I was standing in the deli line at work the other day, waiting to order my usual sandwich for lunch. The lady behind me obviously knew the food preparer behind the deli counter. As they conversed, the deli lady announced that she was diagnosed with brain cancer! Right then, my spirit was quickened to breathe a prayer of Mercy, Grace and God’s Healing power for this lady. I don’t know her, nor does she know me or that I just made mention of her in my prayers.

It dawned on me then….

Sometimes we are so engrossed and involved in our own little worlds of schedules, appointments, important dates, or personal entertainment, we miss things of great affect outside our little world. We are engaged so much in busy-ness that we tend to ignore the happenings of intense pain for people around us. I, for one, am by far the worst offender, ignoring my surroundings because I’m too caught up in myself.

Recently though, God has somehow opened my eyes to many things … cancer, breakups, deaths, unemployment, financial hardships, mental breakdowns, and the list goes on. Everywhere I turn someone is requesting prayer for themselves, their loved ones, or for their friends.

As I was leading Praise & Worship last Sunday, I felt so compelled to shout out the scripture from the Old Testament. In Isaiah, 62 the Bible states that GOD will give us a crown of beauty for our ashes, oil of gladness for our sorrow, a garment of praise for our heaviness/grief. Oh God! as we face the trials and hardships that we are dealt in this this life, may we receive grace and mercy from you to rise above our situation and enter a place of rest with you.

James 1 says, count it all JOY when we fall into many trials and tribulations. Allow the tribulation, build our perseverance, cultivate our faith, and let it have its complete work in us … so that WE can be complete.

Just this week, we discovered that a person very close to Canaan’s heart is depressed, giving up on life and resigned to die. That of course, breaks our heart. If you’ve ever been to a Canaan concert, then you have seen and felt the joy, happiness and spirit of God as people dance, lift their hands, clap and sing along to the songs. So it’s very difficult to know that someone is in this condition and we can’t do anything to change it. BUT GOD CAN AND WE CAN PRAY!

Please join us in prayer … for all the pain, for all the people who need a touch from GOD. As the Bible says, “… make your petition be made known to God….”

We love you all and continue to pray for you!