Trusting God

The Mom Standard posted a perfect pair of songs from Twyla Paris - The Warrior is a Child & Do I Trust You, Lord. Wow! Takes me back to a time of broken pieces, trusting a faithful God to mend & make whole. He did & He continues to renew; to restore me each and every day. I'm thankful. We battle, mustering every ounce of strength. Yet inside, we are but wee ones wielding the sword of King. How heavy the armor seems at times, though it protects our heart...our head. The warrior is a child. We may not see the road ahead or what lies around the next bend; but this we do know, He holds us. He guides us as we lean on His everlasting arms. We just have to look with our eyes of faith. We can trust Him.

Prayer for 2 year old, Jake

For all those who pray:

"I am writing to ask for you all to pray for a beautiful 2 year old boy named Jake Schied. Jake is my brother-in-law Pete's 2 year old cousin. Jake is an adorable, blond haired, vibrant little boy who was diagnosed with tumors on both of his retina's in November. Since then he has had about 5 rounds of chemo. He as undergone all his chemo treatments for both eyes and the cancer persists in his left eye. His mom informed everyone today that the doctors are recommending they remove his left eye as soon as possible. This will most likely be done very soon and we need to keep praying for his successful recovery. Thank you all in advance for keeping Jake and his family in your prayers - they most definitely need them."

On behalf of my colleague, heartfelt thanks for bringing this need before the throne. The following prayer is adapted from an awesome prayer resource, Prayers That Avail Much, by Germaine Copeland Word Ministries, Inc.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we confess Your Word concerning healing for Jake Sheid. As we do this, we believe and say that your Word will not returned to You void, but will accomplish what it says it will. Therefore, we believe in the name of Jesus that Jake is healed, according to 1 Peter 2:24. It is written in Your Word that Jesus himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. Therefore, with great boldness and confidence we say on the authority of that written Word that Jake is redeemed from the curse of sickness, and we refuse to tolerate its symptoms.

Satan, we speak to you in the name of Jesus and say that your principalities, powers, your spirits who rule the present darkness and your spiritual wickedness in heavenly places are bound from operating against our children, even Jake, in any way. Our children are the property of Almighty God, and we give you no place in them. They dwell in the secret place of the Most High God. Our children abide, remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, whose power no foe can withstand.

Now, Father, because we reverence and worship You, we have the assurance of Your Word that the angel of the Lord encamps around about Jake and delivers him from every evil work. No evil shall befall him; no plague or calamity shall come near his dwelling. We confess the Word of God abides in Jake and delivers to him perfect soundness of mind and wholeness in body and spirit from the deepest parts of his nature in his immortal spirit even to the joints and marrow of his bones. That Word is medication and life to Jake's flesh, for the law of the Spirit of life operates in Jake and makes him free from the law of sin and death.

We declare that Jake is clothed with the whole armor of God, and the shield of faith protects him from all the fiery darts of the wicked. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession, and we hold fast to our confession of faith in Your Word. We stand immovable and fixed in full assurance that Jake has health and healing now in the name of Jesus!

Scripture references: Isaiah 55:11, 1 Peter 2:24, Matthew 8:17, Galatians 3;13, James 4:7, Ephesians 6:12, 2 Cor 10:4, Psalm 91:1, Psalm 91:10, Psalm 34:7, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 4:12 & 14, Proverbs 4:22, Romans 8:2, Ephesians 6:11 & 16, Psalm 112:7

Held

There's a song I've been mulling over for months. Held, by Natalie Grant, grabbed my heart & wrung it out from the very 1st listen. It's a song about God's promise to hold us when things go devastatingly wrong, even though we've prayed & believed for God's intervention. We hold up our flag of faith, hoping & believing that God will honor it; accept it and change the course, averting a dreadful outcome looming before us.

The beginning of the song has thrown me off for months. Can I sing something so personal? Songs that deeply reach my hurt, providing an avenue of healing in me...those are the songs I want to sing out loud. Some are appropriate for "church" singing and some are more private. But I've been going back & forth over this one for months. Early this week as I left my friend's house...I was really moved by the ache that hides behind the smile; the struggle to "keep it together". Something in me broke & I realized that though the tragedy may not bear the same name, the heartbreak is resident nonetheless.

In Held, a mother holds her premature child before the throne, seeking to ascertain the provision for healing that was made when Christ took upon His body the stripes for our healing...that's what it says "by His stripes we are healed". Healing didn't come for this child or the weeping mother praying over him.

I've never lost a child...I can't even fathom that heartache. But most of us have held something up before the throne, imploring God to move on our behalf or on behalf of someone we love. Yesterday, I was overcome with more than emotion, but moved to intercession as my aches for the loss, fear & anger that is in the face of folks I care about. God reminded me of this song...then it all became clear.

As Natalie was singing about this baby...I was praying for the pending divorce; the pregnancy that just won't come; the cancer that just won't go; the 251 steps my friend took last week; the anger of a child who's father is not a dad; the lonely one in prison; the one with a confirmed diagnosis; the child who's strayed from God & the parent that weeps for him to return; the one who's watched her mother waste away to nothing & then die; the one who suddenly lost a parent without opportunity to say goodbye; the stroke that's robbed this one; the gunshot that's killed that one & the wife/new baby left behind; the absent loved one defending another's freedom; the refugee longing for safety & security; the home wrecked by infidelity; the regretted abortion; the lost job; the lost dream; the one struggling to find herself anew in the ashes of rape & violation...these are just a few of the people I know, that I love & even one or two of my own heartaches. We each have our own story & accompanying pain; a song of heartbreak & hope for healing; for a better tomorrow.

Despite preparing another song entirely, I sang Held tonight. If it touched one heart...that's what it's all about~ Is this a good place to interject that God is not put out, ticked off or offended by our anger, pain or questions? He's not surprised by our screaming & our doubt. His love is not thwarted by our finger pointing & blaming. He simply & lovingly holds us through the storm. And we survive~

HELD
Two months is too little
They let him go
They had no sudden healing
To think that providence
Would take a child from his mother
While she prays, is appalling

Who told us we’d be rescued
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares
Were asking why this happens to us
Who have died to live, it’s unfair

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held

This hand is bitterness
We want to taste it and
Let the hatred numb our sorrows
The wise hand opens slowly
To lilies of the valley and tomorrow

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held

If hope if born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our savior

This is what it means to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We’d be held