purpose in relationships
How To Help A Friend Who’s Hurting
In 2 Corinthians 1, the Bible gives an incredible explanation on the purpose of pain and suffering. It’s a section that has HEALED my heart drastically from pain and suffering in my own life.
But recently, I noticed another perspective it leaves about suffering in the middle of the chapter: how to be a good community to someone who is suffering.
In his suffering – suffering that made Paul feel that they were “utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself”, Paul tells the recipients of his letters one thing that he wants from them: prayer.
2 Corinthians 1:11 says, “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”
PRAYER.
And he seems to really believe it’ll make an impact when he says blessings will come THROUGH those prayers.
Before I continue, there are other ways to help our friends who are suffering, hurting and going through the thick of it.
In my own suffering seasons, I cherished people who would sit with me as I cried, who cried with me, and who stuck with me through it. I cherished people who simply were THERE for me.
BUT one week before I was, in a single moment, healed of the most tragic situation of my life (watch the video), I had two friends who assured me that they had been praying diligently for me. Not only had they told me they were praying, but they DID. They then told me that they KNEW that that upcoming week, Jesus was going to meet me.
These friends were interceding on my behalf and felt that God was going to meet me in a way I needed.
Now before it gets into anyone’s head that maybe my healing was like a sugar pill – my friends told me I would be met and I believed it and so forced that feeling of being met – I didn’t think it would happen. I wasn’t expectant. It had been months of my own prayer that felt it had not been answered it ways I want.
But, friends, that very weekend, God met me in a way I had never experienced before. As I read 2 Corinthians 1, it was like God was speaking TO ME directly through the verses about my suffering and how He was my God of comfort. Through His Word, He met me. My angry, sad heart became hopeful and joyful, in one night. Tears I cried every single day, became a rare occurrence.
Years later, that day inspired this very site and community.
Friends, when Paul asks for prayer as the ONE THING to help him through his affliction, he knows it’s the most powerful thing he could ask for.
I PROMISE you, that’s the best way to help your hurting friend. The Lord hears prayer and He answers them, in His ways and in His timing, but He answers them.
And often, His ways are not our ways.
Praying doesn’t mean healing WILL happen. Praying didn’t mean that Paul’s suffering stopped. Throughout his life, he had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, etc.
History tells us Paul dies by decapitation.
But Paul asked for prayer. And prayer changes things.
XO
Meg