Sons.

I have felt such an urgency to pray over my sons (and my daughters) because the world we live in is in such a volatile state, and I know that the days ahead will be a testing of all of our faith in God.

I have three sons, one son of my heart that came along when I married his dad, and two that are sons by birth.  They are 21, 13 and 10.  The prayers I pray over them are often alike, and sometimes very specific.  I wish I had known when our oldest son was young what I have learned since my youngest two have been in my life.  Prayers are powerful, and I too often fail them and in my prayers for them.

I'll probably be discussing some elements from a wonderful book called Praying for Boys.

For today, I wanted to share something very powerful that I read.  It is powerful because it speaks directly to my heart as a mother of sons.

God hears your groaning, he knows our pain and our hope that keeps a mama on her knees and wears the carpet out and He is for you.
You are the apple of His eye. His beloved. His thoughts are for you. He will never leave your or forsake you.
When he takes his first steps and you realize for the first time he is growing up...God is for you.
When you have given it your all and his heart does not change...God is for you. 
When you wake up and he is five (or nine or sixteen) and you realize so many moments you've missed and will never get back... God is for you.
When you realize the home life you desperately wanted to provide for him may never happen...God is for you.
When you realize your own sinful choices have affected him... God is for you.
When you're defeated and ready to quit...God is for you.
When you see the desires of his heart and realize they're not always good...God is for you.
When your son gets hurt, or that heartache you always wanted to protect him from happening...God is for you.
When his heart doesn't belong to just you anymore...God is for you.
When the threads of your carpet are worn bare from the praying, hoping and begging God to complete His good work... God is for you.
And His heart for you is good.

My Weakness, His Power

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

I just want to encourage you today, that what you are walking through is for a purpose.

As our family continues to walk through a very tough and challenging time, I have found myself on my face, begging God to let it end.  And honestly, I do want it to end.  I am tired, and I am weary.

But this morning, I woke up with a different prayer on my lips.  (One I should have already prayed.)  My prayer was:

Father, I surrender.  I surrender to YOU.  I can not make things change, or move faster, or hurt any less - but you can.  You alone know every detail of where we are, and what needs to happen and You alone know the final outcome.  So I give you everything - my husband, my children, my finances, my wants, my needs, everything is Yours.  Help me to rest in You in the waiting.  Help me to leave it all where it belongs, in Your hands.  Please teach me everything that I need to learn from this experience and may it all be for Your glory and Your praise.

I am weak, I need His power.  It is a promise from God - His power is made perfect in my weakness.  He is enough for me.

Are you struggling in a hard, dry and weary place?  I encourage you to surrender and just allow God to work in you, right where you are.  He is enough.