Poison Ivy Prayer

Poison Ivy

“I will be like dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14:5-6)

            My family found and bought our river property in late fall – the time when forests lay barren and dormant. When our land awakened from its long winter’s nap, sprouting leaves gave a fresh green welcome to the drab landscape; and among those new sprigs, we discovered poison ivy – lots and lots of poison ivy - overrunning our woods.

I prayed, “Oh Lord, just as this ivy has invaded our woodlands, I pray that, through the wonderful storybooks blog, Your love will invade people's hearts and their nations.”

Within a few weeks of that request, the blog's viewing audience increased from 26 to 69 nations: Russia, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, France, South Korea, Belgium, Romania, Peru, China, Kuwait, India, Belarus, Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Indonesia, Ecuador, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Nigeria, Argentina, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Colombia, Pakistan, Guatemala, Dominica, Brazil, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Egypt, Serbia, Japan, Croatia, Panama, Lithuania, Lebanon, Namibia, Oman, Slovenia, Bahrain, Macedonia, Qatar, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Singapore, Poland, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Israel, Norway, Morocco, Greece, Vietnam, Ghana, as well as the United States. Thank You, Lord Jesus!

As you read this post today, I pray that you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Jesus Christ’s love for you! May His all-consuming love invade your heart and your nation, in Jesus name!