A few years ago, our family lost a very dear friend.
Their illness was unexpected, and we were believing God for healing — believing they would live a long life and fulfill all their goals. As often happens, there was a season where it looked like recovery was happening… and then everything changed.
When I asked the Lord about it — knowing I had been believing for healing — I was left with a quiet but clear knowing:
they were healed, but the damage to their organs and body could no longer sustain life.
And the instruction that followed changed how I pray forever:
Don’t just pray for healing. Declare restoration too.
But wouldn’t God know we want restoration?
That was my next question.
Why would we have to pray specifically for restoration if God already knows our hearts?
Because healing and restoration are not the same thing.
Healing stops the disease.
Restoration gives back what was lost.
When healing costs you something
Imagine a woman who loses her womb to remove fibroids.
The illness is gone — but so is her ability to carry her own children.
She is healed.
But she has lost something deeply significant in order to live.
Or consider a woman who chooses to remove her breasts to ensure cancer is gone. After treatments and surgeries, she is healed but part of her womanhood has been taken.
Yes, reconstruction exists.
But I believe God is able to restore healthy, whole breasts too.
Restoration applies beyond the physical
If you’ve ever been through a divorce, you know how devastating it can be, even when leaving was the right choice.
I was free from the emotional battle, but financially, I was left with debt and chaos. It took more than a decade before I felt any sense of stability again.
God wants to restore.
Yes, He can heal marriages.
But even when divorce is the chosen or necessary path, He does not want you burdened by what remains. You don’t have to pick up the pieces alone.
Jesus didn’t just heal — He restored
The Bible tells us of the man with the withered hand. A hand that was useless, Jesus restored to full function.
“Then he said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one!” — Matthew 12:13 (NLT)
And He did it on the Sabbath — a day when work was forbidden by law.
Why?
Because for Jesus, restoration mattered more than rules.
What was missing mattered more than what others said was “acceptable.”
So when people tell you, “There are medical alternatives” or “You should just move on” — remember this: God is not limited by human solutions.
He restores what was missing.
What are you believing God to restore?
It may not be physical.
It could be financial.
A business that failed, even because of your own mistakes.
A season where everything fell apart and you don’t know how you’ll recover.
God gives double for former trouble.
He does not bless us based on effort.
He blesses us because of the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
You may be staring at the mess and asking:
How will I ever make enough to get out of this?
How will my family truly thrive?
The answer is Jesus.
He is the Restorer.
He is the equalizer.
He is the difference.
Today, I encourage you to call on Him.
Show Him what remains and ask:
“Lord, what can You do with this?”
Be expectant.
Believe not just for healing, but for restoration beyond what you can ask or think.
“Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor.
You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.”
— Isaiah 61:7 (NLT)
A Prayer for Restoration
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being our Good Shepherd.
Thank You for being our Healer.
Thank You for being the Restorer of our bodies and our souls.
Today, we ask not only for healing —
but for restoration.
Restore lost time.
Restore lost income.
Restore strength drained by sickness.
Restore hope.
Refresh weary minds.
Release peace.
Open new possibilities.
You said You would restore the years the locusts have eaten,
and we receive that promise now.
Restore finances.
Restore our bodies — every organ and every limb — to full strength and capacity.
Restore lives completely.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He restores my soul.
Amen.
