Some sisters and brothers here today know their infirmity. Some of us have carried unwholeness with us from long ago. Perhaps it is physical. Perhaps it is relational. Perhaps it is a sickness in our very souls. I cannot speak for physical infirmity which endures across decades. I've not had that experience. But I do know what it is to carry anger, guilt, and insecurity for decades, and I know what a crippling infirmity these can be. I also know what it is to keep trying to get well -- to find wholeness of soul -- by ineffective methods.

Perhaps you, too, can think of some stained relationship which poisons your heart, or some shame or sin which has crippled your self-esteem and your will to serve God, or some grievance which has left you bedridden on a mat of bitterness. Perhaps there is some poison in your life for which you have sought an antidote for years. If you can think of such an infirmity, even now, name it in the silence of your hearts. And remember this man, who looked in vain for healing for thirty-eight years. He encountered Jesus. He doesn't profess a certain belief in Jesus; he doesn't talk about Jesus. He meets Jesus, he hears Jesus' words to him, and as he follows Jesus' command he is at last made well.

Now wait a minute! That sounds like a quick fix, doesn't it? It sounds like one of those easy answers which make our religion so much the less credible in the face of complex problems. But let me return to the point at which the man was healed: Jesus encounters him, Jesus speaks to him, and as he responds to Jesus he is freed from his infirmity. I am not saying, "believe this and everything will be alright." That would be the quick fix, the easy answer. I am saying, encounter Jesus -- search for Him -- and let Him heal you.

We do not have the luxury of meeting Jesus in the flesh, but we still do have the privilege of encountering Him. We can meet Him as we cultivate a life of prayer. By prayer here I do not mean adding our wishes to Jesus' "to-do" list. I mean setting apart time regularly to wait for Jesus. How much time? Until you meet Him.

Select a place where you will be undisturbed and undistracted. Ask Jesus for the gift of His company. Confess your sins and ask His pardon. Make regular reading of scripture a part of this time, allowing scripture to diagnose your condition. Use psalms, hymns, or scripture to prompt your own prayers. Speak to Jesus -- no, speak with Jesus. Open up that area of inner sickness to Jesus. And then wait in silence. Tame your wandering thoughts and wait for Jesus.

There's no way to force Him to come; there's no way to stop Him from coming. Seek His face -- seek Him consistently and often -- and He will encounter you. And when He does make His presence known, He will speak to you. Perhaps He will speak through the words He has already spoken in scripture; perhaps He will speak directly to your need. When He does speak, listen and obey.

The best advice in the New Testament comes from Jesus' mother: "Do whatever He tells you." If we learn to love the discipline of prayer, we will know the friendship of Jesus, and He will heal us of our infirmities. It is here that the new creation begins to take shape in our hearts, remaking us from the inside out. However long you have lingered in spiritual or emotional infirmity -- even if it has been thirty-eight years, or 68 years -- the healing encounter with Jesus still awaits you.