Trust in the Power of Prayer
Sunday, November 7th 2010 @ 7:42 AM
The bible tells us that children are a blessing from the Lord. I wholeheartedly agree. My children were born on July 23, exactly two years apart. Doctors always give you a window of when to expect your baby’s arrival. According to my physician, my daughter was born two weeks late and my son was born two weeks early. This meant I would soon have two toddlers to watch at the same time!
If someone asked me back then what it was like to be a mother of two toddlers, I’d most likely say, “It’s all about keeping your children safe and alive!” Of course I’m joking, but not completely. When my children were babies, they would lie around on whatever blanket or mattress I placed them on and their risk of getting hurt was minute. However, once they started to crawl, things that seemed benign in my B. K. (Before Kids) days were suddenly hazardous material. A penny on the floor, an outlet, or an open window became a potential for disaster.
Of course, my experience is not unique. I know all of you loving parents have experienced the same concerns for your toddlers’ safety. Like millions of parents before, you took away the danger by carefully childproofing the whole house. This task was only the beginning of numerous efforts to keep your children safe from harm. As your little ones grew, you continued to teach and protect them. We easily become accustomed to functioning in that helpful, nurturing role because it’s a natural extension of parental love.
Then, one day the unthinkable happens: one of your children turns from following the Lord and accepting your counsel. As a result, your relationship with your child is not as close as it once was. Sometimes there is no relationship at all. But in your heart, you long to be part of your child’s life and you desire to see him follow the Lord. Just as you taught him to do right and not sin in the past, you feel an urgency to admonish and explain the error of his way once again. You want to talk him out of it. But the reality is, most of the time, you can’t. Most prodigal children don’t want to listen to what their parents have to say.
This is a hard place to be, for once you did so much for your child and now you feel powerless to do anything. But you are not helpless; you have the most powerful tool in the universe at your disposal, and that is the power of prayer.
If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:14
You can be sure that God hears your prayer and acts on your behalf. It may not be in your timing, but perfect wisdom belongs only to God. He acts in exactly the right way and at the right time to reach your child in ways you never could. He is ever ready to convict, guide, and work in the exact manner which is most effective. Since it is God's will that no one should perish, you can confidently stand before the throne of God on behalf of your prodigal. He knows your child’s heart and all of his or her thoughts. He will not force your child, but He is able to do everything else needed to call your child to Himself. The Lord does all this when you ask in prayer.
