In Breath there is Hope

Jesus commands, “Bring the boy to me.” Mark 9:19. When they are grown up they may wallow in sin and rage with hatred against God, but when our hearts are breaking we should remember the great Physician’s words: “Bring the boy to me.” As long as they breathe, we should pray. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. The Lord sometimes allows His people to be driven into a corner—that is so they may know by experience how necessary He is to them. Ungodly children, who show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the strong for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our need may be this morning, let it bear us to the ocean of divine love like a strong current. Jesus can remove our sorrow, and soon—He delights to comfort us. Let us hurry to Him while He waits to meet us. - C.H. Spurgeon

We live in a very interesting yet intense world.  It's all in the details, rightly so, all in the details.

I have been granted to see a great many kinds of people from children to adults much older than me.  Seen people in all kinds of emotional situations.  Have seen what others at the time see. Yet, we who are in Christ are to look beyond, to go below the surface.

There are a great many people who I agree are simply physically ill. Yet what many do not agree on in my personal view, is that demon possession is real. 
The Gospels, the book of Acts. Various places in the Old Testament show what constitutes what. It does take discernment. 

I have held the hand of a demon possessed person. To say the least it was a freaky experience.  I have heard stories of those who were 'playing around' with ouija boards.  Then unexpected and unexplained things began happening. 

The Spirit world is real.  But not in the sense that there are restless dead people roaming the earth.  Scripture says you are either saved and with Christ or not saved and are in Hell.  No such thing as purgatory. 

We live in the same kind of world, in many ways, as it was 2,000 years ago.  Demons deceive people into a great many things.

It's easy to write people off who have taken drastic turns in their lifestyle.  People get disowned by family, friends or even some Churches.  They don't know what to do so they give up.

What does Jesus say?

Look at that part of Mark 9. Jesus is as alive today as He was back then.  When we face the unknown in family or friends or just people we just met, bring them to Jesus in prayer.  I heartily agree with Spurgeon, as long as the breath of life is in them, there is hope.

Look beyond that passage in Mark.

The story behind the story of the Prodigal Son.  What didn't the Father do?  He never gave up hope.

Look at the story in the Gospels of the official whose son was ill, begging Jesus to come and heal him.  "Go. Your son lives." He didn't question, he just left to go home.  His servants met him to tell him the news that they witnessed.

Recently, I was made aware of a friend who took a drastic wrong turn in life.  Yet while it's incredibly difficult to wrap my head around the real reasons, my firm belief stands.  He is still alive, there is still hope.  Therefore I must continue to join others in prayer.  This man took a drastic wrong turn from God. But realize the truth of the Prodigal Son. The Father still watches the horizon for this man's return.

It's the same with us. I know of more than a few times in my life when I was the one on the horizon, my Heavenly Father was eagerly awaiting me to come back to Him.

People hadn't stopped praying for me.

Prayer can always go where we cannot.

Prayer is never ever ineffective when it's within the will of God.

Prayer is full of the power of God when the people praying are of one mind in the center of God's plans.

We just tend to give up to easily.  Admit it.
We get distracted from the prayer time and the next thing we know is it's the next day.  Those days add up and it's forgotten.

Things are not important to God.

People are all that is important to God.

Jesus didn't come to die for your possessions. 

Jesus came to die for you. 

Prayer is where our hearts connect with the heart of Jesus.  It's where Satan cannot go.  He can make all kinds of noise but he cannot stop you from your conversation between you and God.
You can stop you.  By making the things of this world more important than people.

So get your priorities in order. 

Jesus is there with you in every way. In the difficult days and good days.  When you see a need in others, talk to Him about it.  There's probably a reason why the Spirit brought that person to your mind in the first place.

Daniel persisted in prayer.  Look at the results.  Others in the book of Acts persisted in prayer.  Look at the results.

Revival didn't come because of good intentions.  Didn't come from book sales or sermons.  It came because of prayer.

Look at what Jesus said when even the empowered Disciples couldn't cast out a certain kind of demon.  He said that that kind could only come out through prayer and fasting. 

Look at the people Jesus healed. He dealt with only 2 kinds.  The physically ill or the demon possessed.  There were no psychological issues.  No confusion about what they were. Either physical or Spiritual was the root of their problems.

That hasn't changed in 2,000 years.

Do not give up hope. 

Look at Jacob and his brother Esau.

Jacob was scared.  His brother Esau was coming and there was fury in his eyes. Jacob had wronged his brother in many ways.  Jacob prayed.  The situation seemed hopeless and he prayed.   What did that prayer do?  It changed Esau. But it also changed Jacob.

Expect prayer to change the person whom you are praying for as well as you.

What would change in you? 

Consider that the storms of life are just that, storms.  We are who are in Christ are trees firmly planted by the waters of Christ.  When we pray in these storms, our roots go deeper. Our connection to God gets stronger. Our purpose becomes clearer.  Focus.  It intensifies our focus on what is important.

Keep praying for my friend.  Actually two friends.  That Jesus would break through to their hearts and save them.  That the demons that have them would be expelled.  Restoration is possible.  They are still breathing.  Hope is eternal in Christ.  As Jesus said, "Be not unbelieving but believing."

Don't give up.  Keep praying even if you feel like you are met with silence or are scorned from others for doing so.  What others think matters not in God's eyes.

Pray without ceasing is the command of God.

I have seen God go where I could not.

Friendships were restored because of it.

God makes a way where there was no way.

Don't

Give

Up

Hope.