Prayer requests

I am so blessed to have people praying for me. Lorraine, my friend who set up Prayer in the Park, has so eloquently put some prayer requests together. I can't help thinking--Oh, if only I could pray like this, for my prayers are so clumsy and less thoughtful. God knows my intentions, though.

These are specific prayer requests for us. . .all thought out by Lorraine. She asked me to share them with you. If you join us at 12 noon and you feel led to say your own prayer tomorrow, by all means, do! If your words come like mine, well, there's a prayer below that you can say instead.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Praise
Holy Father, we praise You that you are the giver and sustainer of life, the author of our faith. We are in awe of Your power, Your goodness, Your love that is beyond our understanding. You are our help in times of need; You are the Great Physician; You heal; You bring good from evil and light from darkness; You see the Big Picture, whereas we see with human eyes; You see with purity, wheras we see with our wants and needs and biases. You are in total loving control of the universe, and we trust You.

Thanksgiving
We thank you for life and especially today we thank You for the life of Lily Grace, which already has drawn us closer to You and closer to each other. Thank You for the beauty and hope she represents...that--before she's even entered the world--her life has made an impact on all who know her or know about her. I thank You for Dave and Jill, who had the courage and conviction to choose "life" when many in our culture see a compromised life as disposable. I thank You for inspiring them to share their hearts, their insights, their wisdom. I thank You for the many people yet to be revealed who will be helped and encouraged by their experience. Thank You for bringing us together this day in Your Name. May everyone who comes to You today receive a fresh word of Truth and Encouragement from You. Thank You for the mercy and favor You've shown thus far with Lily--that she remains in the womb for her full term. Praise You, Lord! That her sonograms do not reveal problems as grave as what could have been and reveal much that is healthy and nornal. That she has been active throughout her gestation. That You have kept Jill healthy. That You have given Jill and Dave an inexplicable peace, not as the world gives, but as only You can give, the peace that transcends all understanding. And now, claiming your exhortation of Hebrews 4:16, we "approach the Throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and and find grace to help us in our time of need." And so we bring before you the following pleas for Lily's birth and life:

. that You will keep Jill healthy and rested;

. that You will continue to hold Dave and Jill in perfect peace;

. that You give Rani and Autumn peace and understanding through this as well;

. for Your perfect timing for Lily's birth;

. that Jill will be able to receive pain control so she can be fully comfortable and cognizant of every second of this miraculous process;

. that there will be no need for a C-section;

. that all medical professionals will be tender, compassionate, and diligent in their commitment to carry out Dave and Jill's birth plan;

. for safey and protection for any family members or friends who may be traveling to be present for Lily's birth

. that this experience will be more beautiful, profound, and spiritual than the family or any of us has imagined;

. that Lily Grace will be born alive to meet the adoring gazes of her family and to be held in their loving arms. In Ephesians 3:20-21 you tell us that You can do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine," so I ask even more on her behalf. I pray Lord in Your mercy and providence that it will please You to spare this child the catastrophic problems associated with her condition; that perhaps her diagnosis will even prove erroneous. Yes, Lord, we ask for the miracle...that You will bring forth a healthy child. That being said, we trust Your good and loving Will and know that You already have brought about miracles in this situation. We trust Your goodness and surrender to Your perfect love and Divine Purpose;

. and above all, Lord, we ask that You be honored and glorified in every aspect of this birth;

In the Holy and Precious Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.