“Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!”
One of the saddest moments in my life occurred early in my ministry. I was working with teenagers and pursuing a strategy of praying for them. While talking with a ministry partner about it, he asked me if I had ever considered how many young people had never had their names lifted before the throne of the Almighty. At that moment, I was overwhelmed by the realization that there really were young people who had never been prayed for. I am convinced that many of us are in the Kingdom of God because of a grandmother who prayed for us—sometimes even before we were born. My wife and I prayed for our children, their future spouses, and their future children long before any of them were born. Here I was being challenged by the recognition that some people had never, in their entire lives, been prayed for. The woman in this chapter was a praying mother who expressed her diligent prayers for her son. Her son was, in many ways, an answer to her prayers. In our case, our prayers were not for a particular gender but for healthy children, for them to come to know Christ as early as possible, and for so many other things throughout their lives. I don’t know if you have children, but if you do, I encourage you to pray for them right now. If you anticipate having children someday, begin praying for them now, as well as for those who will influence their lives. Praying for anyone in your family is always a good idea. One of my favorite truths is that there is no expiration date on prayer. When we pray for our children, we may not see the results today or even in our lifetime, but we can trust that God hears our prayers and answers them in His perfect time. Today, pray for those you love. #BeTheEdge
“It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIV)
