Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

2 Samuel chapter 12, verses 22 and 23.

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 are really heavy verses, and there are a lot of other verses I thought about leading us to pray through based on

2nd Samuel chapter 12.

But the reason I wanted to pray according to these two verses 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 through miscarriage or soon after they were born. I think about

sitting with families and hospital rooms as a child is hanging on for his or her life just days

into his or her life. And then after that, in very young ages, due to all sorts of

different circumstances, and I can think a few things heavier than walking with a family

through a situation like this, 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 are familiar with in this world. And there's a lot we could say based on 2nd Samuel

chapter 12, verses 22 and

23, 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

...