Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches!
Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!
Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Lamentations 2:19 ESV


Monday, January 20, 2014

Hermit Crabs

Recently in our Moms in Prayer group, we prayed Psalm 91:1 for our children: That _______ would dwell in the shelter of the Most High and will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
 
After our prayer time, one mom commented that for some reason a picture had come to her mind of a hermit crab operating out of the cover of his protective shell.
 
 
 
What a good illustration of that verse! That is what we want for our children, to operate—to live life—covered by God's protective "shell."
 
I like the way the Amplified Bible "speaks" this verse: " He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]." And also the Expanded Bible: "Those who go to God Most High for safety [dwell/sit in the shelter of God Most High] will be protected by [lodge in the shade/shadow of] the Almighty."
 
The Hebrew word for dwell is yashab. It means to dwell, remain, sit, abide, or inhabit. It is a verb, meaning it is a word indicating that an action is taking place or it can indicate a state of existence. Not just mere existence, though. It is a state of living out existence, of living out life!
 
Praying moms, through our intercession for our children using the Scripture, the very breath of God, life is released.
 
Francis Frangipane wrote that when we "pray His Word, [we] are having an impact on the as-yet-unformed essence of life with the Spirit of God Himself! This is why God calls us not only to know His Word, but also to pray it. … Every good and holy that we see manifested in people, in churches and in life is first conceived and then birthed in the womb of prayer."
 
This is our charge, praying moms, to lift up our hands to the Lord in prayer for the life of our children.  (Lamentations 2:19 GW) May our prayers keep them under the shelter of the love of the Most High God.

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