This is the second 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 Two: Provision
Abraham named that place, "The LORD Will Provide," as it is told this day, "On the LORD's mountain, he will provide." Genesis 22:14 ISV
Last week we boldly petitioned the throne of God for complete and total healing of our families. This week we shift from reliance on the power of Jehovah Rapha, to fixing our eyes on the Lord as our provider.
God revealed Himself as this provider, called Jehovah Jireh, in the book of Genesis. It is important to note the context during this revelation of His character. God asked Abraham to do the impossible - sacrifice his own son, Isaac, the son upon which God had promised to build many nations. God asked Abraham to sacrifice the son he deeply loved and had waited so long for. Nothing about this makes sense, and yet, Abraham trusted in the Lord’s provision He could not yet see and chose to obey God.
The Lord provides
This unwavering trust and obedience was what opened the door for the miracle. Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his beloved son, God intervened. He sent His angels to stop Abraham and spare his son. This affirmed his trust and obedience in the Lord. It was then that Jehovah Jireh provided a ram to take the place of Isaac on the altar.
We invite you to take a moment to envision the pure relief and blessing that provision brought to Abraham and to Isaac. Think about just how much that single moment must have deepened their faith and dependence on God, as well as their trust in His goodness and the hope of His promises.
Our children belong to God
The biggest takeaway from this story for us is that our children are not really ours. Our children belong to God and they are entrusted into our care here on this earth. This fact can bring up some resistance, as we can feel a sense of ownership over them and the desire for them to truly be ours; and at the same time, it can bring us great comfort in knowing that, ultimately, our children are His children. He will take care of them here on earth and with Him in heaven. And no matter what, He will provide.
He will provide through any circumstance
And one day He will give us the ultimate provision - He will wipe away every tear and right every wrong. He will make all things new and whole, and the broken will be healed. Thank you, Jehovah Jireh, we trust you in your provision for our families, even when we don’t understand. Amen.
Week 2 Prayer Prompts
Join us in praying for the healing of 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 5: Pray for God's financial provision to cover expenses.
Day 6: Pray for the wisdom of parents in making decisions for their child's care.
Day 7: Pray for opportunities to honor children.
Day 8: Pray for the strength of Christ to help families get through each day.
Day 9: Pray for opportunities for families to shine the Light of Christ to others.
Day 10: Pray for safe travels to and from the hospital.
Day 11: Pray for the precious gift of time with children.
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: The Amos family before the passing of Micah Nolan. (VA)
Jane, bereaved mother of Avi. (Philippines)
Galaxy, NICU mom to Baby Wisdom King. (TX)
"As Micah's birthday ( & the anniversary of his death just a 4 short days later ) drew closer, I knew I wanted to give back. I decided to do a Facebook fundraiser in Micah’s honor and chose Praying Through Ministries as our non profit. Praying Through ministries helped me so much by hosting Griefshare for loss families, sending care packages for me & my kids, and encouraging us to seek the Lord during this hard time." -Amos Family
"Praying Through ministries hosted a GriefShare group specific to child loss that really helped me to keep fighting the good fight and aim to live the rest of my life serving God and His people. I learned practical things to apply to my daily life." -Jane
"The care package I received from Praying Through ministries has been a beautiful gift. It has blessed me to share about this ministry with others around me also journeying through the NICU." -Galaxy
Partner with Praying Through Ministries
Are you looking for a way to advance the kingdom and deliver hope to families like the Amos family, Jane, and Galaxy 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.
As a gift, we'll send you a calendar magnet as a reminder to stay faithful in prayer.
Stay tuned for Week Three: Faith in our five-week prayer challenge and blog series, Bearing the Burdens of Others: 30 Days of Praying Through Suffering.