Prayer request(s)

February 18, 2013 by 33 Comments

Buried as comment #381 in a recent post is an urgent prayer request from long-time reader and commenter Frank Sonnek (a.k.a., “fws”; a.k.a., “the gay confessional Lutheran”).  I don’t know what it’s all about, and we don’t need to know.  But, as a virtual community at this blog, let’s pray for Frank.  And perhaps some of you have other needs, crises, and other kinds of prayer requests. Let’s pray for those too.

Frank writes:

To All:

I am going through one of the most challenging times of my life.

I am being made to work through some personal issues that I have , apparently , either refused to deal with before or wasn´t ready to deal with before.

Apparently God thinks I am ready now.

It´s been … um… interesting.

I need your prayers. as in really , really need them.

Pray for me for constancy and faithfulness in my vocations regardless of how I feel at any moment.

Pray for me that I remain focused on the needs of others rather than my own,

and at the same time that I do what is necessary to be a faithful steward of what God has given me as to my own health and financial wellbeing.

And pray that I seek out God´s Word and prayer. That most of all,

That I cling to those two words “for YOU!” that is about hiding all my own Works inside the Works of Another so that I can get some rest from my conscience which is constantly accusing me.

Thank you!

via Lutheran pastor rejects Baptism, Lord’s Supper.

If you have something that you’d like us Cranachers to pray for, please say so in the comments.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 33 Comments

About Gene Veith

Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College, the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, a columnist for World Magazine and TableTalk, and the author of 18 books on different facets of Christianity & Culture.

  • Grace

    I have prayed for fws, and continue to do so. I hope and pray all is well with him, I’ve thought of him many times for the past few days.

    I have often wondered why there was no OPEN THREAD, that allowed commenters to discuss other subjects, then those posted as “new blogs” for the day.

    Praying for you fws.

  • SKPeterson

    I too have had Frank in my prayers since this request and will continue to do so.

  • kempin04

    Fws,

    We have not met in person, but I have enjoyed the discussions we have occasionally shared and I always learn something from you. You are blessed to have the truth to which you can cling during this time of testing. You must decrease so that He will be everything. That is one thing to discuss in a theological conversation, but a different matter as it plays out in real life.

    God is faithful. Fear Not.

    I will pray for you as often as I think of you that God will strengthen your faith. You have everything that you need and you know what you need to know, but I pray that He will give you bold faith to trust what He has given you to know. And I pray that He will give you also wisdom and strength as He continues to re-make you from your broken reality into the new creation that will endure for eternity.

    Shoot me an email if you want. Many here will be praying for you.

    -Dan

  • Rose

    I’m praying for you too.
    For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
    2 Tim 1:7. KJV

  • Katie

    You are in our prayers!

  • Pete

    Ditto

  • DonS

    Praying for you, Frank!

  • kerner

    Still praying for you Frank.

  • kerner

    Besides prayer, is there anything we can do?

  • Grace

    Frank,

    We would sure love to hear from you Frank. Please let us know how things are going.

    God bless you through this trial.
    Grace

  • Grace

    To all those who have Frank’s email address, I urge you to contact him……

    PLEASE!

  • http://www.redeemedrambling.blogspot.com John

    Still praying for you Frank. Love you.

  • Tom Hering

    And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19), Amen.

  • Helen K.

    In addition to Frank, may I suggest we continue prayers for Mike Westfall’s family and his young daughter, Lidija? I think many of you are already familiar with her situation already. She and her entire family need prayer and support as they search for help with her serious physical problem.

    And Dr. Veith, may I thank you for this new “prayer request” idea? We can all use it and I hope it draws many of us closer together as a family here on Cranach.

    Praying with you all for God’s great blessings during this season of Lent.

  • sg

    Praying for Frank. May God bless him and comfort him now and always.

  • MarkB

    Frank, you are in my prayers.

  • Grace

    Helen K

    I’m glad you reminded us all about Lidija, Mike’s daughter and family. I pray they find a food supplement and more help, for their precious daughter.

    God bless all those who are tired, ill, sad, and feel left out. I believe we would be surprised if we knew all the pain and suffering some on this blog endure.

    Thanks Helen -

  • Trey

    Frank, I hope you are doing well. You are in my prayers. Peace of the Lord be with you.

  • Helen K.

    Yes Grace @17. I think nearly everyone has issues, sadness and problems just in the course of daily living. I’m very happy to see the responses to pray for Frank. Our world (our crazy world) as my pastor sometimes calls it, is so full of hate and heartache it’s almost imcomprehensible at times. Thank God we have a Saviour who advocates for, and listens to the cries of His people. May the Lord keep His mightly hand upon you, Grace.

  • Grace

    Helen K

    I believe this thread will be helpful and comforting to everyone. It just might turn out to be one of the best threads ever.

    I’m so glad you brought our attention once again, to Mike Westfall’s family and his daughter, Lidija. I’ve thought of him, and wondered how they are doing. Maybe he will come, and give us and update.

    God’s blessing on you Helen -

  • Helen K.

    Thank you, Grace. (:

  • Gene Veith

    Thank you, everybody. I would just like to point out to those who haven’t noticed that Frank and Grace have gotten into some big, heated arguments on this blog, are indeed discussion adversaries of the first order. To see Grace’s concern for him and to hear of her prayers–just as I know Frank has said kind things of her–is a beautiful thing, reminding us that these blog fights do not need to be personal and must not and need not overshadow the Christian love we are to have for each other. I am very moved by all of this.

  • Grace

    Dr. Veith,

    I made a request yesterday, that those who have Frank’s email, try to contact him. So far, it appears no one has heard anything. If they have, I wish they would let us all know.

    I really am concerned Dr. Veith – yes, we’ve had many a hot argument, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care, because I do –

    God bless you for starting this thread,
    Grace

  • fws

    Hey,
    I deeply appreciate your prayers and covet them in fact.
    There is nothing life-threatening going on. I am grateful for that.

    God is humbling me during this time. He is driving me to focus on incredibly small and seemingly insignificante things one day at a time. And my conscience is informing me that I am failing, and miserably so, at even those simple and small things.

    At the same time, I am addressing lots of wreckage from my past, and it is so hard to get past the shame of all that that is inside me, in order to focus on serving the needs of others rather than run and hide under a rock somewhere.

    And all this is happening why and how?
    God has sent me a blessing that I never thought I would ever receive.
    He sent me this as an act of mercy that I am totally unprepared for and completely unworthy of.
    And it is whuppin my ass.
    This mercy is exposing ALL the stuff that is so very wrong with me that I had managed to avoid looking at by focussing on the flaws and faults of others. That strategy just isn´t working anymore.
    Bummer.
    It is removing all of my old and tired excuses for doing what I usually do in whatever situation or circumstance that makes me feel bad.

    Sometimes feeling bad is , absolutely, the most appropriate response.
    And , instead of complaining, self justifying and becoming indignant that those around me, who love me, and who don´t, are examining my life with a microscope and finding lots of stuff to criticize ……
    I am learning that the appropriate response is “thank you”.
    And they are not obligated to simply forgive me without also demanding some changed behavior.

    That all really sucks.

    So I focus every morning on asking God for his Will to be done (which is Always Mercy rather than sacrifice), rather than my own will (which is Always self-referencing pride or despair or pity or …. whatever….).
    And I end up with a list of seemingly banal and petty stuff to do that I really dont want to do.
    And this all it drives me to God´s Word and prayer.

    I am good with that. At least for today.
    And I am getting better at leaving tomorrow and the results of whatever to God,
    Sometimes…..

    My big problem now is to be reliable, constant. To serve others with a cheerful face even when I am soooo not feeling it. And to be the same with whoever even when they are not doing what they need to be doing. To let the focus stay on me and what God has me doing rather than complain is not… um…. easy.

    And getting into a structured routine and discipline of prayer and God´s Word is amazingly…. impossible.
    “with God ALL things are possible”. I put my hope there. Not lots of great results…. yet!

    Lord have mercy!

  • fjsteve

    Sometimes feeling bad is , absolutely, the most appropriate response.

    The line of the day.

    Hang in there Frank. I wish I had some good words for you but, if it helps, know that there are a lot of people out there pulling for you. Probably more than you know. God bless!

  • Grace

    Frank,

    You will never know how grateful I am to see you on this blog. I’ve prayed for you over and over again.

    It’s really tough to look into our lives, and find an ‘out-house, instead of a clean resting place. It seems that is exactly what the LORD does, often with some of us.

    God bless you as you reassess your life – you certainly are not the first one, nor will you be the last.

    Grace

  • Helen K.

    Quick update. I’ve heard from Frank and probably some others have as well. I’m sure he will write more here as he has the time and opportunity. Prayers ascend for all.

  • Grace

    Helen K,

    That’s great news. Thank you for letting us know. We all have difficult times, looking into our hearts, it’s painful.

    Blessings

  • Helen K.

    @Grace…thanks again. I feel we are all very blessed to be part of the Cranach group and this new thread is very encouraging to me. Dr. Veith has done it again. (:

  • Grace

    Helen K @29

    I agree with you. It’s a good group of people, who miight not always agree, but we CARE deeply about each one of them, OR, I hope we do.

    If you email Frank, please tell him, I hold him up in prayer to God.

    God bless you Helen K. You have been so kind to help communicate to Frank how we feel, and pray.

  • Helen K.

    I will certainly mention to Frank that you are praying for him, Grace. I’m sure that something very positive will come out of this. He may well be reading the comments here and I expect he’ll stay in touch. Yes, I do believe this is a caring group of people in spite of the “arguing”. After all, we are still on this side of Heaven.

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