Breaking the fast: Happy Birthday Adam!

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

We are celebrating Adams birthday (one day early)! I am sorry, but being a child of the 60s and 70s, I could not resist playing this birthday greeting!

Today, Adam in one day away from his birthday, and one day closer to a full recovery.

James 5:19-20

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Roper ends his book by writing, "To save a soul from death, to turn another to righteousness, to help someone rise above sin and shame to become better, wiser, more like God—who could ask for anything more?"

I have no way of knowing his total impact, but I believe that Adam has helped cover a multitude of sins. It may seem like he has been doing it the hard way, but the reality is that he has been doing it God's way. I know that he has made me better, wiser, and more like God (Yes, I do have much further to go).

Thank God for all that He has done in your life. Thank Him for the lessons that you have learned from Adam and Amy. 

Thank God for the miracle that He is working in Adam.

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.

Ask God to continue the good work that He has done in Adam. Pray that Adam would remember his birthday in 2013. Keep praying for a full recovery and keep praying that memories of specific periods of times would be restored.

Then, enjoy your breakfast!

In Christ's service,

Uncle Doug

Evening: I am "Just Human"

James 5:17-18

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

"Elijah, James reminds us, 'was a man just like us'—an ordinary man yet he accomplished extraordinary things through prayer. He changed the unchangeable course of nature!"
~from Growing Slowly Wise, by David Roper

Here are a couple facts:

1. Elijah prayed earnestly and changed the weather!

2. We prayed earnestly and Adam avoided death, awoke from his coma, learned to speak & walk again, and now rides a bike, types 28 words per minute—to name a few of his miraculous accomplishments! 

Surely, if God can provide answers to the prayers of "regular people" that defy all human understanding, He can restore Adam's memory. 

Don't listen to doubters and skeptics. Listen to the Voice of Truth.

    But the voice of truth tells me a different story
    And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
    And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
    Out of all the voices calling out to me
    I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
    ~Voice of Truth, Casting Crowns



We have made it through the day. Before you retire for the evening, break your fast, or whatever else might be on your agenda, pray these specific requests:

Pray that Adam would remember:

• Working at Microsoft.
• Living in Washington state.
• Moving to North Carolina.
• The day that he married Amy.

Amen.

NOTE: In the morning, there will be one more post. We can unite in prayer one last time, and there will be a little surprise.

SPECIAL: Praying Over Adam (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.)

James 5:13-16

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

I have to admit that this particular passage used to be "just another few verses" to me. After Adam's accident, the Holy Spirit prompted me to fast and pray for healing. The more I prayed and the more I thought about Adam, the more aware I became of all the places in scripture where healing occurred. 

I used to think that "faith healing" was something that happened in Bible times, but not the modern world. Wrong! Not only does it happen, but James provides instructions for it. I was excited to see Amy post these verses on her blog, and invite people over to lay hands on Adam in prayer. I wish I could be there!

If you live near Adam and Amy, drop in to pray between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. this evening (Friday, February 1st).

"Martin Luther wrote, 'No man should be alone when he opposes Satan. The church was instituted for this purpose, that hands may be joined together and one may help another. If the prayer of one doesn't help, the prayer of another will'...

...Prayer, in the sense it brings us to God, is 'powerful and effective.' It is therapeutic; it heals! It is as God has promised—not that He will put an end to every physical affliction, but that He will put an end to sin. This He will do in His good time and as surely as His own good name...

...It seems a small thing merely to pray.  Isn't there something else we must do? Indeed, but nothing essential. Prayer is the thing we must do before anything else is done."
 ~from Growing Slowly Wise, by David Roper

Prayer Request

Adam has the awareness that he is "suppose to work," and that he doesn't have a job.  Amy tells him that therapy and working to get better from his injury is his job, but this upsets him. With this awareness of not having a job and his awareness of his memory loss, he is fighting discouragement and grief.  

1. Pray that Adam would not be discouraged.
2. Pray that Adam would not suffer grief.
3. Pray that God would provide Adam (and Amy & Mackenzie) with encouragement and perseverance.
4. Pray for Adam's vision (he is unable to see out of the right side of his right and left eyes, and his visual perception is tilted)
5. Continue to pray for Adam's full recovery.

I pray that "healing rain" will be falling on the Root household, this evening.

Dinner: Purify Your Heart

James 4:7-10

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

"James' solution is profoundly simple: When you want something and can't get it—ask God for it...But there is one proviso: we must ask with a quiet and submitted will. We cannot dictate the time or terms of our satisfaction...

...We can 'draw near to God' in prayer...In His presence we find the satisfaction we crave. 

We must 'wash our hands and purify our hearts'—cleanse ourselves from all selfish actions and attitudes that defile us and demean others."
~from Growing Slowly Wise, by David Roper



In a previous post (I Want to See Your Glory!), I wrote about God's timing during the physical healing of Adam—that God is slowly peeling away Adam's afflictions. I am sure that all who know Adam would have preferred an instant healing. As Roper reminds us, we do not get to dictate the the time or terms.

With God's timing in mind, lets collectively spend dinner time asking God to restore Adam's memory of his college years. Adam attended the University of Colorado from August 2000 through December 2002. He transferred to Oregon State University in January 2003 and finished in May 2004. He majored in Computer Science at both schools.

Adam's education enabled him to become a software programmer. I love what Ben Hickman, Enterprise Sales Manager at Microsoft had to say about Adam:

"Adam is an excellent software engineer who can be consistently relied on to 

get the job done no matter what. He takes great pride in the work that he does 

and is a team player who will do whatever is needed to succeed."

Oh, how we wish he were still programming! In an email, Amy wrote, "Programming has always been so near and dear to his heart I would love to see him remember code."

In addition to praying for memory of his college years (2000-2004), let's pray that Adam would remember how to code. His specialties are C#, C/C++, XML, HTML, object-oriented design, and extreme programming (XP). 

Pray that God would allow Adam to access that knowledge that he used so well "to get the job done no matter what." Just as he is a great team player, we need to be team players and join together in asking God for restoration of Adam's memory of his college years and programming knowledge.

Are you hungry? Pray more.

• Pray that God will continue give Adam and Amy a fresh and new love for each other.  
• Pray for peace for Adam, often times his brain injury gets upset, causing him to be angry with Amy. 

One more post, this evening.

Lunch: I Don't Want to Live...

...like I don't care
 
James 1:19-25

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says (emphasis added). Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

"The problem is that the more we keep the Word out of our will, the more theoretical, abstract, and distant God becomes. Then terrible things begin to happen to us: our hearts begin to harden (because unlived truth always brutalizes us), coldness sets in, and eventually bitterness overwrites our souls."
from Growing Slowly Wise, by David Roper

Let's take this one step at a time. Today, spend more time with God. Spending time in prayer is part of doing what the Word instructs us to do (this evening we will take a look at verses with specific instructions for healing prayer). Spending time in prayer will soften your heart and help keep bitterness out. 

With bitterness out, we can more easily focus on the needs that are all around us, rather than sitting around, throwing ourselves pity parties. 

    But I refuse
    'Cause I don't want to live like I don't care
    I don't want to say another empty prayer
    Oh, I refuse

    To sit around and wait for someone else
    To do what God has called me to do myself
    Oh, I could choose
    Not to move but I refuse

    I can hear the least of these
    Crying out so desperately
    And I know we are the hands and feet
    Of You, oh God
    ~I Refuse, Josh Wilson



Some specifics to include in your lunchtime prayer:

• Pray that God will heal Adam's retrograde amnesia (loss of memory of events prior to his accident).
• Ask God to rid Adam of anterograde amnesia (inability to create new memories since his accident). 

And, rather than simply asking for restoration of Adam's memory, let's all focus (during lunchtime prayers) on one period of his life—high school. Let's ask God to restore Adam's memory of high school. There are many years missing from Adam's memory, so lets lift up smaller blocks of time to God and ask Him to give memories of those four years back to Adam. Adam was in high school from 1996-2000. He graduated from Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville, Oregon. Pray for memories of those four years to be restored to Adam's memory.

Pour your hearts into your prayers. Plead with God to begin restoration of those four years in Adam's memory.

We don't want to say anymore empty prayers.

See you at dinner time.

Breakfast: So the Word Might Fall In

"A student came to a rabbi and asked, 'In Isaiah why is God's word written on their hearts instead of being in their hearts?' The rabbi answered, 'They are not yet ready for that. It is on their hearts so that when their hearts are broken the Word might fall in.'"
~from Growing Slowly Wise, by David Roper

Is your heart broken? If it isn't, do you have God's words written on it so that they might fall in when it does break?

James 1:12

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 

We all face trials. We lose jobs. We struggle financially. We lose homes. We watch loved ones make bad choices. A marriage with so much hope and promise ends in divorce. A child becomes addicted to drugs. A close friend dies. A church splits or dissolves because of the sins of its leader. The list goes on and on.  James tell us that when we persevere, we will receive the crown of life. Oh, how I look forward to receiving that crown!

Today, we are focusing our thoughts and prayers on Adam. He needs to recover his memory. How frustrating it must be for Adam, Amy, Mackenzie, and other family members. God has heard our prayers over the past couple years. He has answered them with a continual physical healing when there was no hope offered by doctors. 

Today, we are praying specifically that Adam would recover his memory.  However, I also want you to pray for perseverance—for Adam and his family, and for all of us. We all face trials that require perseverance (it just seems that mine are so insignificant in comparison to Adam's).  

A Prayer

Dear God,  we thank You for your creation. We thank you for this day. We thank you for hearing our prayers. We praise You, Lord, for the amazing healing that you have worked in Adam since May 15th, 2010. You brought Adam out of his coma. Thank you! You restored Adam's ability to walk. Thank you! You restored Adam's ability to talk. Thank you! Lord, you have worked a miraculous healing in Adam. We are forever grateful for your goodness and mercy!

Lord, we are sinners, and ask for your forgiveness. Make us holy and pure in your sight. Wash away our transgressions with the blood of  Your Son, Jesus. We humbly come before You—as forgiven sinners—and ask that You would continue Your healing process in Adam. Lord, we are asking that You restore Adam's memory. Just as You have allowed him to walk and talk, allow him to remember his past, whether five years ago, or five minutes ago, please restore Adam's memory.

Father, help all of us to keep Your words on our hearts, so that when they do break, Your words will fall in.

Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers. Amem.

    There's a grace that's there
    It's everywhere and it's equal to the fall
    A grace that'll let me suffer so that I can persevere
    Equal to the Fall, Satellite Soul



Let's meet at lunch.

Eve of Fasting: Suffering Successfully

    May all your expectations be frustrated;
    May all your plans be thwarted;
    May all your desires be withered into nothingness...
    That you may experience the powerlessness and poverty
    of a child and sing and dance in the compassion of God
    Who is Father, Son, and Spirit.
    Amen.
    ~Brennan Manning's blessing

In Growing Slowly Wise, David Roper refers to James' Dictum: "Suffering Matures Us," and in the chapter titled Suffering Successfully, he writes, "When trouble comes we have two options. We can view it as an intrusion, an outrage, or we can see it as an opportunity to respond to it in specific obedience to God's will. This is that rugged virtue James calls 'endurance.'"

Tomorrow (Friday), is one opportunity to respond in obedience to God by fasting and praying for Adam. I will be basing my posts on the book of James, and writings about it found in Growing Slowly Wise.

Why James?

An easy answer is to reply with another question, "Why not James?" My Quest Study Bible states that "If you're looking for practical ways to live as a Christan, you've come to the right book....expect a string of hard-hitting, specific, practical instructions to help you live an authentic Christian life." Does that sound helpful? Yes! Is that why I chose James? No!

On page 18 of his book, Roper writes, "Finally, I'm drawn to James because he makes sense: he speaks to those instinctive and essential truths that enable us as human beings to associate with one another in kindness, courage, faithfulness, love, and delight." Do I want to make those my truths? Yes! Is that why I chose James? Again, no!

The choice was actually much easier. My dear friend, Evelyn, walked up to me at church and handed a copy of Growing Slowly Wise to me. She did not provide any reason other than she thought that I would like it. If you know Evelyn, you know to revere these types of events as God speaking through her. It just so happened that I had decided to reactivate the prayer blog for Adam, and along comes Evelyn with this book! I love that God provides for me in so many ways!

The reality is that we will not get to experience much of the book in our time together on Friday. My hope, however, is that you might pick up a copy to guide you through the book of James, and that we all learn to suffer successfully!. As I wrote the prior sentence, I could not help but think of Amy. Does anybody reading this know of anybody who has suffered more successfully than Amy Root? I do not. She has chosen to respond to an incredibly difficult situation by viewing Adam's accident and slow recovery as an opportunity to respond in obedience to God's will. She must respond, daily. All I am asking is for you to respond one day (tomorrow).

Suffer a bit in hunger. Suffer a bit by spending time in prayer rather than in the sports page. Suffer a bit by passing up lunch with co-workers or friends. Suffer a bit more by passing up Friday dinner and movie. Instead, spend that time with God. Rather than the usual Friday, find yourself singing and dancing in the compassion of God. You will not regret it.

It's your choice.

James 1:2-4

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

    "Therefore, "consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds." Cheer up! Sing! Rejoice! God is making of you a better a thing than you ever thought possible."
~David Roper, Growing Slowly Wise

You are redeemed!



I look forward to praying with you, tomorrow. See you at breakfast!

I Want to See Your Glory!

Let's see it on February 1st!

I am sitting here, listening to Pandora, and felt a chill go down my spine as Let it Rain played. I have always loved this song. In the middle of this song, Michael W. Smith recites these words from Psalms:

The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
    let the distant shores rejoice.
² Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
³ Fire goes before him
    and consumes his foes on every side.
⁴ His lightning lights up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all peoples see his glory.

~Psalm 97:1-6

There are many songs based on Psalms, but this one gets me in a special place with God, and the emotion in the reciting (what Smith does is much more powerful than mere reciting, but I cannot think of the word to use) of the above verses gets me every time. How can one listen to this and not want to see God's glory? I want to see it. Do you?

Many of us have had a front-row seat to God's glory as we have experienced, heard about, read about, or otherwise followed the healing of Adam Root. Adam has defied doctors and doubters with his progress. He has surprised many by walking, talking, and even riding a bicycle! 

Amy, and my fellow prayer warriors have not been surprised. We are simply thankful. Thankful that God has heard our prayers and chosen to answer them with healing. Not an instantaneous healing, but a slow, methodical healing. In the case of Adam's recovery, it is as if God is slowly peeling away Adam's afflictions. Something tells me that God is using Adam to keep us disciplined in our prayers and faith.

While Adam is regularly in my prayers, it is time to rally folks together. Adam needs to reclaim his memory. So, let's join Amy in prayer on Friday, February 1st (see Please Join Us...) Let's lift Adam up, together, as we fast and pray for God to restore Adam's memory.

We will pray as we have in the past. Fasting is suggested, but not required. A devotional will be posted on the evening of the 31st, at each meal time on the 1st, and one more in the evening (read more details).

I look forward to praying with you on February 1st. Let's experience God's glory (and His healing power), together!

Evening: Don't Forget God's Faithfulness

For all those fasting, we have just about made it through the day. As I approach the end of a day of fasting, I find myself increasingly aware of, and dependent upon God. With my last post of the day, we reach the fourth and final instruction from Pastor Meeks about what we should (or should not) be doing while waiting.

4. Don't Forget God's Faithfulness

Psalm 103:1-3

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases

Meeks tells us that, "Waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be."

His statement kind of reminds me of the old Army recruiting ad that contained a jingle that went something like "Be all that you can be...in the army."

Remember that we are not waiting on God to heal Adam. He is waiting on us. He is waiting for us to be all that we can be in His army. In the meantime, God is building our faith. The title of the song, While I'm waiting, by John Waller is a bit misleading. It implies that we are waiting on God. Yet, as you listen to the words, Waller describes all the activities that God is waiting for us to perform before He helps get over the hurdle. It seems the title of the song should be While God's Waiting.



Pray:

• For Adam's FULL RECOVERY!
• That Adam's healing would lead others to Christ
• That Adam and Amy would eventually speak to many people about Adam's accident, his healing, and their faith

Remember that a 'delayed' full recovery is not a 'denied' full recovery. A "Not yet" is not "No."

Thank you for praying with us, today. Keep on praying for Adam's recovery until Amy tells us to move on to praying for their ministry.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

Amen.

Dinner: Don't Quit The Race.

If you are fasting with us, your stomach may be crying out for food. As many times as I have fasted, I am apprehensive about getting through a day without food. My advice is don't quit the fast! Likewise, Pastor Meeks has advice for anybody facing the hurdle of delay, which includes Adam's delayed healing:

3. Don't Quit the Race

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

There is always a delay between the time when we sow, and when we harvest. With regard to praying for Adam's healing, we began sowing two years ago. Since we are praying for his full recovery, we have not yet reached the harvest. Yet, we are "watching the crop grow."

Adam has made such amazing progress. He was told he would never walk, yet he walks (his sign reads, "I was told I would never walk...WRONG!). Praise God! It is not yet a full recovery, but Adam has traveled a long way from the days immediately following his accident.

Do not give up. Continue to pray for Adam's full recovery.

Pray that:

• Adam would move beyond the phase of expressing anger at Amy

• Adam's cognition would improve

• The day will come when Amy will no longer have to care for Adam as a patient—only as a wife for a husband

1 Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Don't quit praying for Adam. Continue on until he reaches full recovery.

I will post one more time, this evening.

Lunch: Don't Complain and Worry

In the breakfast devotional, we read that we should not surrender to fear. If we can get past the fear, there are other ways that the evil one tries to separate us from God. The second of four instructions from Pastor Meeks is one that we are all guilty of not following.

2. Don't Complain and Worry

Numbers 21:4-5

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

Oh, those Israelites were so good at complaining, weren't they? And that would make them different from us, how?

It is easy for us to complain that Adam's recovery is taking so long. It is also easy for us to worry about how much longer it might take. There is an easy answer to that. We have no idea how long it will take. Yet, we have instruction on what to do about it.

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the Lord

    and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Be still, and wait patiently. Easy to say, difficult to do. From my vantage point, nobody has been a better model of this instruction than Amy. She could look around, and ask why others, including "the wicked," are better off. She could complain to God that she got a bad deal. She could spend a lot of time worrying about what the future looks like. Rather, she has chosen to be still, and wait patiently.

As we wait patiently, we will find strength.

Pray for:

• Thankful hearts that would not complain or worry.

• Continued improvement in Adam's memory.

• Continued strength and perseverance for Amy.

• Safe travel as Amy drives Adam across the country to spend the summer with Amy's mother.

During a lunch hour without food, spend some time reading your Bible and meditating on God's work in Adam's recovery. Speaking of his recovery, look at him working in the yard!

Praise God!

We will meet back up at dinner time. If your stomach starts giving you pangs of hunger, take some time to pray.

Breakfast: Do Not Surrender to Fear

Good morning! Thanks for joining us in prayer, today. As I was preparing for today, I tried my best to put myself in the shoes of those closest to Adam. This past May 15th marked the two-year anniversary of his motocross accident. At times, it hardly seems possible that much time has passed. Yet for Amy, Mackenzie, Jack, Cookie, Ben, Brad, Tristan, and Adam's close friends, it is has probably felt more like a lifetime.

Last night, I wrote about God's purposes for making us wait (Delay by Design?). The problem for many of us, is that waiting causes fear. Fear that things may not turn out the way we want. Fear that God does not answer our prayers. Fear that He does not hear them at all! Fear that God simply is not with us.

On Sunday afternoon, I was listening to an online sermon by Mike Meeks, Lead Pastor at Eastlake Church in Chula Vista, California. He delivered a message titled, "What To Do While Waiting" (click here to listen and watch video of Hurdles Week 5) There were four key instructions about "what not to do" while waiting — in this case, for Adam's healing. I will be sharing them with you, today.

1. Don't Surrender to Fear

Fear is real. It can, and does, attack all of us. Pastor Meeks pointed out that the antidote to fear is to re-focus on God's presence in our lives.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

It was interesting to learn that there are 365 "Fear nots" in the Bible.

As I listened to the message, the key take-away for me is that God is with me when I feel His presence, and God is with me when I feel nothing at all. My feelings do not change the reality of God's presence in my life. Today, as we join together in prayer for Adam, don't be concerned about God hearing us. He will hear our prayers!

Prayer

As we set aside to pray for Adam, today, we should not be asking God to be with us. Rather, we should be asking for God to help us be aware of his presence. That is one of the reasons I fast. It helps me to be aware that I am in the presence of God, and that He is with me.

As we begin the day, consider the following for your morning prayer:

• Praise God for being with us.

• Ask God to make us aware of His presence.

• Praise God for His endless grace.

• Thank God for allowing us to be witnesses to a miraculous healing process over the past two years.*

• Pray for the healing of Adam's aphasia.

*For comparison, read Amy's post from June 28, 2010, then view the photo of Adam, below!

Praise God!

As you go through your morning of work, school, meetings, chores, or other activities, be aware of God's presence, and don't be bashful about offering short prayers for Adam and his family. We will meet, again, at lunch time.

Fervent Cries and Submission

I was pretty sure that I should be in bed, right now. Then, I read this:

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

 ~Hebrews 5:7

Oh, it is my hope that many offer up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who can save us!

Eve of Fasting: Delay by Design?

Deuteronomy 8:2

    "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands."

40 years! God chose to lead the Israelites down the long path that took 40 years to arrive at their destination. That is a long delay.

How are you doing with delay? How do you deal with difficulty? How do you respond to disappointment? How do you react to suffering?

I cannot say that I always respond with patience. Yet, I do believe that delay is a test of our faith — just as it was for the Israelites. Adam just began year three of his recovery. If we have ever felt that his healing has been agonizingly slow, we are using the standards of our modern-day culture. God uses His own standards, and does everything in His own timing. Just think about wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years!

Has God been testing us? I believe so. Is He testing anybody in particular? There may be one or more specific people, or it may be a large group of us. The question each of us should be asking ourselves is, "Are you waiting on me, Lord?"

If God is singling me out; If the Lord is testing my heart, I want to pass the test. Yes, I want to see Adam achieve a full recovery. Most importantly, however, I want God to humble me, test me, and see that I have a  heart that desires to obey Him.

Viktor E. Frankl, neurologist, psychiatrist, author, and Holocaust survivor, wrote:

“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”

With regard to Adam, the only way I know how to respond is through obedience to God. For me, that means prayer and fasting, but not by myself. I invite and encourage you to join me, tomorrow (Wednesday) by setting aside time to pray with me. If you can commit to fasting, so much the better.

    Now how could I after knowing One so great
    Respond to You in any way
    That's less than all I have to give
    But by Your grace I want to love You
    not with what I say
    But everyday
    In a way that my life is lived
    ~Every Time I Breathe, Big Daddy Weave



I want to respond with all I have to give. After a year of praying alone, I look forward to praying with you, tomorrow.

Year Three of Healing

Wednesday, May 16^th, Adam Root begins his third year of recovery from the motocross accident that occurred on May 15th, 2010.

It has been both a difficult and amazing journey. Difficult, because the healing process has been long and frustratingly slow for both him and his family. Amazing, because Adam has defied the prognosis from the doctors, and surpassed the expectations of many who know him.

As Adam ventures into his third year of healing, I encourage all family and friends to join me in a day of prayer and fasting on Wednesday, May 23rd. It will be a day where we will thank God for the remarkable healing that has taken place, and ask for continued improvement in Adam’s health.

Adam would not be where he is today without the miraculous healing power of God. Let’s join together to celebrate what God has done and petition Him for Adam’s continued recovery.

I look forward to praying with you.  Remember that...

   He made the lame walk, and the dumb talk

   And He opened blinded eyes to see

   That the sun rises on His time,

   yet He know our deepest desperate need.

   And the world waits, while His heart aches,

   To realize the dream.

   I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live through you and me.

   ~What Life Would Be Like, Big Daddy Weave

Let's let Jesus live through us on May 23rd.

Dear Adam,

I am so happy and excited over the progress you have made in your rehabilitation. The recovery that you have made has the hands of God all over it.

My small group is studying Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby. In his book, Blackaby writes, “We come to know God as we experience Him in and around our lives.” Since May 17th of last year, I have experienced God in ways that I never have before.

I was riding WES, the commuter train that runs between Wilsonville and Beaverton, on Monday, the 17th of May, two days after your accident. God spoke to me on that train ride. Through the Holy Spirit, He instructed me to organize a day of fasting and prayer for your healing. Many people united in prayer three days later on Thursday, May 20th.

I thought the day of fasting and prayer was a one-day event. I had no idea that would become a weekly event over the following 11 months. I know that others would agree when I say that praying for you has deepened my relationship with God.

It sounds so selfish to say that because you have suffered, others have been enriched. It makes me cringe to even write the words. Yet, I want you to know that your long road to recovery has served Kingdom purposes. God has used you to reach others.

Words cannot express what has happened to my faith life since May of last year. Just know that, like others, God has blessed me with His presence. Of course, He has also blessed us with answers to prayers for your healing, which has far exceeded that expectations of doctors in North Carolina.

Personally, I spend more time in prayer. I routinely get down on my knees when I pray, something that I did not do before your accident. Fasting became a big part of my walk with God over the past year. Like the book mentioned near the start of this letter, I am increasingly experiencing God, rather than just believing in Him.

I know that you are entering a challenging phase of your recovery. As your brain continues healing, you are able to realize some of your limitations. That has to be so frustrating. Yet, I encourage you to give your frustration over to God. He has, and will continue to work a healing in you.

As you continue working toward a full recovery, know that God is in control.



Yes, God is in control. He is in control of your healing and recovery. Thankfully, He is, and I am not. With this truth in mind, I am going to discontinue this blog. However, I will continue to pray for you each day. I know that others will, too.

Adam, I am so sorry for all that Amy, Mackenize, and you have been through during the past year. One of my prayers is that you will understand the positive impact that you have had on so many lives, including mine, and that you will praise God for the work He is doing through you.

Praise be to God!

Love in Christ,
Uncle Doug Mortensen

Evening: Thank you, Jesus!

Thank you, Hillary, for your posts, today. They definitely put me in the mode of gratefulness. I did not spend much time praying for Adam, today. More of my prayers were spent thanking God for the healing that He has already worked in Adam.

Psalm 30:4-5

Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

I have been in a "praising mood," today. Maybe you are not. In Hillary's mid-morning post, she included a song that I really like to play when I am not feeling so grateful. If you are in a difficult place, go back and listen to it.

Adam's progress over the past few weeks has simply left me in awe of God's healing power. After reading Amy's blog post, she seems to be in the same place.

    Here I am with all I am
    Raise my hands to worship You
    I wanna say thank you, oh thank you
    For everything, for who You are
    You cover me, You touch my heart
    I wanna say thank you
    ~Thank You, The Katinas

Just say, "Thank you!" to God, tonight. Thank Him for being with us. Thank Him for never letting go. Eleven months of healing, and God never let go.



Good night, and God bless!

Dinner: Lift Your Hands

I hope you have been able to set aside some time with us today to worship. If this is not the case (or even if it is), I encourage to review some of today's posts in an extended time of worship. I realize earlier that I mentioned there is no right way to worship God, except to come before Him in humility, acknowledging that He is Lord. While this is true, there are certain postures, if you will, that become a physical expression of your heart.

Whether it's dancing for joy, bowing on your knees in reverence, raising your arms in praise, or holding out your hands with palms up, ready to receive from the Lord, I challenge you to physically express worship tonight.

This first song is one of my favorites. The first line speaks of surrender, giving thanks, and trusting. Then, it goes on to say, "When I don't know what to do...." Are you in one of those places where you don't know what to do? Maybe you don't know what to do as you face a tough decision. Maybe it's that you don't have the words to say. Maybe you don't know how to act in a manner worthy of the Lord. Whatever it is, offer this song up as a prayer of surrender, thanks, and trust. And, as you do so, lift your hands...even if it feels strange and awkward at first.

So I will bless you as long as I live;in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 63:4

Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!

Psalm 134:2

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Psalm 141:2

Mid Afternoon: We Cannot Say Enough

No matter how many praises we sing or thanks we give, we could never say enough about our God.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1

Lunch: A Jar Full of Thankful

This is my jar full of thankful. Each marble in it represents something I am thankful for. Today my thankful jar consists of thanks for blessings such as family who surrounds other members of the family with prayer, financial provision even without full employment, and a God who continues to reveal His love to me through creation and other people.

Likely not coincidentally, my past two Wednesdays were very trying. (Often times we face trial, known as spiritual attack, when we are intentionally and boldly doing something in the name of the Lord.) These day have required some extra, set aside thanksgiving. Today, I encourage you to do the same thing. You may not have a jar of marbles (although I highly recommend it for the audible sound of thanks each clink provides), but take a handful of something --- paperclips, goldfish crackers, candies, etc. --- and one by one, hold the item, lift up a prayer of thanks to God for something specific in your life, and then set aside that item. Do this with each item until you have a set aside pile of "thankfuls." Here are a few reasons to give thanks, just to help you get started:

• You are alive and breathing today and in relative good health if you are reading this.
• For Adam's ongoing recovery and recordable progress!
• That Adam is showering and dressing himself.
• That Adam is answering questions loudly and clearly.
  
• That Amy was able to get surgery for her back.
• That Macknezie has already had a good start to school in Orlando.
• Our God is a living God.
  
• Shelter and food.
• For the life and renewal of spring.
• For a God who listens to our prayers.
• And the list goes on and on...

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 7:17

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.

Psalm 28:7

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.

Psalm 30:11-12