“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.”
Karl Barth
There is brokenness all around us. We do not have to look for it, it finds us without our seeking it out. We know brokenness as we know ourselves. We know pain and we know the disorder of the world.
Cancer. Fear. Loss. Pain.
Brokenness.
The unrest in Egypt…that is hard to fathom for those of us who walk into our fellowships with no fear of persecution. That outward brokenness is an assault to our senses, an assault to our hearts.
We close our hands not distraught, though, we close our hands in hope.
We bow our heads not in fear and not in defeat. We bow our heads in awareness that we do not hold the power to change the situation, yet we know who does.
We bring our needs to each other and ask for prayer because we are journeying together. We clasp hands together and in doing so we join in the uprising against the disorder of the world. We place ourselves, together, in the care of the Creator. We place ourselves in the care of the One who can change the situation, the One who can speak hope to those who are hopeless.
So….speak your need.
Pray for others in need.
Clasp your hands in prayer and be aware that in doing so we are not vainly throwing our words about; we are acknowledging that we are are His and we cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us.
The Small Rain 
Today’s sermon from Mark’s gospel, about the father who brought his demon possessed son to Jesus for healing…spoke to me. I quit hoping long ago that my 11 year old son would be healed of his “demons” … he is plagued by anxiety disorder, ADHD, mood disorder, obsessive compulsiveness, etc. I have oftened prayed that God would equip us to help him. Maybe it’s time to just bring Isaiah’s name before Him and plead for mercy, whatever that might look like, and accept the answer,not my will, but His. That all of us involved in this boy’s life might fulfill His purposes in this ongoing daily struggle…that His glory be seen…even if that means Isaiah is never healed in this lifetime.
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Praying, Laurie.
You guys are doing a wonderful job and Isaiah is surrounded by those who love him…and he knows it. I know he does. He is surrounded by those who pray. And you guys seek out the best for him constantly. I’m not sure what else you could do.
Praying for wisdom, for strength, for patience and for grace.
Praying for Isaiah…for peace…for calm, for grace, for an awareness of the love that abounds to him.
Blessings on your house tonight…we love you guys.
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Please dont believe that mental illness is a result of a lack of faith. Mental illness is not “demons”.
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Reuben…not sure if you saw the quotation marks, Laurie means these things that are plaguing Isaiah as the demons were plaguing the boy in Mark’s gospel. The boy who was possessed. I understand your wanting to be careful…and I wholeheartedly agree that mental illness is not simply demons, and yet I also hear Laurie’s heart that these things are like those demons that simply sought to destroy that boy.
Again…no mental illness is not simply demonic. Laurie was making a connection to a specific sermon and a specific situation.
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Reuben…hey, I’m rephrasing this because my last reply sounded harsh and I didn’t mean it to. Our sermon today at church was on Mark 9 and Laurie is referring to that. I don’t think she is referring to Isaiah being demonically possessed and that his mental issues are demonic, rather I think she is saying that these significant obstacles are like those demons in that the seem to plague him and seek to destroy him in the same way. (Laurie…feel free to correct me).
Jim, our pastor, actually specifically noted that the whole passage speaks to the fact that the amount of our faith has nothing to do with God’s working healing in our lives, that it is all about who our faith is placed upon. Even then, God does not always heal. Our pastor, and Laurie as well I think, would agree with you that mental illness cannot simply be attributed to demons I don’t think that is what Laurie was getting at, though…I think she was getting at this father who was seeing his boy being so rampaged by something tearing him apart and when he was at his wits end he brought him to Jesus…and when Jesus said, “Bring him to me”, what that had to sound like…to find hope there and to know that when Jesus deals with us it might not look like what we think it should.
Anyway…I agree with you on your main point, yes! Mental illness does not simply equal demonic activity, absolutely. Sorry if it sounded rash on the other comment…
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Sarah, and Laurie, I apologize. I get a blood pressure of about 310 ober 220 when I see disorders and demons in the same statement. The brain is like a bone, and it can be broken. We dont fix broken bones with casting out demons, nor do we with mental illness.
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Reuben, I agree with you on that point. Didn’t mean to link the 2 together. I definitely do not see Isaiah’s mental health issues as demon posession! Sarah did a good job of explaining the Mark passage in context and how it relateed to my prayer request.
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Laurie…thanks for clarifying 😉 Praying for Isaiah, and for you guys.
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Praying for Isaiah and Laurie’s family.
Also, asking for prayer for my two sons, on their own in a house at a college out of town. Please pray for safety, for focus on their curriculums, and for girlfriends who love the Lord 🙂
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Praying, Linnea….Whew! I cannot even imagine. Praying for what you listed, and peace for you and your husband as well!!
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From Last Week:
Michael – for his health and for a job
Sister Christian – Linnea has had SC on her heart, would like us to pray for her.
Alexandra – Xenia asked us to pray for her. A young woman, 25, who suddenly became blind and paralyzed. She is walking a little, with a walker, but still blind and has no explanation for what caused this. Please pray for her healing…her attitude has been amazing through this all.
Patty – Battling breast cancer and recovering from double mastectomy.
Katie – a young girl who has been dealing with such tough battles of the mind. Please keep her whole family in prayer. Goletamom and her husband, as they have found a place for Katie to stay where they are hoping professional help will give them answers and a way forward. Pray for wisdom and for grace for this family.
Allan’s mom – Prayer for his mom as she is dealing with her diminished eyesight and beginnings of dementia. Prayer as well for Allan as her care is falling to him…for wisdom and patience and grace.
Lowly & Broken – Had a really tough week with a car wreck, insurance complications and physical complications from the wreck. Dealing with no transportation and having to ride buses / trains, etc. Pray for quick resolution with insurance and just the emotional stress and turmoil that all of this causes…feeling lonely. Praying for grace…
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Thanks for posting this, Sarah. Alexandra has begun coming to church again. Today I looked at her sitting there with a beatific smile on her face and thought she is probably healthier than I am! But I am sure she’d like her strength and sight restored so please pray for her, if she comes to mind.
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May the Lord have mercy on everyone one here.
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That’s a great update, Xenia…she sounds like an amazing young woman. Will continue to pray that God would bless her in whatever way would bring her the most joy and Him the most glory.
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The thing about Alexandra is that since this catastrophe has befallen her, I expect her personality to have been affected but it hasn’t been. I say something to her and I expect a gloomy response but instead she responds with chuckles and little jokes, just like she always did. No self-pity at all. The most I’ve seen is “Hey, what’s up with this?”
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Thanks, Sarah 🙂
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That is pretty awesome, Xenia…sounds like someone people would be drawn to.
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My prayers are for all those who come here…Lord have mercy on all.
Sarah, my dad has been in assisted living for a bit over a year now. It was a huge task, as he is out of state. The Lord took me through each and every step. It was beyond exhausting. It has been just me, my dad, and God.
He is now 90, and I pray for his salvation. His mind is all over the place, but he knows who I am. I call him everyday, sometimes more. When I saw him in June, he asked me if he could purchase a headstone with a Scientology emblem. He has never associated with them, but always interested. It’s just hard……..I pray for a miracle……
Thank you for this place Sarah.
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That is tough, Nancy, I’m so sorry. I wonder what made him think of wanting the Scientology emblem? How strange. Praying for you…I know how hard it is to be far away.
Praying for those conversations, I’m glad he still knows who you are. Praying for that miracle…may God draw him in by His great affection even yet…
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Thank you so much Sarah. My dad has always been interested in Scientology since I was out of high school. He would read their literature, and talk about it quite a bit, but never go thankfully. My dad was a closet alcoholic which got worse when he retired at a very young age. He had invested very well, than lost everything. That is when he got sober, and thankfully stayed sober. He knows how fortunate he is, but has payed a huge price. My brother has not spoken to him in over 30 years. To be honest, silence is how my family has always dealt with things….I am at a complete loss for words, but that’s ok. 🙂
For those who post her, I see your requests on my phone from work, and pray. Praying for miracles….
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Today was weird
Found a laptop bag in the parking lot with the laptop in it.
Found the owner through some documents (appointment card, eviction notice, hotel receipt) in the bag. Also a kids school supply list and photo.
Was able to return the laptop and provide two kids (her son and a girl she knew in need) with backpacks.
It was a God thing
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That is very cool, London….and yep, surely a God thing. How many backpacks have you given out now?
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Sarah, I don’t know any of these people but am printing off the prayer requests and will pray for them. If you could add my brother Stephen that would be good too. He has been diagnosed wtih bladder cancer and is in treatments now. At this point it is pray and wait. Thanks, C
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Praying, Carol, I’m so sorry to hear this. Keep us posted.
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Stopped counting at 555 cause it was our fifth year. 🙂
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Wow!!
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[…] is being hosted by Sarah here. […]
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Laurie,
My son faces similar issues as yours does.
Last year at this time we knew nothing but despair, but this year has seen much improvement.
Some of that is from medication…but the real difference has been the unwavering love of his family and the prayers of God’s people.
There is hope.
My word to you is to care for yourself with the same tenacity with which you care for Isaiah…the stress on you is tremendous and you have to be intentional about caring for yourself.
Praying…
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