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The Bride’s sickbed

A blue comforter all rumpled. The end of it is highlighted by a light above, the bottom of the photo is in darkness so you can't make it out. Sleep, bed, sheets, sick bed
Image by Foundry Co from Pixabay

I was blessed to be part of a meeting yesterday where the attendees all have hearts for spiritual awakening and prayer. Someone said that we need to “cry out to God” which was the topic here a few days ago. Another said that we, as the Church need to “buckle down and pray.” Someone shared a testimony of a testimony of a testimony. I hope I can do it justice:

A faithful servant’s wife was diagnosed with cancer. Each chemo treatment left her sicker than the treatment before. There were times when she didn’t have the strength to get out of bed. One morning was particularly bad. The man was so worried about her and felt helpless. That day, he felt especially broken but went to work anyway. He was a professor at the local University. The first class of the day seemed to go so badly, it just amplified how horrible he felt. After class, he went to his office and just fell to the floor, completely shattered, and cried out to the Lord.

Christ told him of His bride and how sick she is. He too grieves for her and the illness that has overtaken her. He too watches and mourns as she becomes weaker with each day.

That bride is of course us. We need to heal. The treatment is unity, love, compassion, and most of all, prayer.

This is what I’m talking about:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:1-12 ESV

The man who closed out the meeting in prayer ended with this, “Lord. Please! We’re desperate!”


Please join me this week in praying for an awakening. Pray that the Church all across the globe recognizes the signs our Father is showing us. (I believe) He’s trying to open our eyes to the urgency and fervor we should have in spreading the gospel. Pray that our hearts and minds will be guided by the Holy Spirit so that we are always about doing our Father’s business, especially during this crucial time. Please pray for revival. Pray: “Lord. Please! We’re desperate!”