To all my brothers and sisters in Christ,
There are two things that lay very heavy on my heart today.
One is the memory of when my 16 year old nephew was laying in the hospital bed, 2 ½ years ago. I remember it so clearly.
I received a call that morning as we were getting ready for our morning church service.
It was my mom on the other end. She said Ellie, Johnny has been in a terrible accident, we need to pray for him. They transported him by life star helicopter to the RI hospital. That was all that was said, she didn’t know much more than that.
As we gathered together and prayed for him that morning, not knowing much about it, we all believed and knew that God was in control.
Pastor Curt and I headed to the hospital a short time later. On our way there, we just sat quietly. It was the longest 45 minute drive we had ever had.
As we arrived at the hospital, they let us right in. I wasn’t quite ready to see what was ahead of me. No one was allowed in the room accept for the parents, and neither were in there when we arrived. Because we are pastors, they let us in.
As we walked into the room, we heard machines beeping and pumps pumping, breathing machines to help him stay alive. Tubes everywhere. All I could think of was MY GOD! We saw this teenage boy laying there but we couldn’t even recognize who this young man was.
At that moment, I had sat down and I was about ready to pass out. I said, “God, why? Why did I have to see this? I could have stayed home and prayed for him and had faith and believed that YOU would heal him. Why do I have to look at this young boy’s body lying so helpless in this bed?”
God spoke to me that day, He said “Ellie May, I want you to remember what you see here and know that this happens to many, many teenagers everyday. They are dying all the time. Why? Because they have no guidance, they are left to make their own choices and fend for themselves. They are given keys to cars and homes to live in, vacations, and credit cards to use at their discretion. They have so much freedom and they are not ready for it. Their lives are being destroyed. Pray for the teenagers.”
My nephew lived! He pulled through and lived! Praise be to God! People prayed all over the world for him and this year he celebrated his high school graduation!
God saved him. It was through the prayers that were lifted up, God and all His mercy and compassion saved my nephew.
Although my nephew lived, it doesn’t end there for me. It’s just the beginning, because my nephew isn’t the only teenager that God loves. There are so many more.
I saw it with my own eyes, I felt it with my own heart and I will remember them every day, every time I bow my knee.
The second thing that is lying heavy on my heart is the unborn babies that are being killed every day. These innocent babies are being sucked out and destroyed before they even get a chance in life.
They are helpless. They need our voice today and they need our prayers.
There are approximately 1.2 million babies that die in the USA every year due to abortions. 2% of American women between the ages of 15 – 44 have had an abortion. Forty Seven percent of them have had a previous abortion. By the age of 45, 1/3 of all American women will have had at least one abortion.
It has to stop and we are their only source of help.
We don’t have to come from the same denomination to be in one accord. We can come with the same belief that God can and will save the teenagers and the babies today.
My heart’s request is that together, as God’s children, we enter in to a time of praying and fasting for this.
It doesn’t require a lot of time. If each one of us could pick one meal a day to fast from and set aside five minutes to lift up the teenagers and the unborn babies in prayer, God will move the mountains and He will do a mighty work.
Of course, if you have health issues and cannot fast from food, ask God what it is that you can fast from that will be a sacrifice. Maybe certain foods like snacks or caffeine, or things like TV or music, etc. Any of these things can be given up as part of a fast.
Let us come together as His children, putting all denominational differences aside, asking Him to stop these terrible deaths of our teenagers and unborn babies. Ask Him to give us guidance as to how we can be of some help to stop these senseless deaths.
Will you join us today?
If you are willing, make it your personal commitment to God.
Thank you,
Pastor Ellie May Snow