PRAYER WRITING SAMPLE

Title: A Prayer For When I Am Unhappy With The Way I Look

By Ann E. McNeel, PhD

Loving God, on the surface I know that I am beautifully and wonderfully made. You have told me so, plain as day and in writing. Yet, I often feel inadequate and ashamed of how I look. The knowledge that I am wholly perfect just the way I am in this moment alludes me. I feel that familiar ache of shame and the desperate need to change. Please cleanse me of these evil thoughts. Help me recognize that You, an all-powerful and mighty God, have made me and are shepherding me through each day. Help me to see myself the way You see me: as a perfectly-formed and wonderful being. Help me to remember to keep my eyes and heart on You instead of my perceived flaws. Help me to remember that, despite how I feel today, my body can be used to glorify you. Help me to release the shame I feel about how I look, so I can use the gifts you bestowed upon me and serve You in all that I do. Amen.

Psalm 139:14

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.”

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DEVOTIONAL ENTRY WRITING SAMPLE

by Ann E. McNeel

Title: For When Our Physical Health is Suffering

READ

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For our slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”

Receiving a medical diagnosis is never easy. Giving a name to an affliction or labeling ourselves as someone who has a certain ailment can make what we are going through more difficult to bear. In these moments, it is hard to remember that our earthly bodies are just temporary vessels, and an eternal life with God awaits us. Perhaps you have received a diagnosis or have been labeled as someone with “chronic illness.” Many times, when we are given a concrete label such as this, it feels impossible and unimaginable to think of anything else but the daily challenges ahead. Thankfully, the Lord knows what you are going through, and He does not want us to live in fear. He wants us to seek Him both in times of joy and in our most difficult times. When we remember to seek the Lord in all that we do, we take the focus off of my our own despair. We are reminded that we can use our God-given gifts to spread good news despite a diagnosis. Through discipleship, prayer, and small consistent steps each day, we can rely on God’s healing presence, which is always there for those who seek Him.

REFLECT

What can I do today to honor God despite my physical challenges?

Is there a way I can continue to spread light in the name of the Lord despite my current limitations?

Are there people in my life or in my community I can seek out to help me ground myself in a faith-filled life and help remind me of God’s promises on my most difficult days?

Can I come up with at least one thing I can do today to move toward healing my body, my mind, or both?

PRAY

Dear Lord, we recognize the weakness of our earthly bodies, and we know that all true health and goodness comes from you. Please give us the strength and conviction to keep stewarding our bodies through this life the best way we currently know how. Please also continue to enlighten our minds; so that, as our knowledge grows, we can continually improve how we take care of ourselves and those around us. On our most difficult days, help us to remember that our physical suffering in this lifetime is temporary. And, if it be Your will, healing awaits us. Help us to trust in Your perfect plan even in our moments of suffering. Amen.

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