Axe Head Prayer
Redeeming your spiritual edge.
As we open our hands in surrender, speaking honestly with God about where we lost our edge,
what feels like loss actually draws us deeper into God.
What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Corinthians 4:7)
2 Kings 6:1-7 is a story of surrender and prayer, community and hospitality, purpose and transparency, reconciliation, restoration, and redemption.
“The company of the prophets said to Elisha, ‘Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.
“And he said, ‘Go.’
“Then one of them said, ‘Won’t you please come with your servants?’
“’I will,’ Elisha replied. And he went with them.
“They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. ‘Oh, my lord,’ he cried out, ‘it was borrowed!’
“The man of God asked, ‘Where did it fall?’ When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. ‘Lift it out,’ he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.”
CHRONIC ILLNESS CAN DULL OUR AXE HEAD
When chronic illness crashes into our lives, ways of serving that once brought us joy or to which we felt called can suddenly be swallowed by grief, pain, fear, isolation, exhaustion, or depression.
Losing our “edge” – our ability to love and serve in familiar and fulfilling ways – can be almost as disorienting as illness itself and sometimes more discouraging.
That’s why we need the community of others.
In 2 Kings 1-2, the “company of the prophets” met with Elisha and suggested they build a place where there was enough space for all of them to live together. They needed more space for their growing community. This is where I found myself before I was sidelined by illness. I was serving in ways I knew God had called me. Ways that brought me joy, pulled me out of myself, and grew my faith. Our community was growing and we needed more space.
It was a joy to swing my axe!
Until the head flew off the handle, swallowed by illness and overwhelming loss.
2 Kings 6:5b were the words I needed to learn, “… it was borrowed,” but they didn’t come easily. It took many months to open my hands and speak those words honestly to God.
“What do you have that you did not receive?” Paul asked 1 Corinthians 4:7.
He answers that question in Romans 11:36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.”
Everything we have – every gift, skill, talent, insight, passion, interest, drop of love, and scrap of energy – is given to us by God, from Him, in Him, through Him, by Him, for Him, and because of Him.
For His glory.
WHEN MY AXE HEAD FLEW OFF
My axe head flew off into the depths of chronic pain and illness.
I was overwhelmed, searching, and frantically seeking help when God quietly asked, “Where did it fall?” (2 Kings 6:6)
He already knew. But I needed to surrender. God had called me to serve in ways that brought me great joy. Now He was asking me for something different, calling me to trust Him a little bit more, to lean a little bit deeper, and to surrender to His will in this new season in my life.
But was I willing?
Where had I stopped trusting that God was greater than my diagnoses? When had I stopped believing that whatever He allows in my life is for my good and His glory? What had caused my edge to fly off into the muddy abyss?
As we open our hands in surrender, speaking honestly with God about where our axe head flew off, what feels like loss actually grafts us deeper into the Vine.
HOW TO FIND YOUR EDGE WITH GOD’S HELP
Prayer keeps us close to God. Today, take some time to think about, pray through, and journal your responses to these questions:
- Have you lost your edge?
- Have you stopped trusting that God is greater than your illness, deeper than your pain?
- Are you sinking in the muddy waters of affliction?
- Have you been sunk by your circumstances?
- Have you lost faith in God?
Show God where you lost your edge. And when your axe head floats, reach in, and lift it out.
AXE HEAD PRAYER
Dear God,
You are the source of all that I have. My life is a gift from You, but sometimes it seems there is too much to bear. Grief, illness, unfinished projects, and other things take my eyes off of You. Sometimes I am overwhelmed as all these things come crashing down on me.
But as I feel myself sinking, I remember that I don’t have to carry these burdens alone. You have promised to be with me every step of this journey through life. You are greater than any illness or problem that comes my way. Give me the faith to trust You, to meet You in a prayer of lament, and to surrender my burdens to You.
Turn my heart toward You and Your Word. Teach me to come alongside others as we bear one another’s burdens and share the load. Remind us that You are the One who is faithful to keep us; Your faithful love will always be with us and You will never leave us.
Oh, Father, strengthen our faith. Draw us close to You where we can find our “edge” again. Make our axe head float so we can move forward with joy and peace, knowing that You are our strength.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen
Ministry of Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the process of restoring broken relationships, of building something new from the tender soil of forgiveness.
Build An Ebenezer
Remembering God's Faithfulness
God’s people built Ebenezers, touchstones of help, to anchor them in truth in the midst of frightening, painful, difficult, or challenging circumstances.
33 Biblical "One Anothers"
Pray through these 33 One Another Verses, meditating on what it means to “love one another deeply from the heart” as we learn to selflessly walk each other home.
Radical Community
Radical community is rooted in love, nourished in prayer, and strengthened in courageous vulnerability as we listen, engage, forgive, learn, grow, serve, and extend compassion to all.
Let's Pray
Prayer is a precious invitation to simply be with Jesus.
Slow down. Breathe deep and draw near to God, experiencing His Presence in abundant, exceptional, and wildly generous ways.
Depression
Longing for light in the darkness.
Depression isn’t a surprise to God and doesn’t disqualify us from making an impact for the Kingdom. Hold onto hope. God is here.
Have you stopped trusting that God is greater than your illness, deeper than your pain?
“Have you stopped trusting that God is greater than your illness, deeper than your pain?” Cindee Snider Re
What do you have that you did not receive?
What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Corinthians 4:7)
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword …
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword … (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
Everything we have … is given to us by God – from Him, in Him, through Him, by Him, for Him, and because of Him.
“Everything we have … is given to us by God – from Him, in Him, through Him, by Him, for Him, and because of Him.” Cindee Snider Re
Prayer Pond
Even More
Prayer That Works
Jill Briscoe
Through studying the lives of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17-19 and parts of 2 Kings), readers will be challenged to pray bold prayers rather than settle for meek prayers not offered in deep faith. Readers will learn to cultivate their prayer lives, surrender to God's timing, and plan and persist when prayers seem to go unanswered.
The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom
Henri J.M. Nouwen
During the most difficult period of his life, when he suddenly lost his self-esteem, his energy to live and work, his sense of being loved, even his hope in God. Although he experienced excruciating anguish and despair, he was still able to keep a journal.
The Cutting Edge
Are you going through the motions with no real passion for your faith or God? Are you dull and ineffective? If so, you’ve lost your spiritual edge—and there’s nothing that delights the devil more.
Sharpen your faith again with this message from Jill Briscoe. Teaching from the story of Elisha and a lost axe in 2 Kings 6, Jill encourages you that losing your edge is not the end of the story—it can be found with God’s help!AYER