Written by Debbie Norred December 7, 2025
For more than ten years, I lived with pain on the right side of my body—sometimes severe, always present. I learned how to function through it. I took NSAIDs daily just to make it through the day. I tried everything the world had to offer: massage, physical therapy, stretching, strengthening, steroid shots, creams, and treatments. And through it all… I prayed.
Some days I prayed with faith.
Some days I prayed through frustration.
Some days I prayed through tears.
The hardest part wasn’t just the pain—it was the waiting. The wondering. The unanswered “whys.” The confusion of why only one side of my body suffered. The quiet endurance when no one else could see what I felt.
But one thing never changed:
I never stopped believing God’s Word.
I held tightly to this truth:
“By His wounds, I am healed.”
In 2025, after more than a decade of searching, God finally opened the door to answers. A doctor x-rayed my entire spine and immediately focused on my neck. The MRI revealed what no one had seen before—deteriorated discs and bone spurs pressing against my spinal cord, a dangerous condition that could eventually cause paralysis if left untreated.
Suddenly, the pain made sense.
And suddenly, so did the wait.
After prayer, I knew this doctor was the very one I had been praying for all these years. God didn’t forget about me. He didn’t delay my healing by accident. He was aligning everything—down to bringing this doctor from another state—at just the right time.
My surgeries are now scheduled. I’ve had to come off my daily pain meds. Some days are harder than others. But something has changed in me.
Now I don’t just have pain—I have hope.
There is a verse I have believed for years and still believe today:
“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 30:17
Notice He says I will restore.
Not you will fix yourself.
Not the doctor alone will heal you.
But I—the Lord—will restore.
Sometimes healing is instant.
Sometimes healing is a process.
But healing is always in God’s hands.
If you are reading this today while living with chronic pain, unanswered medical questions, or long-term suffering, I want you to hear this clearly:
Your pain has not gone unnoticed.
Your prayers have not been ignored.
Your healing is not forgotten.
Delay is not denial.
Waiting is not abandonment.
And suffering is never wasted in the hands of God.
The same God who heals instantly also heals strategically—through process, through doctors, through surgery, through time, and through trust.
And sometimes, the greatest healing begins before the body ever changes—when hope is restored.
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A Prayer for Those in Physical Pain
Lord Jesus,
You see every aching body, every sleepless night, every tear cried in silence. You are the Great Physician, and nothing in us is hidden from Your sight. For those who are weary from pain, breathe fresh strength today. For those who feel forgotten, remind them that You are near.
We anchor our faith in Your promise:
“I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds.”
Whether healing comes quickly or through a process, we choose to trust You. Carry us when we are weak. Give us peace when answers are slow. And let hope rise even in the waiting.
In Jesus’ powerful name,
Amen.