Praying as Long as It Takes

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has

granted me what I asked of him.”

I Samuel 1:27 (NIV)

I loved tucking my small children into bed at night. All I have to do is close my eyes and I can still smell the scent of Ivory soap on freshly scrubbed little faces as they snuggled into sheets that had been drying on the line outside. But perhaps the most fun of all was bowing my head with them as they said bedtime prayers.

Children have a way of stating simple but profound truths and I have no doubt that God smiles and lovingly focuses on each one.  On one particular evening I listened as my seven-year old son asked the Lord to watch over an elderly neighbor who had not been feeling well for a few days.

Next my almost three year old asked God to help her catch Penelope, her cat, so that she could, in her words, “put my doll clothes on the poor, ole thang.” The last one to pray was my five year old. She put her little hands together, closed her eyes, and prayed with all her heart “Lord, Lord, when I grow up, help me to find the right man!”

I could not help but smile at her precious request of God as I kissed them all goodnight and shut the bedroom door. But before I could take two steps, the Lord spoke clearly to my heart: “Why are you smiling? That is exactly what you should be praying every day for your children.”

Instantly I was convicted of that huge responsibility and fervently prayed my sweet daughter’s prayer for a mate over each of them from that moment on.

Scripture tells us that Hannah had prayed fervently to become pregnant and God had granted her request. But what encourages me is that she didn’t pray once or twice and then sit back, waiting for an answer. I Samuel 1:3 says that year after year she and her husband went go to the sanctuary at Shiloh to worship and each time Hannah begged God for a child. Year after year after year.

Are you daily lifting up the future spouse for your son or daughter? That should be one of your first prayer requests each morning and the last one before you go to bed each night, year after year. We are encouraged in I Thessalonians to pray continually and to joyfully wait for an answer, even if it takes weeks or months . . . or years.

             

The Lord answered Hannah’s persistent prayer with a son that she named Samuel. And, in case you are wondering, He is answering my prayers for my children, too. Both of my daughters are married to Godly men who love the Lord and their families.

Join me in praying – as long as it takes – for Christian spouses for our sons and daughters.   

Father, may I continue to be faithful in prayer, no matter how long it takes, for my children and their future spouses. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you given serious thought to the spouse that your son or daughter will one day marry?
• Are you willing to pray as long as it takes to ask the Lord to bring the right person into their lives?

Apply

• No matter the age of your child, spend one minute each day asking God to bring a Christian spouse into his or her life.

• Periodically share Scripture about a Godly spouse with your child and pray with them that God will bring that person into their lives in His timing.

Power

• I Samuel 1:27 (NIV) “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” 

• Galatians 6:9 (NIV) “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

• I Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) “Be joyful always; pray continually . . .”  

Where Is My Focus?

“Set your minds on things above,

not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

My granddaughter went downstairs to her dad’s office where he was totally focused on a project for work. “Hey dad, is it okay if I wear this dress to church?” Without looking up from his drawing, he replied “Sure, that’s great.”

However as she went back upstairs and came face to face with her mother, she received a totally different reaction. “Honey, why do you have that dress on? You’ve gotten so much taller and it’s too short for you to wear.”

But my granddaughter replied “Mom, I just asked Dad and he said it was okay.” Within minutes Dad was called upstairs and, as his previous conversation with his daughter was recounted, he shook his head. “I should have looked up,” he said.

In today’s Scripture, Paul tells the Church of Colossae that they should also look up. But his intent in telling them to keep focused “on things above” has a much deeper meaning. He knows that when we as believers focus on “things above,” we are actually focusing on Christ.

Now let me be the first to admit that my focus can get completely thrown off track by the “earthly things” in life. Just as my son-in-law was totally absorbed with his work, I can become totally absorbed in “stuff” in my life, like how much money and possessions I have. And I can also become focused on envy or jealousy, holding a grudge smothered in anger and forgiveness, or gossiping disguised as a “just thought you ought to know” comment.

But when my focus switches to heaven – and to Christ – I begin to understand that “as God’s chosen people” (verse 12) I need to put on His clothing of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Instead of gossiping about the woman sitting in a church pew quietly wiping tears, I will sit quietly by her side and share her grief.

I will find no comfort in what I own but will be able to comfort the elderly man in the care center longing for the days when he was healthy and at his home.

I will trade impatience for patience with the woman at the gas station or supermarket who is having a rough day.

Earthly things that have no value will be replaced as my mind is set on things above and on Christ.

Where is your focus? Just look up.

Father, forgive me when I focus on the unimportant things of this earth and not on you. Pull me back into your presence. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever found yourself so focused on every day situations here on earth that you lost your focus on Christ?

• Do you think it happened suddenly or was it a gradual change?

Apply

• Buy a small chalkboard and chalk and place it in your kitchen or by the bathroom mirror.

• Write today’s Scripture on it in the morning and at the end of the day, write one sentence describing how you focused on Christ during the day. Repeat tomorrow.

Power  

•  3:2 (NIV) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

• II Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

• John 15:19 (NIV) “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

R-rated

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we

have received the knowledge of the

truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. . .”

Hebrews 10:26 (NIV)

It was one of those moments that, years later, still makes me shake my head and smile. Noah and Lola, both 4 years old, were having a heavy conversation over a lunch of mac ‘n cheese and chocolate milk.

“Noah, when I’m 10, I’m going to see an R-rated movie,” Lola informed him.

Noah immediately answered. “You can’t see an R-rated movie. If you do you will go to “hail,” Lola.”

But she shook her head “Yes I CAN see an R-rated movie. I won’t go to “hail” if I do.” Noah totally disagreed. “Yes, you will, Lola. You will go straight to “hail” if you see one.”

The conversation went back and forth for several minutes. Finally Lola sighed and raised up both her hands in the air. “Okay, fine. I’ll go see an R-rated movie and then after it’s over, I’ll ask God to forgive me.” Mercy.

Obviously, at 4 years of age, Lola had no concept of Hebrews 10:12. But evidently she had heard a conversation somewhere about doing something you should not be doing and THEN asking God to forgive you.

So what does it mean to “deliberately keep on sinning”? I believe it comes down to this: knowing the clear commands of Scripture but choosing to ignore them and do what we want to do instead. Not confessing but continuing our sin; not battling against it but willingly surrendering to it day after day.

For example, do we focus on loving money to the point that every day is filled with how to obtain more and more wealth? We are told in I Timothy 6:10 that the love of money only leads to all kinds of evil. We know that. But yet we continue holding it up as our god.

Or perhaps we are in a relationship outside of our marriage. We know that we are clearly warned in I Corinthians 6:18 to run from sexual immorality and yet we ignore the word of God and continue in our sin.

Before you say “Yes, but no one is perfect! We all sin!” I completely agree. We all mess up. But as Christians, we know our trust and faith are in the only One who died for us and who promises forgiveness when we confess our sins to Him.

Jesus became the Ultimate Sacrifice for our sins with His death on the cross. Resolve today, not to deliberately keep on sinning but to deliberately keep on turning to Him for forgiveness and renewal.

Father, thank you for your grace and forgiveness. I do not want to ever deliberately sin against you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Can you recall a time in your life when you knew you were deliberately sinning but you didn’t repent?

Apply

• Journal anything in your life that you think might be “deliberate sin.”
• Read through the Word and write Scripture verses that speak to each entry.
• Ask the Lord to forgive you and help you begin anew by His grace and mercy.

Power

• Hebrews 10:26 (NIV) “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. . .”

• II Peter 2:21 (NIV) “It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”

• Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God . . .”