This is the fourth of five weekly posts in our blog series and prayer challenge, Bearing the Burdens of Others: 30 Days of Praying Through Suffering. To learn the purpose of this challenge and how to set yourself up for a prayer-filled 30 days, read our introductory post and download a PDF of the prayer calendar below.
Week Four: Blessing
Now the Lord said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB)
As we enter into the fourth week of our prayer challenge, we pray that you have felt the true presence of God. We pray you have experienced Jehovah Rapha, God our Healer, and Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider, in new ways. We hope that in your commitment to bear the burdens of others, you have been blessed.
We have looked at Abraham’s faith, obedience, belief, and persistence, and now we turn to his promised blessing. This blessing, which is found originally in Genesis 12 and known as the “Abrahamic Covenant," was repeated by God to three different generations: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Each generation was reminded of this promised blessing.
Last week, we reconciled with the fact that God keeps His promises, yet He has all of eternity to do so. This means we won’t necessarily see them all come to fulfillment in this fleeting life on earth.
God's promise of blessing
In the Abrahamic Covenant, we hear God say, “I will,” five times. One day, all elements of God’s promises will be fulfilled. One day, the Lamb will come back as the Lion of Judah and reconcile everything to perfection. He will deliver us from the pain and suffering of this life, and pour out His blessings upon us as He sits on His throne as the righteous ruler our hope is placed in.
As we wait patiently for His ultimate redemption plan to come to fruition, we pray that we persevere through the hardships, deepening our faith and trust, and find peace in His blessings on this earth, both big and small.
Week 4 Prayer Prompts
Join us in praying for blessings for the families we serve with the following prayer prompts. For instructions on how to add them to your digital calendar and for tips on how to remain faithful in prayer for the next 30 days, read our introductory post to this blog series.
Day 19: Pray for bonding despite the circumstances.
Day 20: Pray for the Lord's protective hand.
Day 21: Pray for God to defy the labels and limitations that have been placed on children.
Day 22: Pray for God-appointed doctors and nurses to care for families.
Day 23: Pray for God to open doors only He can open.
Day 24: Pray for the generosity of friends and strangers.
Day 25: Pray for families to grow closer in suffering.
The Praying Through Impact
Just as the Body of Christ has many parts, Praying Through ministries is made up of a network of prayer warriors and generous donors. Three of the families we served this year share how prayers and financial donations have impacted their healing.
Pictured Left to Right: Amanda and NICU graduate, Hollyrose. (CO); The Matthews family. (CA); NICU Grad, Tori. (NY)
“The childrens books Praying Through ministries included in our care package were incredibly helpful. Jesus Heals was great for all my kids and was a wonderful, and educational Christ-centered way to teach my kids about their anatomy. We also prayed over the parts of my daughter's body that needed healing.” -Amanda S.
"Praying Through ministries walked alongside our family as we received a life-limiting diagnosis for our son and joyfully carried him to term. We were blessed by a virtual Bible study, supportive Christ-centered books and care packages, and fruitful friendships. Our family was lifted in fervent prayer and God heard our cries, giving us the miracle of time with Oliver." -Matthews Family
"We were blessed to receive a book from Praying Through ministries' 'Christmas in the NICU 2021' outreach. The book was dropped off by our primary NICU nurse’s former patient who is a part of the Praying Through prayer team. We were encouraged by the gift itself, but also the miraculous way God has connected us with the ministry and other families through its online community." -Joanna G.
Partner with Praying Through Ministries
Are you looking for a way to advance the kingdom and deliver hope to families like Amanda, the Matthews family, and Joanna that are journeying through suffering?
We invite you to become a Praying Through Partner with your recurring, monthly donation of $10, $25, $50, or $100.
Stay tuned for Week Five: Comfort in our five-week prayer challenge and blog series, Bearing the Burdens of Others: 30 Days of Praying Through Suffering.