Pray for AmericaExemplo

Pray for Physical Health

Part of the reason we're praying fervently for America is our country's great need for divine intervention. However, of all our needs today, it can be said that America is not facing a caring crisis.

Many people are deeply committed to various causes and issues. Some feel a profound connection to a wide array of concerns. Others may even feel conflicted if they don't share the same intensity for every cause or issue simultaneously.

Yet the kind of care Jesus has for us and wants us to have for each other is not manipulative, obligatory, or shallow. It is not like a fire fueled solely by an accelerant that burns bright, hot, and big—but only for a moment. Jesus' kind of care takes time, genuine interest, and hard work. And unlike so many ways people "care" about issues today, it is not motivated by fear, anger, or pride.

In short, Jesus' kind of caring is the healthy kind. And that's how we're to care about our health. Paul said, "No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church"(Ephesians 5:29).

If we're all a part of the church, then the way Jesus cares for us is how we should care about our bodies. That concept can be hard to grasp fully in America today. From a young age, so many of us want to do—or maybe are even used to—whatever feels good and eat whatever tastes good. Jesus, however, wants our bodies to be dedicated to what is good. After all, Paul said elsewhere in Ephesians that we have good things prepared by God to do, and it'll be hard to do those things if we're not in a good place physically.

Thankfully, just as God used Paul while his body was confined to a prison cell, He can accomplish great things in us, for us, and through us, no matter our physical abilities. Yet think of your body and your circumstances: how might life be different if there was an attainable goal of improved health you reached?

Today, pray for insight into your activities and diet. If you have been sitting for a long time, ask God to provide you with opportunities to be more active. If you have been laboring physically for extended periods, ask for God's protection and to give you time to rest and recover. Then pray not only for yourself but for all Americans to have plenty of food and drink options that are both nutritional and affordable. Finally, pray for healing and restoration of health if things done or consumed have become damaging.

It's easy to know that Jesus cares for His church. What's not so easy is learning how to best care for our health. Thankfully, God knows what's best for us. And the more we become our best selves in every way—spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and yes, physically—the more we can care for Americans and take care of America.