Father, in the time we spend with you today, we want to ask for Your continued guidance, protection, and assistance in the lives of our friends, family members or neighbors. Protect them from evil. Keep them pure spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically.
To hide his identity, let’s call him ‘Andrew.’ He was 17 years old, grew up in a strong Christian home, and was clearly loved and cared for. He was close to graduating from high school, but the past few months had taken a turn for the worse.
Andrew was a smart kid, but academics were not his forte. His friends joked, “Andrew will work at McDonald’s for his entire life.” They thought it was funny. Andrew laughed about it on the outside, but grew more broken inside. He began to think that if that’s the way people thought of him, then he would live into it. Early in the school year, he began to use drugs and drink alcohol with his friends. He kept it a secret from his family; he thought they would not understand.
In the dark, his addictions grew, moving to harder drugs. His family tried every method to get through to him. They tried punishment, and Andrew would rebel more. They tried loving him in every way they could think of, and he rebelled more. His family was exhausted and confused. They came to a place where they finally realized that the situation was out of their hands - placing it entirely in God’s hands.
His family cannot explain it, nor can he really, but when things seemed most hopeless, God saved him. Andrew struggles to put it into words, but somehow, someway, he felt the love of God, and that altered the course of his life. It was almost as if a light when on inside him; the blinders were off. He was saved and delivered into the love of God. His family counts all of their failed attempts and gives God the glory for doing in Andrew what human beings could not. They gave it to God.
REFLECT
• Who does your heart ache for God to rescue?
• Will you trust that God will do the impossible in their lives?
• In this painful and confusing time, will you trust God to be your rock? Take refuge in Him.
WORD
Psalm 18:2: The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 16:11: You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Acts 16:31: Believe in and on the Lord Jesus Christ—that is, give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping, and you will be saved; [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.
Luke 10:33-37 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”
WORSHIP
PRAYER
Jesus,
Father, I pray for the hurting and lost of this world.
I ask that You do what only You can in the life of ____________ (insert name). Be their Rock, their Redeemer. Use me in effective ways to show Your love. Enter into the hearts of those far from You.
Be their Savior; deliver them into a transforming relationship with You. I pray for any loved ones by name who do not know the Lord or have fallen away from You. I ask You to reveal Yourself to them as the awesome God that You are. I pray a hedge of protection around my family from all deception, temptation, and any plans of the enemy that would thwart the good plans God has for them.
If I am wrong, right me, if I am lost, guide me, if I start to give up, keep me going. Lead me in light and love. Let me lead others in the path of light by my actions, thoughts, words and deeds. Let them see the light so they may honor and glorify you in heaven; and come to know you!"
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