Metro Moms

Desiring God

Our emphasis on prayer here on the Metro Mom's blog has been sovereignly ordained by God.  We know this because everywhere we look it seems that the Holy Spirit is speaking the same to others.  We shared with you last week about an excellent post from Paul Tripp on his blog.  If you haven't made the time to read it, please do!  It is too good to miss, and it will serve you as you seek to pray more in 2008.

Today we offer a sermon that my husband and I listened to last weekend by John Piper with Desiring God Ministries.  It is from December 30, 2007 and is entitled "Pray Like This: Hallowed Be Your Name".  The sermon lasts 45 minutes, but the download is free.  Or you can choose to read the sermon.  Whatever method works best for you I hope you will make the time to benefit from his excellent preaching on why and how we should pray.  I pray that it will convict you, bless you and stir you on to excel still more (as it has me) in this God-glorifying practice of praying, "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name..."

Posted by Debi

Bedtime Prayer

Lord, I thank You for this day.  Thank You for always providing for all of our needs; we are grateful.  Please watch over my boys as they sleep - mentally, physically, and spiritually.  Please grant them the gift of sleep and give them sweet dreams.
I thank You that I have the privilege of training my boys in Your ways, Lord.  I pray that they would love You with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Please help them to put off foolish ways and to walk in wisdom.  I pray that they will become godly, young men who love serving You and walking in Your ways.  Thank You for loving us and for forgiving our sins.  Thank You that You will be faithful to make us more like Jesus.

Bless them with every spiritual blessing, I pray in Jesus' Name; Amen.

Prayer by Michelle

A Prayer for My Children from Psalm 139

O Lord, you have searched them and you know them.  You know when they sit and when they rise; you perceive their thoughts from afar;  You discern their going out and their lying down; you are familiar with all their ways.  Before a word is on their tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem them in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon them.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can they go from your Spirit?  Where can they flee from your presence?  If they go up to the heavens, you are there; if they make their bed in the depths, you are there.  If they rise on the wings of the dawn, if they settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide them; your right hand will hold them fast.  If they say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me."  Even the darkness will not be dark to them; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 

For you created their inmost being; you knit them together in my womb.  I praise you because they are fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.  I know that full well.  Their frame was not hidden from you when they were made in the secret place.  When they were woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw their unformed bodies.  All the days ordained for them were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them, they would outnumber the grains of sand......

Search them, O God, and know their hearts; test them and know their anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in them, and lead them in the way everlasting.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Prayer by Elyse

Praying from Scripture

Many times I can actually run out of things to pray for about my children. After the basic needs and praying that their hearts would be softened to the Gospel I can be at a loss for words.  Ah, that is when the Word of God can help me pray for my children. 

Join with me as I pray from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:

"May the God of peace sanctify my children through and through. May their whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  And may they always trust the One who has called them and who has faithfully accomplished their redemption."

The idea came from a set of index cards that I got a long time ago by David Michael (now available in booklet form).  It has inspired me to open up my Bible to pray for my children.  Here is another example or two so that you can get the idea:

From Hebrews 13:21-22

"May the God of Peace who brought up from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord through the blood of the eternal covenant equip my children with every good thing to do His will, and work in all of them that which is pleasing in His sight through the power of Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever!"

This one truly affected me this morning, this is my prayer for my children today:

From Psalm 13:5-6

'May the LORD deal bountifully with you all the days of your life, and may you always trust in the loving-kindness of the LORD.  In the days of sorrow and darkness, may you rejoice in the Lord's salvation and sing to Him forever and ever."

So whether you have five minutes or an extended period of time, write some prayers out on index cards and stick them on your mirrors, etc. to encourage you to pray for your children on a more regular basis.

Posted by Taraleigh

Dear Father,

Time is an issue for many of us, so we thought making time in our posts to pray aloud, would serve us all well.  The Bible says that where two or three are gathered together to pray, He is there in our midst. Let's join together this week and pray collectively for the hearts and souls of our children.

My heart is heavy this morning for the hearts of my children.  At times it seems we face the same issues day after day and that change and repentance are foreign words to them.  I am aware, Lord, of my lack of faith and of my own self-righteousness.  Forgive me by Your great mercy and empower me with faith that equips me to continue encouraging and correcting day after day.  Unless you change their hearts my parenting is useless.  Teach them that You are their strong tower.

I see that in MY world my children would repent immediately of their sin as they saw it the first time and each day would hold good news.  How I love the comfortable place where all things are predictable and have happy endings.  Yet You, O Lord, delight more in the process.  Like an accomplished poet - every word has a rhyme and a reason, as do all my troubles.  But I'm not just a word on a page in the time line of eternity; I am the dwelling place of Your Holy Spirit.  You live within me, and I am not alone.  Do I really believe this?  I know that You are there, but does this help me in my fight against sin?  It will if I convince my wayward, doubting heart of this truth. 

Like David, You are gathering a great army of God to help me in my unbelief.  I posture myself in humility and pray that for the sake of my children, You will make me the Mom You have created me to be.  David thought he was only a shepherd of sheep, but You anointed Him King of Israel.  Through much trouble You accomplished Your perfect will in his life.  I ask that Your will be done in my life and in the lives of my children for Your glory alone.

In Jesus' precious, most holy name I pray,
Amen

Prayer by Debi

Ungratefulness

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." (Psalm 127 verse 3)

When I forget what a privilege it is to have been given two children to train up in the ways of the Lord, and focus instead on the challenges of parenting, my heart can sometimes become ungrateful for this privilege. This can indeed prove to be a hindrance in my prayers for my children.

I need to  be diligent to keep a watch about my heart so that when training them becomes a burden instead of a privilege, I know that a heart adjustment on my part is in order.  Confessing my sin of ungratefulness to the Lord is the first step, and then I ask him to increase my affection and gratitude for my boys, and for Him to help me remember that my children are "a heritage from the Lord" not a burden.  Asking my children to forgive me is necessary as well.  I share these things with my husband so he can pray for me and hold me accountable.

The sweetest times of prayer for my children usually come at the end of the day when I am praying with them and for them before they go to sleep.  I try and remember as I'm praying to thank the Lord for the privilege of training them and to express gratitude for the blessing they are to our family.  I believe this is  especially important for my children to hear on the days when I have struggled with ungratefulness for them.

On the days that have been more challenging, when I kiss and hug them goodnight, I encourage them that "Lord willing" we'll try again tomorrow!  I am so grateful that the Lord's mercies are new every morning!

Posted by Michelle

Why don't I pray?

Why don't I pray?  I have been thinking about that question since it was asked.  It's not that I never pray for my children, of course I do.  Most of the time it is that praying without ceasing during the day or specific prayers for them as they go to bed at night.  But purposeful, prolonged, consistent prayer is not as much a part of my life as it should be as a believer.

Certainly pride and laziness play a big part in the absence of that prayer.  But I am sad to admit that there also must be an element of unbelief in my heart.  If I fully believed all that I say I believe, then how could I not pray more?  I know that He hears my prayers, but do I believe that they really make a difference?  I love my children and my greatest desire for them is to serve our Lord and bring glory to Him.  Jesus calls me to pray.  If it didn't matter, He wouldn't ask me to do it.  And if I don't pray for my children, who will?

Posted by Elyse

Busy, Busy, Busy

Not sure if this is your experience, but I find that I will be so busy caring for my children that I forget to pray for them as well.  In fact that is one of the best ways I can care for them - why is it so easy to forget?  I do tend to be on my knees regularly when we are going through a challenging stage, or we just can't seem to make progress in an area.  But when things are going "well," I can quickly forget.

This shows me my self-sufficiency.  I am leaning more on my ability to mother them, than I am the Father's ability to care for them.  The Holy Spirit gently reminds me of this on a regular basis...it tends to be when I am checking on them after they have gone to sleep.  I am reminded that they are not mine - they are HIS and I need to continually lift them to the Lord in prayer.

Posted by Stephanie

I Don't Pray Because I'm Proud

Why don't I pray for my kids?  There are so many "excuses" -- but when I boil them all down I don't pray because I'm proud.

I pray when I'm desperate or anxious or fearful about their safety or their sanctification.  I pray when I'm concerned that they are flirting with sin or worldliness.  I pray when they need financial provision.  I pray when they are approaching an important task or college assignment or conversation with a friend about something important.  I pray when I'm driving down the road and sense the tug of the Spirit on my heart saying, "Something isn't right" or "You told them you would pray about this...so pray."  And I pray when I'm sensing they aren't seeing their own need for God to the degree they should. 

I pray when it seems to ME they need something or I want to see God do something in their lives.  In my pride and self-sufficiency, the rest of the time I think they need me.  My counsel more than that of the Wonderful Counselor.  My correction more than that of the Convictor of sin.  My consolation more than that of the Comforter.  So when things are going well and there's no crisis, I too often rely on myself and forget that times of prosperity and ease are the very times when my sinful heart relies on self instead of on God. 

I have recently been in a season of great desperation for God.  A moral crisis in the lives of some dear friends and some personal things we have been walking through as a family has me burdened for my children.  I've been crying out to God for their protection.  Pleading with God to empower them with fresh strength to live godly, self-controlled lives and to grow in their commitment to holiness and joy.  When will this desperation fade?  I want to believe it won't...but I know there is remaining pride in my heart that will seduce me to complacency and arrogant passivity to get off my face before God and trust myself when the crisis has passed and the weight I am "feeling" subsides.

Lord, please forgive me once again for my self-sufficient pride.  I want to remain desperately aware of my children's need for YOU not me.  My heart is so prone to wander from humble reliance on You to protect, convict, comfort, counsel and empower them.  Please help me, Jesus.  I want to be a mom who prays first and talks later.  For only You can change their hearts and provide for them all they need to live lives worthy of the calling to which they have been called.

Posted by Sheree

In Season and Out

This week we are going to honestly discuss the things that hinder us from praying earnestly for our children.  This discussion is meant to help us identify sin in our own hearts so that we might run to the Savior to find grace to change.  These are perilous times in which we live - never has the need to pray for our children been so great. 

Praying consistently for my children has not been an easy task.  I ebb and flow in my commitment to do this.  Why?  Mainly, it's because I haven't made it a priority.  There are seasons when I am so desperate for God to move that I pray not only daily, but hourly.  But in the seasons when all seems to be well in the camp, I am lulled into believing that "I'm handling things just fine!"  This is gross error on my part; I must repent of my self-sufficiency and pride. 

My children need my prayers as much as I need to pray, no matter what the circumstances are that we are facing.  I have been the recipient of a mother and grandmother's prayers.  It is my turn to be that consistent voice before the throne of God for my children, in season and out.

Posted by Debi