Lord, there’s so much pain all around me. Thank You for giving me eyes to see it!

I pray for Steve, who is suffering terrible back pain, beyond anything he could imagine. Give him HEALING today, Jesus. Give him and his family laughter and love. And help me find a funny meme or two I can share with him. That always cheers him up.

For our new neighbors, Joey and Peggy, with whom you orchestrated a meeting last night, I pray for HOPE. Lord, You see their pain, You’ve seen how they’ve struggled since that awful fire which should’ve killed them both. You have a divine purpose for them, God, I just know it, but first, they need HOPE. Use those around them, including my family and me, to speak LIFE into them. You see how they’ve wanted to give up so many times, about how they’ve wanted to die, yet here they are, SURVIVORS. I rebuke any attempts the devil makes to destroy them, in the mighty name of Jesus!

For Pastor Mike, Tammy and Matt…oh God, where do I begin? Losing their daughter, and then, years later, losing their precious Nathan, right after graduation. You see the haters trying to tear them down, Jesus. You see the horror and blinding pain behind their eyes, much more than I ever could. You feel their agony, their heartbreak, Jesus! TAKE IT FROM THEM, or at least lessen the impact of the pain, dear Lord. Without You, they’d be dead, they’ve admitted that. You are our only lifeline, Lord, so be all they need to be today. Encourage them, God, as only You can. Thank  You for giving them strength to minister to their community, even on days they feel like they themselves may die. Bless You for this miracle.

One burden I’d like to share, God (even though You know all about it), is the one I carry for those in ministry, ESPECIALLY music ministry. You see how so many of my friends in hard rock and heavy metal ministry are ridiculed and unappreciated. You see the labels put on us, God, by those who brand us “traitors and rebels,” yet You look into our heart, and not the outward appearance, as  You so eloquently state in 1st Samuel 16:7. Walk alongside Harry and Melissa, Jason, Luke, Dave, Jake and Anna, Steve, Dan and all the rest. May Your joy and peace envelope them. Meet all their needs according to Your riches in glory, God. Give them courage and boldness, in Your name!

I pray for all my Facebook friends who struggle with emotional and/or physical pain. I pray for Benny, Brian, Christopher, Patrick and all the rest. Be the LIGHT they so desperately need today! Thank You for showing them Your light, Lord; help us all to walk in it today. Give them tenacity and might today, to accomplish all You have on their agenda. Be with them all, every one! Breath fresh life into Kristen, Charlotte, both Michelle’s, Chad and Lisa, Angie, Rick and Jamie, Rick and Lisa, Jennifer, John, Ashly, Paul, Candi, Jesse, Tony, Jered, Steve, Patty, Joe, Kathryn, Gail, Stephanee, Angela, Shannon, Pam, Mattie, Evelyn, Mark, Jeri and all the rest, too many to mention! Be GOD to them today. And Christy, Lord, You see how much she’s been through. You see the heartache and pain and death and grief and sorrow, and yet, she still stands strong. She’s a miracle, Jesus, as are so many of my friends, so give her an extra measure of joy today.

Lord, I’d like to pray a special prayer for my blessed family. I pray you be with Bill and Lynda, Ann, mom and dad, Aaron and Cindi, Jim and Sue, and all their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. You see how many of us suffer chronic pain every day, every hour, every minute. You know how debilitating, emotionally and physically, our conditions can be. You know the anger, depression and hopelessness that even followers of You experience, so I pray You wrap them up in HOPE today! Wrap them up in love and joy and laughter. Thank You for placing me in such an amazing family, Lord, one that laughs through the pain. Help us to keep on laughing today. Let us never stop.

Also, God, I’d like to specifically pray for Marsha and her family. She’s been through HELL, God, but she is a survivor. Only YOU know how she’s made it this far, but she has, Lord, so give her energy when she has none. Give her hope when she has none. Give her love when she feels she has none to give, Lord, in Your name.

I’d like to also take a moment to thank You for restoring marriages in my family, Jesus. What a miracle! Laura and I split up when we were young, but You brought us back together. Likewise, the marriage of my daughter and son-in-law was dead and buried, God, in ashes, yet You restored them, even allowing my precious grandson to serve as ring-bearer in their second wedding! What a miracle! Thank  You for restoring the marriages of Shawn and Tori, Annette and Tim, and the others You’re still working on. I’d like to thank You so much for doing what You do! Thank You for doing what we could never do on our own.

So much pain, Jesus, yet You are our hope! You are the light which shines into our darkness; a light the devil can never snuff out.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
(John 1:5)

So be light to us, Jesus. To all those reading this, whom I’ve never met, and may not ever meet in this lifetime, I pray You touch them, God. Smile on them, breathe life into dead bones and bring laughter where there is only heartache. Be HOPE where there is despair. Be LIFE where there is only death.

Many days we feel like we’re dying on the inside, Lord, but I pray You bring love and peace to all who seek You. May You be that which we need for survival. May You be LIFE, God.

In short: God, be GOD to all of us.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
(Revelation 21:4)

Amen.