Lord, I pray that even while they are young, my children will speak with wisdom granted to them by You and for your glory.
I pray that their conversation would be seasoned with salt, and they would be ready to share about their salvation through Jesus Christ with everyone they meet.
I fervently desire that they would pray continually and seek you first in times of joy as well as times of trouble and need.
(Colossians 4:2-6, 1 Timothy 4:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
We sang this hymn at Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) this week, and I was so touched by the words I had trouble singing.
The words of this hymn could easily be a daily prayer- so beautiful and based in Scripture.
1 Corinthians 2:11-16
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.
Romans 15:1-6
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Mind of Christ, My Savior
words by: Kate B. Wilkinson music by: Arthur C. Barham-Gould
May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.
May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.
May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.
May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.
May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.
May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.
Yesterday, I was thinking about Abby Johnson. If you are not familiar, she used to work for Planned Parenthood and there is a book that tells her story called Unplanned: The Dramatic Story of a former Planned Parenthood leader’s eye-opening journey across the life line.
I am sure part of the reason she is on my mind is because I am planning to read her book this month and it is sitting on my shelf- but also because her story gives me hope.
It motivates me to pray for the leaders of NOW (National Organization of Women), Planned Parenthood, NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League)- just to name a few.
Because I serve a God who changes hearts. He transforms people- bringing them from darkness to light.
Ephesians 5:8-17
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
So starting today, I am going to pray specifically each day for leaders of these organizations and others. I am going to pray for God to change their hearts- to awaken them to the truth- to turn them from darkness to light.
Each day I will post a person’s name and a prayer- and ask you to pray with me- that God would change their hearts- all for His Glory.
Matthew 5:43-48 (Jesus spoke these words)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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Some days it just seems like everything goes wrong. Plans that I had been looking forward to get messed up, argument with my husband…from the moment I get up- everything is messed up.
I see what’s happening and try to take a deep breath and not get upset, but I feel myself on the edge of tears. And all the things that have been just below the surface threaten to overthrow me.
When times like this come, I am so thankful for the Psalms. I can usually find at least one that resonates with how I am feeling- and I have learned to pray, right away, to ask God for help. And maybe that’s all I can do, cry out to Him in my pain and tears and regret for not handling things better- for getting upset at the people I love the most.
Some would say it’s weak to ask for help- but I believe it takes more courage to admit when we are at the end of what we have- when we have been beaten down by our circumstances and need someone to fight a few rounds for us- to give us a break- some rest.
I need to sit out on the sidelines for a while- and just bask in who God is- to feel His love and to get recharged. To remind myself that although I feel alone He is here with me.
This is the first season of my life when I have been alone almost every day all week. Besides my husband, I usually don’t interact with another adult human being- except at Bible Study on Wednesday mornings and choir practice on Wednesday evenings.
For a socialite- this has been agony. At times I feel so overwhelmed by loneliness, I feel like I could die from it. (Not literally but I can be a little dramatic sometimes, esp. when I am feeling sorry for myself)
Sometimes we take the things that are not quite right in life- or the problems of a season- and let them get so big in our minds that they actually can defeat us for a time. We lose focus of all the blessings and instead see only our pain.
I know that I do this at times- and I feel very convicted of that attitude for two reasons.
1- there are so many who at this moment are suffering through things that I can not even imagine. My discomforts are pinpricks compared to their gaping, bleeding wounds.
2- what Jesus Christ suffered for me- and what I have in Him should be cause for celebration no matter what this life throws at me. For I have eternity with God to look forward to- a hope that should transcend all that occurs in my life.
But I lose sight of these things sometimes. I need to shift my focus on others rather than self- because that’s another danger in this line of thinking- it distracts us from being an effective servant for Christ.
We get tripped up being consumed with ourselves and our present trials- and we miss out on who God may be wanting to use us to love on and bring hope to- and that may be just what we need to get out of a “funk.” To just show a little love and tenderness to someone else who is hurting.
Even though it may fight against our own will (and pride), yet refusing to let pride keep us from saying we are sorry- truly- from our hearts- for the wrongs we have committed.
So I will leave you with my Psalm for the day- as I go to play Chutes and Ladders with my daughter. I hope and pray that it encourages you to take heart and hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31
1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people!
The LORD preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
One of the things my parents encouraged me to do that I have embraced wholeheartedly is praying over my children each day. When I am holding them or hugging them, before bed when I am tucking them in- before I go to bed some nights I get out a book called Praying God’s Will for My Daughter and I spend time using Scripture as the basis for the prayers I lift on their behalf.
Sometimes it may just be a short- thank you God for this sweet child. Or thank you for their laugh.
Other times it may be, give me wisdom to know how to handle this situation and help me stay calm.
Give me the right words to say to help them understand.
Even as I write this post, I am overwhelmed with emotion- amazed at how precious these two children are to me- how they have transformed my life and brought me joy like I had never dreamed. Despite how hard parenting can be sometimes, wow, there are moments when it is so sweet and tender- so touching.
I am humbled and thankful for the honor of being a parent. That God entrusted me with these two precious lives, and I pray that with His help they will come to know Him and serve Him with all their hearts.
Right now, I will keep praying-seeking God for guidance and trusting in Him for all that I need to care for these precious little ones.
