A Mother's Prayer: Love Labors Toward Glory

My first-born came in the days of December when I was preparing my heart for Christmas. This is a mother's prayer...

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Who for the joy set before me
Will endure the pain,
Spill my blood,
Spend myself,
And exhaust my strength.
For you,

I will despise the shame
Of my vulnerability;
I will expose my weaknesses
Before strangers.

I will not rest,
My labor will not cease,
Until the moment I sit down
With you at my breast.

Oh, Holy Spirit,
Groan with me.
Oh, Messiah Jesus,
Fellowship with me in my sufferings.
Oh, Father God,
Be glorified by my labors.

And oh, little one,
(heart strong from the very beginning)
know this:
You are wanted,
You are accepted,
And you are loved.

You are worth every moment
Of sickness, of stretching,
Of waiting, of groaning.
How I have longed to gather you in my arms,
Ached to smell your skin.

You are my beloved child.
I am yours and you are mine
For a season.
Each day: a gift, a privilege, a blessing.

When I finally awake,
And see your face with His,
I will be satisfied.

Copyright © 12/09/05 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved.

(Based on Heb 12:2, Rom 8:26, Phil 3:10, John 17:1, Luke 13:34, Song 6:3, Ps 17:15)

A PSALM 146 PRAYER

This is an easy way to meditate on Scripture.  Take a Psalm and re-write it to be a prayer from you to God.  It makes it personal and by re-writing the words, it gives you more time to think about the meaning.
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God, I will lift you up.  I will give you credit for all you have done.  I will sing and speak about you in a way that tells how amazing you are.

I will not put my trust in men who can disappoint me, who cannot save me.  Their plans will fall apart.

No instead, you are the one who helps me.  I put my hope in you, God of Jacob.  You are my God too.  You made heaven, the earth, and everything in them above and below.  You are the only one who is faithful forever.

You are the one who will give me justice.  You are the one who provides all I need.  You set prisoners free.  You set me free. 

My eyes were blind - but you have given me sight.  I am looking at a God who reaches down and lifts me up when I have fallen.  You watch over me, even when all else have left me behind.  For all time, all generations, you reign.  This is the God I will praise forever.

Copyright © 2012 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

RESCUE ME - Psalm 3

This is RESCUE ME, based on Psalm 3. 

Part A – My Prayer

Lord, I have more enemies than I can count!
All day long, I face
These temptations, these fears,
These frustrations, this loneliness.
I feel like ten thousand demands
Are pulling me apart!

Help!?

I want purpose.
I want destiny.
I want intimacy.
I want focus.
I want connection… with You.

I don’t want to feel closed off,
Trapped, or helpless.
These thoughts, these fears,
These demons whisper
That You won’t deliver me,
That You won’t come through.

What is true?

O God,
Get up from the place where You dwell
And come down to where I live—
My reality.

Arise! Get up!
Will You rescue me?



Part B – God’s Response

Child,
You do have enemies;
Even more than the ones you see.
Some have a face;
Some, like Fear, have a name.

Child, I am a shield around you.
Whether you know it or not,
I stand in front of you
And get the brunt of the attack.
I’ll take your bullets!

I’ll help you fight your enemies
Within and without.

I want to raise your chin
So you can look Me in the eyes
And see the tenderness
I have in My heart for you.

Put aside your fear, little one.
I will deliver you from your enemies.
I will strike them so hard,
They won’t know what hit them!

If you want to be rescued,
Look no further because
Victory belongs to Me.
I’m your Man!

Copyright © 2009 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

THE FEAST

The Young Woman –
I have wandered in a dry and weary land,
Looking for the words of life
That could nourish my soul.
I have known what it’s like to be
Empty and thirsty and hungry.
I’ve thirsted in the dry desert.
I’ve been lost in a “dark night of the soul”.
I’ve journeyed through years with no refuge
And no hope in sight.

The Beloved –
I am Your God.
All this time, you were really seeking Me.
Your soul was thirsty for Me.
Your flesh was longing for Me.
You were made to be loved
And your hunger for love
Can only be satisfied by Me.

The Young Woman –
Then hurry! 
Bring me to Your banqueting table.
I am weak from hunger for something real,
Starved for affection, faint with love.

The Beloved –
Come to Me.
I have a place ready for you at My table and
A banner with your name on it to reserve your seat.
I want to share with you My living words—
They have power to strengthen you.
My Word, inside you, can sustain you
For your life’s journey.
You can sink your teeth into My kind of truth!

Oh, taste and see that I am good!


Copyright © 7/18/04 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

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Psalm 63:1, 5 (New International Version)

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God,
       earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you,
       my body longs for you,
       in a dry and weary land
       where there is no water.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods…

Song of Solomon 2:3-5 and 5:8 (New International Version)
 3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
       is my lover among the young men.
       I delight to sit in his shade,
       and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
 4 He has taken me to the banquet hall,
       and his banner over me is love.
 5 Strengthen me with raisins,
       refresh me with apples,
       for I am faint with love.
 8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—
       if you find my lover,
       what will you tell him?
       Tell him I am faint with love.

Psalm 34:8 (New King James Version)
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

THE BEAUTIFUL KING

You are a man, but not just a man.
You are a king, but not just a king—The King of all Kings.
And this man, this King Jesus,
Is beautiful in every way.

You are great and glorious:
Wonderful in Your counsel,
Majestic in Your bearing,
Mighty in Your battle cry,
Humble in Your heart.

This King (who oversees all things)
Is content to walk in the garden of my heart.
This King (who holds all things together by His very words)
Loves to hear me pray.

O most beautiful King!
Draw me nearer and
Come close to me.
Hear my heart.
Receive my love.

Browse in my soul’s garden and look for what pleases You.
Gather the purest of my thoughts and desires for Yourself.
Smell the sweet fragrance of how my heart longs for You.
Let me know You as deeply as I am known by You.


Copyright © 2/17/02 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.
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Isaiah 4:2, 9:6 (New King James Version)
    2 In that day the Branch of the LORD [Jesus, the  Messiah] shall be beautiful and glorious…

6 For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Song of Solomon 5:16b (New King James Version)
[The Young Woman]
16 …Yes, he is altogether lovely.
      This is my beloved,
      And this is my friend,
      O daughters of Jerusalem!

Song of Solomon 6:2-3 (New International Version)
[The Young Woman]
 2 My lover has gone down to his garden,
       to the beds of spices,
       to browse in the gardens
       and to gather lilies.
 3 I am my lover's and my lover is mine;
       he browses among the lilies.

TASTE AND SEE

See this—
    Your flame of love has changed me forever.
    Even in the night,
    I dream of You—
    Heart visions of the Brilliant Man.
    I ache for Your face,
    I yearn for Your gaze…
    Your eyes that see my brokenness
    And accept me anyway.

Hear this—
    My life’s song is only for You.
    I have awakened to longing.
    Desire and holy passion
    Have been set free at last.
    I am bound to You now
    As violin to bow,
    Root to earth,
    Unborn to mother’s cord.

Taste this—
    Your love is better than any wine;
Your vines older than time itself.
    My love is the new grape—
    An offering of the fresh, the young.
    I give to You what I have.
    My love can flavor Yours—
    The blend of our loves becomes sweeter together
    And the bouquet more complex.


Copyright © 10/21/03 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved. Revised 7/01/09.
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Psalm 34:8 (New King James Version)
 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
         Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!


Psalm 42:1-2 (New Living Translation)
 1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
      so I long for you, O God.
 2 I thirst for God, the living God.
      When can I go and stand before him?


Psalm 63:6 (New International Version)
 6 On my bed I remember you;
       I think of you through the watches of the night.


Psalm 40:3a (New Living Translation)
 3 He has given me a new song to sing,
      a hymn of praise to our God.

DANCE WITH ME

Song of Solomon 2:10 (AMP)   My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away...


Beloved God, You hold out
Your hand to me with an invitation
To dance.
With a vision for our future, You say,
“Come!  Come away with me!”

If I lean on You,
The more experienced partner, and
Listen for Your cues,
I will move in beautiful fellowship with You
And You with me.

You take the lead; I will follow.
Teach me the steps to the Song of all Songs.

Come! 
Let us escape the busyness of today
And run away to Your secret place—
The spot behind the thorns where the
Honey is the sweetest.

In that hidden and quiet place,
Dance with me
So that I can know You intimately.
Let’s practice over and over
Until I know Your moves by heart.

You lead; I follow.
Teach me to dance to the Song of all Songs.

I am Yours and You are mine forever!

(Copyright © 7/30/01 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.
Revised 9/15/09.)
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Song of Solomon 8:14 (Amplified Bible)

14[Joyfully the radiant bride turned to him, the one altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand to her soul, and with unconcealed eagerness to begin her life of sweet companionship with him, she answered] Make haste, my beloved, and come quickly, like a gazelle or a young hart [and take me to our waiting home] upon the mountains of spices!


Song of Solomon 2:14 (New King James Version)
[The King]

14 “ O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
      In the secret places of the cliff,
      Let me see your face,
      Let me hear your voice;
      For your voice is sweet,
      And your face is lovely.”


Song of Solomon 6:3a (New King James Version)
[The Bride]

3 I am my beloved’s,
      And my beloved is mine.

COME AWAY WITH ME

Come Away with Me

Picture this:
A young girl in a garden — innocent and naive.
She’s beautiful but she doesn’t know it.
She has charms that she’s never used.
She’s just a simple girl – unnoticed by most –
Working in a garden, tending to the grapes.

The King discovers her there.
He sees in her what the others do not see.
He sees in her what she herself does not see:
A rose among thorns.  One of a kind.
Out of all the others, He wants her.
He pursues her.  He woos her.
He entreats her, “Rise up from the life that you know
And come away with Me.”

Picture this:
A girl in the dirt — tear-streaked smudges on her face.
She’s a failure and she knows it.
She’s used her charms in every way she knew how.
She manipulates and works the system.
She’s a woman with experience – a woman of the world.

The King discovers her in front of a mob,
Her secrets exposed to everyone.
He sees what the others and she herself does not see:
A “yes” in her heart – a desire for a better life.
She is a failure but He still wants her.
He entreats her, “Get up from the dirt. 
Leave behind your old life and your old ways
And come away with Me.”

Copyright © 9/12/10 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.
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For the girl in the garden…

Song of Solomon 1:6 (New International Version)
[The Young Woman]
 6 … My [brothers] were angry with me
       and made me take care of the vineyards…

Song of Solomon 4:7, 9 (New Living Translation)
[The King]
 7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
      beautiful in every way.

 9 You have captured my heart,
      my treasure,  my bride.
   You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes…


Song of Solomon 2:1-2, 10 (Amplified Bible)
 1[SHE SAID] I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a [humble] lily of the valleys [that grows in deep and difficult places].
    2But Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters.
[The Young Woman]
10My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

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For the girl in the dirt…

John 8:1-11 (New International Version)
   1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
    But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
    9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
    11"No one, sir," she said.
      "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

INTRODUCTION TO THE SONG OF ALL SONGS

When I was a little girl, I was an avid reader with a vivid imagination and a head full of dreams for my future.  My favorite kinds of books contained adventure, mystery, and romance.  I loved the romantic fairytales because they usually combined all three.  The prince, or the King, would discover a young woman that he desired more than any other.  Even if she were poor and clothed in rags, he would see her value.  He would overcome great obstacles to rescue her and claim her as his own.  They would fall in love; they would marry; they would live happily ever after.  What little girl doesn’t want that fairytale to happen to her?

Fast-forward twenty years:  I was a young woman, divorced, no career, no children, no home, and not even a car.  I was not living the life of my dreams.  Happily ever after seemed like a cruel joke.

It was this jaded and disappointed young woman who “returned to the Lord” as I described in the last chapter and began to experience restoration.  Could God restore my dreams of romance as well?  I wasn’t sure.  Then I discovered a story in the Bible: of great adventure, mystery upon mystery, and true romance. 

Growing up in a church, I was familiar with the passages in Revelation describing the Church – all the followers of Jesus – as the Bride of Christ.  I’d read John 3:29, where John the Baptist describes himself as a friend of the bridegroom, referring to Jesus as the bridegroom.  Honestly, I had thought that imagery was found in only a few isolated passages.  But after I listened to some teachings on the Sacred Romance -- Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom and His church as the Bride of Christ -- I began finding this theme throughout the whole Bible.  For example, Hosea 2:16 (New International Version) says, "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'”  And Isaiah 62:5 (New Living Translation) describes, “Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

I recognize that it is very difficult to wrap your brain around this concept — especially if it is unfamiliar to you.  As I studied Scriptures related to this concept, I had some deep and intimate revelation about how Jesus loves me and how I was created to love Him.  The more I understood this on a personal level, the easier it was for me to understand it on the grander scale of Jesus loving His Church, the Bride of Christ.

This book can’t address all the layers of the Sacred Romance story, but I’ve included a few devotionals on the topic in hopes it will whet your appetite for more understanding.  The story of the Sacred Romance is not just a story — it’s real!  No matter who you are or where you’ve been, He wants you.  He will pursue you and wants you for His very own.  At the heart of the greatest story ever told is a song.  You can find the “Song of All Songs” in Song of Solomon 6:3 (New King James Version), “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”  

Copyright © 12/2010 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved

THIS IS WHY

This is Why

Copyright © 3/26/09 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved. Revised 9/10/10.

I’ve been through the desert.

I’ve lived in that place —

So barren, so dry —

That I wondered if I would ever drink again.

I saw mirages, fantasies.

I thought, “Maybe this will satisfy.

Maybe this will be enough.”

But that person,

That situation always disappointed.

So I got on my face and repented.

I decided to turn to You as my only source of comfort.

And somehow — though it was a long and weary night —

I came through on the other side.  With You.

I am the one coming up from the desert

leaning on my Beloved.

I once was lost and You found me.

I once was blind and You gave me eyes to see.

Jesus, this is why I love You.

This is why I trust You:

You love me.

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Psalm 63:1 (New International Version)

 ¹ O God, you are my God,
       earnestly I seek you;
       my soul thirsts for you,
       my body longs for you,
       in a dry and weary land
       where there is no water.

Song of Solomon 8:5 (New King James Version)

    ⁵ Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
      Leaning upon her beloved?

1 John 4:19 (New King James Version)

¹⁹ We love Him because He first loved us.

Excerpt from A LIVING JESUS

This is an excerpt from the first lesson of the newest kids series that I'm writing.  I've taken each Bible passage where Jesus talks ABOUT children and tell it as a story of Jesus interacting WITH children.  Introducing Josiah and Hannah, a brother and sister who meet Jesus:


"...So he said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children'...


Hannah and Josiah were two of the children that Jesus held on his lap that day.  Now we are going to pretend to be there.  If you are a girl, you are going to pretend that you are Hannah, sitting on one of Jesus’ knees.  If you are a boy, you are going to pretend that you are Josiah, sitting on Jesus’ other knee. 
 
Now I want everyone to close your eyes and use your imagination.  Imagine that you feel Jesus’ soft robe underneath you.  Imagine that you feel Jesus’ strong arms around you.  Imagine feeling Jesus’ scratchy beard above you.  Imagine hearing the sound of the river behind you.  In your mind, look around and see what everything was like to Hannah and Josiah on that day.

Now I want you to imagine that you look right into Jesus’ eyes.  Notice how he looks back at you and smiles and blesses you.  (Give a brief pause.)  OK, now very slowly, you can open your eyes again. What did you notice about Jesus?  What did you see or hear in your imagination?"

Copyright © 8/2012 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

BORN FOR GREATNESS

(A Conversational Paraphrase of Eph 4:17-5:2)

Don’t live like a homeless wanderer, with an absence of true purpose and meaning.  Don’t be in the dark, blind to reality.  Don’t be distant from Me because you don’t know any better.  Don’t have a hard heart that can’t feel or understand love and truth.  Don’t lose your sensitivity to Me by giving yourself permission to indulge in every possible pleasure.

Your desire will never quit and you’ll never be satisfied.  That’s not the way to know Me.

Once you came to Me and I taught you the truth.  I showed you how to take off that old way of thinking:  selfish, inconsiderate, grasping, fearful, desperate, prideful, broken, and hopeless.

I took your twisted mind and shaped you to think straight again—fresh, forgiven, and eager to learn.

I gave you a full makeover from head to toe, inside to out.  I made you new, looking like Me… beautiful, glowing, confident, considerate, peaceful, courageous, steady and firm.  Don’t let go of your new image.  Don’t slide back into old ways.

Beloved, you were born for greatness!

Copyright © 8/2012 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

FOR THE LOST AND THE FOUND

Copyright © 1/15/03 by Kendra Lane Barrow. All rights reserved. Revised 8/3/10.

 

I once was lost.

I pursued other people, other things, and
Other experiences to fulfill me.
I wandered from one unsatisfying high to another.

And I did not realize that You were the One
Who lavished on me everything I have and everything I am.
You gave me my mind, my personality,
A place to call home and money in my pocket
And I used those things
To chase other loves — lesser loves.

All You wanted was for me to be faithful.
All You asked was for me to acknowledge
What You’ve done for me.
And I wasn’t faithful… And I didn’t acknowledge You…

You had every right to take away
Whatever You’d given.
You had every right to expose me —
My secrets laid bare —
My pride and rebellion revealed for all to see.

But You judge me for the sake of love,
Not to destroy me.
You call it like it is
So that I can see what stands between us—
My unfaithfulness and my ungratefulness.

You took away Your gifts and lured me —
To the wilderness, to the desert — to win back my love.
And in time, I chose to return to You, acknowledge You.

Now I’ve got a new song and a second chance:
No longer desolate — I am wanted.
No longer left behind — I am chosen.
No longer broken — I am whole.
No longer bound — I am free to love and be loved!

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from Hosea 2:7-15; Hosea 6:1, 3; Isaiah 62:4 (The Message); and Hosea 2:23 (below).

Hosea 2:23 (New Living Translation)
23 At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites
and raise them for myself.
I will show love
to those I called ‘Not loved.’
And to those I called ‘Not my people,’
I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’
And they will reply, ‘You are our God!’”

Letters of Freedom: Epilogue: Freedom Song

Copyright © 2/16/10 by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

Once a slave

But no longer.

Once in chains

But never again.

Once crying out with desperation

But now – the

Song of the freed.

Dear God,

May the freedom song be in me.

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Isaiah 49:9 (The Message)

 ⁹ I tell prisoners, 'Come on out. You're free!'
   and those huddled in fear, 'It's all right. It's safe now.'

Psalm 30:5 (New Living Translation)

 ⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
      but his favor lasts a lifetime!
   Weeping may last through the night,
      but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 16:9 (New International Version)

 ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices…

Psalm 40:3 (New Living Translation)

³ He has given me a new song to sing,
      a hymn of praise to our God.

Matthew 9:28 (New International Version)

²⁸When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
      "Yes, Lord," they replied.

Letters of Freedom #4: "New Song"

Copyright © 4/2010 arranged by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Isaiah 61:1-3, 10 (NIV).

Little one,

You may feel as if you are poor and needy, but the Lord has anointed me to give you good news.  He sent me to bandage your broken heart.  He sent me to proclaim freedom over you because you have been a captive. You’ve been a prisoner in the dark; I’m here to release you. I’m here to proclaim that this is the year of My favor on you!

I will comfort you when you mourn and provide for you when you grieve.  That’s my job.  That’s what I do. But I also want to give you some gifts-- invisible--but noticeable to everyone around you.

I want to give you a crown of beauty to replace what you’ve been wearing – hopelessness. You’ve been mourning long enough… I want to give you the oil of gladness, a spiritual lubricant to make everything work better even in the midst of troubles that surround you everyday.

And you know what?  It’s time to take off the spirit of despair.  I know you’ve been wearing it a long time, but you’ve outgrown it.  I’m ready to help you remove it forever.

You might be asking yourself what I want from you in return. I want you to explode in praise from deep in your soul! 

Now is the time for a new song!

Love,

                                                                                        Jesus

Letters of Freedom #3: "New Life"

Copyright © 4/2010 arranged by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Ephesians 1 (The Message) and I John 3:1 (NIV).

 Dear Child,

Long before I laid down earth's foundations, I had you in mind, had settled on you as the focus of my love, to be made whole and holy by my love. Long, long ago I decided to adopt you into my family.  (What pleasure I took in planning this!) I wanted you to enter into the celebration of my lavish gift-giving by the hand of my beloved Son. 

Because of his sacrifice, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, you are free.  And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! I’ve thought of everything, provided for everything you could possibly need. I want to let you in on the plans I took such delight in making. In Jesus, I’ve had a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. 

It's in Jesus that you find out

who you are and what you are living for.

Long before you ever heard of Me and got your hopes up, I’ve had my eye on you, have had designs on you for a glorious life, part of the overall purpose I am working out in everything and everyone. 

I want to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing Me personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is I am calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life I have for you and the utter extravagance of my work in you! 

You see, My love is extravagant. Come join me in the secret place.  I want to have an intimate friendship with you.  Let me wash your feet.  Let me pamper you and surround you with beauty. 

How great is the love that I want to lavish on you!

Love,

                                                                                            God

Letters of Freedom #2: "New Eyes"

Copyright © 4/2010 arranged by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Psalm 33:18 (NIV), Ephesians 1:17-20 (The Message), and Ephesians 1:17-20 (NIV).

Little one, 

I have been watching you, for My eyes are on those who hope in My unfailing love.

I have a gift for you.  

Right now, what I need for you to do is to prepare yourself. 

Your job is to receive.

I know that it is harder for you to receive than to give, but giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. MY coin… MY kind of money.  When you say “Yes” in your spirit to My gifts, it gives Me permission to teach you about both.  If you refuse to receive, you take away someone else’s joy at giving and you tie My hands. 

Child, I have been interceding for you, for your journey toward freedom.  I want to give you My Spirit, who wants to give to you wisdom and revelation, so that you might know Me better.

I want to enlighten the eyes of your heart. I want to illuminate who I am and who you are. 

I want to help you see and understand the hope to which I have called you, a glorious hope of a glorious life.

I want to open your eyes to the riches that already belong to you as My child. 

I want you to know and experience My great and incomparable power in your life.

My power raises people from the dead and My power can bring back to life the parts of you that have died.

This is who I am and this is what I do, and I want you to know Me in this way.  Like Paul after his Damascus experience, I want to take off the scales from your eyes and give you a new way to see.

Love,

                                                                                        Your Father

Letters of Freedom #1: "Repairing the Walls"

This series of letters is so special to me... they were were written for my sister for a special project put together by our Bookclub.  Each Letter of Freedom is based on passages of Scripture but put into a format of a letter from God to us.

Child, I comfort you and have compassion on you in your suffering.  Yet, sometimes you say I have deserted you;

that I’ve forgotten you.

Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? 

Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?  

But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!

See, I have written your name on the palms of My hands, engraved your name into My very skin.  You are always in My mind:  I see a picture of you with the walls of your life in ruins.

But I want to use the old rubble of your life to restore these ruins.  I want you to work with Me to rebuild the foundation from out of your past.

You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls.

I know there are mountains that stand in your way.  I know that you feel like you’ve been in a dark prison of your own mind and of your circumstances.

This is what I say to you:  I will go before you and level the mountains.  I will smash down obstacles and cut through your prison bars. 

And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—
secret riches.  Child, I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the One who calls you by name.

I will be your sure foundation providing you with a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. I will be your treasure.
    

Love,

                                                                                           Your Father

Copyright © 4/2010 arranged by Kendra Lane Barrow.  All rights reserved.

Excerpts from Isaiah 49:13-16 (NKJ), Isaiah 58:12 (NIV), and Isaiah 45:2-3 (NIV).

My Resurrection

(This prayer-poem is one of my favorites... inspired by the little girl and bleeding woman in Matthew 5.)


You say to me, “Get up!”
Am I waking from the dead
Or a deep, dark sleep?

“Get up, little girl!”
You grasp my hand and lead me back—
Twelve years, twenty, so many I’ve lost count—
To when the issues began,
To when the bleeding started.
I was just a little girl.

In the places where I died,
When a little part of me
Gave up, lost hope, let go of innocence…
You restore me.

And then You turn
To the woman in me:
The one whose burden has been so heavy,
Who spent everything she had
On the wrong answers and the wrong questions,
The one who has suffered from constant bleeding,
Constant pain.

Surely, if I could just touch Your robe, or
If I could just hear You say my name,
Something would change?
You say to me,
“Your suffering is over.
Get up, I have made you whole!”

Immediately, the bleeding stops and
I feel that I’ve been healed. 
Immediately, I stand up.

I have scars from the past
In my hands and side,
But my grave is empty.
Why look for the living among the dead?
I’m not there.  I’m alive!

for ak
Copyright © 3/25/03 by Kendra Lane Barrow; version 4/06/10.  All rights reserved.

Water Within

Copyright © 2/8/02 by Kendra Lane Barrow; version 8/9/10.  All rights reserved.

Jesus,

Excavate my dried ground

That has kept this living spring small.

Break open my heart

So that this water can gush forth.

You put this living water within me;

Now I give back to You.

Take this offering.

Take as much as You want—

You said this spring of life will

Never run dry.

Refresh Yourself;

Come back for more, again and again.

It is Yours.

The only life I have within me

Is what came from You.

This life, this water,

Belongs to You,

Flows through me

Back to You:

A beautiful cycle of Spirit Water

Returning from earth to sky.

  

Suggestions for Going Deeper

• READ - Read the Scripture verses that inspired this prayer:  John 7:37-39 , Isaiah 58:11 , John 4:10-14 .

• OBSERVE - Notice which words or phrases stand out to you in the prayer or Scripture; consider why they resonate with you.

• TALK - Tell God the thoughts and emotions stirred in you.

•  LISTEN - Spend a few minutes in listening prayer so God can bring His thoughts to your attention.

Intercession

Copyright © 3/16/00 by Kendra Lane Barrow; version 5/29/09.  All rights reserved.

Sweet Spirit,

Who placed in me this yearning

Desire for redemption of all things,

Give a language to these groans,

These slippery unformed thoughts.

Make flesh and bones of my cries:

That all petitions would be fully formed before the Father’s

Piercing gaze.

O Holy Light,

Who placed in me this burning,

May Your will be done in each

Ripple of man, family, country, world,

And to the uttermost of the heavens.

Sweep Your love across the skies

Of deaf, dumb, dreamer, and skeptic… and with it,

Perfect glory.

Breath of Life

 Copyright © 3/17/01 by Kendra Lane Barrow; version 3/3/10.  All rights reserved.

You breathed into Adam

The breath of life—

A mighty wind of inspiration.

A transaction took place in that holy blast.

Your resurrection power electrified him,

Your love warmed the cold dirt of man.

Breathe, breathe, breathe on me.

O Beautiful Breath, come from the four winds,

Gush from the depths.

I surrender to You;

I open my mouth to receive You.

I need divine intervention, divine resuscitation!

Without Your life-giving breath,

I am but a pile of bones:

Hopeless and dry.

Blow, Mighty Wind,

Blow

That I may live.

Suggestions for Going Deeper

• READ - Read the Scripture verses that inspired this prayer:  Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 37:1, 4, 9-11; Job 33:4 ; John 20:21-22

• OBSERVE - Notice which words or phrases stand out to you in the prayer or Scripture; consider why they resonate with you.

• TALK - Tell God the thoughts and emotions stirred in you.

•  LISTEN - Spend a few minutes in listening prayer so God can bring His thoughts to your attention.