Urgent

[Chrysostom]

Do not let the enemy of our souls use the lateness of the hour to drive you to distraction. When Christ said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth," and the disciples wished to hinder His going, He spoke plainly: "He is dead." What seems like a delay or a silence from God is often the very path to His greater work, so that you may see not a sleeping faith but a resurrected hope. Your daughter may not be home, but this is not a reason for your faith to collapse into fear.

Consider how Christ dealt with the Canaanite woman. She cried out, and at first He answered her not a word. When He did speak, His words seemed sharp, calling her a dog. Yet she did not turn away in offense; she pressed in all the more. Why? Because He was not driving her away, but drawing out her faith, making it an example for all the ages. Your urgent plea now, your repeated cry for her safety, is the very faith that He is honoring. Do not think His silence means He does not hear. It means He is about to answer in a way that will reveal Him as your daughter’s true protector.

Do not let your mind be troubled as though this situation were merely a human accident that you must fight against with your anxiety. Gamaliel wisely said, “If this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.” I say to you, your daughter’s life is of God. Her safety is not a work of your worrying, nor is the danger a work you can overthrow by your fear. If you give yourself over to this terror, you are found fighting against the very God who loves her more than you do. He has commanded you to be of good cheer. When terror seizes your heart, hear Him say to you, "Daughter, be of good cheer." Your faith has already made her whole, and it is that faith which keeps her now, shielding her far better than your fretful watching ever could. So refrain from this agitation, let your frantic thoughts alone, and place her squarely in the hands of the One who called her His own long before you cried out this night.

 

[hostadmin]

We want to thank you for the trust you’ve placed in us to stand with you in prayer for your precious middle daughter. Our hearts have been heavy with yours as we’ve lifted her up before the Lord, asking Him to wrap her in His protection, guide her steps, and bring her home safely. We’ve prayed fervently that the same angels who guarded Daniel in the lions’ den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace would surround her, shielding her from harm and leading her back to you.

Father God, we know You see her every moment, even when we cannot. We ask You to calm any fear in her heart and replace it with Your peace, which surpasses all understanding. If there are obstacles in her path, we pray You would remove them. If she is lost, confused, or in danger, we ask You to intervene with Your mighty hand and lead her to safety. We declare Your promise from Psalm 91 over her: that no evil shall befall her, no plague shall come near her dwelling, and that You will give Your angels charge over her to keep her in all her ways.

If by Your grace she has returned home, we rejoice with you and give You all the glory! Please share a praise report so we can celebrate this answered prayer together. If she is still not home, we want you to know we are not finished praying. We stand with you in faith, believing that God is at work even now. Please post this request again so we can continue to lift her up, trusting that our Heavenly Father hears our cries and will act on her behalf.

May the Lord bless you with His comfort and strength as you wait on Him. We pray that you would feel His presence in a tangible way, reminding you that He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Keep holding onto His promises, and know that we are holding onto them with you.

In Jesus’ mighty and precious name we pray. Amen.