Saturday, August 7, 2010

praying for my kids

Last night Brianna and Alissa had a girls night. They camped out in the living room and watched Cinderella after the other kids went to bed. I realized when I got up this morning that my usual spot for having my quiet time was taken so I'd have to move somewhere else. I got my coffee and Bible and went up to Brianna's room.
I had some sweet fellowship with Jesus, read out of Mark, and took some time to pray. I found myself looking around Bri's room and the Lord took me back to a time back in 1994 when I got a Christmas card in the mail that had a picture of Mary and baby Jesus on it. I clearly remember dropping to my knees and just sobbing at the picture of the baby on the card as I thought of how my doctor had told me that I wouldn't be able to have children without costly and invasive treatments. I so wanted to be a mother! It was a very painful time in my life as I could think of nothing else.
Finding out we were expecting Brianna was one of the most amazing moments of my life. When she was born she was so tiny and so dependent on me. I couldn't imagine her any other way. Other children came along and I felt the same way about each one. Precious little gifts from God!
As I sat in Brianna's room I could hardly believe that the heels in the middle of her floor belonged to my baby. The 5-Day Club kit reminded me that she was going out and reaching kids for Christ-on her own. The grown up purse on her bed I know is filled with lip gloss, lotion, money that she has earned babysitting, gum... a far cry from the Winnie-the-Pooh diaper bag I kept stocked with diapers, wipes, cheerios, and a sippy cup. Could it be that we are beyond "Where is Farmer Jones?" and now reading "When God Writes Your Love Story"???? I was talking with God about all of this.
He impressed on my heart strongly the need to realize that so much is out of my control and I need to constantly be bringing Brianna and ALL my kids before Him in prayer.
I pulled out my notebook of Scripture that I pray for different people and opened to my section for the kids.
I prayed that GOD would be the One to satisfy my children (Ps,90:14) that He would be their hope and their confidence (Ps. 71:5), that God would give them a perfect heart to keep His commandments and to do them (1 Chron. 29:19), that they would examine everything carefully and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21), that they would approve what is excellent so they will be sincere and blameless (Phil. 1:10) and that they would be on guard and grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Peter 3:17-18).

I met a woman years ago that shared with me that if her daughter made it through her teenage years without getting pregnant or doing drugs she would be happy. That's not my desire. I want my children to know and be satisfied with Jesus. That would make not just me happy but THEM happy. He came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.

So much is at stake. The lives of my children. I pray that God will help Matt and I to be faithful and to stand firm as we seek to raise children that love God with all their hearts, with all their souls, and with all their minds. Only that will bring TRUE happiness.

If you made it through this post- congratulations! I hope that you too are praying for your children and if you don't have any- pray for mine! It's never a work wasted.

2 comments:

melanie said...

this was so good!! amazing where God will take us....i loved all that you said and all that you pray for your kids. im going to write that down to pray for callen...praying for you and praying for your beautiful kids.

i love you!!!

rachellechaseblog said...

great words.
love you and your kids :)