Strength for the Weary One

Encourage the exhausted, strengthen the weary,

say to those with an anxious heart, “Take courage. Fear not.”

He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might (strength), He increases power.

God is our Refuge and Strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Isaiah 35:3-4a   Isaiah 40:29   Psalm 46:1   NASB

It’s been said that most of us can endure just about anything as long as it’s short in duration. As long as we see a glimmer of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. But when the light we hoped for is really an on-coming-train version of a trial or a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me challenge, we fall to our emotional knees. Exhausted and weary. Hoping and praying for a quick ending, we suddenly realize there are no magic wands to wave away real life. Real pain. Real heartache.

If our country’s chasm-deep divide isn’t enough, if a potentially life-threatening viral pandemic isn’t enough and if financial uncertainties aren’t enough to be a recipe for flat-out weariness… throw in regular ‘ol life challenges such as relationship issues, parenting, loss, rejection, death, divorce and loneliness… The almost inevitable result – Weary. Exhausted. No strength.

Recently, I walked through just such a trial with a loved one. A trial that caused my eyes to dart about the tunnel of difficulty for a glimmer of hoped-for light. My tunnel of difficulty didn’t suddenly burst with the light of a miraculous removal of pain. As I emotionally peered into the quiet darkness of difficulty, unsure of what might lay ahead… I could “hear” my Lord’s voice speak…

He gives strength to the weary.

He encourages the exhausted.

He increases power to those who lack might.

Though I much prefer a problem-free life, that’s seldom borne out in our real-world experiences is it? And because that is the case, He lavishes His strength on us and in us. He encourages us from the inside out when there is no good reason to be encouraged, He infuses power into these power-less vessels of ours. He sustains the weary one with His very Presence.

“If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty, but impossibility.”

Streams in the Desert

Whether your present trial is an ongoing pebble-in-the-shoe irritation, a soul-deep ache of pain or the death of _______ (You fill in the blank). His grace is sufficient. His strength is perfect. I know…You would rather He remove your pain, remove your trial. He may. But whatever He chooses – trust Him. Whatever it looks like. No matter the whispered lies of the enemy or your own mind that tells you otherwise…Trust the One Who freely gave the life of His Son on your behalf, to hold no good thing back from you.

My Father, How my heart aches at what I see and hear. Please, infuse your mighty strength into me as I speak out loud – You are good, and You are faithful.  I trust You! In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

What’s the Goal?

Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Isaiah 43:7 ESV 1,  Corinthians 10:31

While serving and chatting with friends, my raspy, and newly baritone voice, gave evidence to the cold I’d been fighting all week. Amidst the, “I’ll pray for you” and, “Oh, you sound awful,” came something along these lines. “I pray that stuff away, it can’t come on me.” The words were pregnant with the implied idea that sicknesses (or any “difficult” thing) are always something that we ought to/should be able to pray away.

The poor guy had no idea what puddle he’d just stepped into.

Thus began my short, but penetrating theological dive into the value of life’s thorns and struggles. My main point to him was this; our life is for one purpose. To bring Him glory. Sometimes, that is best achieved through a miraculous healing or intervention, but much more often, God’s glory is manifested in how He walks us through life’s inevitable challenges. As those around us see His peace in the midst of our pain, His comfort as we grieve, or His strength as we handle years long trials … He receives glory and we are provided with a unique opportunity to testify of His faithfulness, not to always remove our difficulties, but to walk us through them. And that speaks volumes to a hurting world.

I don’t say this lightly, because I know from experience that trials can be severe. And painful. And gut wrenching. Maybe you do too. Much more so than fighting my trivial cold. But the goal is always, the same – His glory. Not a particular outcome, not our happiness or even the happiness of someone we love. Whatever it takes, with whatever instrument He chooses, may His glory be displayed in our lives.

True, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray or ask for specific outcomes, but it does mean that the specific-outcome-request, should end with, “Whatever will bring You the most glory, Lord. That is my goal. To honor You.”

Let’s be challenged to look our trials full in the face, and ask ourselves, am I allowing God to use this circumstance for His glory or am I focused solely on praying my way out of it? And in the process, getting angry, or feeling neglected, or impatient as weeks drag into months or years? Hey, no judgement call here, I’ve been there a time or two or ten. But we must not allow ourselves to camp there. We lay our request in His sovereign and all-knowing hands and trust that He will work it all out for our good and His glory. Even death. Even a prison sentence. Even betrayal. Even dashed expectations. And yes, even the sniffles.

“I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.”

Corrie Ten Boom

Father God, I am so very thankful, so very grateful for Your mercy and grace. Though I definitely prefer a problem-free life, it’s an honor for the challenges swirling around me, to be used to bring glory to Your name. Thank You precious Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*For in-depth study on this topic, check out 1 Peter 3 and 4 and James 1. As well as the real-life Biblical stories of Job, and most importantly, of our Lord Himself. For a modern-day example, investigate the true story of Pastor Andrew Brunson.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

When the Sea Doesn’t Part

[Urged on] by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as [though] on dry land…

Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites].

Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith].

And all of these…won divine approval by [means of] their faith…

Hebrews 11:29a-30, 36-37,39a AMPC

Sometimes, our faith in the Lord and His Word parts the Red Sea of impossible situations. Sometimes our faith in Him causes the Stone Wall of adversity to crumble at our feet. Talk about mountain-top, arms lifted in praise and worship outcomes! I like that kind of faith outcome, don’t you? And if I’m honest, that’s what I expect as an outcome of faith. Isn’t that the point of faith? To change our circumstances? Maybe.

Recently, while reading the New Testament book of Hebrews, I stopped in my mental tracks as I read and reread chapter eleven.  My eyes lingered on the almost too-familiar verses in this “hall of fame” chapter on Biblical faith giants. I could almost hear the STOP, and REWIND sound effects in my mind as my fingers traced the words. Tucked into this list of faith-walkers were others, whose faith outcome included words like “suffer” and “trials” and “imprisonment.” Holding those verses up to the light and talking to the Author of those words, I asked how this could be. Is it possible that authentic, Biblical faith can produce such an outcome?

Yes. It seems that sometimes, faith in God and His Word don’t necessarily lead to miraculous intervention. But instead to an ever-deepening trust (faith) in Him, regardless of the outcome. A level of trust that looks the vilest circumstance directly in the eye and still says, “Lord, I trust You. I have no idea how this will end, but I know You are faithful and worthy of my trust. You have promised to cause all things to work together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.”  

Over the years, I have faced seas that did not part, and walls that did not miraculously come down. I bet you have too. Yet, it was during those bitter-sweet times that I experienced the presence of God unlike any other. Rather than my circumstances changing, He chose to change me, and draw me into a closer relationship with Him out of sheer necessity. Have you found that true in your life?

It’s in those dark moments that we have a choice to make – will we hold Him tight, even as the tears fall, and choose to trust Him? The famed preacher, C.H. Spurgeon once said, “To trust God in the light is nothing – to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.” Is there is a circumstance casting a shadow of darkness over you, or someone you love? Even if through tears, will you choose to trust Him? Whatever the outcome? No matter what it looks like, He has a plan and purpose for all He allows to graze your life.

To trust God in the light is nothing – to trust Him in the dark, that is faith.

C.H. Spurgeon

Father, though my heart longs for a miracle, I love You more than any desired outcome. Help me rest in Your faithful goodness, even as I continue to pray in simple faith. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Click here to purchase a hard copy or download a FREE pdf of the devotional, Stony Paths learning to trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life.

You may also purchase Stony Paths, learning to Trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life, by visiting Lulu Publishing or Amazon.

He Notices You

As He (Jesus) passed along He noticed a man blind from his birth. John 9:1 AMPC

Jesus noticed a man. A lonely beggar described as “blind from his birth,” is noticed by the Creator as He walked along the dusty roads of His world. I’m immediately struck by two points in this short verse of Scripture. First, that Jesus noticed the man in the first place. Didn’t He have important people to see and places to go? Didn’t the Savior have a Jerusalem daily planner to follow, demons to cast out or seas to calm?

I confess that I often race through the day without even looking up long enough to see the faces of those He’s placed in my path. Regular folks walking out their own of blind-from-birth trials who just need to be “noticed.” So busy with my life and schedule that I neglect His schedule and His purposes for me.

Secondly, though this man is challenged by his blindness-from-birth condition and though he’s obviously close enough for Jesus to see him, the man remains silent as the Healer walks past him. Cue the chirping crickets. We read nothing of him calling out to Jesus for help. If I were in his shoes, I imagine I would be yelling, pleading, begging for Jesus’ attention, for even the possibility of healing. Yet he remains silent until Jesus Himself presses the issue.

God does not love the rest of the world more than He loves you.

– Arterburg

Does the blind man’s silence speak loudly of one who couldn’t bear the possibility of another disappointment? Another emotional roller coaster of dashed-hopes? Or maybe he had grown so accustom and even comfortable in his pain that he no longer pursued healing? Had pain become so normal that he settled into it like an old chair? If so, the Lord Jesus put His finger on the “comfort zone” of this man’s painful normalcy and offered him deliverance. Our Lord takes the time to notice us. To even seek us out when we don’t have the good sense to cry out. He comes to us in all our brokenness, pursuing us, loving us and then finally putting His finger on our own blind-from-birth condition as He initiates the longing for authentic healing and wholeness. 

You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in a bottle. Psalm 56:8 NASB

My Lord and my God, How thankful I am that You notice me, You see me and You care enough to stop. I can hardly type the words without astonishment flooding me. You even provide the desire for healing when I don’t have the good sense to ask. Wiping away the fear of disappointment, I rest in Your faithfulness and lean into Your Sovereign arms. How I love and praise You Father! In Jesus Name. Amen.

Written by Becky White for Jesus

Leverage your Pain

I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 89:1b

…So that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9b AMPC

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 Berean Standard Bible

Recently, a  *friend and I were discussing life, with all its ups and downs, when mid-sentence, she stopped talking and put both hands to her mouth. Then gingerly reaching out with one hand, she gently touched my very obvious, now 2-year-old scar, from emergency open-heart surgery. Though having academically known about the event that nearly took my life, it became incredibly real to her at this moment. She hugged me and we talked of God’s faithfulness, even through trials. We continued on discussing some of those trials in more detail. I ended by sharing something I often say to the folks we have the privilege of serving through various urban ministries; let God leverage your pain for His glory.

We all have pain, don’t we? Pain from what’s been done to us, pain from the regret of what we’ve done, or a combination of the two. We experience pain by the sheer reality of living in this fallen world. Death, despair, loneliness, loss, illness, betrayal… I could go on. And when pain comes (not if, but when), we have a choice to make. Will we let it go to waste by indulging in self-pity or bitterness or destructive thought patterns of why me? As followers of Christ, the choice is clear, we ask ourselves, how do we leverage this pain for His glory?

We leverage pain by allowing God to use it. All of it. Waste nothing. Tell others what He’s walked you through. Remind them that because of Him, they are not alone. Be real about your sleepless nights or your tears or the heartache or your questions of why or dashed expectations. Take the weapon of pain out of the enemy’s hand and let God use it for His glory.

“He uses our problems for His miracles. This was my first lesson in learning to trust Him completely…”

– Corrie Ten Boom

It’s our choice.

So, what’s your story? Where has pain had the last word? What has nearly drowned you in self-pity or depression or bitterness? Will you be willing, to be willing, to hand Him your pain and leverage it? Pray with me – Father God, I hand you my pain and heartache. All that I’ve walked through. All my regrets. Would You use it? Leverage it? For Your glory? I am humbled that You are willing to use me and my life to impact others for Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

*Thank you Mary Jane!

My Story for His glory

Dealt Cards

I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord, I said You are my God, my times are in Your hands.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy and the God of all comfort,  Who comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God.

Psalm 31:14b-15a & 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 AMPC

 “That’s just the hand I was dealt” says the person that endured a crummy childhood or was born into poverty or family disfunction. Or when life throws a few curve balls such as a spouse walking out or a child rebelling or coping with the pain of infertility or dealing with a prolonged illness. That’s when we would love the chance to say, “Re-deal”, I have a crappy hand!”

Recently, over lunch with a friend, we talked about some of our own “dealt cards” such as childhood trauma, relationship betrayal, death of children, life-threatening illnesses, financial difficulties and some cards that are too sensitive to bring out into the light. On the drive home, after our lunch discussion of dealt cards, I mentally opened my hand, fanning out my life’s cards. I was stunned at the Lord’s perfect wisdom and providence in His dealings (no pun intended) with me. Though I would have passed on several of the cards or traded if I had been given a choice, I clearly see that each has its purpose. Through “the hand I was dealt”, The Lord has provided me a platform authenticated by suffering – to minister to others in a way that would have been impossible without those cards of difficulty.

You see, I can pull out my card of betrayal and share authentically with someone going through divorce or desertion. I can pull out my card of grief at having buried two children as I listen (and hug) the one burying a spouse or child. I can pull from the deck my card of illness after walking through a near-death sudden illness, as I listen to their fears or “what ifs.” The Lord has graciously given me the opportunity to say with authenticity, “I’ve been there, I know what that feels like… and He has faithfully walked me through it… come, let me show you.”

If we are to be good comforters, we must first need comforted.

Anonymous

Alright dear one, what cards have you been dealt? Fan out your hand, look clearly at the cards you’re holding and ask yourself…How can I leverage this “card” for His glory and another’s good?

Precious Lord, God of all comfort – thank You for showing Yourself strong on my behalf as You simultaneously comfort me and enable me to comfort others with the comfort I’ve received from You. I stand amazed at Your faithfulness and goodness toward me! In Jesus’ name, Amen

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

National Day of Prayer

 A Prayer for America by Franklin Graham

 

Franklin Graham

Lord,

We are thankful for the abundant blessings You have bestowed on America. Our forefathers looked to You as Protector, Provider, and the Promise of hope. But we have wandered far from that firm foundation. May we repent for turning our backs on Your faithfulness.

We pray that this great nation will be restored by Your forgiveness.

From bondage, You grant freedom.

Through Your own sacrifice, You offer salvation.

From the state of despair, You offer peace.

From the bounties of Heaven, You have blessed – not because of our goodness – but by Your grace.

You have given us freedom to worship You in spirit and in truth as Your holy Word instructs. May our lives honor You in word and deed. May our nation acknowledge that all good things come from the Father above.

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that our nation should set apart a day for national prayer to confess our sins and transgressions in sorrow, “yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon… announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

“We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own… we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us! It behooves us then… to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

Help us to pray earnestly for our president and leaders who govern, that they will humble themselves and seek Your guidance so that everything we do will shine the light of Your glory in a darkened world.

May our prayers as a people and a nation be heard and blessed for such a time as this. We make this plea in faith, believing in the mighty name of Jesus our Lord.

Amen

Glory to God?

Recently, I came across this years-old devotional I’d written, and couldn’t help but think of those walking through knee-deep trials right now. Pain that lays us bare and can cause even the strongest and God-honoring to cry “uncle”, this is too hard! If that’s you – I am so sorry for what you’re walking through. I promise not to diminish your pain or use Christian lingo to wipe away real-life tragedy. But I will lay God’s Word before you as a balm and possibly a new set of glasses by which to look at your pain.

Does Your Life Glorify God?

[Jesus said to His disciplines] “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” John 12:23 NIV

“…for the Son of Man to be glorified…”  If I didn’t know what was about to happen to Jesus, I would be excited at the prospect of Him being glorified. But I do know what comes next. He’s going to be arrested for something He didn’t do, get slapped across the face for refusing to answer the High Priest, suffer the agony of His beard being plucked out for the amusement of cruel guards and beaten until unrecognizable as human (Isaiah 53). The Son of Man was stripped naked and nailed to a wooden cross.  And just when you think the cruelty and humiliation can’t get any worse, bystanders taunt Him one last time. “If you’re really the Son of God, come down off that cross!” and then they spit at Him, jeering, as He hung naked and pain-racked.

Being aware of all that was to come, the one word that would not come to my mind is glorified. Abandoned, rejected, abused, maybe… but not glorified. Of course, Jesus did know all that would befall Him as He spoke those words. That’s what makes His statement so out of place to me.

Jesus’ mockery of a trial, ruthless beatings, and death (and then His bodily resurrection) were used as tools to bring glory to God. Jesus willingness to be our Scapegoat (Leviticus 16)  brought glory and honor to Himself like nothing else could. The Son of Man was glorified!

If you find yourself knee-deep in difficulties, the Lord doesn’t require your understanding, but He does want your trust. He is more than able to bring glory to His name through your life’s circumstances. Even circumstances, that surface-level, seem disfigured and ugly.

“…we will stand amazed to see the topside of the tapestry and how God beautifully embroidered each circumstance into a pattern for our good and His glory.”

― Joni Eareckson Tada

“Father, I don’t understand why I’m in this trial. And I don’t like it. But — I am willing to obey You no matter what. Grant me the ability to walk through this valley and to do so without bitterness. You don’t require my understanding, only my trust. Glorify Yourself through my life.” In Jesus, name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Click here to purchase a hard copy or download a FREE pdf of the devotional, Stony Paths learning to trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life.

You may also purchase Stony Paths, learning to Trust Him as we walk the Stony Paths of real life, by visiting Lulu Publishing or Amazon.

Wounds that Heal

Can he have followed far who has no wound nor scar? – Amy Carmichael

…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. – Isaiah 61:3

…in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. – Psalm 18:6 NLT

As of this writing, nearly 43 years ago, (May 14th 1980) at about 6:20 am … My three day old baby girl died, exhaling her last, precious breath …

Tracing the memory back in my mind’s eye, I can still smell the fragrance of her newborn baby skin and the softness of her delicate hands and fingertips as they curled around my finger. The tragedy and guttural pain of that day is seared in my mind and memory – leaving a scar as real as any branding iron. Her short life ended in part due to my drug use and poor nutrition – and being barely 15 years old, I gave little thought to good nutrition. The pain of her death was made even worse because of the guilt I felt in her passing. I vividly recall holding her now lifeless body and whimpering through tears, “Look what I’ve done…” There are no words to describe the anguish a parent feels when a child dies, which is magnified beyond measure when our actions were part of that outcome.

I share that very personal and deeply painful memory because through her death, I cried out to God in desperation. And He heard my cry .

He hears your cries as well.

The nurses were so kind to allow me time alone in a room with a rocking chair, and my precious little one, who I named Tiffany Anne. In that room, I held her, rocked her and cried. Buckets of tears. Finally, I told God, “If You’re really there, and I’m not so sure You are … but if You are… would You help me? Wherever she is, I want to be someday and I don’t know how to get there ...”

43 years ago, I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. I had no idea what I was doing, but our God is true to His Word, He promises that if we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him. I found Jesus Christ alone in a hospital room at Children’s hospital, as I cradled my little one.

While there were no magic wands to wave away the series of bad choices I had already made, or would continue to struggle with for years to come – He has faithfully walked with me through it all. Walking out in real life the Truth that He does indeed “Cause all things to work together for our good and His glory.” Romans 8:28. And as C.S. Lewis so accurately put it, “God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.”

As you and I struggle through our own wounds-that-heal scenarios – I’m reminding you as I remind myself – He is no less faithful today as He was 43 years ago… Not to necessarily remove our trials but to walk us through them. And wonder of wonders, bring good from them along the way.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Genesis 50:20 NIV

Father, Precious Savior – My heart still aches with the memory and heartache – yet I am grateful beyond words that it’s only “Till we meet again” – not goodbye. And I am blown away at Your ability to bring such good from such tragedy. To have the honor of honoring You… I love You – In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus.

To watch a short video of my story, click here.

Prodigals (and those who love them)

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. Luke 15:11-13 NLT

Miracles are God’s department. – Ruth Bell Graham

If you have no prodigals of your own, you may be tempted to skip over this devo … please let me encourage you to read on … because I bet you know someone who does.  

The sterile, nuts and bolts dictionary definition of prodigal is, “to use money, resources (including relationships) and even time itself, recklessly.” This may describe our children (teen or adult), spouses, parents, siblings, grandchildren or even ourselves.

To live recklessly.

Having a couple prodigals of my own (and having been one!), I felt drawn to read and reread the entire chapter of Luke 15, pulling wisdom, comfort and encouragement from my Father God through His Word. Glancing at the page in front of me, I noticed (for the 1^st time) that chapter 15 of Luke contains these headings:

The parable of the Lost Sheep.

The parable of the Lost Coin.  

The parable of the Lost Son.

Lost Son … the emotion of that sentence caught in my throat. There’s no dictionary that can adequately capture the meaning of that phrase.

Lost Son … though just typed letters on a page, if you have a *lost son (or daughter), those words are pregnant with emotion. If you are a lost son, I hope the words provide a reminder that you belong to a family. And they feel your absence deeply.

The Son of God shares this parable as an illustration for us to see, and even feel, how valuable we are to our Father God and how He responds to the lost. I believe He also shares this story for all “lost sons” (and daughters) and for all the aching moms and/or dads longing for their return. He so lovingly provides a blueprint for walking out the unique heartache that, often, He alone understands. After all, all His children were at one time, lost.

Decision Magazine 2005

Though there is much to draw from this chapter, I want to use it for a singular purpose. To offer authentic encouragement.  Our Father God sees our prodigal and is at work in their life in ways and means that we do not see. While we are not promised a particular outcome, we can trust that He is moving in their lives because we asked Him to.

While lines of communication should remain open, we must let them go … into His care. And trust. He’ll let us know if there’s something we are supposed to do.

One last point, as you pray and ache for your lost one, be the answer to another’s prayer. Seek out ways to serve, provide hope and actively pray for other hurting folks and their prodigals. That addict on the street or that looking-put-together but really a hot-mess adult child of someone else – they need your touch. Your service. Your interaction. Don’t be so distracted by your own challenges, that you are blind to those He places in your path.

If you are a lost one, forget what’s happened in your past. Cry out to God and then make that phone call or send that text. If those doors are closed, reach out to a praying friend. But know this, the Lord God will welcome you back … in a heartbeat. He loves you so.

Until they draw their last breath, we must not stop praying. Calling to mind that nothing is too difficult for Him.

“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”

William Barclay

Father, we lay our prodigals in Your hands… and trust that You will work in their lives in ways and means that we cannot. You are God. You are good. You are able. And You are faithful. In the meantime, use us in the lives of others, enable us to be Your answer to another’s prayer.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus

Suggested resources/thoughts:

Pray Psalm 139, as you personalize it with your “lost ones” name. So powerful.

The Prodigal Prayer Guide: “Nothing is more devastating than watching a loved one walk away from the Lord. Yet in the middle of this grief, God offers a beautiful invitation to trust Him and to draw nearer to Him than ever before.”

Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait by Ruth Bell Graham

For Prayer: 1-888-NEED-HIM 

https://www.NeedHim.org

 https://tsc.nyc/prayer/  (If you use the Times Square Church app, you can text prayer requests as well).

*Some reading this have lost a son (or daughter) to death. I am so sorry for your pain and loss … I, myself have two children in heaven. There are no words adequate to express your pain.  Only the God of all comfort is able to enter in to such unimaginable grief and then enable us to put one foot in front of the other as we continue (really) living … all for his glory. Let’s not waste our pain.