Mark 1:35 Very early the next morning Jesus got up and went to a place where He could be alone and pray.   C.E.V.
(I long to be like Jesus and to grow in my prayer life.)

Personal prayer is such a guarded, private thing.  I consider it “open heart” time I spend with my heavenly Father.  Although through the years I have had problems with visuals.  I have tried to put God in a spot, and I have him fastened there, so he can hear me out.  I have this craving to see him, even though I know God is spirit.

There was a time I dressed him regally (as he sat on his tall royal throne) in long flowing white robes.  Although I have never tried to imagine his face, I do His hands, feet and lap.  I long for those hands to touch, arms to hug, and lap to hold me.  “Heavenly Father” is a personal term to me.

Recently, I approach him in my mind, and I enter a place that is filled with His presence.  It is pure here, wide as the sky, yet snug as my closet.  I kneel with my arms around the ones I have taken into this holy place with me.   The very essence of God surrounds us as I profess my love for him and the one whose need I present to him.  It is as though I inhale the very words or desires from the nearness of him, and give them back to him with groans of expectation.  These are times of intercession like no other.  I have no words to express the experience, and I can only say it is not of this world.

When I am alone there, praying for the person I know as me, I trust him to clear my vision, and guide me in this time.  It often makes me weak, and wary to be honest with my Lord, but the cleansing that takes place is so powerful.  My prayers become “As You will.”

He has allowed me, in the days of late, to linger for a while, in a drear, shadowy valley. Yet, strangely I have found this to be a time of solid growth in faith and trust, even as I lean into the wind and the sand shifts.  He has stayed close, as close as my breath to me, even nearer than when I am on the mountain top feasting on praises.

He has tendered my heart, yet given me bones of steel, and I stand in his strength.  I know this comes from the time I spend in that wall-less, bright space, on my face in the midst of his presence.

“Thank you Father for the Spirit dwelling within who faithfully compels me to turn to you.  For your son, my beloved Jesus who gave all, so I may draw near.  You know me, and that’s all I desire.  Your love touches my need.  I am free to trust, obey and soar in Your blessed presence… go with me as I leave this place, and remind me constantly of all You are.  Amen.”

I have been living the American dream. Okay, I’m Canadian, but you know what I mean. I live in a free land, am able to gather with other Christians and worship freely; and I am free to get up and go to my successful career each day to make enough money to own a home, a car and put groceries in my refrigerator each week. I am blessed with two children, a girl and a boy, have two dogs, a cat, and I live in a clean, safe neighborhood. I’ve been living the dream life. Or so it would seem…

Images can be deceiving.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)

The question is: am I a daughter set free, or am I a slave? Have I really been living the perfect life? Am I truly free? The answer is, no, I have not been living a life of freedom. Underneath this image I portray is the truth; I have been living the life of a slave—a slave with a very harsh slave-master called Abortion.

Society wants us to believe that abortion is a simple answer—a simple procedure, which will solve all the problems that an unwanted pregnancy, or one with severe complications, can bring. And in that moment of fear, with her back forced against the wall, a woman might think it is her only answer. I know, because I was that woman. At the moment, when a woman is scared and has her back forced up against a wall, abortion can seem like the only option.  For me, it appeared to be the only answer. I was deceived into believing that it would free me, but the reality is that this “procedure” I believed would free me, actually threw me into the darkest of jail cells with no sign of ever being free again. There was no sign of light ever shining again on the darkness of devastation, and deep regret that would cover my heart in the years that followed. I would carry my secret around with me in shame, as my slave-master kept his tight grip on me, ensuring that I would never forget what I had done.

But God…

Don’t you just love when the Bible says “but God…”? These two little words are words of hope—hope that whatever your situation is, God can meet you there and change it. Yes you may be in a terrible place, but God… Yes you may be hurting, but God… I can be enslaved by my sin, but God can send his Light into my darkness and set me free. I was in denial and avoiding dealing with it when God began shining his light on me. I had shoved it down deep and actually wasn’t at all interested in digging it up, but God had other plans. I was angry. I rebelled. I didn’t want to do what it was going to take to be set free.

But Jesus called to me, “Come!”

He opened the doors to the cell that held me captive for almost ten years and said, “Come, you are forgiven. I died so you could be free.”

Over time , as I have allowed God to tend to this sin that has enslaved my heart; I have known unbearable pain and loss, but I have also known the comfort that can only be found in my Lord Jesus Christ. At the cross, I have found peace. In surrender, I have found freedom. And now, as Christ is saying to me, “Go, and bring comfort as I have comforted you; go and tell of the freedom from the slavery of sin;,” I say to you, my sweet sisters in Christ, “You can be free from the bondage that having an abortion brings into your life. You can be free from the shame and guilt of any past sin.” Turn to the One who died a shameful and agonizing death on the cross so that you, beloved daughter, can be set free.

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”

Hi, I need prayer. I want to move from where we live, and it’s just not God’s timing I guess.

I have 3 kids and for a year now my family has been going through rough times. My boyfriend and father of my kids decided he wanted to be single. We continued to live togeather, and I prayed everything would work out. But it just got worse every month. I couldn’t sit buy and watch my family separate so I followed him and found he was with a girl and her son.

That broke my heart but i still continued to pray. Jan. 2009 he was diagnosed with cancer. When he got out of the hospital our kids and him and me moved into his parents house. Two weeks ago we decided it was best if me and the kids went back home.

Well a week later I got into a huge fight with my mother in law. The day after that he told me he wasn’t coming home and he needed to live his life. I talked to my kids and they are heart broken. They go to the alter every Sunday and ask God to change there dads heart so he can come home. This whole thing seems very wrong in my heart. I’m torn on how to pray for this. There are times I pray for God to restore my family and there are times I ask for my kids hearts to be healed. I would love to have my family whole again. I’m just lost and can’t see what God wants.

Please pray for restoration of my marriage and the salvation of my husband.  We will be married for 24 years in August but he has left our kids and myself over a month ago.  This is not like my husband.  I pray that God would remove him from the enemies and the enemies from him and to send a Christian to him to talk about Gods love, our marriage, our family and to help him to fall in love with me again and to remember the love that he has for me is as strong as death.   And that God crushes SATAN under his feet shortly.

Thanks

My husband is with another woman in a far country. That really crushed my heart. But I’m not giving up or losing hope because I know God is in control. Please pray for my husband to come to his senses, repent of his sins and go back to the Lord and eventually to me, his covenant wife. Please pray for the restoration and healing of my marriage. I believe nothing is impossible with God. Lastly, I really need intercessors to stand with me in prayer and agreement for the redemption of my marriage. Please pray for us.

Pia

I have a urgent prayer request. I have an electric bill due by the 26th for $500+. the whole bill is over $1,000, but they want a little over $500 by next week. I’ve talked to the electric co. & my management office, but to no avail. I don’t believe the charges are justified. last year, PEPCO overcharged me and ended up giving me over $300 credit. I believe I’m due a credit again. it’s just me, and I don’t use that kind of electricity, even with the heating. I pay $130 monthly on the average payment plan, and with them billing me between $245 and almost $300 a few months, it’s really added up.

first of all, I don’t have $500 and second of all, I don’t feel I owe them that much money. they say I do; I say I don’t. my management office hasn’t gotten back to me yet from the letter I wrote them. I’ve been to them 3 different times.need urgent prayer. don’t want my electricity to be shut off next week. need God to move on my behalf.

Please pray for my mother and father-in-law.  They’ve been having problems.  Both are very good people and care very much about their children.  But with the chaos of raising 6 children, managing a family owned business their relationship started to get cold.  I ask for your prayers so that they can come to know God as not only the one who can save their marriage, but the one and only who can save their lives. Thank you for all your prayers.

Roli and Claudia