Needing Prayer

[ElectedbyHim]

Greetings,

I have been struggling with a skin issue for about 6 months now.

This condition has gotten way out of control and is affecting my health and my livelihood.

Thee dermatologist diagnosed me with Prurigo nodularis (PN). It is a very disgusting skin disease with no cure.

It has recently started working its way up to my facial region and I have been in much suffering over this condition.

We are not certain what the Lords holds for out future, especially with my job.

I have been in great study of suffering, trials and afflictions.

To be clear, I am very grateful to our Lord for His hand being pressed down on me with this affliction.

I have come to the conclusion that either I am being chastised for sin or that the Lord is allowing satan to persecute me.

Whatever the reason, this has drawn me extremely close to the Lord (as I believe it is designed to do) and brought humbleness to my life.

The experiences that I am learning are only guided by Holy Spirit.

To be certain, I am not depressed, but considering this all joy and looking for ways to glorify God in this situation.

A few months back I was on a monthly injection for the symptoms that I deemed was not work, so I discontinued the injection because I am hard headed like that.

A few weeks ago my wife encouraged me to get back on this injection and we are waiting to see if the insurance will approve it.

Only the Lord knows what my future will hold and I accept that either way.

I will turn 58 next month and looking forward to what the Lord has for me and my wife.

As of right now, most of my clothing hide the disease and it is not contagious.

As an Executive Chef that works with food I am very cautious and sanitary and have not been told that I should not be doing my job.

The concern I have is if this does indeed go full blown on my face and hands, I will need to step down.

I have asked the Lord to take this from me if He sees fit.

Ultimately I tell Him to do His will in my life even if that means that this gets way out of hand.

I have never been closer to the Lord as I am right now in my life and that is by His design.

My request for specific prayer on this matter is that the Lord does His will in my life, whatever that may be.

When I tell you I can relate to Job with his itching puss filled boils I am not kidding, of course it is not as extreme as he had it.

There is great peace and contentment within me despite this affliction of suffering.

I am not ashamed to come here amongst my brothers and sisters and give this testimony and ask for prayer.

Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

​

 

[Arial]

Psalm 6 is a prayer of David when he was suffering a severe illness. I will highlight a few of the verses and give the text notes out of the Reformation Study Bible.

Psalm 6
1. O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.
Study Notes
"The psalmist begs the Lord to refrain from verbal and physical punishment. Though God disciplines His people (Heb 12:1-13), it is for correction and not destruction."
"The occasion for the Psalm appears to be a severe illness (vv 2,6-7).
2. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing, heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
6-7. I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood by bed with weeping; I drench my couch with tears. My eye wastes away
because of grief;
6:3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord---how long?
"The psalmist boldly asks how long God will permit the suffering to continue. He desperately seeks relief from the One who is
able to give it,"
6:8 Depart from me all you workers of evil
The reference, along with the reference to "foes" in the preceding verse, is abrupt. It is possible that the foes are people like the "friends"
of Job, who blamed the patient's sickness on his sin."

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Psalm 6 is a prayer of David when he was suffering a severe illness. I will highlight a few of the verses and give the text notes out of the Reformation Study Bible.

Psalm 6
1. O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.
Study Notes
"The psalmist begs the Lord to refrain from verbal and physical punishment. Though God disciplines His people (Heb 12:1-13), it is for correction and not destruction."
"The occasion for the Psalm appears to be a severe illness (vv 2,6-7).
2. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing, heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
6-7. I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood by bed with weeping; I drench my couch with tears. My eye wastes away
because of grief;
6:3 My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O Lord---how long?
"The psalmist boldly asks how long God will permit the suffering to continue. He desperately seeks relief from the One who is
able to give it,"
6:8 Depart from me all you workers of evil
The reference, along with the reference to "foes" in the preceding verse, is abrupt. It is possible that the foes are people like the "friends"
of Job, who blamed the patient's sickness on his sin."

Arial,

Thank you for this. I have been studying suffering, affliction, chastisement and so on.

The penitential Psalms have always been close to my heart.

Never having a loving father growing up and reprimanding me in anyway has molded my view on a fathers love.

Nevertheless, I am truly seeing and experiencing how a true and loving Father love His children.

There is no certainty to why the Lord is doing this in my life, and I only ask Him to continue doing His will in my life.

I have always questioned the Lord if I was truly saved because I never have remembered being chastised by Him, or I did not know it.

One thing is for sure that the many many times I have prayed for His will in my life, it has always brought some type of trouble.

He never disappoints.

This whole experience has opened my eyes to a new relationship with Him, closer than ever before.

It seems when all in life is going well and prosperous that we put Him on the back burner.

Perhaps a thread on suffering is needed, I have yet to see one on a Christian forum.

Grace and peace to you.

 

[Carbon]

Praying for you, brother.

 

[makesends]

Arial,

Thank you for this. I have been studying suffering, affliction, chastisement and so on.

The penitential Psalms have always been close to my heart.

Never having a loving father growing up and reprimanding me in anyway has molded my view on a fathers love.

Nevertheless, I am truly seeing and experiencing how a true and loving Father love His children.

There is no certainty to why the Lord is doing this in my life, and I only ask Him to continue doing His will in my life.

I have always questioned the Lord if I was truly saved because I never have remembered being chastised by Him, or I did not know it.

One thing is for sure that the many many times I have prayed for His will in my life, it has always brought some type of trouble.

He never disappoints.

This whole experience has opened my eyes to a new relationship with Him, closer than ever before.

It seems when all in life is going well and prosperous that we put Him on the back burner.

Perhaps a thread on suffering is needed, I have yet to see one on a Christian forum.

Grace and peace to you.

A strange paradox presents itself to me on you mentioning this.

One thing I have noticed and thought, for a LONG time, in life and in the Word, is that the one of the most beautiful things I have seen is a believer so in pain —whether emotional or otherwise— that they no longer —(even if only temporarily)— see the world the way the 'normal' person does, and no longer approach, deal or walk with God with the usual presuppositions; they KNOW that they are at his mercy. Even if they have not yet realized that life is not about THEM, they are looking to him.

 

[ElectedbyHim]

A strange paradox presents itself to me on you mentioning this.

One thing I have noticed and thought, for a LONG time, in life and in the Word, is that the one of the most beautiful things I have seen is a believer so in pain —whether emotional or otherwise— that they no longer —(even if only temporarily)— see the world the way the 'normal' person does, and no longer approach, deal or walk with God with the usual presuppositions; they KNOW that they are at his mercy. Even if they have not yet realized that life is not about THEM, they are looking to him.

they KNOW that they are at his mercy

This is so true.

Lamentations 3:22-23 The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

I am blessed in more ways that I can ever imagine.

Job 5:17 “Behold, how blessed is the man whom God reproves, So do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.