“. . . and though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory . . .” 1 Peter 1:8 (NSAB) Prayer Over Our ChildrenBless my little one with Your abundant mercy and grace, giving her a living hope through Your resurrection. Oh Lord, give my child an inheritance that will never spoil, perish or fade as You shield her through Your power. Grant her an unshakable and genuine faith in You that will praise, glorify, and honor You in all things. May she believe in You as You fill her with inexpressible and glorious joy. ... Oh God, prepare her mind for action, help her be self-controlled, and set her hope fully on Your graced. Allow her not to conform to evil desires but call her to be holy so that she may be holy in all that she does. I plead that she will place her hope and faith in You and that You will purify her through a heart of obedience. Form her to love deeply, oh God, with a sincere heart for others and for You. It started up with a cough. Then another. And another. The time on the clock announced its early hour. Poor Sweet Pea hacked out another round before I could reach her room. “Mommy!” She cried as I swung the door open wide. Her little body doubled over again from another fit of coughs. “Oh, Sweet Pea!” Quickly I crossed the bedroom to rub her back. She leaned against me to rest and looked imploring up at me. “Mommy, may I still go today?” Her little hand tugged at my shirt anxiously before another series of coughs claimed her. The day prior, Sweet Pea woke up coughing. They materialized seemingly out of nowhere. That morning dawned with coughs knocking on the day’s door, I swung into action. After 3 treatments of Melaleuca combined with the humidifier under a bed sheet, the coughs seemed to disappear, and normal daily activity resumed. Uno at the nursing home and time in the pool continued as scheduled while playtime with stuffed animal friends commenced with zeal. Even sleep that night appeared blissfully absent of respiratory distress and held the promise of a peaceful slumber. I fervently hoped the next day would find her healthy and able to hit the ground running thereby allowing me to drop her off at her day’s activity and leave me free to pursue much needed Mommy-time. However, this morning, as I watched my daughter double over in coughs before me, I instantly knew that going anywhere was out of the question. “Please Mommy, please, please, please!” begged my little girl, “I want to go!” She banged out the last words, hitting the bed with her hand for emphasis, “Please!” “Oh, Sweet Pea,” came my own mournful tones, “Trust me, sweetheart, I wish you could go too.” Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to stifle the wave of disappointment which crashed down heavy and hard. Then, I assumed the pose we parents know all too well. With head bowed, hand rubbing wrinkled brow, and eyes wearily shut, I uttered a fervent prayer for a miraculous intervention. A plea for help not for my daughter, but for me. For I confess to all of you that the thought of an unplanned day home with my little one and the interruption of my own personal plans caused me to grumble in my spirit and to complain. It had been a whirlwind week of crammed evenings, activities galore, and special events which left me craving solitude, peace, and quiet. As much as I loved my daughter, a few hours without Sweet Pea’s energetic chatter sounded absolutely heavenly. The time that I had been so looking forward to for myself now seemed to sink like the Titanic before my eyes. “I don’t think so, Sweet Pea,” I tried to remain optimistic, “maybe your coughs will get better by the time we finish breakfast. But when another wave of coughs commandeered my daughter, I knew in my heart of hearts that I should keep her home. “You could still send her,” argued my inner self, “she’s perfectly healthy otherwise.” “But she’ll be coughing throughout the entire time,” pointed out the responsible side. “Yes, but other moms send their children in the same condition or worse,” defended the self-seeking half. “That’s true,” admitted my conscience, “but what would be the best thing for her?” Unable to offer a refute, the ugly-eyed monster from within wanted to stomp in temper and scream over the truth. I stood in her bedroom, wavering with indecision and feeling pulled by my warring emotions. “Today, Sweet Pea,” I finally decided, “you will be staying home.” Then, after giving her something for her cough and surrounding her with toys with which to play, I turned and fled to my bedroom. A rain cloud the size of Mt. Everest hovered over me, blocking out the sunshine and stomping out any joy. I humbly admit to all of you that in the next few moments, my thoughts, attitude, and emotions were anything but pretty. In fact, my insides were downright ugly. Safe in the haven of my room, I threw myself down on the floor where an internal temper tantrum raged with a pity-party as a close companion. And just like Mt. Saint Helen's erupting, my attitude and spirit boiled over in toxic, lethal ash, poisoning the very air I breathed. I felt helpless to stop the rising wave of negativity. In truth, a small part of myself did not want to stop it. Yet, even as my gloom struggled to give way, the logical part of my brain kicked at the goads. “You can’t keep on like this,” it argued, “it’s just the morning. How will you make it through the day if you continue down this path?” The truth of these simple words fell like manna from heaven, yet I felt powerless against the raging current. And just like a swimmer about to drown whose head is going under, I cried out with desperation. “Help me Lord,” tore my anguished plea, “I need You.” And help, He did. At my feet lay my audio Bible. It beckoned and called my name, wooing me softly to come. Find refuge in Me and in My Word, came the gentle words. So, I came. On went the device and in went my earbuds. “Cast your cares upon Him,” urged the voice of Scripture to my fractured spirit, “Because He loves you (I Peter 5:7).” I could not believe my ears. Here, in this very moment, God was using Scripture to comfort me, tell me that He loved me, and encourage me to entrust Him with all my burdens. The words continued, but this time as a warning, “Stay self-controlled and alert, Your Enemy, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (I Peter 5:8).” For one heartbeat, I did not breathe. Time stood still. In one blinding flash, the past merged with the future into the present as the battle from just four days prior rushed back with sudden clarity. This prowling lion looks to devour by stealing, killing, and destroying. And he was doing it right now. I was allowing this prowling Enemy to destroy my inner peace, steal my joy, and kill any potential of a fun, re-imagined day. In the instant it took my brain to absorb these truths, a final exhortation laid a new course for the day and steered me down a different path. Where turmoil and angst once possessed a foothold, fresh resolve sprang up with sudden fierce determination to wage war against the roaring lion who came to steal, kill, and destroy. “Resist him,” urged the words of Peter the Apostle, “Stand firm in the faith… (I Peter 5:9).” His exhortation reverberated deep. It was almost like God spoke directly to me through this passage, urging me on and encouraging me out of the trenches into the Light. The words gave me the Rock on which to stand along with the firm footing to keep me from falling. Resist him, trumpeted the battle cry, Stand strong in the faith. So, armed with fresh focus and purpose, I girded my loins for war and prepared my mind for battle. “Satan,” I declared as my first act of resistance, “you will not steal my day.” Then, standing up, I met the Enemy head on. “Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke you. You will not steal my joy and you will not steal my peace.” Each word I uttered gave strength to my footing as I moved resolutely towards the door. Yanking it open, I marched down the hallway determined to overcome. Yet, as with all battles, setbacks inevitably occur. “I’m going to make breakfast now,” I called as I made my way to the kitchen. “Okay,” Sweet Pea said and then coughed. And coughed again. I froze, listening to the hacking sound. A sudden wave of anxiety ripped through my mother’s heart, crippling me to my knees. Will she need to go to the doctors? Will she develop bronchitis? Its worried edges poked and prodded, seeking to destroy my inner peace and enslave me once more. But a softer voice undergirded the clamor. Stay self-controlled and alert, warned the still, soft voice, the Enemy wants to devour you. In that moment, I realized that I could either choose to succumb as fresh prey to fear and disappointment or resist Satan by exercising self-control through taking captive each worried, frustrated, and selfish thought. Understanding flooded my mind as I stood motionless in the hallway. We must employ intentional, purposeful, and pointed strategies to wage war against Satan. Whether that is through regularly spending time in the Word, praying, staying alert, or exercising self-control, it must be done with the strength of purpose, intentionality, and mindfulness granted through the power of the Holy Spirit. It also must be accompanied with a laying down of self and yielding to the Will of the Heavenly Father. For how are we to wage effective battle if we blindly hold onto our own expectations and plans without submitting to the God who knows all things, is our Helper in times of need, and who fights our battles? And just like the purposeful intentionality we are to utilize in our battles against the Enemy, we are to likewise lay down our hopes, expectations, plans, and dreams in the same manner. For the act of surrender does not occur with fists curled tight but with a willful and conscious yielding of one’s control. Rather, the very laying down of Self requires God’s strength, His redeeming power, and the Holy Spirit’s fruit of self-control to resist old ways and stand firm against temptation. Moreover, sometimes it takes mindful, intentionality not to yank back up what was just laid bare but to let it still lay on the altar of sacrifice. In this moment of revelation, my feet mobilized themselves right into the kitchen where the day’s start awaited me. The old refrigerator door creaked open and slammed shut as I searched for the spinach to make smoothies, all the while mulling through the eventful morning. Submit to God and resist Satan, repeated the words in my head. As my fingers flew to ready breakfast and Sweet Pea played upstairs, I faced a critical juncture with how I would choose to face the day and who I would want by my side. Did I wish to relinquish my joy and peace to the Enemy by clinging too tightly to my own hopes and expectations? Did I want to stay alert, be self-controlled, and resist Satan so that I might yield myself to God and what He knows to be best? How did I want to live out this day? So, amidst the whir of the blender and the clatter of breakfast dishes, I lay down my expectations, hopes, and plans for a day of solitude. I surrendered my worries, disappointments, and frustrations to our loving Lord. I yielded control to the Giver of all things good and the One who knows best. Dear parents, grandparents, and friends, are you alert and self-controlled? Are you awake enough to identify the different spots of Satan whether as a roaring lion or a prowling thief? Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy anyone he can. Yet how can we combat him? How are we able to triumph victoriously over this foe? Let me first encourage you to start by preparing your mind for battle. Keep your mind sharp and alert by donning the full armor of God, spending time in the Word, and through prayer. Wield the double-edged sword of the Spirit against the Enemy, protect your mind with the helmet of salvation, and hold high the shield of faith. Gird yourself with the belt of Truth, ready your feet with peace, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. In addition, exercise self-control over your mind by taking each thought captive and surrendering them to God so that we may resist Satan. Resistance against Satan takes many different forms. Sometimes it will be outwardly blatant, loud, and physically active in its measures like the soldier of war engaged in mortal combat or like Jesus’s rebuke, “Get thee behind Me, Satan.”. But, other times, resistance may walk in the quieter shoes of choosing to make decisions guided by the Holy Spirit or by the submitting of self before the throne of God. Even the conscious choices we make every day to live by the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are also ways we can resist the roaring lion. Interestingly, it is our submission to God which ultimately undergirds our resistance to Satan. For when we are fully submitted to God, then we are able to resist Satan. But however, we go about resisting the Enemy, the most important part is to RESIST. For James 4:7 not only tells us to submit ourselves to God but to resist Satan and he will flee. And flee Satan will indeed when faced with resistance grounded in our submission to God and fueled by the power of Jesus Christ. Yet, most importantly of all, our very submission to God allows us to draw closer to Him. For the very act of submission yields us close to God through the laying down of our sin and Self. And when we draw close to God, He will draw close to us (James 4:8). May it be so for us all this day. A Parent’s PrayerHeavenly Father, help me to submit and yield myself to You. I give You all my hopes, dreams, and desires. Make them Yours, oh God. Show me how to stay alert and on guard against the Enemy as You provide a covering over me and my family. Draw near me, oh God, and help me draw close to You.
1 Comment
HAP SKINNER
7/26/2019 07:30:56
ONCE AGAIN MARGE I READ YOUR WRITINGS,,,YOU KNOW DAVE AND I ARE GOING THROUGH A NEW SEASON OF RETIREMENT AND MOVING CLOSER TO FAMILY, I MUST ALLOW GOD TO DIRECT ME AND NOT GET IN THE WAY,,JUST SO HARD BECAUSE I ALWAYS THINK I KNOW THE RIGHT THING TO DO WHEN I MUST ALLOW DIRECTION FROM GOD ...I MUST SLOW DOWN, PRAY AND PRAY THAT HE WILL GUIDE DAVE AND I THE RIGHT DIRECTION, I LOVE READING EVERYTHING YOU WRITE,,KNOW I LOVE YOU,,,HAPPY
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AuthorMarried to my best friend for over 20 years, my husband and I are the proud (and often exhausted!) parents of a vivacious kindergatener. As a vision-impaired mom, prayer and trust in the Lord play a vital and moment-to-moment role in my life. Read more ... Follow me:
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