Day 30:  The Fullness of God 

For this reason I kneel before You, Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. Lord, I pray that out of Your glorious riches my children may be strengthen with power through Your Spirit in their inner beings, so that You, Lord, may dwell in their hearts through faith. And I pray that they, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that my children may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

                                    Ephesians 3: 14-19

This prayer found in Ephesians really says it all.  It combines the hopes and dreams I have for my children.  I want them to experience the fullness of God—not just a little bit, all of it.  I want them to know, really know, the love of Christ.  I want them to understand that the love of God is wide enough, long enough, high enough, deep enough to cover any mistake, any insecurity, any fear, any foe that they may encounter.  I want them to know the power of God in their hearts, and spirits, and souls, and minds.  I want them to be rooted in love, which will keep them steady when the tough winds of life blow.  It is for these reasons that I kneel before God, every day.  Many times I literally kneel, but always my heart is on its knees, bowing to the only One who has all the answers I need.

As these 30 Days of Prayer now come to a close, I hope that you will keep going.  I hope and pray that we are now in a habit of praying for the children in our lives.

It matters.

It makes a difference.

God does hear and will answer.

Just wait and see.

Day 28: Transforming Truth

Lord, please search the hearts of my children.  Point out anything in their hearts or minds that offends You.  Convict them of their sins, Lord.  It is only by the power of Your Holy Spirit that we truly see our actions and attitudes the way You do.  Change my children in the areas that they need change, and lead them along the path of everlasting life.   Psalm 139: 23-24  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

There is a fine line between teaching and nagging, between guiding to maturity and trying to control.  I have crossed this line many times, and it never turns out well.  Honestly, it took me a while to realize that I am not the Holy Spirit in their lives and I should not try to be.  It is, in fact, sinful to try to be.  Only the Holy Spirit can breathe transforming truth to my children to change what needs to be changed.  I am simply required to hold out truth to them, to teach truth to them—but it is the Holy Spirit who makes that truth transform them.

Our calling to a big family and lots of children is a great blessing, indeed.  It is also hard work.  A scripture that has been a great source of comfort to me is found in Isaiah 54:13

“All your children will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be their peace.”

Did you catch that first word?  All.  I love that.  In this day and age it seems a difficult feat for all seven of my children to be followers of truth.  But God says differently, and I lay claim to that promise on a daily basis.  That is not to say that my children and yours want have seasons of wandering.  I have had those seasons, too.  But I believe God’s Word and I believe the power of His Holy Spirit.  I encourage you to believe for your children until they believe wholeheartedly for themselves.

Day 27:  Justice, Mercy, and Humility

Lord, You have shown us what is good and what You require:  To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with You, our God.  May these children display these truths in their lives now, and forever.         Micah 6:8    In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If this is what God requires, as the scripture says, we may need to break it down just a bit to make sure we understand it.

To do justly … The generation just behind me is doing a good job of promoting social justice.  From orphan care, to sex trafficking, to water projects, the awareness of need is made available more than ever.  The Internet has brought the needs of the world to our doorsteps.   And this is good and right.  The one thing we need to be aware of is to make sure our causes line up with scripture.  Pick best over good, eternal over temporary.

To love mercy … God wants us to be a champion of justice, and stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.  He also wants us to live a life of mercy.  What is mercy?  Not getting what we deserve.  Mercy is a lot like compassion mixed with forgiveness.  God extends it to us and we should extend it to others.  And we should love it, seek after it, look for opportunities to extend mercy to those around us.

Finally, what does walking humbly with God look like?  This is the picture in my mind:  When my daughter, Sally, was little, she always wanted to hold my hand when we walked together. There, holding hands, standing closely together, she talked, laughed, and sang with me.  She often said, “Mama, I LOVE spending time with you!”  or “Did you know I love you sooo much?!” Big words and thoughts for a three-year-old, but was (and still is) my Sally!  When she is with me, she is really with me.  To me, that is walking humbly.  Being humble does not mean that we think badly of ourselves, it means we rarely think of ourselves.  To walk humbly with God means that we rarely think of ourselves because our minds are too busy thinking of Him, and thinking of how we can extend justice and mercy to others.