The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16b
I have been reading " Praying Circles Around Your Children" recently and have been stuck on this one quote: Prayer turns ordinary parents into prophets who shape the destinies of their children, grandchildren and generations to come.
I have an urgency to pray more for my children than ever before. You see, each of my children, before they were even conceived, I prayed for. When I knew that I was expecting, I prayed for them... for their health, for their future, for their hearts, for their faith in God, for their future spouse and families. I still pray these same prayers.
I have a praying mother. And I had a praying grandmother (granny)! I have heard them both pray deeply and heavenward for their family. I have no doubt that their prayers reached heaven for many people. Especially my grandmother. I miss her so very much. I wish I could go back to when I was younger, and know then, what I would love to talk to her about now. To share burdens with her. To know how she handled such deep hurts from children and family. How she prayed for her husband and stayed married for so many years. Oh how I would love to know more.
We are just an ordinary family. Nothing spectacular, hard working, blue collar, and a little bit country! (Ok, some are a lot country.) But I know that the prayers my grandmother prayed for my mom, and for me, have shaped my children, and will shape those to come.
My hope is that I can leave a heritage of prayer for my children. I need to pray over them more, where they can hear me. They need to hear me more on my face before God. To see me make my prayer time more important. To know that I take the word seriously. To know God has a plan for their lives, and I am praying daily that they walk in it. I want them to know without a doubt, that they have a praying mother.
Just a few weeks ago, I had the awesome privilege of "rocking my sons world" ha! My 2nd oldest daughter had just become engaged... and I asked my 11 year old son what he thought. He sat very quiet for a while... and I asked what he was thinking. He said, "Mom, I just want to know when that will happen for me? That I'll find who I am going to spend my life with." After picking my heart up from my feet (those are things I try NOT to think about too often), I told him I had no doubt that it would happen in God's timing.
I told him that just like daughter No.2, I had been praying for all of my children, since before they were born (or when they joined my family by marriage). That I had prayed faithfully for that man or woman that would one day walk into their world and change it forever.
I told him that as I prayed for his purity, his relationship with God, his love of family, and his journey into becoming a man... that I was praying the same thing for his future wife. He just sat there, looking at me! It was shocking to him, that I was already praying for his wife.
So in that very small moment, I built one more small piece of the foundation, that would hopefully one day be the monument in my children's eyes of a faithful praying mom. Yes! But my job is so far from done. I have many still children, several at the door of marriages, some married, and now grandchildren.
My prayers have just began for my future generations.
Oh Lord, please, help me to be a faithful mother in the form of a prayer warrior! May my prayers reach you as I daily work on my relation ship with you. May you find me worthy and righteous... so that my prayers would accomplish much! I have generations to change. I have Your Kingdom to advance. Draw me to Your throne, on my face... daily! Amen
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