Morning After: Spirit in the Sky

Good morning! Thanks for praying with us, yesterday!

As we part for another week, keep in mind Adam, Pat, and Brandon. Each has health challenges for which we should be praying seven days a week. Praise God for Adam's continued progress. Also pray that his stomach will handle real food, and for his muscles to loosen up.

Praise God that Pat is so faithful of a servant and understands that her suffering serves a higher purpose. Unlike Adam, she has been fully aware of, and an active participant in her battle for life. She is reading what I am writing (better watch what I write!). She seems ready to accept whatever God wills for her. Let's pray for God's blessing, provision, and healing for her. Yes, I am praying for a miraculous healing. God may not provide it, but I will keep asking! I believe that it is my obligation to pray. It is up to God to respond. I do pray that you will join me!

If Adam is on the rise, and Pat is undergoing last-resort chemo, Brandon is in another place — still waiting for a diagnosis. Let's pray that Brandon's healing would begin before he receives his diganosis! And, let's pray that he, and his family, would find peace and comfort in God while waiting.

It would be interesting to be in the same room with these three people at the same time. I think that I could learn a lot about faith! What I have learned from them, already, is that I am less afraid of death than I ever have been. Although I knew it before, I spend more time each day thinking that I have a friend in Jesus. And, He is going to take me up to the place that's the best.

    Oh set me up with the spirit in the sky
    That's where I'm gonna go when I die
    When I die and they lay me to rest
    I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
    I'm gonna go to the place (that's the best)
    Spirit in the Sky, dc Talk



2 Peter 3:13

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells

God bless! See you next week!

Evening: No Separation from God's Love

At dinner time, Hillary wrote that God is Love. This evening, I want to continue that theme by taking a look at how nothing can separate us from His love for us.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I love Paul's confidence in these verses. He emphatically states that nothing will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is passages like this that I cling to when trouble surrounds me. Yet, when compared with others, I have faced almost nothing. I introduced you to Pat Ashby's situation, this morning. Here is a woman staring death in the face. She sent an email to me, yesterday. In it, she wrote:

"Even if He answers our prayers with an answer that we don't want to hear, I know that He listens and does what is best for all of us. Maybe my journey is to strengthen my faith, or that of my sister's or brother's or some unnamed person who is struggling. We do not presume to know the mind of our Heavenly Father, we can just rejoice in His Love and Blessings, of which I have so many."

I hope and pray that my faith will be so unwaivering when facing such challenging circumstances. Pat's words are both instructional and motivational. People often question God when bad things happen to good people. I believe that Adam and Pat are good people. Bad things happened to both of them. Even so, Pat states that God does what is best for all of us!

Pat wrote that her journey may be to strengthen the faith of others, including those that are unnamed or that she does not even know. I know that she already has. And, how many have been affected by Adam's journey? Who of you have turned to God for the first time? Who of you believers have spent more time in prayer because of Adam's plight?

Whose faith has been discovered, ignited, or strengthened by either Adam or Pat? This evening, thank God for them. Ask God to bless them for the suffering that they have endured. Thank God that our paths have crossed with Adam and Pat. And, ask for healing. God has done such an amazing work in Adam. Remember that the doctors in North Carolina said that Adam would not speak, again. God brought speech to Adam. Doctors have prescribed "last resort chemo" for Pat. Let's pray for another medical miracle. After all, He is the God of wonders!



Good night, and God bless!

Dinner: God is Love

by Hillary Mortensen

We may all know the song “Jesus Loves Me,” but I fear that we all too often forget that God IS love. I thought it would be fitting to focus our attention on this as we encounter our daily trials, as well as bear the burdens of the health and healing of those we hold dear. God is not only loving, but He is love.

Consider the following passages regarding God’s love:

1 John 4:8-10, 16a

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins....Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God has God living inside, and that person lives in God. And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love....

Psalm 44:22

Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings or hunger or nakedness or danger or violent death? As it is written in the Scriptures, 'For you, we are in danger of death at all time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.'

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I hope these truths can be an encouragement to you as they remind you of Jesus' great love for you, as well as His love for Adam, Pat, and Brandon. I pray that you will talk with God about the situations at hand—about everything. Pour out your concerns, your praises, your pain, your thanks, your anger, your discouragement, your confusion, your fear, your questions, whatever it is that you are thinking and feeling. He's always ready to listen and respond in love.

So even if you feel like this psalmist, say it:

Psalm 44:23-26

Wake up, Lord! Why are you sleeping?
Get up! Don't reject us forever.
Why do you hide from us?
Have you forgotten our pain and troubles?

We have been pushed down into the dirt;
we are flat on the ground.
Get up and help us.
Because of your love, save us.

Then, I hope you will find yourself saying Psalm 63:

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Let’s be a people that clings to our God in all situations, that remembers His goodness in the past (praise for Adam’s healing!), and recognizes that God, being love, always works things out in His love. Someone shared with me recently this insight: Even in our sorrow, we have reason to praise God for His love, for if we did not have the God-given ability to love our family members, we would not be experiencing our present sorrow.

Lunch: Goodness of God

Psalm 27:13-14

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the LORD
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the LORD.



Many believe that in the Psalm above, David was not writing about a location when he used the words "Land of the living." Rather, he was stating his confidence that he would live to see God's blessing during his lifetime. During your lunch break, think of the the goodness that you have received from God during your lifetime.

I have heard from and about people who have been blessed during Adam's recovery. In verse 14, we are instructed to be strong, take heart, and wait for the Lord. I am confident that we are waiting for even greater blessings as Adam continues to be restored.

Let's pray that Adam's ability to process information wold continue to improve. Also, please pray that Pat's chemo treatments would aggressively attack those cancer cells. And, since we have the lunch break, let me introduce you to another brother in need.

Brandon Burge

Brandon is the son of my wife's cousin, Christi Burge. Brandon and his wife, Stormy, are the parents of four kids. I received this email from Christi Burge, Brandon's mother, last week:

"Hi, We finished our appointment with the neurologist and he wants more MRI with and without dye of Brandon's spine. He thinks either a subclass of MS or possible spinal tumor or disk problem. We will get the MRI ASAP after insurance approval. One step at a time. It's the not knowing and waiting that's hard. Keep praying we can feel all the love and comfort from all of you! God is with us! Love you all so very much!!"

Last night, Christi reported:

"Update on Brandon. MRI shows the spinal cord having pressure on it in his neck. So tomorrow he has to endure a spinal tap for a definitive answer as to MS or not. If not then off to the neurosurgeon for a stabilization of the cord. Waiting AGAIN!! Takes 2 weeks to get the tap results."

Today, pray for comfort for Brandon and his family as they wait for the results of the spinal tap. Pray for God's healing power on Brandon. Pray that they would all be strong, take heart, and wait for the Lord.

We'll get back together at dinner time.

Breakfast: Lord, We Need You

With regard to Adam's recovery, there has been a lot of good news during the past two weeks. Thank God for hearing, and answering our prayers!

I sense a lot of relief and optimism among family and friends. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems to me that with Adam's progress, there is a risk of complacency. The temptation is to go about our daily business and not set aside time for prayer.

I say that it is time to get on our knees. Adam has more distance to go on his journey to a full recovery. We should be thanking God for the work He has done in Adam, and we need to be asking for continued healing. It is not time to let up, it is time to "pour it on!"

    If we've ever needed You,
    Lord, It's now, Lord it's now.
    ~If We've Ever Needed You, Casting Crowns



It is my hope that the experience of praying for Adam's healing is not a temporary excercise. Rather, it is my desire to continue the habit of spending increased time in prayer throughout my life. There is, and always will be, a need to come to God in prayer. For the past eight months, Adam's full recovery has been one of the centerpieces of my prayer life. It will continue to be, until he gets to 23!

Romans 12:11-12

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

We have our marching orders — serve the Lord with zeal and keep praying! This morning, thank God for the work He has done in Adam. We can also pray for Adam to continue making progress with his eating. I certainly have no expertise in this area, but I have to believe that returning to normal eating would greatly assist the healing process.

Introducing Patricia Ashby

And, as we ramp up our zeal, let's put it to work for Patricia Ashby. Pat is the sister of my sister-in-law, Bev Root. Pat's situation is simply put, dire. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2009. She had a radical, double mastectomy within a couple of weeks of detection.

Today, Pat has Stage-4 breast cancer that has spread to her lungs and lymph nodes. She has a particularly aggressive and drug-resistant form of cancer that has spread in spite of radiation and three courses of chemo, each more toxic than the one before.

Pat is now undergoing the most toxic of all — last-resort chemo. It makes her extremely ill, and puts her at risk for cardiac arrest. She will lose her hair again, and she risks nerve damage to her hands and feet. However, the doctors tell her that the alternative is that she has six months to live — so she elected to endure last-resort chemo.

The hope is that the chemo will shrink the tumors she has, stop new ones from forming, and keep the cancer from spreading to her bones, brain, and other organs...at least for awhile longer.

Folks, you know as well as I, that Pat is in need of the Great Physician. Just as doctors and therapists have assisted Adam, he has been able to reach 20 on the coma scale because of the work of our Lord. The staff in North Carolina told Amy that Adam would never be able to speak or understand language. Yet, he already has!

If there was any urgency lacking in your prayers. If there was nothing inspiring you to great zeal...it's here. Pat needs our prayers!

This morning, pray for Adam's continued healing. Pray that he would keep moving forward until he reaches 23 out of 23 on the JFK coma emergence scale! Then, pray for Pat Ashby. First, pray that she would be at peace. Pray that she would find comfort in Jesus Christ. Then, pray that God would work another miracle. Ask for healing for Pat.

Surely as Jesus has had His hand on Adam, and surely as He raised Lazarus from the dead, so too, can he heal Pat.

John 11:38-44

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

What might make Jesus so moved to heal Pat? Many of us on our knees, praying for her healing.

Meet with you at lunch time.

Eve of Fasting: A Contrast of Emotions

Alleluia!

Holy, Holy
Are You Lord God
Almighty
~Alleluia, Michael W. Smith



Psalms 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 he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

Praise, thankfulness, and singing alleluia to the Lord. Our prayers have been heard. Our prayers have been answered. Read this excerpt from an email that I received from Cookie (Adam's Mom), last night:

"...Adam has made amazing improvements this week. He was scored a 20 out 23 today on the jfk coma scale and is now considered officially ‘emerged from a coma’ rather than ‘emerging’..."

Wow, that is amazing! Adam has emerged from his coma! Praise God! Words cannot say how thankful I am for God's grace. I am not able to type words that express my joy for Adam and his family!

The Flip Side

There are others — perhaps reading this blog, tonight — who are simply not able to rejoice with us...or at least not to the same extent. They are in places were Adam and his family were when there was little, or nothing to celebrate. My heart goes out to them.

Tomorrow, I will be expanding our United Day of Fasting and Prayer to include two other individuals: Patricia Ashby and Brandon Burge. Both are facing very difficult challenges and are in desperate need of our prayers. I pray that you will expand your prayers to include them. Although you will hear more about them, tomorrow, pray for them, this evening. Ask God to provide both of them with peace.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Friends, I know that you may have entered this week thinking that we are in the home stretch. We are just begining. You know that the need for prayer never ends. We have another brother and sister that need lifted up. We have the Lord's work to do, tomorrow. Adam, Pat and Brandon need us!

Of course, each Wednesday is another opportunity to work on our own relationships with God.

See you in the morning!

Morning After: To God be the Glory

  To God alone
    be the glory.
  To God alone
    be the praise.
  Everything I say and do
    let it be all for you.
  ~To God Alone, Aaron Shust



It has been a great week for Adam. He has made amazing progress. There is much reason for hope. There is reason to be excited. But, let's remember to give the glory to God.

Throughout the next week, continue to pray for Adam's
• speech to keep improving.
• increasing ability to process.
• desire to get better.
• FULL RECOVERY!

God has been at work for the past eight months. We are just beginning to see the results. Keep thanking God as we ask for Adam's continued healing. God is surely with us. Despite the pain we suffer in this life, and regardless of the joy we receive, there is something so much better to look forward to.

Revelation 21:3-4

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

I look forward to that time!

Evening: A Big Portion

Lamentations 3:22-24

22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Personally, I really do feel that the Lord has been my portion over the past eight months. His compassion has not failed Adam, his family, or me. We all waited for God. The past few days, He has delivered so much. Thank you, God!

Did you read Amy's blog about Adam's improving speech? Absolutely amazing!



Some of those kid's letters (in video above) are funny, some are silly, most were probably heart felt. They were being honest with God.

Some of you may be angry with God. Some may not understand why bad things happen to people — like Adam. I encourage you to be honest with God, tonight, before you go to bed. But, I also encourage you to thank God for Adam's amazing progress this week.

Let's meet one more time in the morning.

Good night and God bless.

Dinner: The Words I Would Say

I know that the past week has been one of encouragement and cause for praise. I also know that the journey ahead is still a long one. With that in mind, I wanted to share these words with Adam's family -- those who are closest to him.

"I want to tell you
that I keep on praying...

...be strong in the Lord and
never give up hope."

~The Words I Would Say, Sidewalk Prophets



Hope. It's what will keep you going. In my opinion, it's all there is to keep any of us going. For many, we place our hope in temporary things -- school, sports, work, wealth, etc. I know that some will say, "Not me, Doug. I am not materialistic. My hope is in my spouse, kids, friends..."

The problem with placing our hope in people is that people let us down. After all, they are only human. To avoid dissapointment, disillusionment, despair, or depression, we need to place our hope in Him who does not let down.

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Eternal encouragement...I like that...I need that. I am confident that you do, too.

This evening, I ask all of you to pray for Adam's closest family members. Name each of them in your prayer, and ask God to provide them with eternal encouragement and good hope. As you conclude, ask it for yourselves.

We'll meet again, later this evening.

Lunch: Word of God Speak

A lot has happened in the past month. Among other things, I have lost my dad, got to spend a lot of time with my out-of-town daughters and grandkids, and have have been blessed to rejoice in the good news of Adam's extension at Spaulding...along with his first words!

Along with the out-of-the-ordinary events, I have had the continued blessing of a wonderful, loving wife and family, a supportive small group, and a great church. God has been good to me. I feel that there is nothing more that I can say or write. I feel that we should simply let the Word of God speak.

Word of God Speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your Majesty



To be still and know
That you're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness

And, since I have been reading Romans, I will share God's word from some verses in that letter from Paul.

Romans 5:3-4

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9,13

9If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved....13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

These are a few verses that stand out from my recent reading. If you have never done so, or have not done so in a long time, I encourage you to read the book of Romans. Let the Word of God speak to you. Of course, this will take longer than a lunch break, but you could start by reading and a chapter or two online, and continue at home, tonight (personally, I think it gets better the further you get into it).

As we pray, let's ask God to build our perseverance, character, and hope. Let's declare Jesus as Lord, which might be the first time for some of you...and that's alright. In fact, that is worthy of celebration!

Let's also ask God to help us be joyful, patient, and faithful in prayer.

Of course, let's ask God to continue the healing and recovery that He has already begun in Adam.

We'll meet, again, at dinner time.

Special Post: Please Pray Right Now!

Prayer Request from Amy:

OKAY MY PRAYER WARRIORS.... I have another mission for you all... at 11:00am EST (8:00 a.m. Pacific) on Wed Jan. 19th. Adam will be doing a Baruim Swallow study test (click here to read about it). This test will be used to determine and see how strong or weak Adam's swallow is as well as how well he will be able to manage liquids and puree's. If he does well, then he will be able to start a liquid diet and work his way up the food chain and off of his tube feeds. Please pray for his swallow to be strong and for there to show no weakness.

It would be so awesome for Adam to begin to eat real food again.

Breakfast: Adam's City

TobyMac describes the "City" in City on Our Knees, not as a literal city. Rather, it is a moment when we all come together, and turn our attention to what unites us -- our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I feel that we have built our own city over the past eigth months. We set aside time from our busy schedules; we overcome geographical separation; forget about theological differences...and pray for Adam's recovery. When we unite in fasting and prayer, we are Adam's City. Today, let's be his city on our knees.

This morning, find a quiet place to kneel and pray. As we unite as a city, let's praise God. Praise Him for keeping Adam alive the past eight months. Praise Him for providing Adam with another two months at Spaulding. Praise Him for the fantastic progress Adam made this past week by speaking his first words. Let's honor God by getting down on our knees and praising Him!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.



Be sure to check back at 10:50 a.m. Eastern Time (7:50 a.m. Pacific) for a special prayer request.

Eve of Fasting: Strength is Rising!

What a Week!

For all who have grown weary over the past eight months, God has provided great strength over the past week. This past Friday, Cookie (Adam's Mom) sent an email that included this:

"The Doctor told Jack that because of Adam’s medical problems he’s had that have hindered real progress, rehab starts now, and insurance has given them at least 8 more weeks at Spaulding!"

Wow, eight more weeks. In a world full of stories about insurance companies refusing treatment for people, Adam gets a "do over" at Spaulding, and eight more weeks! Praise God for providing Adam with a compassionate insurance company, with a doctor who went to bat for Adam, and of course, for Amy, who has been a relentless advocate for her husband.

I was so excited to receive the news on Friday, I was still thanking God on Saturday that Adam would get two more months of rehab at Spaulding. Then, Cookie called my wife, Gretchen, to share the news that Adam spoke! If rehab was starting anew on Friday, it got a great jump start on Saturday. And again, I say, "Praise God!"

Our hope in the Lord will renew our strength.

Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
     they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.



Tomorrow, we fast and pray for Adam's full recovery with renewed strength. Please join us.

"Hi"

Adam Speaks!

Praise God for yet another miracle. Adam spoke this morning! Jack (Adam's father) walked into Adam's room and said, "Hi, Adam." Adam turned his head and said, "Hi!"



1 Chronicles 29:11

Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.

Keep praying for Adam's continued recovery. God is listening!

Breaking the Fast: Theme Word for 2011

In her dinner-time post (Be Still), last night, Hillary suggested that we ask God for a theme word in 2011. I love hers — "still" — and would use it if she had not already taken it!

I tried to spend a little time being still, last night. It is every bit as difficult as Hillary said it would be! Two words kept surfacing: grace and forgiveness. I talked a fair amount about grace during the past year. I read several books where grace was a big theme, especially and not-so-surprisingly, What's So Amazing About Grace? So, I ask myself, was "grace" my theme word in 2010, even though I did not intentionally choose it?

Grace keeps popping up in my mind, so I will pray about it for another week before I make an "official decision." For now, I want to marvel at God's grace.



Romans 3:23-24

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

I am thankful for God's grace. At times, I do feel as if it is raining down on me. I am thankful that I am blessed to be able to write this blog and pray. For the past eight months, Adam has not been blessed with that ability. Why? I don't know. But, to me, it means that we have to continue praying for him.

In her blog, last night, Amy wrote, "Be praying for Adam to continue to lean on God to get the strength he needs to fight this battle he is in." As I read that, I realized that Adam and I have something in common. You do, too. We all need to lean on God to get the strength we need to fight the battles that we are in. Our battles are just different. So, let's pray this for Adam, and for each other!

A Prayer

Dear God, our heavenly Father;
Creator of the world and all that is in it.
Thank You, for granting us Your grace.
We deserve nothing,
Yet You provide us with Your Son, Jesus.
Thank You, that we can lean on Him
for strength to fight our battles;
Battles against sin and temptation;
Battles against sickness and injuries.
Today, Lord, we lift up your servant, Adam Root.
Provide him with Your strength.
Provide him with Your grace.
Provide him with Your healing power.
Provide him with salvation.
Lord, Adam's loved ones are in battles, too.
Provide them all with Your grace.
We pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

May God bless you in the coming week. We'll meet, again, next Tuesday evening.

Evening: Create In Me a Clean Heart

Psalm 51:1-2,10-12

 1 Have mercy on me, O God,
  according to your unfailing love;
 according to your great compassion
  blot out my transgressions.
 2 Wash away all my iniquity
  and cleanse me from my sin.

 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
  and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 11 Do not cast me from your presence
  or take your Holy Spirit from me.
 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
  and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.



Perhaps this should have been the early-morning, breakfast post. Having our trangressions blotted out, and our hearts made pure would be a great way to start the day. Yet, I also believe it is a good way to wind down our day. Things happen during the day. We sin during the day. We get stressed, resulting in words and deeds that we are not proud of. Why not use this hour to to wash away our iniquities and create pure hearts?

Adam seems to be getting ever closer to speaking. With pure hearts, let's ask God to restore Adam's speech. Also, let's ask God to provide Amy and Mackenzie with strength, endurance, and patience.

I will also pray for the joy that comes with my salvation.

We'll meet up one more time, in the morning.

Dinner: Be Still

by Hillary Mortensen

STILL.

As I looked up this word both in the dictionary and in the concordance (to check Hebrew and Greek definitions for its various uses in the Bible), a variety of words and phrases were revealed: remaining in place or at rest, motionless, stationary, free from sound or noise, silent, subdued, hushed, a still small voice, free from turbulence or commotion, peaceful, tranquil, calm, without perceptible current, alone, idle, faint, quiet, cease, forebear.

I don’t know about you, but it’s a stretch to say that these words describe my life. Rather, I think words more like anxious, hurried, loud, stressed, frenzied, busy, complicated, confused, restless, longing, striving, and frustrated describe my thoughts, my heart, and my behavior. I also tend to be a person of doing rather than being. As the Ravenhill quote in last night’s post suggests, it is not about how many meetings I attend or gifts I have, but how much time I spend alone with God that determines the condition of my spiritual life. And while I know this in my head, how quickly I forget it, going about a busy schedule while rarely setting aside a moment for time with God! Then, somehow, I justify my lifestyle by noting that my schedule is busy building relationships and leading ministry. Yet God instructs us (as a command, rather than a suggestion) that we are to be still.

God has given me this word, still, as my word of the year. It delights me that it is my word of the year, because I know it will take at least that long to cultivate a heart and life that is still.

Now, as I have been challenged, I challenge you to several things:

1. Be still right now before the Lord. Can you take a few moments of silence—no talking, no computer, no phone, no television—and just wait? Perhaps it means you need to take a few minutes to simply not move at all.
2. Cultivate stillness. As I mentioned, I predict that it will take me some time to get the hang of this whole being still thing, but I know it will be worth it. How can you practice stillness over time? Does it mean taking time every day to be silent and motionless? How can you cast your cares upon the Lord to calm your anxious heart? Right now, let’s be still before God about Adam. Ask God to reveal to you how to pray for him. Listen. If you sense God nudging you to pray or do anything specific, pray it or do it!
3. Ask God for your theme word for 2011. It is not too late to consider what life word will help you grow in faith and character as you seek to apply it to your life. Need help getting started? Read this site for more information on one word resolutions.

Listen to and mediate on this song. Remember that God is God. He is big. He is in control. He knows you and longs for you to draw close to Him. Praise Him for being God, in your life, in Adam’s.

"Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance."
Morgan Freeman

Lunch: Ask For Anything!

John 14:14

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Let's pray from scripture. Ask God for Adam's healing in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Don't forget to mention this verse from John's Gospel. You may also want to refer to our theme scripture:

Matthew 8:5-13

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."

7Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."

8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

13Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Remind Jesus that we believe in His healing power. Ask that He would reward our faith with Adam's healing just as the centurions' faith was rewarded with a healing.



Let's get back together at dinner time.

Breakfast:: Receive Whatever You Ask

Matthew 21:21-22

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Armin Gesswein, founder and director of Revival Prayer Fellowships, Inc. wrote (Plead the Promises of God) that this is one of the scriptures that makes our praying different. He suggests that we pray with the answer in mind. He stated that, "This is the way of the Lord, the way of faith. He promises-we believe. We act on His Word. In this way answered prayer not only satisfies us; it delights the heart of God by fulfilling His own Word. And this is a most important thing with God."

On Monday, May 17th of last year, I felt directed by the Holy Spirit to fast and pray for Adam. From that day, I have believed that Adam would be restored. My prayers for Adam's healing have been with that answer in mind. I am encouraged with the progress that Adam has made.

Encouraged? Doug, "How can you be encouraged? It has been nearly eight months!" Well, eight months is a very short period of time compared with the wait of the invalid at Bethesda.

John 5:1-6

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

38 years the man waited! What's eight months?



As we pray for Adam, today, let's also ask God to increase our faith. Refer to the Matthew passage, above. Remind God that we are believers, that we are asking for a healing, and that we are praying in response to Jesus' statement in Matthew 21:22. We expect a healing.

Let's keep working at spending time in the Bible -- and learning the answers before we ask!

We'll meet again, at lunch time.

Eve of Fasting: Making Prayer Different

Last week, I wrote about, and provided a link to Plead the Promises of God. I will continue to explore this instructional article, this week.

Jeremiah 33:2-3

“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Join us as we call to the Lord, tomorrow. We unite together, to ask for healing for Adam, yet each of us spends one-on-one time with God. Hear what several spiritual leaders have said about the importance of quiet time with God.



I look forward to praying with you, tomorrow. I also look forward to meeting, alone, with God.

A New Year...

...A New Way of Praying?

I am stuck on my post from last night (Healing Prayer). More specifically, I am referring to the link to the article, Plead the Promises of God. I want to pray like Uncle Am.

Do you want to pray like Uncle Am? Do you want to pray with fervor? Do you want to pray, knowing the answers before you ask? I am not sure that I fully understand the article, yet. But, I will keep reading it...along with the Bible. I do understand that part. We must use the Bible as our prayer book!

I have read my Bible. I have prayed. But, after reading this article, I feel that I have been missing something. I want that Bible-prayer connection that Uncle Am had.

I guess that the point of this morning's post is that if we prayed for Adam like Uncle Am, we would be praying with even greater confidence. Wouldn't it be great if we were all praying for Adam with increased confidence?

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

See you next week.

Evening: In the Hands of God

In the hands of God we will fall
Rest for the restless, and the weary
Hope for the sinner
In the hands of God we stand tall
Hands that are mighty to deliver
Giving us freedom

In The Hands Of God, Newsboys



I am encouraged by this song. It is comforting to know that there is hope for the sinner -- since I am one. The words that stand out the most, tonight, however, are those that speak of rest for the restless and weary.

I have to believe that Amy, Mackenzie, Jack, Cookie, Ben, Brad, Tristan and other family members are quite restless, and oh-so weary. Tonight, pray that all of Adam's family would be renewed. Ask God to provide all of them with hope.

Psalm 25: 16-18

  16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
  17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
  18 Look on my affliction and my distress
    and take away all my sins.

Let's meet in the morning.

Good night and God bless!

Dinner: Healing Prayer

Although I have not verified it, many have stated that over one-fifth of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) is about the healing ministry of Jesus. Christ taught his disciples how to pray and how to heal people. He sent them out to carry on His work.

With this knowledge, I believe that Jesus wants us to pray for healing, even today.

Luke 18:7-8

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Are we crying out to God day and night? When Jesus returns, will He find faith on earth? Will He find faith among us?

We need to Plead the Promises of God. I highly encourage you...no I implore you to read this article by Armin Gesswin at HealingScripture.com. Whether you doubt that God will heal Adam, or believe that it is already a "done deal," take some time to read it and the scriptures the author refers to.

Offer prayers of praise to God that Adam's surgery went well on Monday. Praise God that Adam did well in therapy, yesterday.



We'll unite one more time, this evening.

Lunch: Be a Leader...

...With strong hands

Note: This post might be geared more toward men. But, I encourage women to stick with me.

In my breakfast post, I talked about seeking God's will for our lives in 2011. Of course, that includes me. Although I feel that my faith has grown over the past few years, I do struggle with figuring out what God wants me to do with my life.

When I talk with other believers, they say things like, "You are not the only one with this challenge." Why is this so? Does God make it difficult for Christians to know His will for their lives? Would He really have us wandering around for years trying to figure out what to do?

Something tells me that God's will may not be as difficult to discern as I sometimes state. I wonder if the bigger problem is that I don't like what God's plan is for me, so I keep looking for something more "palatable."

Recently, I feel like the Holy Spirit may be nudging me toward more active spiritual leadership for my family. Yet, I keep resisting. It doesn't feel like a "comfortable" role for me. I don't feel qualified. I don't know what to do or say. Yet, when I heard this song the other day on my car radio, it convicted me.

Men, listen to the lyrics and see if they convict you. Women, listen and ask yourself if you want this type of leadership from your husbands, fathers, or brothers.



Men, if you are not already, give careful consideration to leading your family in prayer for Adam's recovery. Pray about it, now, and throughout the afternoon. Ask God how you can lead your families in prayer and devotions.

Women, share this post with men from whom you would like to see more spiritual leadership.

Dads, consider this verse:

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

After you men pray about your role as spiritual leaders, and women pray for leadership from the men in their lives, pray as Amy requested on her blog, yesterday:

"Please keep praying for Adam to continue to make progress, please keep praying for the ability to quickly process information, pray for speech, pray for the ability to have drive and alertness. Pray for his muscle tone to get better. Pray for FULL recovery."

Meet you at dinner time.