As I write this post I'm heading home from the "North Country." Crossing the miles, I'm thinking about women I've met from South Carolina to Ohio to Michigan, and I'm praying God continues wooing them to a more intimate walk with Him.
I met young moms who confessed frustrations with parenting, who shared how difficult it is to be in the trenches and how easy it is to forget your way. I met older moms grieving for children who've left the faith, who've rejected truth, who've turned a deaf ear to their pleas. I visited a bit with a single, young woman who needed help in knowing how to relate with her male coworkers. I prayed with one precious young woman who is trusting God to restore her marriage even though there is little progress to be seen right now.
Everywhere I go, I meet women who are broken and needy.
Finding Our Rescuer
We are all needy to some extent, but those who recognize their need and look to the Savior for their rescue are the ones He rides out to meet with salvation:
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing (Zeph. 3:17).
What a promise!
Sometimes we're so overwhelmed by our need, by the pain, by the destructive elements at work in our lives, that we forget He is our Mighty One. Another translation describes Him as our victorious warrior.
He is willing, ready, and completely prepared to provide our rescue.
So why is it so easy to forget that He is at work?
When we forget that our Mighty One is willing and able, we'll try to rescue ourselves through our best efforts. When we forget our Warrior is ready to work, we'll attempt to fix the problem people in our lives through manipulation or control tactics.
My prayer for you this morning, dear reader, is that you will recognize this mighty and victorious warrior in your midst. He longs to be your rescuer.
Cry Out to Him
If you are the young mom today, frazzled, weary, and frustrated by the lack of victory over your emotional outbursts with your little ones . . . cry out to your Warrior today. Ask Him to ride in to your rescue. Ask Him to save you from your anger, your frustration, and your impatience. Ask Him to deepen your love for Him first, but also to deepen your love for your children and to capture the vision for the sacred calling He's given you to nurture them. Ask Him to fill you with His heart of compassion for those He's entrusted to your care.
Cry out to the One who is waiting for your call!
If you are the older mom who is weeping and hopeless for the daughter she's lost, or for the son who has turned His back on the Savior, cry out to your mighty Warrior. Ask Him to deliver those children from destruction, look to Him for help; don't carry this burden yourself. Ask Him to give you insight into effectual intercession for your family. Ask Him to surround your children with tangible evidences of His grace and reality.
Call on your Mighty Warrior to capture their hearts and join Him in the battle for their souls.
Follow the Mighty Warrior's lead in spiritual battle!
If you are the woman who has lost hope for the future, if you're lonely and depressed, and you've lost your sense of purpose, cry out. Cry out to the One who created you for the purpose of bearing His image and bringing Him glory. Ask Him to open your eyes to the great need around you and the specific ways He desires for you to fill the earth with His glory. Cry out to Him for a greater burden for the lost and suffering. Ask Him to confirm the gifts He's given you and to allow you to be fruitful in using those gifts for His great name's sake.
Whatever your need, whatever your burden, cry out to Him. Look to Him for deliverance from your current situation, whether that be a change in circumstances or a change in your heart. And then lay your life before Him, that He may use it for His glory.
What is your cry today?
We invite you to cry out to the Lord together at the upcoming True Woman '16 Conference in Indianapolis. During one evening of the conference, we're hosting Cry Out! A Nationwide Prayer Event for Women. This three-hour simulcast solemn assembly will be a chance for us to earnestly cry out to the Lord for mercy and grace in these critical days. We're praying for hundreds of thousands of women to come together in thousands of locations, lifting our heart cries to Him. Will you join us?
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