My friend and dear colleague in ministry Patrice Burrell invited me to guest blog this month for her Warrior Woman Names of God series. Given my recent injury, I selected to write about Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord is my Healer. You can find the original posting of this blog on Patrice’s site here.
God has many names recorded in Scripture that express the strength of His eternal and multifaceted character. He is called Elohim (strength or might), Adonai (Master or Lord), and Abba (Father). God is also called Jehovah, which means, “I am who I am.” There is none like Jehovah; he stands apart from all others; he is the only almighty, holy being for which there is no equal. He is self-existent and self-dependent.
The Bible also reveals many compound names for God that give us a deeper understanding of his nature and personality. One that is especially meaningful in my current season of life is Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals (restores, repairs). This is because last November, one week after I released my first book, I shattered both of my left arm bones at the wrist.
In Called to War – How Life’s Battles Transform Us for God’s Purposes, I share how Jehovah-Sabaoth, the God of Angel Armies, led me through a 23-year infertility journey where He gave me new eyes and a new heart to run after His purposes. As it turned out, as soon as one journey with God was completed, another journey began. With multiple compound fractures came a new awareness of another dimension of my Heavenly Father: Jehovah-Rapha.
Jehovah-Rapha appears in both the Old and New Testaments. Rapha appears in the Bible as both a noun and a verb. Healing is who He is and what He does! In Scripture, we learn that not only does Jehovah-Rapha heal our bodies and souls, but also our water and our land – he can repair the very atmosphere in which we live! He also restores us in ways we didn’t know we needed his healing. He is present in our suffering (Ps. 147:3), our sickness (Ps. 41:3), our fatigue (Ps.23:3), and our anxiety (John 14:27). Jehovah Rapha attends to our whole person physically and emotionally.
While the doctors put metal plates and screws in my arm to stabilize the bones, Jehovah-Rapha came alongside to grace my healing and expedite the restoration process. In my case, what was expected to take a year, took less than six months. The healing extended beyond my arm and hand because I was also given a season of rest to reflect on all that my soul had gone through publishing my book and releasing my private story for public consumption. I was given time to sit and heal, while others cared for me.
Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who Provides, also played a part in my recovery by giving me excellent medical providers and an understanding employer. It is true that when we are weak, He is strong (2 Cor. 12:10). Grace appears in every direction: moms fly in to care for you, neighbors bring food, children come home from college, and husbands take over all required household tasks. What the enemy means for evil, God can and will use for his glory, while also revealing a little more about his character to his beloved children.
Prayer of A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) to Jehovah-Rapha, The Lord Our Healer
Adoration: Father, I acknowledge you as Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord who heals. You alone are worthy of my adoration. I worship you as the faithful Creator who lovingly and patiently cares for your creation.
Confession: Lord, I acknowledge I have not always trusted you as my healer. I need the healing in my body and soul that only you can provide. Please forgive me for doubting your goodness in the land of the living.
Thanksgiving: God, I am so thankful for all the ways you have allowed me to know you as Jehovah-Rapha. Thank you for always attending to my broken parts, even when I did not realize I was broken. I’m grateful you lead me beside still waters and restore my soul (Ps 23).
Supplication: May I always experience you as Jehovah-Rapha in every aspect of my life. I pray that you will continue to make me aware of where I need your healing grace. Please help me use my scars to minister to others who need to find you as a healer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
