Finding Comfort and Hope in the Midst of Loss: Corey Russell Discusses His Latest Book, Inheritance

In a time of great heartache following the sudden loss of their son, Corey Russell and his wife, Dana, found comfort in God and His unchanging Word.

In his latest book, Inheritance: Clinging to God’s Promises in the Midst of Tragedy (available from Forerunner Publishing), Corey shares his family’s journey from heartbreak to healing, and the power of five psalms the Lord used to meet them on the journey.

Here, in his own words, Corey describes God’s healing power and the hope contained in the new book (and spoken-word and music CD of the same name).

Q: What was the significance of your son’s birth and name?

CR: Josiah Nash Russell was born June 26, 2012. We had received many promises that we would have a son. (The couple has three daughters.)

We named him Nash because of Daniel Nash, the retired pastor and intercessor who worked with Charles Finney for seven years in New York. Finney attributed much of the success and power in his evangelistic meetings to Nash’s prayers, which were typically done in secret in advance of the meetings.

Q: How did Nash pass away?

CR: I was in London, England, ministering in a church. My wife had gone down with the kids to visit her family in Arkansas. We talked on the phone before I went in to preach. At the end of our conversation, she said, “I’m going to wake up Buddy,” which is what we called him.

Three hours later, a friend comes up to me and tells me to call my wife immediately because something had happened to my son.

I called Dana, and she picks up the phone screaming, “He’s dead, Corey, He’s dead. He’s gone.” There were screams, tears, and cries. All I could say was “No! No! No!”

It was March 16, 2013. He was nine-and-a-half months old. The doctors termed it a SIDS case (sudden infant death syndrome).

Q: Describe your healing journey and power of the Psalms.

CR: Early in the process, the Lord birthed three songs out of Dana (featured on the EP 3:16). For the first time she was able to sing to the Lord, and release Nash, in a way.

In August of 2013, the Lord began speaking to me out of Psalm 132—David’s vow to build God a house. I really began to connect to the legacy and David saying “I’m going all in to see God’s purpose in my generation realized.”

Nash’s death cut me and called me back to my original vows, and along with David and Psalm 132, to declare war on comfort, to make war on living for myself, and to want to see God’s purpose in my generation.

I’m, like, “God, I’ve got one moment to take my pain and to go all in to see something released out of the wake of my son’s passing, something for future generations.”

Q: What was the next psalm you encountered?

In December of that year, God brought me to Psalm 2, which would become the center pillar that would stabilize my heart through my son’s passing.

The dialogue where it says, “I will declare the decree: the Father has said to Me, ‘You are My Son . . . Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance,’” that’s where the whole name Inheritance comes from.

I didn’t know what to say or how to grieve, but I could hear the Father washing me every day, telling me, first, I’m His son, and, second, “Corey, ask Me. I want to release your inheritance in the greatest places of your warfare—your family, your marriage, your life. In your greatest places of pain, I want to release a story. I want to release an inheritance through this for you.”

That word inheritance began to consume me, and I prayed, “God, with everything I’ve felt—we’re not going to lose anything in all this.”

Q: What are “Nasherites”?

CR: In May of 2015, a friend sent me a dream about God raising up Nasherites.

In the dream, the Church was under siege and we didn’t know how to pray as there were culture wars breaking out. God began to speak to me, “For every one voice of awakening, I’m going to raise up seven voices of intercession. I’m about to raise up the Nasherites.”

That one phrase so laid hold of my heart. That’s something that can come out of my son’s passing, a cause.

I’m, like, “God, so be it, that You would use me and his story to raise up 100 million intercessors.” That was the number I got. I’m believing for 100 million intercessors, hidden intercessors for revival. That’s my inheritance. “God, give me that.”

Q: What do you want readers to get out of the book, which also includes your journey through Psalms 91, 18, and 23?

CR: I want people to read this story and take courage and strength from the power of our testimony—a weak, broken testimony that’s still in process. I hope that you would get strengthened in your own resolve to keep going and fighting for your marriage, your family, your future, your inheritance.

I want people to say, “He can do it with us, too—He can do it with anybody.” There were times when we didn’t know if we were going to make it in our marriage, in our family, with life even. There were times—there were dark times.

We would not have made it without those Bible verses that anchored our souls. Those five psalms carried us through these last five years.

Where do you need hope and healing?

Inheritance: Clinging to God’s Promises in the Midst of Tragedy by Corey Russell is available from Forerunner Publishing, as well as the audio and music CD of the same name. Click on the image below to get your copy.

After the sudden death of their only son, Corey Russell and his family faced unbearable pain and loneliness. God carried them through the ensuing five years with promises from five specific psalms, comforting and awakening them.

Adam Wittenberg

position

A Detroit native who was raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Adam worked as a newspaper journalist until 2012, when he moved to Kansas City to complete the Intro to IHOPKC internship. Afterwards, he earned a four-year certificate in House of Prayer Leadership from IHOPU and is now on full-time staff in the Marketing department at IHOPKC. He also serves in the NightWatch (overnight prayer hours) and is active in evangelism. He, and his wife Stephany, have a vision to reach people everywhere with the good news of Jesus Christ.