GOD HEARS OUR CRIES FOR HELP!

Isa 59:1  Don't think that the LORD is too weak to save you or too deaf to hear your call for help! (GNT)

I’ve been focusing a lot here on how WE hear the voice of the Lord, but sometimes we need to step back and re-examine how the Lord hears OUR voices! It matters not to Him if we are male or female, young or old, red, black, white or purple. He is not weak that He would not hear and pay attention to us when we need Him! Yes, He does listen and hear us, regardless of how that “cry for help” sounds to us. Whether we pray out loud or silently, speak in the Spirit, groan in intercession, or even unaware of our cry for help!

Last fall I was in a conference where I ministered to a group of children, some of whom the world would call “challenged”. Funny, but I feel WE are the ones being challenged! God has so much to teach us through children of all kinds – if we’ll just watch for the lessons to be learned!  

I had just finished teaching this awesome group of kids and was leading them in some “soaking” or “waiting” prayer time, looking and listening for the Lord. A few of the kids were antsy and having difficulty focusing. I had been led to pray for one little guy who was very active. I didn’t know anything about him, and asked the Lord how to minister to this precious little one. As I was listening, Jesus asked me, “Can I borrow your arms”? Then I was led to just hold him and sit down, wrapping my arms tightly around him and whispering prayers into his ear. He began settling down and eventually relaxed under his Father’s love and vision!  

What happened afterwards was such a picture of how the Father loves and cares for us, hearing our cries even when we don’t realize we’re crying out for Him. I will let these words from his mom tell the story:

“Near the end of the ministry time at your meeting downstairs for the kids, you took my son, John aside and prayed for him, he was resistant, but Jesus had asked to borrow your arms, so you took him and prayed for him.  I knew that God was doing a work through you at that time, but it wasn't until the next day that we really began to see the fruit from your ministry.  To give you a little background on John, He is an identical twin and his bloodflow had been restricted from in the womb.  The twins were born at 32 weeks and had a bit of a rough start.  Of the two of them, John was a great deal more rigid and they both have been coming out of a non-verbal tendency since they were 5.  They are 9 now.  Part of the way the non-verbal would present was in John's and Peter's (to a lessor extent) propensity to let out screams of frustration frequently.  They never settled down to sleep well and so they would be up late at night and then early in the morning, before the rest of the family would get up, they would go down to the family room and play.  In that time, early in the morning, the screaming would begin.  The whole family, exhausted from the never-ending screaming would groan, then sort of roll over in bed and try to shut it out for just 5 more minutes.  In short my husband and I, and the kids were all completely stressed out from it all and the twins were frustrated and sad, as well.  SO, the day after you ministered to John when we woke up to a quiet house, even though both twins were up, we were more than elated!  This has continued from that day until this, and we are so grateful!”

Jesus heard those little guys cries for help and met their needs! They didn’t need to organize a prayer vigil, send our requests for prayer, or have the pastor anoint them with oil. They were just crying out for help, and the Father heard them! I do believe that as I also relaxed and allowed Him to “borrow” my arms to hold that little guy, His presence settled a need within John. Even though it was an “unorthodox” way to minister, and I’d never done it before, I was so excited to see what Jesus was going to do!

Our spirits long to be with Lord – He placed that need within us, and we constantly cry out for Him through our words, actions, tears, and attitudes! The great Elohim hears those cries, sees our needs and meets us, sometimes in the most unique ways, and with the most unique people! His love and healing are for EVERYONE, regardless of what the world may say, and the glory of His presence cuts through every frustration and pain!  What an incredible Lord we have!

 Karen’s calling is to bring children into the manifest presence and glory of Jesus, lead them in experiencing His deep abiding love, clear unmistakable voice, wise Godly direction for their lives, and to ignite a spirit-led passion for serving Him in many ways at any age.

She is available for children’s and adult conferences, retreats, church dates, camps, leadership training and regional equipping sessions. Fire For the Nations hosts a summer camp for kids and periodic kids mission trips during the year. Her first book, KIDS CAN is now available in both the CWG and Fire For the Nations bookstores. For more information on the book or to schedule dates, check out the website (www.fire4thenations.com), or email her at karen@fire4thenations.com.