When You Need to Pray, “Lord Spare Us”
It was the Sunday before Rev’s heart surgery. Our head pastor invited the congregation to come forward and lay hands on Rev while he prayed. I’ll forever remember that moment as I watched chairs empty and hands touch shoulders. And when these words echoed throughout the church…
“Lord, spare his life!”
Psalm 116 begins with the following…
I love the Lord because He hears my voice
Psalm 1116:1–4
and my prayer for mercy.
Because He bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Please, Lord, save me!”
The Lord heard our prayers and four days later, after six hours of delicate and difficult surgery, Dr. Jennifer Lawton walked into the cardiac waiting room smiling, and we proclaimed with gratitude our own version of…
How kind the Lord is! How good He is!
Psalm 116:5
So merciful, this God of ours!
Yet, we know that’s not always the case. There are times when we pray—Lord, spare my loved one and they still die.
Death is an inevitable part of our journey here on earth.
We’re thankful that God spared Rev’s life sixteen years ago; however, we know that death is the consequence of living in this sinful world.
But it’s not the ultimate consequence because…
God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to give us hope and defeat death forever and always.
Paul wrote…
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
Jesus said…
“The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep.”
John 10:10–11
And later He added…
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
John 10:27–28
Those are just a few of the verses that prompt me to fully trust Jesus’ promise to His followers…
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.“
John 14:1–2
You see…
The Lord cares deeply
Psalm 116:15
when His loved ones die.
We can pray “Lord spare us” and “Lord save us” because His Word tells us that He cares so very much that He made a way for us to be forgiven through repentance and faith in Jesus. He made a way for us to have a rich and satisfying life. And He never abandons us. He even comes to get us and take us home when the time is right and everything is prepared.
Sometimes He spares us for a little longer here but by His grace through faith, He promises to spare us forever and always at home with Him in heaven.
Let’s pray…
Lord Spare Us—Lord Save Us
Father, when the terror of the grave overwhelms us, I thank You that we can cry out, “Lord spare us. Lord save us.” Your Word tells us that You hate death. It was not Your plan for Your creation. You created us with free will and You wanted us to choose to love, trust, and obey You. We chose pride and selfishness. We chose to give in to temptation and generation after generation we have had to face death … the consequence of sin.
Out of Your tremendous love, You provided a way to spare all who choose to SEEK, KNOW, TRUST, and LOVE You. Out of Your faithfulness, You hear our prayers and respond with mercy. Sometimes Your mercy gives us more time here on earth and other times You mercifully take us to our home in heaven.
Thank you, Father, for sending Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for suffering my punishment. Thank you, Spirit, for prompting my faith. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayers. Thank you for Your soul-saving mercy and grace. Thank you for giving me everything I need now and always. Amen.
Years ago, friends shared the following experience with us…
Their young son had been very ill with leukemia and many of us had been praying for his healing. After a round of treatments, the doctors okayed some days at home away from the hospital.
One morning, the little guy had been quietly resting on the couch when suddenly he sat up, looked out the front window, and started excitedly calling, “Mommy. Mommy come quick.”
His mother quickly ran to him but as she looked out over their farmland she couldn’t see anything to excite him.
Then he said, “Mommy, don’t you see Him? It’s Jesus. He’s coming for me.”
And with those words, he took his last breath here and went with Jesus to his heavenly home.
That is the hope-filled promise we have as followers of Jesus.
“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.“
We can trust the Lord! He will always do what is best for us. He will spare us. He will save us. He has shown us how very much He loves us. He sent Jesus.
May the Lord spare you and may He bless you and give you His peace as You pray for mercy and proclaim His goodness.
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Hi, I have asked God for help so many times, I have had terrible pain in my lower back and legs for 10 years, but there was no help! What is true in the Bible? Thanks for the reply. B
Every word in the Bible is true! 2nd Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by INSPIRATION OF GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
You must believe and have faith…
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
I will pray for your healing and that you also will find total belief in every word of the Bible. Every word is God’s Truth!
I’m so very sorry you are struggling with this pain. It’s hard to understand suffering and pain. Paul was given a “thorn in the flesh” that caused him suffering. He wrote … Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:8–9
And Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Mark 14:36
I know from His faithfulness in the past that if God allows suffering in my life, He does not leave me to face it alone. He gets me through one day at a time. I’m praying for you and asking the Lord to deliver from pain and give you the real assurance of His presence and love.
This post today is so moving, Deb, and so true! Even when we aren’t spared from earthly death, with Jesus, we will live eternally with Him. Now, that’s something to celebrate!
Blessings!
Thank you, Martha! What a glorious promise He’s given that we can know that in Christ we don’t have to say “good bye,” we’re simply saying … “Until we meet again.” In Christ alone our hope is found! God bless you, dear friend!
I so believe in the power of fervent prayers. I have been witness to prayers being answered for the sick and for the dying. But more than anything, we should pray for the “Lord’s Will” to be done, not ours. None of us want to experience sicknesses and death for any of those we love. And even when we hear that a total stranger has been diagnosed with a horrible illness, or lost their life in an accident, or even in weather related losses of life, our heart grieves and we don’t understand. Death is hard on the living. So very hard as we all know.
Isaiah 57:1 gives me comfort to know that God is always protecting us…”The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, NONE CONSIDERING THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EVIL TO COME.
And 1st Corinth. 15:26
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Praise God, for in Heaven we will never have to endure the sting of death! May we all TRUST IN THE LOVING CARE OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER…blessings and prayers for all! Thank you Deb, for this wonderful and comforting post. Lifting my fervent prayers up for You and Rev. I love you, precious friend and faithful soul.
Thank you, dear friend! I am truly blessed by your faith and the verses you share. You’re right, our very best prayer is that the Lord’s will be done. Even when we don’t understand, even when it’s not what we want … His will is always best. Thank you so much for your prayers. They mean so very much to us. God bless you abundantly. Hugs!
Deb I remember when I was a little girl there was a wonderful , well in those days he would have been Called an “old man” in his late 80’s who used to drive all the old ladies to church some several years older than himself. He was energetic and walked like a much younger man, all his family came to church too, I remember he was always there. He said to his children in a conversation one day that if he had the choice over the way he was to die he would like to either go in his sleep or suddenly and meet his Jesus.
Then one day not long after that walking to church he just dropped dead without any warning.
How marvellous, God took him home .
Blessings Mary
I love this, Mary. He sounds like a wonderful man that God used mightily to bless others. I think many of us would agree with and pray his request of the Lord as well. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. God bless you!