Discipling
Dear Children, This Is My Prayer For You…
Last week, after my son couldn’t find his iPod for several days, the whole family embarked on a deep-cleaning, every-corner-of-the-house search and rescue mission to locate his beloved device (which turned out to be in my purse the whole time). But something pretty great turned up in the process.
In the back of a cupboard in the basement laundry room, I found the journal I had started for my firstborn, Samuel, when I was pregnant with him. The first 12 pages had been filled, before it was lost, with prayers, hopes, and dreams for him. Even though it’s not full and is missing several years, I can’t wait to be able to give this to him someday. It got me thinking about what message I want to pass along to all of my children today. As a mother, there’s so much I want them to know, and so much I want for their lives, but when it comes right down to it, there’s really only one thing that matters.
Dear Samuel, Silas, and Adalie,
My prayer for your life is that you would follow Jesus.
At night, I come into your rooms while you’re sleeping pray for protection over you. I pray for your health, I pray for wisdom and guidance as your mother, but above all, I pray that you would love and follow Jesus.
As a parent, there’s so much that I wish for your life. I want you to experience incredible love, great adventure, hope, wholeness, family, stability, fulfillment, and providence. But the best and greatest of all those things is found in following Christ.
Yes, there will be pain. There will be trials, and there will be hardships. Your faith will be stretched and tested and the refiner’s fire will burn and sting. But keep following Jesus, because the product at the end can never compare to anything this world can offer.
I pray that you will see the Lord the way Isaiah did, and that the awe of Him would be all consuming, so that when those difficult seasons come, you would keep your eyes on and Jesus, knowing that your life is not your own.
I pray that all your successes and achievements would be done for the glory of the Lord, and in the midst of the accolades and praises your prayer would be John 3:30 “He must become greater, I must become less”.
The solution to everything I could ever worry about as your mother can be found in following Jesus.
I could worry about what career path you will choose, but if you’re following Jesus, I can rest knowing you’ll seek His will for your life.
I could worry about your finances, but if you’re following Jesus, I can rest knowing that you’ll want to make biblical decisions with your money and strive to be good stewards of what God gives you.
I could worry about who you will choose to marry, but if you’re following Jesus, I can rest knowing that whomever they are, they will be following Jesus, too.
I could worry about your marriage, but if you’re truly following Jesus, I can rest knowing that you will always fight for your wives and husband and never stop working toward becoming the spouse the Bible calls you to be to them, even in the tough times.
I could worry about your safety, but if you’re following Jesus, I can rest knowing that whatever happens, you are right in the center of His good and sovereign will.
I could worry about your character and your heart, whether or not you will love others, show kindness, and uphold justice, but if you’re following Jesus, I can rest knowing that the more time you spend with Him and read His word, the more He will cause you to see others with the same love and compassion that He does.
I could worry about whether or not your children will know the Lord, but if you’re following Jesus, then I can rest knowing that you will be purposeful in showing them how to walk with Him, contending for their hearts and minds. And know that I will be contending along with you.
Many people love Jesus, but not many people follow Him.
I pray that you would follow Him. Jesus first called out to His disciples saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. (Matthew 4:19) My prayer for you is that you would follow Jesus and allow Him to make you. Place your whole life on the Potter’s wheel and let Him make you as you follow Him.
“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you”. – Matthew 6:33
That is my prayer for you.
