We are so thrilled to be welcoming a special guest today for the second installment of our
Praying for Your Kids Series!
Kelli is our wonderful friend from the blog
When the words “praying for our kids” are mentioned, so many things come to my mind. Who will they marry? Will they make good choices? Will he or she become a Christian?
I learned about praying earnestly and fervently for my children the day after my husband and I became parents. Our son Landon was born with a liver issue, one that we hoped would be ironed out in a few days. The doctors were testing (and testing, and testing) to see if he had a disease called “biliary atresia,” and kept telling us that would be “the worst-case scenario.”
In those early days as we struggled to make sense of everything while staying beside our son in the hospital, Ben and I spent hours upon hours praying for him. After his release from his first stay in the hospital, we took him to our church and had the elders pray over him in James 5 fashion. Churches all over the state were praying for him. I claimed the verse, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
Praying that he wouldn’t have this disease. Praying for God to heal him. Praying we could go on about life-as-usual.
And God said, “No.”
Ouch. Nothing like a prayer about the very child I carried in my womb, being answered very definitively in the exact opposite way that I wanted.
Our son did indeed have this horrible disease, one will that will almost surely end in liver transplant. We would spend many more days in the hospital. We
At first, and even sometimes now, there was lots of questioning. Where are you God? Why is our child sick? Why aren’t you doing what we want???
God led (and continues to lead) me to this verse when Landon was about a year old:
“For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” Lamentations 3:33.
This verse has helped me so much. Even though I knew it, it helped so much to see it in Scripture. God didn’t want to see my baby sick and undergoing surgery at 7 weeks old any more than I did. But we live in a fallen, sinful world. Tragic things are going to happen. And for purposes that we don’t always understand, God sometimes allows them to happen.
So, even though our prayer was not answered the way we would have wanted, great things have come out of it. We have been able to minister to other families going through the same type of trial. We moved to the city where Landon was treated to plant a church. And perhaps, most importantly, I have learned to not take my children for granted.
It is truly amazing to see how God can use those difficult circumstances in our lives to transform and renew us and then use us to bless others. You have certainly blessed us today by sharing this with us Kelli!
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s
Biblical Virtues to be praying for your kids:
Sunday– Mercy: “May my children always be merciful, just as their father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
Monday– Respect (for self, others, authority): “Father, grant that my children show proper respect to everyone as your Word commands.” (1 Peter 2:17)
Tuesday– Biblical self-esteem: “Help my children to develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:10)
Wednesday-Faithfulness: “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.” (Proverbs 3:3)
Thursday– Courage: “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” (Dt. 31:6)
Friday– Purity: “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” (Ps. 51:10)
Saturday– Kindness: “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”
(1 Thess. 5:15)
Thank you so much to Kelli from Eat, Pray, Read, Love for the wonderful words she shared with us this week and thanks to all of you for joining us for another Simply Sunday at the Fence,
What a touching story. And, even though, God did not answer the prayer as expected I believe He is working in another way by making them a tool to help others dealing with like issues. Great feature here today-xo Diana
Thank you for your sweet words. We pray constantly to be used of him!
I love this series. God Bless Kelli and all of her family for all they do. I know they are an inspiration and comfort to so many. Beautiful and touching story. Hugs, marty
Thank you Marty. Your words are so sweet.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. –Jeremiah 29:11 Thank you to Kelli for sharing her family’s story. Even through their struggles and uncertainties, I am thankful they are claiming Hope. This is a wonderful series, ladies.
Susan, thank you for reminding me of that Scripture. God IS faithful to us!
I appreciate Kelli’s testimony about fervent prayer and God answering No. So often testimonials are about God’s answers to prayers the way we want them answered. Kelli’s testimony is a good reminder to me that God’s ways are perfect and higher than ours. His purposes are always good even when we may not see or understand it at the time.
This is a wonderful series!
Mary Alice
Thanks so much Mary Alice. You are so right about God’s ways being perfect- even when we so don’t understand at the time. Thanks for reading.
I’ll begin praying these virtues for our first Granddaughter and our 2nd Grandchild still in my daughter’s womb.
By God’s sweet grace I began to pray for Christian spouses for our 3 kids when the youngest was 2. God has granted that prayer! Thank You, Jesus!
What an awesome testimony, Kelli. It was much needed for me tonight. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Nikki! 🙂 Loved your post today as well.
I need to go back and start your series from the beginning. I’m a praying parent, too. A couple of weeks ago, I went up to the soccer field next to my daughter’s high school and walked the track and prayed for her while she was taking her chemistry test. I had told her I was going to do this so I could be close to her while she was taking that test…..as you would guess, chemistry is not her best subject. Even if she hadn’t passed (but she did 🙂 ), I felt like I was doing the right thing with my Prayer Walk.
There’s a Garth Brooks song, called “Unanswered Prayers” and it has always bothered me, because indeed, God DOES answer prayers, it’s just not always the answer you want. Sometimes God says no.
It sounds like God said no to your prayer, because he was saying YES to something else for your life. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story.
Kelli, That’s a beautiful story of faith. You are such a good Mommy to your children and such an encouragement to others!, and I love your Biblical Virtues, which we really need to cling to and teach to our children and grandchildren, in a world that seems to forget Godly ways and principles all too often. God bless you!