Prayer

Have you ever been caught in the middle of a drought or a raging fire inside your heart and head? Have you ever noticed in the midst of the strongest cry that your tears have stopped as you have no more? Woken up in the middle of the night from the thud of your own heart beating so fast from the nightmare that rages in your head each day. Looked in the mirror and not recognized the person staring back at you as you've become numb to all around you?
What do you do with all of this, PRAY
Its not a secret to those close to me that the above is my life, and has been for some time. But to those looking in.... well, there you have it.
But I must say even with all of that, there is a strange peace and strength that I have always known, its been over the last 4 years that I have called that strength and peace by name, JESUS.
I am not on a soap box here or creating my own political ad, I am just sharing.
I have friends, loved ones, and people that I walk daily with fighting some difficult battles in their lives:
Sickness, Grief, Anger, Loneliness, Difficult pregnancies, Aches for conceiving, Empty marriages, Parting marriages, Job needs, Jealousy, Doubt and so much more. These pains are real to those that are carrying the burden and should be real to us that are not.
Prayer helps.... It gives answers, it gives HOPE, it can make some of the blackness turn to gray and even to white, it can heal and mend, it can give us strength.
I feel the need to place it on your heart that whatever your view or belief is that you find a moment and pray. It does not need to be a perfect script, most of my prayers just start with "Hey God..." He hears, and answers. Even when the answer at that moment makes no sense to us, minutes, days, or years later it will.
"Prayer For A Friend"
Casting Crowns

Lord, I lift my friend to You, I've done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You
Complicated circumstances have clouded his view
Lord, I lift my friend up to You

I fear that I won't have the words that he needs to hear
I pray for Your wisdom, oh God, and a heart that's sincere
Lord, I lift my friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You
My best friend in the world, I know he means much more to You
I want so much to help him, but this is something he has to do
And Lord, I lift my friend up to You

'cause there's a way that seems so right to him
But You know where that leads
He's becoming a puppet of the world, too blind to see the strings
Lord, I lift my friend up to You
My friend up to You

Lord, I lift my friend to You, I've done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You