Pain is inevitable, and so are God’s promises. In this plan, you will discover that if you allow God to work within your pain, His promises can and will flood you with joy amid that pain and bring healing like no other. The Instruction Manual (Bible) has all the answers; we will explore them here.
JulieAnn Griffin
Day 1
Scriptures: Isaiah 53:3-5, Romans 8:26, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalms 33:18
The Promise of Understanding
When we are in the depths of pain, we can find solace in the fact that The Lord not only understands but deeply empathizes with us. His Word in Isaiah 53 assures us that He was intimately familiar with our sorrows.
Jesus knew what it was to experience pain in the worst sort of way. He was beaten beyond recognition, and His blood was shed on that cross in excruciating pain out of His great love for us and His desire to be with us for eternity.
When you are in the midst of pain, it can seem very lonely inside that valley. But remember, Jesus tells us that we are not alone when in pain. He’s right there with us, always. He cares. He prays for us. He’s watching. He’s not taken by surprise with what we go through. What a comforting thought!
Your particular pain is your assignment, allowed by God. If you can process it this way, you are one step ahead of many others who are suffering. Look to Jesus- The Author and Finisher of your faith. He will see you through this pain because He thoroughly understands.
PRAYER:
God, I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand. I thank You, Lord, for understanding my pain; I know You are acquainted with it. Thank You for being a very present Help in times of trouble. Help me through this so I will come out refined as gold on the other side. I trust You, God, and know You have a great plan and purpose for me in this. Help me to show Jesus to others while walking through this valley, and I thank You in advance for Your deliverance that is on its way.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Day 2
Scriptures: Psalms 16:5, Matthew 28:20, Isaiah 41:10, Psalms 23:4, Isaiah 43:2
The Promise of Companionship
Whatever pain we may be enduring, we have the promise of Companionship in Christ. God promises in Hebrews 13:5 that He’ll “never leave nor forsake us.” Never, not ever. Not even for a moment has He left us alone in our wilderness.
Isaiah 43:2 declares, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.’ This is not just a promise but a testament to the power of God’s companionship.
We can endure the pain with God on our side and residing in us. It’s crucial to trust Christ with our pain according to His Word. This trust allows us to walk confidently into the fires of the unknown, knowing we will not be consumed. This is the promise of God’s unwavering companionship.
Sometimes, you “feel alone,” and that’s common. It’s imperative that we confront the wavering and untrustworthy feelings with God’s promises. I sometimes find myself having to say aloud, “Lord, I know You’ve said You’d never leave me or forsake me, but I need to feel or see Your presence in the now of this pain.” He has always been faithful in meeting me where I am in prayers like this and showing Himself mighty. Try it.
Friends, He cares and wants us to have these hard conversations with Him concerning our pain. He desires to be your Best Friend and Companion. Bring those cares to Him. He can handle them! He’s the Only One who can change your circumstances…if you allow Him to take this painful journey with you. Just let Him in.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for Your unwavering love, presence, and power in and over my life. Let me sense Your companionship in every way and trust that You have a plan and a purpose for me in this season.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Day 3
Scriptures: Job 21:2, Isaiah 61:2, 1 Peter 5:7
The Promise of Comfort
When we mourn within our pain, God, in His personal and loving nature, is our source of comfort. He desires to bring peace to our chaos. Jesus IS our Peace. We find that peace and comfort by immersing ourselves in God’s Word, which has the power to transform us. The Bible tells us to keep listening to His Words and let them comfort us. (Job 21:2)
Maybe you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, a relationship that you held value in, a job, your health, or just your usual way of living has been uprooted. Whatever the pain, God sees: He’s El Roi. The Bible teaches that the believer who mourns will be comforted and favor shone upon them. (Isa. 61:3). This is a promise we can hold onto in our times of need.
We are told to give all our worries and cares to the Lord because He cares about us! (1 Peter 5:7) And in that care, we are administered comfort-but we must seek comfort from Him. God is a Gentleman. He will not push Himself on us. Purpose yourself today to ask God for His presence in a tangible way. Jesus wants to wrap you in His loving arms and provide you with comfort in your pain. He has promised to do so if we will search Him out for that care. Scripture says that we “have not because we ask not.” (James 4:2)
Let today be the day that humility ushers in The Holy Spirit into your painful situation and administers the comfort you desperately need.
PRAYER
Father, I praise You for the comfort Your presence alone can provide. Draw near to me, God—so very close. I ask that You minister to me during this time of sorrow. Let me see Your plan and purpose, and help me praise my way through the pain.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Day 4
Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 23:18, Job 14:7, Hebrews 6:19, Psalms 42:5, Romans 5:5, 1 Peter 1:3, Psalms 71:14, Romans 12:12
The Promise of Hope
In the Bible, hope is the confident expectation of God’s promises, and its strength lies in His unwavering faithfulness. As steadfast believers, we can easily hope and believe in God’s Word. However, not everyone lives with the blessed hope of Jesus Christ. I often ponder how those in the lost world can navigate traumatic events or pain without the guidance of their Creator. I know that I could not endure the pain of losing four family members this year and a dear praying friend who may soon be with our Lord without the promise of Jesus’ hope that I will indeed reunite with them again in heaven. I cling to that hope.
For Jesus’ followers, a constant state of prayer, hope, study, and faith brings us to the other side of our pain over time.
God has given us so many promises through our expectant hope in Him. Scripture is filled with words that bring us hope for better days. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, ‘Now faith is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.’ My faith is based on the fact that God loved me before I could ever even have the ability to turn to Him for salvation, and His faithfulness has been proven to me repeatedly throughout my life. Over and over again, God’s workings in my life have increased my faith and sprung up fountains of hope that cannot be quenched.
Do you recognize God’s Hope in your pain today? Are you trusting in His promises to fill you with everlasting Hope amid the suffering?
2 Thess 2:16 says, ‘Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace…’
His grace is enough. Friend, rest in the confidence of hope that Christ will make a message out of your mess. Be ready to stand back in amazement as you rely on Jesus alone to fill you with hope during your situation.
PRAYER
Father, make a message from my mess. Fill me with your hope that my faith may increase as I learn to rely on You better on this journey. Thank You, God, for loving me and showing me that Your ways are higher than mine and Your goodness yet abounds.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
Day 5
Scriptures: Isaiah 43:19, Isaiah 61:3, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15
The Promise of Beauty
Our pain can be a catalyst for God’s most significant work, not just in our lives but also in the lives of many others. It is a beautiful thing. In Isaiah 43:19, Jesus tells us that He is doing a “new thing” and wants to know whether we perceive it. This new thing is always beautiful when surrendered into the hands of the Master. The Potter shapes and molds our clay and fires it up under intense heat so that the best version of ourselves emerges on the other side of the transformation. We become lovelier than we could have ever imagined!
Christ performs a unique work that only He can bring to fruition. He takes our most challenging situations and weaves them into incredible stories that will inspire and guide others if we allow the pain to have its purpose. Christ can remarkably transform our pain into beauty, like turning our hot ashes into a masterpiece.
As believers, we have a unique opportunity to use our pain to extend the Good News, His goodness, peace, and love to others. It’s not just about enduring our hurt but about intentionally sharing the beauty that can emerge from it. In these intentional actions, the Lord does some of His best work, as Isa. 52:7 reminds us that the feet of those who do these things are beautiful.
Have you shared God’s goodness amid your pain? Have your actions, reactions, or words this week reflected the promise of His beauty? These are not just rhetorical questions but a call to action, a reminder of the power we hold to inspire others through our experiences.
Allow God to fully use you to prove to those weaker in the faith that He is worthy of our trust, honor, and praise.
PRAYER
God, would you make beauty out of my ashes so evident that people cannot see or talk to me without feeling like they’ve been with You? Help me, Lord, to be more like Jesus Christ and walk out the beauty of the Lord Jesus for others to experience and gain inspiration. Use me, God, to do Your perfect will.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
Day 6
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 12:10, Isaiah 41:10, Nahum 1:7, Psalms 31:24, Psalms 96:6
The Promise of Strength
Pain tends to make one especially weak. Affliction or tragedy, when strong enough in certain areas, can even damage the brain. However, with faith and the brain’s regenerative power, healing is possible. The brain can heal with the proper assistance through therapy and post-traumatic growth techniques.
Paul tells us in Scripture that God’s strength manifests in our weak moments of pain. (2 Cor. 12:10). He goes so far as to say he takes pleasure in his infirmities. How can we possibly do this? We must understand and accept that everything we go through is for our betterment in the long run. The pain can and will strengthen us if we allow it to.
Jesus wants to use our pain for His glory. If we allow Him to get the glory, then not only is Christ magnified, and people are helped from our pain, but we can also come out on the other side of our pain better than before. We can get to the other side of that tremendous mountain with great strength, power from Christ, influence for the Kingdom, and a much better version of ourselves.
God stays with us in our pain, and we must not fear while suffering (Isa. 41:10). His presence is a constant source of comfort, strength, and calm. As a believer, remembering that He is made stronger in our fleshly weaknesses and knowing that He resides in us shows how much better we will be on the other side of our pain once God has been given the reigns of our circumstances!
Keep your hope up, and He will strengthen you! (Psa. 31:24).
What can you praise God for today that will bring you the comfort you need for this moment in time? Thank Him ahead of time for what He will do to strengthen you in your trial, and watch Him do incredible works!
PRAYER
Holy Spirit, I thank You for residing in me and doing great work, even in my pain. I praise You, God, for all the good that will come out of this season of my life that doesn’t make sense in the now. You know what’s best, and I am grateful for Your guiding hand.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
Day 7
Scriptures: Isaiah 61:3, Proverbs 24:14, Psalms 46:1
The Promise of Growth
The process of growth through pain is profound and transformative. If you seek growth, you can actively evolve mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Isaiah 61:3 assures us, ‘to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.’
God desires to replace our pain with beauty, joy, and praise, enabling us to grow like trees with a robust root system. Remember, even a tree starts as a tiny, weak seed. It must be broken down in the dirt and its outer shell destroyed to bring forth anything good. The seed needs a lot of watering to produce a sprout of something good to come. Pain is a process, and we must allow it time to do the work intended for us to grow out of it, knowing that God is with us every step of the way.
If you get a stomach ache, you might want to try a bottle of liquid antacid to relieve the pain. Where is “the good stuff” when you pick up that bottle? It’s at the bottom. The directions tell you to “shake well before use.” This is because the best part of the ingredients sometimes settles into the bottom of that bottle. This is also how God works at times. He has to shake us up quite a bit to get the good stuff to come forth and out. The shaking (the pain we encounter) develops the growth necessary to bring out the very best in us.
What knowledge and wisdom you may learn from asking God to strengthen you in your pain!
Can you ask God today to give you strength, wisdom, and knowledge so that you may be rewarded on the other side of your pain? Can you thank Him for the lessons being learned in the process?
PRAYER
Jesus, You are my strength, a very present help in times of trouble. I take refuge in You and trust You, Lord, that You have growth for me on the other side of this pain. Equip me to endure what I must, knowing that You have exponential growth for me and help me to trust You every step of the way.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
Day 8
Scriptures: Isaiah 53:5, Ephesians 3:20, 1 John 5:14, Psalms 30:2, James 5:16
The Promise of Healing
Jesus, in His infinite love, has personally given us the ultimate promise of healing. At its finest, this healing is salvation offered through His great sacrifice at Calvary to pay the penalty of our sins. (Isa. 53:5). It is a spiritual healing that affects all other aspects of our being, a promise made to each of us individually as we solely rely on His finished work at the cross.
He also promises healing of the body. We may or may not get it on “this side” of heaven, but it is promised to those who put their faith and trust entirely in the finished work of Jesus Christ, one way or the other.
Four people very close to me within the first nine months of this year have passed on to Glory. As you read this, I speak only of the authority of The Lord Jesus Christ as He moves my fingers to write what He wants in my pain. I, too, am a student of The Most High God. He wants to do the same for you! I’m slowly being healed of this terrible journey by confiding in Him all my cares, banking on His promise of healing, and obeying His will for me.
I’m confident that God’s promise of 100% healing is coming soon. Jesus will return and make all things right. I am a testament today that the Lord can and will bring healing in ways you cannot fathom or imagine if you’ll let Him have His way in your life and let go of the unmet expectations you’ve had in the past. “Expect in the right direction.” Expect God to bring forth His perfect will that is above and beyond what we can do for ourselves. (Eph. 3:20)
Do you seek righteousness and pray fervently in your pain? Do you share your burdens with praying confidants that you may receive healing? (James 5:16) Take the time now to create these habits.
PRAYER
Jesus, Your grace is enough. Your mercies are new every morning, and I ask that you administer Your healing to my pain. Give my pain purpose, oh God, and cause me to seek Your righteousness in faithful prayer and study of Your Word so that I may see Your great plan unfold in and through me. Use me, Lord, for Your miraculous works.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen
Day 9
Scriptures: Psalms 51:8, Psalms 16:11, Isaiah 51:11, Habakkuk 3:18, Romans 15:13, Isaiah 29:19, Psalms 51:12
The Promise of Joy
Even in our brokenness, God can bring us joy. David was notorious for being bold enough to ask God for whatever he wanted, especially when he was in pain. (Psa. 51:8)
David was indeed a flawed human, but he firmly believed in the God who brings joy to our sufferings. Because David counted on God to get him out of his messes, The Lord was always faithful to him who believed and came to Him in humility. (Mark 9:23, Isa. 29:19)
Joy can be had quickly by ushering the presence of the Holy Spirit into moments of need. We are promised fullness of joy by entering into God’s throne of grace (Psalm 16:11). It can be had by a simple prayer of mere asking and waiting on Him to wash over us. Followers of Jesus are redeemed and have every reason to look for and obtain joy at every corner, no matter our situation or circumstance. We can be utterly shattered yet still feel joy from our hope in Christ.
Remember the old song, “Count Your Many Blessings?” I encourage you now to name them…one by one! The more we attempt to do this, the more joy will infiltrate our hearts and minds. It works wonders! Habakkuk 3 shows us how important it is to praise through our sufferings. God inhabits the praises of His children! (Psalm 22:3).
Oftentimes, I have to pray Psalm 51:12 over myself aloud to restore joy in the area where I am suffering. God never fails to permit me His will by quoting back to Him His precious Words.
Are you audibly giving back to God, His promises for you out of His Word? Can you start this habit today? How many blessings can you name today that God has bestowed upon your life and of those you care about?
PRAYER
Lord, Your very Name evokes joy. Name Above All Names: Jesus Christ, I ask that You help me by restoring the joy of Your salvation to me on days I am suffering and feeling the weight of what I currently bear. You alone are my greatest source of all understanding, companionship, comfort, hope, beauty, strength, growth, and healing. I give You my offering of praise right now and always.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
Day 10
Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:19, Psalms 121:1-8, 2 Samuel 2:22, Psalms 70:5, Psalms 18:2, Psalms 144:2, Psalms 40:17, 1 Corinthians 10:13
The Promise of Deliverance
In his Psalms, King David demonstrates how to express our need for deliverance in prayer to God. He empathetically and repeatedly sought deliverance from pain, suffering, enemies, and the consequences of his own mistakes. His prayers show that the most righteous (and the most flawed) will experience these challenges.
Even King Jesus Himself asked God “if” it could be The Lord’s will that the severe punishment of our sin be taken off His shoulders-but at the same time, He declared, “Nevertheless, Thine will be done.” (Luke 22:42, Mark 14:36, Matt. 26:39)
This shows us that no one, even our most Holy God, “wants” to experience pain. But God, in His great mercies, makes a way for each of us to escape.
I used to get upset at anyone amid my pain who (without evil intent) would give me just a piece of Scripture to say to me, “You know, God won’t put on you more than you can bear!” I would say, ‘Give me the rest of that passage because you are missing a critical piece!’ (1 Cor. 10:13)
Sure! God will, indeed, give you more than you can bear…however, He has promised that He won’t put more on us than we can bear that He’s not willing to equip us to handle with HIS power.
We can’t successfully complete a painful journey on our own. With God, however, not some but ALL THINGS are possible to those who believe! (Matt 19:26, Mark 10:27, Mark 9:23).
It is God’s will to deliver us, but He wants us to seek Him wholeheartedly and receive from Him what only He alone is capable of.
Are you trusting God’s promises to bring deliverance to your pain? Ask Him today to help you see He’s constantly delivering, shaping, and molding you into the masterpiece that The Great Creator Himself can only create through your situation. Thank Him for trusting you with your journey and His miraculous works as you walk through your situation.
PRAYER
Father, I praise You for Your gift of transformative power in my life and for trusting me with this pain that will make me better and be used for Your magnificent purposes. Help me to see Your vision in this season and align with Your will and way so that others may find You Faithful and True.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.