Elder Harry Milton Hall, Church of God Tabernacle of Prayer, “Trust Him”






Trust Him
                                              --- Elder Harry Milton Hall

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path. How many times over my 66 years on this earth, growing up in the rural county of Duplin County, NC, with a father who was a church deacon and mother a church missionary, did I hear this biblical scripture? But what do you do when it seems like all you thought you knew seems to dissipate out of your mind and your life seems to be fading away? 


Where was this God of my youth, that saved me at a young age and called me into the ministry? Where was this God that allowed me to marry a wonderful young lady and be wedded for over 40 years? Where was this God when I become sick and stayed sick for so long, depression set in?


In the fall of 2020, I became ill and later discovered that my sickness was likely due to a pulmonary aneurysm that was not discovered until several months later. In December of that year a scan revealed that I had two, non-Covid related, blood clots in my lungs. This hospitalization was the first of multiple hospitalizations and out-patient visits with Pulmonary, Cardiology, Hematology, Neurology and even Urology, because my PSA levels became elevated. I was sick unto death….


All the messages that I had preached about God being a healer, encouraging people to press their way through suffering, because weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning; the longer I was sick, the harder it was to implement what I had taught so many times to others. 


But thank God for a praying spouse. The Bible says that two is better than one. I found this to be true because when I was at my lowest, seemingly down for the last count, my wife prayed with and for me. Over the course of three years, she cared for me, as she watched me lose over 100 pounds. The responsibility of the entire household was on her shoulders. This was compounded with the difficult task to discreetly ask for prayer from saints and friends without disclosing all aspects of my illness, and especially hard on her due to both of our families being quite large, and I was a church pastor; although the congregation was small, they looked to me, to us, for leadership. Thankfully, the bulk of my illness was during the pandemic when most church doors were shut, and family members’ visits could be limited.
Long story short, due to my illness, I took early retirement from my job which enabled me to take the time necessary to heal. I have now regained some of my weight (I need to stay away from ice cream; I scream for ice cream…lol). In October of 2023, I was able to return to pastoring, and God is yet directing my path. My wife teases me sometimes that as I started to mend, she encouraged me to get a hobby to occupy my time, but since God has blessed me and restored my health in such a manner, I have also returned to work part-time.


Through this bout of illness God has taught me and my wife that although we are his children, and although we may trust in him, we are not exempt. Not exempt from suffering; not exempt from illnesses. How can we testify to the certainty of his healing power if we have never been sick? God is a healer of the mind, body and soul, and then there are times he just gives us the strength to bear and learn to live with, the challenges of life. 


Without faith it is impossible to please him. Therefore, even when it seems that he is not with you, trust him, because he promised never to leave you nor forsake you!!! Just Trust Him!!!


After many years using his gifts to evangelize and pastor up and down the coast of NC, Elder Harry Milton Hall established the Church of God Tabernacle of Prayer in Durham in 2006. His desire is to reach the lost and bring souls to Christ. He has been married to Missionary Barbara Hall for 43 years and has three sons and three grandchildren. Sis. Barbara C. Hall serves as First Lady of Church of God Tabernacle of Prayer in Durham, where she works as church secretary, treasurer, and president of the Women’s Department. She also serves as a licensed Missionary and director of several church and organizational choirs. Sis. Hall is an employee of Duke University Medical Center.

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The Clergy and Mental Health Blog is a forum for faith leaders to share insights and observations, sometimes speaking from personal experience, about faith and mental health.  We welcome diversity of thought and perspective.  The view of authors are their own and do not represent the views of the blog as a whole.

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