1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: Jesus wept John eleven thirty five. Dear Heavenly Father, we 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: come before you today, Lord, thankful that even in the 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: hardest moments of life we feel your presence. We thank 4 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: you for the promise of hope and comfort that comes 5 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: with your faithfulness. 6 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: Lord. 7 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: May we come to you with all the sorrows of 8 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: our hearts and know that you are a God who 9 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: can weep alongside us. We pray for the comforting embrace 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: of your presence, that we may feel you near and 11 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: our grief and sorrows. We thank you for being a 12 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: God who understands our pain and is willing to heal it. 13 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: May your healing grain flow through us and cover us 14 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: with peace now and forevermore. In Jesus' name, Amen, Thank 15 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: you for joining me in prayer. Stay tuned for today's 16 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, where you can 17 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: draw close to God and find strength in him. 18 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: My friends, welcome to your meditative prayer on healing grief. 19 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: To get the most out of your spiritual journey, use 20 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: pray dot com every day and make prayer priority in 21 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 2: your life. Our goal for today's meditative prayer again is 22 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 2: healing grief. Let's be honest. Grief can be overwhelming, but 23 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: do not be afraid. Today. Let's gather your courage to 24 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 2: step out and just spend a moment with God so 25 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and then 26 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: excel out and now taking captive every thought, shift your 27 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 2: focus unto God, for he is waiting for you. We'll 28 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 2: be meditating on John chapter eleven, verse thirty five from 29 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: the King James version, which reads two simple words, Jesus' weapon. 30 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: Now take a moment just to pour out your adoration 31 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: to God who understands you. Jesus, I give you praise 32 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: for you understand my grief. You have intimate knowledge of 33 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: my sadness as you have felt it in your own heart. God, 34 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 2: I exalt you because you see my pain and you 35 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 2: care for me. I will worship you because although you 36 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: are great, you never belittle my suffering. Right now, I 37 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 2: praise you because you are the everlasting God. Yet you 38 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 2: know me. You do not faint or grow weary. Your 39 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: love and your kindness towards me will never cease. You 40 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 2: see losses part and parcel of life. Accepting and processing 41 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 2: your grief is really part of the healing process. You 42 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: don't have to pretend everything is all right when it isn't. 43 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 2: It's okay to grieve when you are grieving. Jesus knew 44 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 2: he would resurrect Lazarus, and still he wept, even knowing 45 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 2: he would see his friend again. He mourned his loss 46 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: through this action. Jesus time, the acknowledgment of emotion, acceptance 47 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: of allowing yourself to feel what you're going through. It's 48 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: okay to give yourself permission to grief. It's okay to 49 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 2: experience the emotions of the moment and to allow those 50 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: emotions to pass through your heart. As Jesus felt emotion, 51 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 2: so can you. Perhaps you find yourself fighting your grief. 52 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 2: Jesus sees your pain and he knows your heart. So 53 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: turn to Christ and confess your grief to him. Share 54 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: with him your sorrow. Why, because he understands you. Now 55 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: to take just a few moments to dwell on the 56 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 2: understanding of God. Thank Jesus for teaching you that it's 57 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 2: okay to experience emotions, both the good and the bad. 58 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: Thank God for acknowledging and understanding your feelings. Thank Him 59 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 2: for establishing time for you to process and to heal. 60 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: Now think of past situations where your heart was heavy 61 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 2: with sorrow. Thank the Holy Spirit for being your comforter 62 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:35,359 Speaker 2: and for ministering to your weary soul. Thank God for 63 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 2: caring for you through your pain. My friends. God is 64 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 2: present and he's listening to you. Jesus sees and he 65 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 2: understands your suffering. He's intimate with your pain. You do 66 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: not have to process this on your own, so ask 67 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 2: Him to help you through this time of hurt and agony. 68 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: Ask the Holy Spirit for his assurance to be upon 69 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 2: your heart. Ask him to help you accept your emotions 70 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 2: and to allow yourself to feel what you're feeling. Remember, 71 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 2: Jesus wept, so give yourself permission to grief. The Lord 72 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 2: will comfort your heart. Experiencing grief and acknowledging its existence 73 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 2: is not a sin and it does not make you weep. 74 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 2: Everyone grieves in a different way, no matter how you 75 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 2: choose to do so. Don't forget this truth. You're not alone. 76 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 2: Jesus sees you, and he will help you every step 77 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 2: on this road to healing. My friends, thank you for 78 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 2: completing today's meditative prayer on pray dot com by incorporating 79 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: this healthy ha It is a daily practice. You are 80 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 2: making prayer a priority in strengthening your walk with God. 81 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: As always, my name is Zach Clinton from the American 82 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 2: Association of Christian Counselors. We love being a part of 83 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 2: your life.