Letter to New Town, Connecticut Residents

Dear New Town Connecticut residents,

I have no words to express how sorry I am for what you are having to go through during this time. I know that words during this time are of very little comfort, and I wish that I could offer something more. I’m saddened and heartbroken that I have nothing to give that can make or change even for a brief moment the reality of what you’re suffering. I can only tell you that I am willing to share your burden with you. As you mourn, as you cry, as you rail against the injustice of what has happened, I want you to know that I hold each of you in my heart, and that I’m willing to share whatever you feel like sharing with me for as long as you need in whatever way you need me to share it with you. Please know that you are not alone in your grief. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Love,
Wayne

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Prayer for Auguest 29, 2012

Heavenly Father, I come to You, humbly with praise in my heart.  Father, I praise You for being the one True God, the Eternal God of Glory and Holiness forever and ever.  I praise You for being the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  I know You are from Everlasting to everlasting.  I know, too, Heavenly Father, that Your, Son, my Lord and Savior was there in the beginning with You.  And, He, is worthy of all Praise, and Honor, and Worship, and Love, for He is Your beloved.  Heavenly Father, how can I or anyone ever praise You and not Him.  He is and will forever be what You have proclaimed Him, King of kings, and Lord of Lords.  He is God and man, a perfect man, made sin in the flesh for us, that we who believe might have eternal life through Him.  Help me, help us all to remember that He who has Your Son has life, and that without Him, we do not know nor have You.

Heavenly Father, I come to You tonight, Father, and I wonder why it is that my prayers always feel so dry and empty.  Sometimes, I don’t feel like I know You, and it grieves my heart.  I know what Your Holy Word says, and I believe…I know that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, and not for mine only, so why do I feel so inept, so unable to fall on my knees and give You that which I can’t seem to find a way to say other then when I’m writing?  Lord, God, what is it about me that I can’t give You what I want to give You.  Words spoken from my mouth…they don’t come.  Heavenly Father, if there’s anything in me that isn’t right in your sight, I ask You to please show me what it is, and remove it from me.  Don’t let me continue to live another day, another moment, in which I feel like I’m of no use to You.  Oh, why, Father, can’t I just pray, can’t I just kneel before You in the dark and talk to You?

Sometimes, I get so scared, Father.  I want to love You so that You know how much I love You.  I want to give You worship.  I want to praise You.  I want to give You my all, and yet when I’m alone I can’t seem to give You anything that’s of any value.  Why?  Sometimes, I feel like I’m that person You talk about in Your Word who does everything in public for their own ends, but I don’t want to be that person.  Oh, Father, You know my heart, please show me that You know my heart, and let me know that You know I’m not for myself.

Heavenly Father, I’m sorry…so sorry.  How I long to be free of this body.  Sometimes I feel like I sin all the time.  I want to be pleasing in Your sight, and I want to do those things that please You and make You happy with me, and yet I know that in and of myself I can do nothing that pleases You.  That’s why I love my Jesus so… Isn’t that why He came, to die for me, so that I wouldn’t have to please You, so that it wouldn’t be me You see when You look at me?  Why must I be this way?  Please Father, just once, let me pray to You, and for You alone.  Let me be thankful, for my Lord and Savior, Jesus…alone.  Is it so wrong to just want to be able to be with You, to talk with You, and not to have it known by others?  It’s not that I don’t want other people to know You, or to know Your Son, but why must I write to You, and pray to You in this way?

Heavenly Father, I don’t know what to say.  I’m at a loss as to what to do…  I know what I deserve, and I know what I have coming, and yet, Lord God, I don’t want to live apart from You in hell.  Why Father, do I have such doubt at times such as this?  I know Father that You sent Your Son to die for me, for my sins, and not for mine only, but for all Your elect’s sin.  I know that Jesus is real, and that He loves me.  Why do I have to go through times like this.  I don’t understand.

Please Heavenly Father, forgive me.  Forgive me for my doubt.  For my not trusting You with all I have and am.  I’m trying.  I’m trying so hard to give You what You want from me.  Make me Yours in every way.  Please take from me everything that doesn’t shine for You, that doesn’t make You appear in all Your glory and honor, and that doesn’t bring witness to Your Son, Jesus.  Forgive me, please, for everything that I’ve done in my life that didn’t bring You all that You’re so worthy of, and for the shame I’ve caused my Lord.  Help me to not be a speaker of words, but a doer of them.  Let me live my life in giving You my all, and doing all that You would have me do…

Heavenly Father, please, please, I ask You according to all that You are, be with those who are suffering this night.  Father, for all those who are struggling…For all those who are fighting for their faith…For all those who are in mourning…For all those who are trying to deal with adversity, and strife, and sorrow, and illness and pain, and every single cursed thing that keeps Your people from being all that You have called them to be.  Father, I pray that You would shower Your every child with Your Love and goodness.  That You would give them the strength, the courage, the desire, to keep going when all around them seems so bleak.  Give them a love that wills to do in the face of the impossible, and most of all, Father, help them to look toward Your Son, Jesus.  Help us all to look to the cross, Father, when we doubt, when we struggle, when we come to You with our questions of why, and then help us to know that You do know us, and that You know our hearts, and that’s why Your Son came…In His precious name, I pray, Amen.

From “The Word For You Today” by Bruce Christian – Satan Is Defeated (3)

For many of us, death is our greatest fear.  One comedian quipped, “I don’t mind dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens!”  But we can’t joke away the sobering reality the Bible describes as “the last enemy.”  So what’s the answer?  Jesus!  “Only by dying could He break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death.  Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Heb 2:14-15 NLT).  Until Jesus came, Satan used the threat of death.  Until then we all lived in fear of it.  But because of the resurrection, all Satan has left are the lies he can tell about death.  The word “destroy” implies “to reduce to zero” (See 1 Jn 3:8).  Wow!  By His death and resurrection, Jesus reduced Satan’s power to zero.  And today Jesus says to you, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.  Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev 1:17-18 NKJV).  After destroying the prison of Death, Jesus came out and said to Satan the jailer, “I’ll take those keys,” then He went back to heaven.

We grieve the loss of a loved one, and that’s a healthy thing to do.  But you can handle the grief when you know you can live through it, and that you’ll be reunited in heaven with your loved ones.  So even in death, we win and Satan loses.