Many years ago at a small little college in PA, my husband was very good friends with a handsome guy named Sean and his lovely wife, Kristin. I came onto the scene after Sean and Kristin had married, but through facebook have come to admire and enjoy Kristin immensely. I am so thrilled that such a noble and God-fearing women took the time to share some lovely and challenging thoughts! So, read pour yourself some lemonade on ice and read on....
I am so honored that Becky has asked me to guest blog here! Let me introduce myself.. I am 29 years old, married to a pastor and a stay at home mom to three beautiful daughters ages 7, 5 and 18 months. My days are mostly spent cleaning up dirty faces, finger painting and laundry, however, one of the biggest passions I have is praying for my children. When Becky asked me to share on motherhood, I could not pass up the opportunity to encourage you moms out there to pray for your little ones.
Read these verses from 2 Kings 20:1-6. In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover." Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, `This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
As a Christian, I have a very high view of God's power and providential will. I firmly believe that my crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ reigns, that nothing happens apart from His permission, that everything happens according to His will. Unfortunately my firm belief in this truth has often proven a hindrance to my prayer life. How so? It works this way: Because I believe that everything happens according to God's good and wise will, I have often failed to pray as I should or to pray at all. In my warped way, I have often excused myself from prayer because, I tell myself, God's will happens without my prayers anyway.
But this is a tragic mistake and a gross misunderstanding of the function of prayer. According to Scripture, prayer changes things, at times even God's will! I was deeply impressed by this truth in my devotion recently, as I was reading 2 Kings 20 (quoted above). There is no getting around the reality that God had decided that it was time for Hezekiah to die, that Hezekiah prayed and wept, and that God then changed His mind because of that prayer. Hezekiah's prayer averted his death, healed his sickness, and added 15 years to his life. Prayer did this.
This totally hit me and I felt such a renewed urgency to pray for my children. For their salvation, their future spouses, their safety among many other things. I found several amazing websites with wonderful prayer focuses each day and I have been using them to be sure I am daily covering my girls in prayer over every possible need and situation both in the present and for their futures. I would love to share with you a few websites to help you as you pray for your children and I encourage you to make the time and set prayer as a priority. I have also set up a facebook page where I post encouragement for moms and prayer focus ideas. It is called Parenting Intentionally with Purpose, Love, Direction and Grace. Look me up and join! Who knows what your prayers might change!
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