Eve of Fasting: The Importance of Prayer

Prayer

"Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees."
~Corrie ten Boom

Wednesday is your opportunity to schedule an appointment with God. Join us as we fast and pray for Adam's healing. As always, if you are not able to fast, you are still welcome to join us in our united day of prayer and fasting.

Of course, most of us are praying daily for Adam. Yet, I find that I spend more time praying on Wednesdays than any other day of the week. There are two reasons for this: 1) It is in my schedule to join with friends and family to lift Adam up in prayer; and 2) Fasting helps remind me to pray and meditate.

1 Kings 13:6

Then the king said to the man of God, "Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored." So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored and became as it was before.

As brother and sisters in Christ, let us join together, on Wednesday, to intercede on behalf of Adam.

Good Morning!

Progress

Adam made progress on Wednesday (see Amy's post). This is good. It's a small step, but a positive one. Just when I had heard about some people's dissapointment (earlier this week), along comes some good news. Praise God!

Adam's prolonged coma makes recovery seem difficult. Yet, I am comforted knowing that nothing is too hard for God.

Jeremiah 32:17

"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Think about it. Nothing is too hard for God. Can you imagine what it will be like to meet our Creator? Can you imagine meeting One for whom nothing is too hard? It is overwhelming, but exciting to think about.

Now, imagine the conversation that Adam will be having with God when they meet face-to-face.

Keep praying for a full recovery for Adam. I look forward to getting together, next week. Thanks for praying and fasting with us!

God bless,

Doug

End of Day: Beautiful Lord

by Hillary Mortensen

Have you been captured by God's beauty today? Have you been made free by God's mercy? Have you sung loudly? Listen to this song, and may it be the cry of your heart before you go the bed tonight:

Evening: Love Reaching to the Heavens

Psalm 36:5

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
  your faithfulness to the skies.



Loving and faithful. Aren't those the two most desirable traits that we want in somebody with whom we have a relationship? God is love. God is faithful. As Matthew Henry comments on the Psalm 36...

"Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. "
~Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, Christ Notes

Certainly, I don't know now, why Adam and his family is suffering. I do, however, look forward to that time when I do. In the meantime, it is comforting to know that God's love reaches to the heavens, and that His faithfulness reaches to the skies.

A Prayer

Dear God,
Thank you for loving us.
Thank you for Your faithfulness to us,
even when we are not always faithful to you.
Forgive us of our sins.
Make us blameless in Your sight.
As forgiven sinners,
we bow down and worship you, Lord.
We praise your name.
We also ask for your intervention, Lord.
We humbly request that you would heal your servant, Adam.
Lord, rid Adam's body of E. coli.
Father, we ask that you would continue restoring Adam's brain,
And, that you would provide him with a full recovery.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.

Dinner: Father Can You Hear Me?

That song packs so much emotion. It is my hope that our prayers would be lifted up to God with the same intensity. Remember, it is alright to cry out to God. Jesus did.

Mark 15:34

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" — which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Jesus was in pain and agony. Anytime we are suffering, we are likely to cry out. I have cried out to God for Adam's healing. I don't believe that God has forsaken me, nor do I believe that He has forsaken Adam. There is a plan. God's plan. One day, we will be able to look back and see what it was. I look forward to that day with great anticipation. Until then, I keep praying — praying for Adam's healing. If only I can do it with the heart of the singer that we just listened to.

Father, I know that You will hear me!

Lunch: Let's be Joyful!

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Though the fig tree does not bud
  and there are no grapes on the vines,
  though the olive crop fails
  and the fields produce no food,
  though there are no sheep in the pen
  and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
  I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Do you ever get that feeling of impatience waiting for your garden to grow?

Do you ever experience the dissapointment of your efforts bearing no fruit?

Do you feel despair because there is no money in the bank?

Do you ever grow weary waiting for a report of positive developments on Amy's blog?

Somedays are more difficult for me than others when it comes to patience (or lack thereof). Even more so, being able to rejoice. At times, it seems that I would rather complain. In his book, Habakkuk complained to God. He asked God why good people must suffer. I, too have complained to God. And, I have asked why Adam must suffer.

Despite the complaints, and even when life is not going well, Habakkuk states that he will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God my Savior. We can learn from Habakkuk. During your "lunch hour," I invite you, and encourage you, to read the short book of Habakkuk. And, it takes just a few more minutes to read a brief commentary on Habakkuk.

After reading Habakkuk, I encourage you spend some time rejoicing. Rejoice, even in the midst of Adam's long road to recovery. Rejoice, despite the stresses of life. Make your lunch time devotional a time of rejoicing. Let's rejoice that God has provided Adam with life, with skilled medical staff, with a devoted wife, and with prayer warriors from around the nation (and beyond)!

Like Habakkuk, let's be joyful!

Breakfast: Unfailing Love

by Hillary Mortensen

Last week I prayed that God would give me a theme for our day of fasting. I am grateful that He faithfully answered that prayer. I opened up the Bible to Psalm 107, and this is what stood out to me:

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
² Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³ those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
⁶ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
¹⁰ Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
¹¹ for they had rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High.
¹² So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom
and broke away their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
¹⁶ for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
¹⁷ Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
¹⁸ They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
²⁰ He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
²¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
²² Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
²³ Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
²⁴ They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
²⁵ For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
²⁶ They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits' end.
²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
²⁹ He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
³¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
³² Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
³³ He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
³⁴ and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
³⁵ He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
³⁶ there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
³⁷ They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
³⁸ he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
³⁹ Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
⁴⁰ he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
⁴¹ But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
⁴² The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.

Of course, the emphasis added is mine, but the lines I've highlighted here may have well been highlighted in my Bible. They jumped out to me and echoed in my head throughout the day: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men." This psalm reminded me to give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing, unchanging, never-ending love.

Furthermore, "...He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." For every hunger pain you feel today, as you pray, remember that God fills the hungry with good things. Thank Him for His unfailing love.

Eve of Fasting: Sing Alleluia!

Psalm 30:11-12

You turned my wailing into dancing;
  you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

If you were not with us, last week, we spent our day of prayer and fasting concentrating on worship and praise. It makes so much sense, that we will prepare for tomorrow's day of prayer and fasting with a song of praise. If you are so moved, please sing along.



"The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction."
~Charles Spurgeon

Prayer warriors, are you ready to do battle?

Modified Participation this Week

For the sake of full disclosure, I am going to be doing a modified, 24-hour fast, this week. I am participating in some training rides for the Bike MS Ride 2010, and a challenging route is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. It would be rather difficult to complete with no food. So, I began my fast early this afternoon, and will end it tomorrow afternoon. However, I will continue in prayer for Adam during the ride and throughout the evening.

The "Eve of Fasting" post will be available at 9:00 p.m. (Eastern), or 6:00 p.m. (Pacific).

Breaking the Fast: Worthy is the Lamb!

Revelation 5:11-12

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten
thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"



Praise God!

Amy reported that the first of three C-Diff tests came back negative!

Keep Praising and Keep Praying

I am going to work at spending more time praising God, this week (Thanks, Adrienne, for the suggestion, and for leading us in praise and worship, yesterday!). When I do bring up my prayer requests, I will be praying that God keeps that C. Diff (Clostridium difficile) out of Adam's body. I will also be praying for more positive developments to occur during Adam's therapy. As always, I will continue to pray for Adam's full recovery. Please join me in these prayer requests throughout the week.

Numbers 6:24-26

The LORD bless you
and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

Amen.

Good Night: Take Me, Mold Me

Isaiah 64:8

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.



It seems to me that God is molding many through Adam. Although it is difficult to understand the Lord's ways, I am thankful that God is the potter.

I know that I declared this week to be one devoted to praise and worship. Yet, I do ask that you would ask God to keep C-diff out of Adam's body.

Let's meet in the morning as we break our fast.

Good night, and God bless!

Dinner: He is more than enough!!!

Mid-afternoon: He overcame!!!

Lunch: Yahweh

Mid-Morning: Wonderful, Merciful Savior!!

Breakfast: Come Let Us Worship

By Adrienne Terada

I am excited about our day of worship. Our praises to God will be heard, and they will transform our hearts and minds. Tell God how wonderful He is today, and tell Him all day long. His presence will be felt, and His power will be with you as you lift up Adam and his family today. Let's start our day by preparing our hearts for worship and then telling God how great He is!!

Eve of Fasting: Praise God!

It is the eve of our united day of fasting and prayer for Adam. We will follow a slightly different format, this week.

We are going to focus on simply praising and worshiping God. While it has been a difficult journey, it has been three months since Adam's accident. We have prayed, pleaded, and cried out to God for Adam's healing. We have asked God why He has not healed Adam. We have grown weary, and we have doubted. Now it is time to praise Him. Let's praise Him for keeping Adam alive and for the impact that the past three months have had the lives of so many people, including me.

Let's celebrate three months of life by spending the next 24-36 hours singing praises to God. Let's begin, this evening, by "falling down at the feet of Jesus."

We fall down

We lay our crowns

At the feet of Jesus

The greatness of

Your Mercy and love

At the feet of Jesus

And we cry holy, holy, holy

And we cry holy, holy, holy

And we cry holy, holy, holy

John 12:3-8

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. " It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

Breaking the Fast

Good morning!

Last night, I attended a party — actually a "shower." I am not sure what kind of shower you call it. It was given for a couple who are adopting two teenage boys from Ethiopia (Passing on all the food took every ounce of will power that I could muster!) The couple will travel in two weeks to bring the boys to America. It is a time of joy and anticipation.

This has been an interesting week, full of emotional swings. In addtion to the celebration of the adoption, we celebrated my nephew's wedding on Sunday. Another time of joy and anticipation. Yet, even during that celebration, I spent time talking with Cookie (Adam's mom) about Adam. It was quite a contrast of emotions. Tuesday, we learned that Kasey (who we know from our church family) passed away after a battle with leukemia. He was 14.

There were other events, some of which will remain confidential, that were not so good. And, some good, like my daughter, Victoria, returning home after being gone for a couple weeks. I pondered the past week's wild ride of emotions throughout the day. I discussed it with a friend at the shower. And, at the end of the day, my thoughts came back to Adam. As time marches on, some naturally "expect" that Adam will not make a full recovery. In contrast, Adam's prayer warriors are still anticipating a supernatural healing by God. We are firm believers that we should...

...Expect the Unexpected

"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things 'above all that we ask or think.'"

~Andrew Murray

Prayer Request

"Please continue to pray for Adam's muscle tone and his storms. He had 2 really horrible storms today (Wednesday). The storms are so hard on his body and it usually takes his body quite awhile to recover. Please, please pray for continued, consistent progress. Your prayers are making a difference and God hears you. Please continue to partner with me in prayer for Adam's FULL recovery (emphasis added)."

~Amy Root

A Reason to Praise

Pray boldly, each day, as you walk by faith.

Good Night: Voice of Truth

Hebrews 13: 5-6

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"

It is easy to be afraid of life's problems. But, the Voice of Truth tells us a different story.

Acts 18:9

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.

Say one more prayer for Adam's healing before going to bed. And, don't be afraid of what God's answer will be.

Let's meet in the morning as we break our fast.

Evening: Why aren't his arms reaching?

 A call to be more Christ-like

Casting Crowns released their first album in 2003. Their popularity rose quickly with their hit single, If We Are The Body. The first time I heard it, it seemed different than many worship songs. It did not tell me how much God loved me. It did not tell me how great heaven was going to be. It didn't tell me I was forgiven. It told me to get out of my easy chair and be more Christ-like.

The song describes a couple instances of "societal outcasts" that do not receive warm welcomes from churches they attended. After each, the chorus asks, "If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching? Why aren't his hands healing? Why aren't his words teaching? If we are the body why aren't his feet going? Why is his love not showing them there is a way?"

The song tells us that we should reach out to those who aren't popular, just as Jesus did during His ministry. It challenges the "church" to quit being a "self-serving club" and reach out to those in need. Listen for yourself.

Although Casting Crowns shines a somewhat uncomfortable, unflattering light on the church, I must agree that we are guilty — certainly not all of us; and not all of the time. But, collectively, we fall short. Alas, I am afraid that I fall even shorter than the church as a whole.

Before I pray for Adam this evening, I am going to pray for myself. I will pray that God would remove my selfishness, laziness, and self-centeredness. I will pray that the Holy Spirit would prod me to notice when I should be reaching out to others as Jesus would. I will pray that I wold be more in tune to the needs of others, and be willing to help meet those needs by stepping out of my comfort zone.

This is what you are doing for Adam and his family. Although distance may separate most of you from Adam, Amy, and Mackenzie, you are reaching out to them. Your letters and postcards have been a form of His "arms reaching." Your prayers — past, present, and future — are a form of His "hands healing." Have you been a regular reader of Amy's blog? Her writing is a great example of His "words teaching."

Yes, as followers of Christ, we fall short way too often to live as Jesus did. Yet, there are so many examples of individuals doing their jobs as part of the body of Christ. I thank you, and pray for God's blessings upon you.

I am confident that you have asked God for Adam's healing, today. And, I am confident that you will so so, again, tomorrow. This evening, I would encourage you to pray for Adam's family. Until Adam is healed, there are many challenges that must be faced. Let's support them with our prayers. There are financial, logistical, legal, emotional, and spiritual challenges ahead, to name a few.

Name specific people as you pray: Amy (wife), Mackenzie (daughter), Cookie (mother), Jack (father), Ben/Brad/Tristan (brothers). Feel free to add names in the comments section, below.

Remember...

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties."

~Oswald Chambers

Luke 18:1

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Dinner: Embrace Every Moment

By Adrienne Terada

This is going to be a short post. The song I have posted captures the thoughts I wanted to share. I want us all to think about this question: Are you embracing every moment you have been given? God put us here on earth to fulfill His purposes, and we do not know how many more moments we have.

Take some time this evening to ponder what God would have you do today, and tomorrow, and the next with the minutes you are given. Ask God to show you and speak to your heart about what you can do for His kingdom. Our life will be over in a blink of an eye. What legacy do you want to leave?

Lunch: Sorrow

By Adrienne Terada

This week I have been thinking a lot about sorrow. Though we all know that Amy and the rest of Adam's family are experiencing great sorrow, most of us can't even begin to imagine the pain that they are feeling. This last week I got just an itsy, bitsy taste of the sorrow that comes from missing a loved one. My sister, Hillary, one of the other contributors to this blog, was living here with me in Wichita, KS for the last five months. Well, last Wednesday, I watched her drive off to begin another new adventure back in LA. The pain, the sorrow, the emptiness, and the loneliness was so hard that my heart has been aching inside my chest. Everywhere I went, everything that happened, everything in the house was bringing back a memory of a time that we shared together. Even now, as I am up late on Tuesday night writing this post (as I often am), I am thinking of how we sat together many times on the couch with our laptops writing posts. Now I am in a quiet, dark house all by myself.

I really began to think of the immense ache that Amy must feel, and I want us all to pray today for Amy. Pray that God would be a comfort to her today and in this season of sorrow. Pray that God would refresh her each day with new joy. Pray that the memories and reminders would bless her and not burden her with sorrow.

During my sorrow this week, I found that the only thing that would make the ache go away was to sing praises to God. Sing to God in your sorrow. Whatever your circumstances are, give Him your praise today. Remember that God is working in Adam and Amy and in your situation for good.



Romans 8:28
God works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose.

Breakfast: Meet with Me

Good morning! It is good to be praying and fasting with you, again. I am encouraged that you are joining with us as we meet with God, today.

Romans 1:6

And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

We are all called. Remember my comments, last night. Belonging to Christ is not an elite club. It is public — open to all. It does not matter where you've been or where you are, right now. Just be willing to belong to Jesus, and meet with Him, today.

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Forever...that's a long time. As we live with pain, suffering, hurt, worry, and frustration, it is encouraging to think about meeting the Lord in the air, and being with Him, forever. My life on earth is fleeting. My challenges here are temporary. Until that time when we meet in the air, God promises to meet with us, here, on earth. He promises to meet with us, all we have to do is make ourselves available to meet with Him.

Today, let's be very intentional about meeting with God. Let's put forth effort to spend time in prayer, meditation, and reading the Bible. During these times, we can bring up all of our concerns, including the healing of Adam and the comforting of his family.

Again, be bold in your prayers. Ask God for a complete healing of Adam. Ask God to restore Adam's brain so that he can talk, hear, laugh, love, and sing praises to God, like the worship song in the above video.

We live in a world of trouble. Are you facing some difficult challenges, today, beyond Adam's condition? Ask somebody to pray for you. Don't know who to ask? Send an email to me, and I will include your request in my prayers.

I pray that you have a blessed day. We'll meet, again, at lunch time.

Eve of Fasting: Come As You Are...

Please join us, tomorrow, in our weekly day of united prayer and fasting. If you feel that you cannot fast, that's fine. Join us as we lift Adam up in prayer. Feel like you are not "religious" enough to join us? Feel like you don't know how to pray, or what to say? Feel like your life is in shambles? We don't care where you are, or what condition your life is in. Join us, anyway.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

"There's no such thing as a perfect life,

so come as you are! Broken and scarred!

Lift up your hearts,

be amazed and be changed

by a perfect God!"

~Natalie Grant

Perfect People

We are all in the same boat. Well, kind of. Yes, it's true that as Paul stated in his letter to the Romans, we do all fall short of the glory of God. We are all sinners. None of us is perfect. In that regard, we are all the same. Doesn't matter how old we are. Doesn't matter what our jobs are, or if we are unemployed. It doesn't matter how many times we have or have not attended church.

What makes you and I different from Adam, right now, is that we can read these words. We can pray. Adam cannot. I want to thank each of you who have joined us as we prayed for Adam, Amy, Mackenzie, Jack, Cookie, Ben, Brad, Tristan, and the rest of his family and close friends. If you haven't yet joined us, it's not too late! The great thing about a "virtual prayer circle" is that there is always room for more! If you've been away for awhile, feel welcome to rejoin us!

Regardless of how messed up my life may be; regardless of my sins; regardless of my disobedience; I want to join with you, tomorrow, to please God with our prayers, meditations, and fasting. I pray that God would find favor with us, hear our prayers, and answer them. And, I pray that we would be receptive to hearing His answers.

This evening, let's get ready to meet with God.

Breaking the Fast: Eyes on Our Father's House

Even if we must keep on fasting and praying for Adam. Even if things don't work out as we would like. Even if....

....do not be troubled.

John 14:1-4

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

As we proceed through another week, let's keep our sights set on where we are going. Let's follow the way to our Father's house.

I don't know about  you, but I am ready for "lots and lots of food!"

Let's keep praying for Adam. Today, be sure to pray that Adam would get lots of rest. Keep praying for Amy,  and the rest of Adam's family. By all means, fast whenever the Holy Spirit moves you. You don't have to wait until next Wednesday, but we will be here on the 11th (although there will a post on Tuesday evening).

Let's work at following the advice Amy included in her blog on Tuesday — keep reading our Bibles. Reading scripture will lead us into more prayer time.

Good Night: Words of Encouragement

I have done more than my share of wailing in despair! Enough about storms. Enough about being tired and weary. Let's end our day of united fasting and prayer with some encouragement! I will let the scriptures do the talking.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Let's meet in the morning as we end our fast.

God bless, and good night.

Evening: Cry Out to Jesus

In last night's post (Storms of Life), and this morning's breakfast devotional, we took a look at life's storms, and how we should respond. At lunch and mid afternoon, Hillary wrote about knowing God. At dinner time, Adrienne wrote about replacing life's "what ifs" with "even ifs."

One thing that I know to be true is that we all face storms of one type or another. For those of us who know God, we need to depend on Him for deliverance. As hard as we try to say, "Even if," the storms can seem too overwhelming at times. My wife, Gretchen, and I were talking, last night, about how tired we are getting of waiting for something (healing for Adam) to happen. She followed that up with, "I cannot even imagine how tired Amy, Cookie, and Jack must be."

Yes, I am certain that they are very tired. I know that some of you are tired. I am tired. Yet, even if we are tired, even if we are weary of praying and fasting, even if road ahead looks long and uncertain, we we can cry out to Jesus.

We want Adam to be healed.

Cry out to Jesus.

We hurt because of Adam's condition.

Cry out to Jesus.

We worry about our job or business.

Cry out to Jesus.

Life is not working out as we planned or hoped.

Cry out to Jesus.

There is hope for the helpless

Rest for the weary

Love for the broken heart

There is grace and forgiveness

Mercy and healing

He'll meet you wherever you are

Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

~Third Day

Jesus, Himself, cried out to God:

Matthew 27:45

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" — which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

In His suffering, Jesus cried out to God. He will understand when we cry out to Him. I have felt sad the past two days. I am missing my daughters. I am missing my grandchildren. I feel pain for Adam's family. I feel helpless.

Even if all seems lost, I will cry out to Jesus.

(one more post this evening at 9:00 p.m. eastern)

Dinner: Even if...

By Adrienne Terada

For our devotional this evening, I thought we should all examine our hearts and minds for any fear that may be residing there. There are different types of fear. There is irrational fear, rational fear, fear that comes from daily worries, and fear of impending danger. Fear is a stronghold used by satan to keep us from realizing freedom in Christ, and all of us have some type of fearful thoughts from time to time. Some of us are consumed by fear.

When we dwell on our fear, our thoughts will start to spit out "What if...." questions:

• What if I lose my job or business.
• What if I lose my house.
• What if I don't pass my test or meet my deadline.
• What if I don't get into the college I want.
• What if I lose my retirement in a stock market crash.
• What if my car breaks down.
• What if my health keeps declining to the point that I can't fulfill my responsibilities.
• What if I never find a spouse.
• What if I lose a spouse or a child.

Last fall, I learned something from a speaker at a women's conference that changed my life. She told us to replace our "what if's" with "even if's". I was always known as somewhat of a worrier, but when I was blessed with a child whose health ailments put our life on the verge of impending danger around every turn, fear and worry started to consume me. It robbed me of my joy, my peace, and my freedom. I came home from the conference that day and put my new tool for conquering fear into practice. It took a lot of retraining of my mind, but after months of speaking "even if..." statements to myself, I found freedom from fear. And because I found freedom from fear, I forgot about my tool until a couple of weeks ago. Someone repeated the question to me, "What if Adam never recovers?" Immediately, my mind jumped to, "Even if Adam never recovers...God is still God, God is still our provider, God is still faithful, God is still loving, God is still in control, God is still holding us in His hands."

As my Dad talked about already, the storms in life will come, but we can not fear the storms. We must trust in the fact that God will be with us through the storms, and that He is in control. Practice turning your "What if..." statements into "Even if..." statements this week and watch your faith grow as you experience freedom from fear.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

I was not planning on using this song again today, but as I was typing it just seemed fitting.




My prayer is that all of you will come to a new level of freedom this week as you trust in the fact that God is still God, He is always with us, and He is our victory always!!! We always have a reason to sing and worship God even if tragedy, disappointment, and loss strike us!!!

Pray today that Adam's friends and family can replace the "What if's..." in this daily journey with "Even if's...".

Mid Afternoon: To Know God, Part II

by Hillary Mortensen

My earlier post on knowing God was inspired by the Casting Crowns song To Know You, which I heard on the radio last week. I was struck by the lyric "To know You is to want to know You more." As I reflected on it, I realized that I want to want to know God more. I don't want to settle for knowing about God or knowing about living a life of godliness. That makes me no better than the Pharisees of Jesus' day. Neither do I want to be satisfied with complacency or compromise.

Life is about knowing God. Let us wholeheartedly pursue this relationship.

May the song also inspire you to want to know God more:

Lunch: To Know God

adapted by Hillary Mortensen from J.I. Packer's Knowing God

"A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great knowledge about Him."

Theologian J.I Packer's statement is poignant, convicting hearts – like mine! – and causing us to grapple with whether they have known God or simply know about Him. As he explains, one can have an interest in theology, read books, study Scripture, lead groups, teach, and write papers on Christian themes without actually knowing God at all. Moreover, as is the case with me, one can know a great deal about godliness without much knowledge of God. It is possible to listen to sermons, read Christian living books, keep good company, and even help others regain footing in their faith while hardly knowing God at all.

Evidence of Knowing God

Packer, in his book Knowing God, lists evidence of knowing God:

1. Those who know God have great energy for God.
   This is first expressed through zeal and energy for prayer. It also involves recognizing when God's truth and honor are being jeopardized and seeking to compel a change of heart about it, even if it involves personal risk.
   
   Do we have unending zeal and energy for prayer? Do we risk personally to defend the truth and honor of God?
2. Those who know God have great thoughts of God.
   This involves knowing the wisdom, might, and truth of the great God who rules history and acts with sovereignty.
   
   It means knowing what Daniel knew and thinking how he thought on God (Daniel 2:20-22):
   "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
   wisdom and power are his.
   ²¹ He changes times and seasons;
   he sets up kings and deposes them.
   He gives wisdom to the wise
   and knowledge to the discerning.
   ²² He reveals deep and hidden things;
   he knows what lies in darkness,
   and light dwells with him.
   
   Do we ascribe to God all glory and honor, wisdom and strength?
3. Those who know God show great boldness for God.
   This means sticking one's neck out, not foolishly, but after having counted the cost and measured the risk. It means being aware of the outcome if God does not miraculously intervene.
   
   As recorded in the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to be thrown into a fiery furnace over worshiping an idol. In the New Testament, the apostles claimed, "We must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29) "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God," said Paul (Acts 20:24).
   
   Once we know the right course to take, do we embrace it boldly and without hesitation?
4. Those who know God have great contentment in God.
   This means that we experience peace because our minds possess the full assurance that we have known God and that God knows us, and that this relationship guarantees God's favor. Paul analyzes this in Romans 8:
   
   There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus....The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God....we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose....whom He justified, these He also glorified....If God is for us, who can be against us?...Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?...Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (vv. 1, 16-17, 28, 30, 31, 33, 35, 38-39)
   
   
   
   
   How comprehensive is our contentment in God?

If we desire to know God, then we must 1) recognize how much we lack knowledge of God, and 2) seek the Savior. Let us pray:

Lord, I confess that we lack a knowledge of You. There are things I know about You. There are even things I do to serve You. Still, my prayer life and what goes on in my heart reveal how little I truly know You. Please show me how impoverished I am at this level and allow what I learn to stir in me a passionate love for You that I may know You still more. I seek the Savior, because I know that I can find and know God through seeking and finding Jesus' company. I trust in the promise that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we shall surely find Him. I want to boldly stand before the Lord and testify that I have known God.

I pray that, throughout Adam's miraculous healing and recovery, Adam, those who know Adam, and those who read this blog would be seeking after the Savior and coming to a better knowledge of You in personal relationship. Please give us an increased energy for You, God, which would make itself evident first in a growing prayer life. Grant us the courage to defend Your truth and honor. May our hearts and our words give You all glory and honor. Give us discernment as we determine the right course, and then, even when difficult, help us to embrace it without hesitation. Meanwhile, Lord, please be producing in us a peace beyond comprehension and true contentment in knowing You and being known by You.

Breakfast: More Storms!

This week's theme seems to be stormy weather. Kind of ironic, since we are experiencing such beautiful summer weather in Oregon! Yet, so many of Amy's posts on her blog are about Adam's neurological storms. On Sunday, I got to talk with Cookie (Adam's Mom) for the first time since Adam's accident. She returned to Oregon, this week, after 11 weeks in North Carolina. Of course, our conversation quickly turned to Adam's "storming."

For those closest to Adam, it is difficult to imagine the "storms" that they have been enduring — emotionally, and spiritually. Just seeing their pain, makes me want to cry out to God like David.

Psalm 28:1-2

To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

Just as David pleaded for mercy, he also provided us with a model for serving up praise. Just a few verses later, he acknowledges God's mercy, and confirms his faith in God.

Psalm 28:6-7

Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

Sometimes, the songs are more joyous, sometimes a little more like desperate pleas. 

"And I will praise you in this storm,

and I will lift my hands.

You are who you are,

no matter where I am...

...I will praise you in this storm."

As I listen to Casting Crowns sing these words, I want to make them part of my prayers. No matter where I am, I will praise God in this storm.

Pray
You may have a mental or written list of prayer requests for Adam, Amy, and members of their family. If not, ask God to have the Holy Spirit provide you with the words to pray. Here are a few things that I will be praying for:

No fever — I will ask God to give Adam's body strength to fight off fevers.

No infections — I will ask God to to give Adam's body strength to fight off all infections

Care & Treatment — I will ask God to guide the individuals making decisions for Adam's care. This includes medical staff, insurance company employees, and the judge (see Amy's post Taking Refuge in the Lord).

Cookie (Adam's Mom) — I will ask God to provide Cookie with peace as she faces the rigors and stress of "normal life" after spending 11 weeks in North Carolina.

Adam's Complete Healing — This has been my prayer from start, and will continue to be. I am asking God to restore Adam so that he can talk, hear, walk, laugh, hug, and worship God.

Many Close Encounters Today — I am looking forward to spending time with God, today. I pray that many of you will have "close encounters" with God, today.

Feel free to add prayer requests using the comments section, below.  It is very easy to do, especially if you choose to leave an anonymous comment (to which you can add your name, if you like).

Eve of Fasting: Storms of Life

My friend, Evelyn, printed this devotional and handed it to me at our worship service on Sunday. I believe that it provides good guidance on the eve of our united day of fasting and prayer.

I do hope that you will take time to read this. I especially encourage you read and contemplate the bullet points under "How are We to Respond?"

Dear Friends,

Here is Part 2 of our short study on the storms of life viewed through the lens of leadership and the teaching of Scripture. Last time we went through Matthew and Luke's Gospel narratives of the storm the disciples' boat got caught in. If you missed Part 1 on the Elijah List, "The 'Inconvenience' of Leadership," click here to read it. This week we will cover both John and Mark's Gospel narratives for another perspective.

John's Gospel

John paints a somewhat different picture than Matthew or Luke of a storm that arrived unannounced in the deep darkness of the night, whilst the disciples were out on the lake alone. John narrates:

"A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But He said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.' Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading" (John 6:18-21).

John's description of events that night bring a different emphasis on the miracle-working power of Christ. The disciples were alone and had been rowing against a violent storm for more than three miles. They were exhausted and losing their battle against the unexpected tempest. Jesus delivered His disciples from the storm by taking them in a supernatural action of translation to a different location. One moment the disciples were on the stormy lake, the next the boat immediately reached the shore.

Before He appeared to the men, the Lord was walking on water, already on His way to His dear disciples. Even before they asked, the Master was answering their desperate heart cries and intent upon delivering them from danger. We are reminded Christ is with us always, even to the very ends of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Mark's Gospel

Saint Mark's recollections of the storm that night are similar in some ways to Saint John's, with the disciples entering the boat ahead of Jesus who stayed behind to dismiss the crowd, to whom He had been ministering. We are told that Jesus then went up the mountainside alone to pray. Prayer precedes life's storms and prepares us for divine action.

Evening arrived, and the disciples found themselves in the middle of the lake, straining at the oars with the wind against them. Jesus saw the men whilst they saw a figure walking on the lake, and they were terrified, thinking it might be a ghost! It was not until the Lord spoke to them and reassured them that they were calmed.

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.—Mark 6:50-51

Once they reached shore, Jesus and the disciples disembarked after anchoring at Gennesaret, and the people recognised Jesus and brought all their sick on mats to Him, and wherever He was and in every town, village and countryside, everyone who touched Him was healed. The storm had been a precursor to an extraordinary outpouring of miracle-working power. Storms can often prepare us and strengthen us for mission opportunities in which God moves mightily to advance His Kingdom on earth.

The enemy will often arise as a storm when we are on a pre-ordained path or journey with the Master, but as we see evidenced in John's Gospel, Jesus arises with mighty delivering power to enable us to reach our appointed destination. For the disciples, it was the shoreline of the lake; for us, it is wherever God has sovereignly appointed us to serve Him.

Commonality in the Synoptic Narratives

• The storm was unexpected.
  
• The storm was real and not imagined.
  
• The danger to the disciples was immediate and life-threatening.
  
• The disciples were terrified and had no life experience from which to draw upon.
  
• The Master was present in the storm.
  
• The Lord responded with absolute authority and wisdom to resolve the crisis.
  
• The storm was abated through the miracle-working power of Christ.
  
• Faith in God and trust were keys Christ used to overcome in the crisis.
  
• The disciples were delivered and reassured.
  
• Jesus prayed in preparation to face the storm.
  

How are We to Respond?

• With faith and trust in God.
  
• With prayer and action.
  
• With courage in the face of adversity.
  
• With boldness in the face of the enemy.
  
• With compassion towards those whom we lead.
  
• In the power of the Holy Spirit.
  
• In humble reliance upon God.
  

What Can We Learn from the Storm Narratives?

• Storms can often precede glory outpouring in mission/outreach.
  
• Storms can become opportunities for God to be glorified as we learn to depend on Him and trust His faithfulness to deliver us.
  
• Storms, therefore, can prepare and strengthen our hearts and minds for new mission opportunities.
  
• Storms are overcome by the supernatural authority and power of God.
  
• Storms are a perfect setting for miracles to manifest.
  
• God is faithful to deliver His children from any and all storms.
  
• God is present in every storm—storms may surprise us, but they never surprise the Lord.
  

God bless each one of you today, and may His love and His authority be an umbrella of protection and power over you, your spouses, your children and your ministries today. In the strong name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

In His love,

Catherine Brown
Founder, Gatekeepers Global Ministries (GGM) and
Co-Founder, Scottish Apostolic Networking Enterprise
Email: admin@gatekeepers.org.uk


Republished with permission from
Elijah List Publications
528 Ellsworth St. SW
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com

A Prayer

Dear Lord, friends and family of Adam Root will be uniting together, again, in prayer on Wednesday. As we lift Adam up to you, we ask that you would hear our requests, and heal Adam.

Father, we also ask that you would be with each of us, tomorrow. Lord, nurture our faith and trust in You. Help us to  move forward with prayer and action; with courage and boldness; in the power of the Holy Spirit; and in humble reliance upon You, our heavenly Father.

Lord, as the weeks pass, it becomes ever more difficult for Amy and Adam's other family members. Provide all of them with perseverance, and an unwavering faith in You.

Amen.

I look forward to praying with you, tomorrow. Have a blessed evening.

Pray for Hillary

I have a special prayer request for my daughter, Hillary. She has been a regular contributor to this blog from Wichita, where she has been living with her sister, Adrienne.

Hillary is returning to Los Angeles, this week. She is embarking on a road trip, and will be accompanied by Victoria, her youngest sister. In addition to other life stresses, Hillary was diagnosed with shingles, today. Obviously, this does make for a good road trip from Kansas to California.

Since many of you have read her posts on this blog, I would ask that you include her in your prayers. 

Pray for:
• Safe travels for Hillary and Victoria
• Strength to deal with the stress of moving and the pain of shingles
• God's peace
• God's healing power

Thank you!

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.