Do not lose heart in praying for Skandar, God will answer us in die season. When is due season? I don't know but our Father in heaven has a perfect plan for Skandar, our job is just to stay persistent and not grow weary.
And whatever trial you are going through, we know from James that we are to "count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience (endurance, perseverance)."
And then he goes on to say: "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete (in Christ), lacking nothing."
--Benjamin
Thank you for the encouraging reminder. Sometimes, when I pray and fast Thursday's lunch, I feel tired and repetitive, like I'm just praying the same thing over and over with no result. But Skandar needs God just as much now as he did when I first started praying, and God is faithful, even if my eyes do not see.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of Skandar's spiritual state as a trial for me, or a testing of my faith, but in a way it is, as I said above. Realizing that is very helpful to being content and joyful in it.
And thank you again for your weekly emails. They are very encouraging and helpful. I continue to pray for the prayer group, as well.
Do you see my comments on here? You (Benjamin) asked for people to answer your messages, so I'd be sorry if you aren't getting my feedback here.
ReplyDeleteI'm not on NW anymore so I just found out that you PM'd me last month about this group, so that makes me hope even more that you've gotten my answers.
Anyway, great message/email reminder, as usual. It was really wonderful to read your praise of God--everything you said is so true. And, as I've said before, it is incredibly helpful to be receiving reminders and encouragement. Just knowing I'm not alone in praying and fasting for Skandar makes such a difference.
I look forward to fasting and praying with everyone again tomorrow.
Thanks a lot Hannah for your posts, the feedback is very encouraging!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason they were not notifying me when I got comments on my blog, I'll try to fix that so that I know when someone posts.
--Benjamin
Hm, I wrote a very long comment here, but it's gone.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Benjamin, for the weekly message! What you said about being with God makes everything else unimportant is so true.
Praying for Skandar to escape from the dark side... http://thoughtsofjoy17.blogspot.com/2011/03/escaping-dark-side.html
Every time I get the weekly email I think, "I should comment on the blog again," but then I don't. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement, praise, and Scripture!
http://memverse.com
Thanks Hannah for posting :)
ReplyDeletePsalm 146:6-8 (New King James Version)
ReplyDelete6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.
8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.
http://youtu.be/nPIOkdNL-QQ
I was reading one of the prayers I wrote for Skandar last year and found it encouraging in my prayers today. In the possibility that it might bless one of the other prayer partners, I'm copying it here.
ReplyDeleteThank You for the work I know You are doing in His life--though I can't see how it could be good now. God, You know what is needed, You know what is good. I trust You. Please, like Paul, change him so totally. Make him suffer for Your name sake. Please, Lord, make me willing to sacrifice for him. Show me what you would have me do! Lord, if there is something in me lacking, or evil, that is holding You back from changing Skandar, please show it to me and make me fix it! God, let me not be a stumbling block to others. God, we are fasting, we are praying, we are weeping, we are praising, is there something else You would have us do? Father, we Your children beg You to adopt another son, in Your unbelievable grace. I wonder that I could ask for such a thing, but Your love is so great! Your mercy so powerful! You are our King! You alone our Redeemer, our Rock, our Resolver. Your Spirit dwells in us and we belong to You. You are so good! My God, I marvel, I wonder, I am awestruck. Thank You. God, You have given Skandar so much. You hold the gift present to him, presenting it so often, continually showing him the Truth yet he refuses to hear! He blocks his eyes and turns away, groping into the darkness, zealously running from You, fighting with all his might, setting himself above You. Break him, Lord! Destroy him! Humble him and grind his face in the dust! Turn his zeal against to zeal for You! Turn his darkness to Light! His hatred to Love! His despair to Hope! His lies to Truth! His chains to Freedom! His pride to Humility! His scorn to Awe. Make in him a new creation, please, dear Lord! God, he is trying so hard to destroy himself, stop it. We come to You as the persistent widow who will not stop asking until her request is granted. Be wearied of us, Lord! :) May we drive you to action! O God, grant us our plea as You did Jacob. Lord, please don't wait and make him do dreadful things before You strike him with Your presence. Make him like Paul after salvation, not following his path to reach there. God, thank You so much for the freedom You have given us. You are so good, Father! Skandar is truly missing out! Thank You so much, God my Father. Thank You. You are so God!
Sometimes in the long months of praying I lose sight of that passion and vision, but, praise God, He is faithful when we are not.
Another thing Skandar-related thing God has recently used to bless me is this video: http://youtu.be/nPIOkdNL-QQ
Perhaps you could share it with the others?
Thank you Hannah, I will share that with the prayer partners.
ReplyDelete--Benjamin
Thank u 4 your message and sharing rachels something. what she said si so true and a good rebynder,
ReplyDeletethx 4
Trust in God with everything even in the rough and hard time keep pursuing Him. It is most important that we do this, God has been teaching me a lot about that lately. That no matter what season you are going through good or bad, smooth sailin' or rough God should always be the number 1 and always who you trust above all else!
needed 2 hear that yesterday
It'd sure be nice if more members of the group frequented the blog, wouldn't it? If we could all share with and encourage each other directly.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm praying for everyone and hope everything is okay.
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 10:36
Thank you for your message this week!
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 65:24 It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear.
For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. Romans 8:26
Amen to what you said in your message this week!
ReplyDeleteI've been blessed to be Prayer Coordinator for my church's VBS (which just ended), and God has taught me so much through it!! He is SO good to us. :)
How blessed we are to have a Father who not only desires our best, but knows what is best for us, and has the power to do it!
Like Benjamin said, Go for God as hard as you can, and you'll find treasures unimaginable. There are no words that can describe the sweetness, the fullness, the depth, the joy of a real relationship with God.
And remember when you're praying, that this is not just a thing of goodwill. We are in a war, the deadliest and most important war ever fought. It is truth verses lies, light verses darkness, and life verses death. Our enemy is real and active. As 1 John says, the whole earth is under the sway of the wicked one.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, though we must be sober and vigilant (as our adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour), we can be confident in God, for He has the victory.
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
220chrisTian:
ReplyDeleteI've been sharing messages with Benjamin the past month. I thought I'd post some of them here.
1. Make sacrifices in every area of your life, not just fasting. With sacrifice comes power. You must also learn to wait. The time of life [“new” birth for Skandar] is not yet.
2. I was in a Pentecostal campmeeting (COG-TN) last month and the sermons were amazing! In one sermon, Pastor Mitchell Tolle said all men had been given a measure of faith, including unbelievers. This faith leads sinners to repent and accept Christ. I think Tolle was referring to Romans 12:3. This struck me forcibly because I immediately thought of Skandar. My prayer is that he exercises this faith. I want Skandar first to hear about a Christian asking for and receiving the moon, some impossible request. I then want him to ask God for the moon for another, maybe even crack a Bible. I put Skandar’s name in Romans 12:3!
3. Pray Isaiah 45:11 for Skandar and the other Narnians. Once they get saved, he has a work for them to do. I just don’t know what it is yet. Ephesians 2:10: God doesn’t call and save people and then put them on the shelf as knickknacks.
4. My testimony http://www.aslanscountry.com/2011/06/aslan%E2%80%99s-meditations-showing-the-narnia-cast-christian-respect-part-one/
5. I started a prayer page [for Skandar and Georgie] on my Tumblr. I mentioned this blogspot. http://skandar-and-georgie.tumblr.com/prayer
Thank you for sharing those, 220!
ReplyDeleteYour testimony was a privilege to read and help me see where I am more clearly.
Are you saying that sacrifice in general is powerful, or sacrificing our own desires for Christ's? While I don't see Biblical evidence for sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice (like Medieval monks), the Bible clearly shows that we are to deny our old flesh to be who God wants us to, so I agree there.
I believe the context says that Romans 12:3 is talking about believers, so could you clarify that for me?
Amen to #3! I am very excited to see how God will use them!
I'm glad to hear from you again; it's always been a blessing. :)
220chrisTian:
ReplyDeleteHannah, I'm glad I could help.
1. I'm referring to sacrifice out of love. Our pattern is the cross. With such sacrifice comes power, i.e. anointing. Jesus the Anointed One was crushed on the cross [Gethsemane - crushed oil]. Out of that sacrifice flowed the oil of the Holy Spirit. Jesus received total power/victory over Satan and death too!
We must go to Mount Hermon [Heb. sanctuary, consecration] and worship Christ there. He'll then equip us for battle. Read part 2 of this series next Monday to see what I mean. You also learn about God's plans for Skandar. It's all in the geography of Lebanon, and in Skandar's name and birthdate. http://www.aslanscountry.com/2011/08/aslan%E2%80%99s-meditations-i-am-the-door-the-good-shepherd-part-1/
2. Romans 12:3 - You may be right about the "believers" context [I scanned Greek + 2 commentaries, blueletterbible.org]. Yet how is it that unbelievers can pray to God and receive what they ask for? This has happened countless times and has led many to trust Christ as a result. This is the miracle I want for Skandar, that God will lead him to pray and receive what he asks for - to open his eyes about God and spiritual things [i.e. believing in another world like Narnia].
Thanks for answering, 220! Sacrifice is definitely key, agreed.
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven't commented in a while.
God is doing tremendous work in my life and church! It is awesome to see His power and grace working through us.
Exactly what you, Benjamin, were talking about a couple weeks ago: judging. God's grace and love is so amazing, so exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. So how can we judge each other, or think ourselves better than someone else? It is so wrong. So horribly, wickedly wrong. We are blind, and need to realize that we are blind and ask God to help us see, to turn our heats of stone into hearts of flesh--like the blindman asked in Mark 10. Instead, we are like James and John (same chapter), having the rotten audacity to ask to be placed above everyone else.
God is so wonderfully wonderful. Praise Him.
Benjamin, thanks for sharing about your family situation. I've been praying for all of you as well.
Okay, I can't not share this with you all. There is another prayer group similar to ours only--well, I'll let you read it for yourself: http://foreverhisservant.blogspot.com/p/onourknees.html
Praise the Lord! For He is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Benjamin, I do really appreciate your sending out the weekly emails/reminders. My chance of forgetting to fast and pray is cut 50% when I read your email. The encouragement and reminder to run with God, not myself, along with the verses and other things you share, are big blessings.
ReplyDeleteI know from various things I do that it is really hard to lead a group, to try to impassion and inspire them, and to keep going and pouring out when most of the group don't respond. So I really appreciate the time and diligence that you put into it.
Praise the Lord.
Thank you a ton Hannah, that means a lot!
ReplyDelete--Benjamin