound and personal message of hope and trust. It acknowledges our dependence on God and invites His healing power into our lives while expressing confidence that He is most certainly enough for whatever is needed. Part of what I love about it is that it poetically pulls together both supplication and adoration. It acknowledges the limitations of our human abilities and exemplifies a unwavering trust in Him that leads to heartfelt praise.
Update: The Cancer Pastor's "Building Resilience" Program
Many have asked: ‘How did week one of the course go?’
I am thrilled to share that it was a fantastic launch! We have 10 participants, and each one shared with such openness and sincerity. It was truly a beautiful experience.
For many months, I’ve carried a vision/mission – a desire to provide personalized pastoral care to cancer warriors and their families, drawing upon both my years of pastoral experience and my own journey with cancer. I wasn’t sure exactly how this vision would take shape, but I knew it was something I was called to do. Seeing this group come together and begin this journey with me, feels like a dream come true.
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for this initiative. Your support means the world to me.
Become a donor!
The Van Waarde Foundation underwrites and supports a variety of projects related to supporting, educating, and encouraging fellow cancer warriors and their families.
Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration.
https://www.patreon.com/c/pietvanwaarde
