A few summers ago I heard a sermon on prayer. How as Christians we are supposed to take our requests to God with the expectation that He will answer our prayers. As part of the sermon that day, everyone was handed white pieces of paper with the intention that we would be writing down a prayer request with the expectation of an answer.
Looking at my blank, white piece of paper, I didn't know what to ask for... And then I knew. A mommy prayer, one that had been my thoughts since before the double pink lines. After 10 years of wanting a baby I had grown to talk to God a lot... in the car on the way to a doctor appointment. During exams, before starting new medicine to help production of my eggs... in the waiting room before "results" of that ever needed a "result". I prayed with every cycle month and every negative pregnancy test. Each time... Lord, lead me, Lord, guide me, Lord let this be it... and Lord, when you do I will give them to you.
Lord, I will give them to you. Never mine to have or keep - just mine to raise in this life for His glory, His purpose.
So, when the paper was passed my prayer was simple... that my kids would come to Christ on their own.
Looking at my blank, white piece of paper, I didn't know what to ask for... And then I knew. A mommy prayer, one that had been my thoughts since before the double pink lines. After 10 years of wanting a baby I had grown to talk to God a lot... in the car on the way to a doctor appointment. During exams, before starting new medicine to help production of my eggs... in the waiting room before "results" of that ever needed a "result". I prayed with every cycle month and every negative pregnancy test. Each time... Lord, lead me, Lord, guide me, Lord let this be it... and Lord, when you do I will give them to you.
Lord, I will give them to you. Never mine to have or keep - just mine to raise in this life for His glory, His purpose.
So, when the paper was passed my prayer was simple... that my kids would come to Christ on their own.
That might be a strange prayer to some and you may wonder what that even means... I will tell you what it doesn't mean... It doesn't mean that I am going to let them figure it out on their own, wait till they are older to choose a church or a faith... It doesn't mean that their daddy and I get to check out...
When they were born our faith was revived so to speak. We both were floundering in this world and with infertility we struggled... with each other, with God's plan, with our friends and families. We went to church here and there, never really faithful to committing to one... but with our miscarriage, the promises God gave us throughout that and then with the birth of these two kiddos we were revived... committed... in deep with God. We dedicated, literally, ourselves to raising them in a God-fearing, God-believing home. We found a church we were able to attend every Sunday and not just for show... simply because we were growing and they were too. We dedicated our family and friends to help be after us to live as we had committed and so...
The simple white prayer paper... I wanted them to come to know God on their own. Know He is good and what they need. Not because their friends were doing it, not because their Sunday school teachers wanted to see it... not even because I held this prayer to my heart and hoped for it. I wanted them to want Jesus for themselves.
And now they do... Hailey, baptized in May of last year and Brandon, baptized this month and what a day - the completion of an asked and answered prayer. Tears on earth from the heart of a mommy and rejoicing in Heaven by angels and our Father.
Come to Him with your prayer requests, write them down, hide them in your heart. He hears and He answers.
When they were born our faith was revived so to speak. We both were floundering in this world and with infertility we struggled... with each other, with God's plan, with our friends and families. We went to church here and there, never really faithful to committing to one... but with our miscarriage, the promises God gave us throughout that and then with the birth of these two kiddos we were revived... committed... in deep with God. We dedicated, literally, ourselves to raising them in a God-fearing, God-believing home. We found a church we were able to attend every Sunday and not just for show... simply because we were growing and they were too. We dedicated our family and friends to help be after us to live as we had committed and so...
The simple white prayer paper... I wanted them to come to know God on their own. Know He is good and what they need. Not because their friends were doing it, not because their Sunday school teachers wanted to see it... not even because I held this prayer to my heart and hoped for it. I wanted them to want Jesus for themselves.
And now they do... Hailey, baptized in May of last year and Brandon, baptized this month and what a day - the completion of an asked and answered prayer. Tears on earth from the heart of a mommy and rejoicing in Heaven by angels and our Father.
Come to Him with your prayer requests, write them down, hide them in your heart. He hears and He answers.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding; will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
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