A Place for Hurting Families to Heal and Thrive​
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Waiting is a period of learning.  The longer we wait, the more we hear about him for whom we are waiting.
​ --Henri Nouwen

Watching for a ​Prodigal's Return

​Watching a loved one travel a destructive path is hard.  In the story Jesus told about the son who set off for a distant land squandering his inheritance, we find a grieving father waiting for his return.  We know he watches because Jesus paints the picture with these words (Luke 15:20, NIV), "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."  

Like that father, families in the Waiting Room scan the horizon to catch a glimpse of their loved one's return; asking God to help them find their way home.  While they hold on, God has a place for  families to gather, to pray for one another, and offer words of hope and encouragement from His Word. Here they learn to to rely on His strength for their journey.   

Waiting Room Ministry hopes you don't wait alone.  Join us.   
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"Prayer breaks all bars,
dissolves all chains,
opens all prisons, 
and widens all straits by which
​God's saints have been held."​ 
-E. M. Bounds

Turning Scripture Into Prayers

Like Adam and Eve, we sometimes get God's instructions mixed up. God's words were straightforward when he placed Adam in the Garden of Eden.  "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." (Genesis 2:15, NIV) Perhaps the translation was lost on Eve since she added, "...you must not touch it." ?

The serpent refuted God's command and created doubt in their minds about God's character. Since that dreadful day, we live with the repercussions of that doubt and add our own spin when the evil one whispers in our ears, "Did God really say..." Like Eve, he wants us to believe lies about God, that His motivations are not good, and that He is untrustworthy.       
Jesus showed us that there is another way when facing temptations. He simply replied to Satan, "It is written..."  quoting Scripture, and Satan departed.  

Scripture says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12, NIV), so why do we enter the fight for our loved ones' lives with weapons that won't touch the enemy?
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I want to challenge us to pray with great power and purpose in 2023 by using Jesus' words, "It is written..."  to aid the process. Turning Scripture into personal prayers for our loved ones is powerful and effective (James 5:16, Hebrews 4:12). 
To get us started, I will post prayers each month on the front page of the Waiting Room website. For families in the Online Waiting Room, feel free to share your scripture-filled prayers with your group. 

See "It is Written Prayer Page", link below
I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait,
And in His word ​do I hope.  

​Psalm 130:5, NASB​