Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical dot net. Second Samuel chapter twelve verses twenty two and twenty three. He said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live, but now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. These verses are really heavy. And the reason I want to pray according to them is because they address a sober reality in this fallen world of children dying far too soon. And I know there are likely some listening to this podcast right now who have lost a child in this way, and really a number of different ways, either before birth or soon after they were born, or at far too young an age. I think about sitting with families in hospital rooms as a child is hanging on for his or her life, just days into his or her life, and then after that at very young ages, due to all sorts of different circumstances, and I can think of few things heavier than walking with a family through a situation like this. So I don't presume in any way to know the depth of emotion with that journey. But this is one of the things I love about the Bible. It doesn't shy away from the depth of emotions that we're familiar with in this world. And there's a lot we could say based on these two verses, including, I should mention, the hope that the Bible expresses here and teaches in other places that children and others with special needs who die without the capacity to know and understand and believe the gospel are safe with God in heaven when they die. Even as David says, I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. I just want to lead us to pray specifically for those who have experienced this hurt in this world, or maybe even some who are walking through this right now. God, we praise you for your presence with us, your word to us in the middle of this fallen world. We shudder to think where we would be without your comfort that comes from your word and your revelation of yourself and your truth to hold on to, a rock, to stand on when the storms of this world are raging in so many ways. And specifically, oh God, in circumstances like this, I think about some children and families who might be in the situation that David was in right before this, praying and fasting and pleading for you to save a child's life. God, we join together in praying for that right now. We pray for children who right now are in danger of losing their lives in all kinds of different circumstances. We pray for your provision, your intervention, your help. We pray for your power to be shown on behalf of that child. We pray with faith, trusting you and your power and your wisdom. Even as we see that on display in this chapter, we pray for their healing. We pray for their life. And we pray for your help and your grace, sufficient grace, amidst however this story plays out. God, we praise you that this world is not the end. We praise you that children like this are safe in your presence forever. And we praise you for the promise of another world to come where there's no more sin and no more sorrow and no more suffering and no more death. And we're actually reunited with children like this and all who have trusted in you, Jesus. We praise you, Jesus, for conquering sin and death and for the promise that one day we will see your face and you'll wipe every tear away from our eyes. So we pray specifically right now, based on 2 Samuel 12, for men, women, parents, grandparents, siblings over any person who has experienced this kind of grief that we see here. God, even as we praise you for your grace and the gospel and our grief, we pray for people who are experiencing this kind of thing who don't have the grace and the hope that are found in Jesus, the eternal peace that's found in Jesus. God, we pray for the kickham people of Indonesia. God, please cause the good news of your grace to spread to them that when they walk through dark days, they might know the hope and the light that's found in you, Jesus, that's found in your word and your presence and your spirit. God, we pray for the spread of the gospel to all the people groups of the world. And specifically, we pray for the Kikim of Indonesia. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus who has conquered sin and death and suffering and makes our resurrection hope sure. In his name we pray. Amen.