Chapter One
A Song of PrayerGod has given each of us a song that only we can sing. The song is
His special calling and purpose, an offering only one person can make
to Him. No one else can hum your tune. And if it were not sung, it
would be sorely missed.
Part of the song each individual is to sing is expressed through
prayer. God wants to hear from each of us. And our prayer-song,
even if we think it's an ordinary tune, can have great power.
Do you feel your prayers are powerful? That they affect the outcome
of situations? That they cause God to bend down and incline
His ear toward you? Or do you feel your notes are off-key rather than
a sweet melody? Or perhaps you often remain silent because you're
afraid you don't know how to pray well enough. Or maybe you feel
discouraged because you've tried to pray, but the experience wasn't
what you had hoped.
As we begin our exploration about prayer, I assure you that,
regardless how tentative the notes of your prayer-song, God longs to
hear from you. And whether you sing a solo, a duet, or in a group,
He listens long and well. Your melody pleases Him, even if you think
your song is too simple, too small, or too petty (those "help me find
a parking space" prayers).
Prayer Changes
I've written this book to boost your confidence in prayer and in your
ability to pray. I want you to believe deeply and fervently that praying
is one of the most important contributions you can make to your
child's life-and that that contribution will have long-term results,
results that will unfold even when you're no longer on earth. To that
end, together we're going to try out some new prayer-songs, consider
from Scripture what God thinks about our prayers, be encouraged to
keep on praying even when we have to hold our notes longer than we
ever thought we could, and hear from other moms who have prayed
long and hard. My prayer is that by the time you finish this book, you'll
be excited, energized, and enlightened about your prayer life. But even
more important, you'll be changed. For while prayer sometimes
changes circumstances and can even change other people's minds, it
almost always changes the heart of the pray-er.
I recall one prayer group I participated in, in which we prayed with
a mom who was distraught over her relationship with her son. He
hated her so much he would wince at her touch. The wall between
them was high and wide. We prayed week after week for the relationship
to heal. We asked God to tear down the wall of bitterness,
resentment, and anger. We prayed that the mom would see things she
might be doing that kept her son on the other side of that wall.
By the end of the school year, the son was hugging his mom before
he left for school. Who changed? I'm sure the mom would say that
God changed her and that enabled her son to change, but truthfully,
God changed them both.
Not that praying isn't hard work. It is. But God's answers often
amaze us. That's part of what makes praying so exciting. Many times
in our prayer group we experienced immediate answers to prayer, but
with some prayers we didn't see anything happen. A foster son was on
drugs and alcohol. We prayed fervently for this handsome young man.
Yet we saw no change. Actually, things grew worse. We persevered,
praying that he would love God and serve Him with a devoted heart.
Throughout his junior and senior high years and into his adult life, he
continued on the road to self-destruction. But God heard the prayers
of us moms, crying out for his life, and He answered-twenty years
later. I just received a letter from his foster mom joyously sharing how
this son surrendered his life to Christ, married a Christian girl, and is
actively involved in a local church. As his coworkers watched the
transformation in his life, they asked him lots of questions about
the changes. But what is really above and beyond what we could have
imagined, as we prayed in our small group all those years before, was
that he would lead his birth mother to the Lord before she died.
The Song Sung over Me
Now, I don't want you to think that my prayer-song bubbled up as
a surprise one day and I prayed fervently and well from then on. I'm
learning about prayer every day, just like you. But I did see prayer's
power in the life of someone close to me-my mom. She prayed
throughout the day in our home, always leading us in prayer before
meals and at bedtime. Many times she would pray in the car before we
left the driveway to ask for God's protection. And on Wednesday
nights, Mom would take us to church for the weekly prayer meeting.
I can remember sitting in a church pew when I was still so young that
my legs dangled midair, unable to reach the floor. I listened as the
saints' prayers filled the room. I never grew impatient or bored. Quite
the contrary, I never felt more at home than when I was in the safe,
secure love of those prayers. Whether at home, coming and going in
the car, or at church, my mother demonstrated that a loving God
cared about me and was attentive to hear and answer my prayers. As
a result, I asked Jesus into my heart as a young girl. I can't remember
a time in my life that I haven't talked to my heavenly Father.
The Difference One Prayer Can Make
I've seen such wonderful answers to prayer over the years-including
in my own family-that those answers spur me on to
keep praying. While we lived in British Columbia, my husband,
Rle, and our ten-year-old son, Troy, were invited to go on a canoe
trip with a friend and his son. The friend had canoed down the
Fraser River many times, and he wanted to share the fun with Rle.
Besides, it would be a great adventure for the two boys.
Excitement built as the day grew closer. Much preparation and
planning preceded the event.
Because it was early spring, the snowcap was melting off the mountains,
causing the river to run high and rapid. The day of the trip turned
out wet and rainy, but that didn't deter these hearty souls.
After packing the canoe with their supplies, they were about to
launch the boat when they heard voices calling out to them. Two men
who were coming ashore were yelling.
"You aren't going out on the river, are you?" one of the men
shouted.
When the man who had invited my husband said, "Yes," one of
the strangers responded, "I wouldn't go out today. The water's too
high and swift. We'll be picking you up off the bottom."
Rle's friend assured my husband that he had canoed the river in all
kinds of weather and they would be fine. Still, as they jumped into the
canoe, Rle saw the two strangers shaking their heads in disbelief.
About mid-afternoon I felt prompted to pray for Rle and Troy's
protection. So strong was the impression that I stopped what I was
doing, sat down at the kitchen table with my Bible, and claimed
promises of protection for them. I prayed: "Protect them from the
evil one" (John 17:15). "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount
Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains
surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and
forevermore" (Psalm 125:1-2). "'Because he loves me,' says the
Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my
name'" (Psalm 91:14).
Then I prayed for Rle's friend and his son, "Lord, You know what
is happening right now. I ask that You would protect them. Keep
them safe. Put Your arms around them and keep them close to You.
Bring them home. I trust You; I will not be shaken. Oh, Lord, bring
them home." I must have prayed for almost an hour.
God Answers
Later that evening I received a call from my worn-out yet thankful
husband. As he told me what had happened that afternoon, I calculated
the time and realized the terrifying story had taken place just
when the Holy Spirit had prompted me to pray.
Rle's story unfolded like this: As they paddled down the river, they
picked up speed until suddenly they hit a drop-off, like a small waterfall.
The canoe shot into the air, and all its occupants were thrown
into the icy river. As Rle came to his senses, he realized he was underwater,
held there by two little feet on top of his shoulders. Not knowing
where the strength came from, he hoisted Troy off of him and
swam with Troy to the canoe, which was nearby and hadn't sunk.
He pulled up Troy to get his chest out of the water because Rle was
concerned about hypothermia.
Troy asked him, "Daddy, are we going to die?"
Rle was silently resolute.
Troy continued, "It's okay, Daddy. We'll be with Jesus."
The friend and his son were farther away from the canoe. Rle said
he would never forget the sound of his friend frantically calling for his
son and the relief when father and son found each other in the roiling
water. God gave them the strength to swim toward the canoe and
latch on.
After forty-five minutes of battling the freezing, raging waters,
their strength was giving way and they were chilled to the bone. Just
as Rle was comprehending that they really were going to die, another
miracle occurred.
They felt land under their feet and discovered a small, submerged
island in the middle of the river. They were barely able to stand
because of the water rushing over the island. Shaking uncontrollably
they huddled together in prayer, thanking Jesus for their momentary
safety.
Then, in a matter of minutes a helicopter, with just enough space
to land, picked them up and whisked them to a nearby hospital. How
had the rescue crew known? Another miracle. A couple saw the
accident and immediately called for help. The paramedics said that if
Troy had been in the water ten more minutes he would have died of
hypothermia.
What a privilege I had to fight for the physical lives of my loved
ones and their friends through prayer. Did my prayer make a difference?
Did God send ministering angels to help because I prayed? Yes
and yes. God promises that when I call to Him, He hears me and will
do great and mighty things. Prayer can make the difference between
life and death.
Singing Your Song
Why pray? Because the power of one praying life is of great value.
Don't quit. Your prayers can only be sung by you.
"Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth," said pastor
and author Max Lucado. "You may not understand the mystery of
your task. But this much is clear:
When you speak, Jesus hears."
I can't help but think of the
verse in James, "The earnest
(heartfelt, continued) prayer of
a righteous man makes tremendous
power available-dynamic in its working" (James 5:16, AMP).
Family members pulled to safety, children released from drug
abuse, and family relationships restored-these are only a sampling
of the great effect a life of prayer can have.
In upcoming chapters we'll explore how to pray four life-changing
prayers; overcome our own barriers that hold us back from praying
powerfully; pray for our loved ones using Scripture; pray according to
God's will; claim God's promises in prayer; fight spiritual battles on
behalf of our children in prayer; and pray no matter what.
In the next chapter we'll examine one of the biggest barriers to
prayer-struggling to believe that God truly hears and responds to
our prayers. How can you become a confident pray-er, even when
God doesn't answer?
And now, I'd like to close this chapter in prayer for you. In upcoming
chapters, I'll provide a prayer for you to offer as a song at the end
of each chapter. But for now, let me pray this prayer over you:
Sovereign Lord, thank You for how much You love
and value every single person. Each life has a song given
by You that only that person can sing. I pray that not one
of Your children would doubt the power of her song.
Give her the courage to trust You. May Your love cast out
fear so that she can sing the song You have given with
confidence. Oh, Father, may she bring You great honor
and glory as You are faithful to help her sing her song. In
Jesus' name, amen.
Chapter Two
Becoming a Confident Pray-er
I'm inspired by the story of William Carey's sister. William was a
missionary who labored in India for forty-two years in the mid to late
1800s. He and his coworkers translated the Bible into twenty-five
Indian languages. Many books have been written about him, and
rightly so.
But William Carey's sister seems not to have received mention until
Warren and Ruth Myers wrote
Pray
, in which they tell her amazing
story. Mary, William's youngest sister, whom he called "Polly," was
bedridden and almost completely paralyzed for fifty-two years. But
she was close to God and to her brother.
William wrote to her the details of his struggles in creating Indian
grammar books, primers, and dictionaries. He described the difficulties
of figuring out how to get books typed and Bibles printed. As he sent
these details to her in London, she lifted them to the Lord in prayer,
faithfully offering up many hours of prayer "work," asking God to
meet her brother's needs year after year. As Warren and Ruth Myers
say, "To whose account will God credit the victories won through this
remarkable man?"
What a woman of faith Polly was to never let her physical disability
paralyze her prayer life. What was her secret that enabled her
to pray with such fervor and consistency over so many years? Where
did she find her confidence?
Barrier to Praying
Like Polly, we all experience barriers to praying, but perhaps one
of the biggest is our lack of confidence. You might not be confident
in your ability to say the right words. Or maybe you aren't sure God
is even listening. Or possibly you figure God is listening, but He isn't
in the mood to answer.
Kellie, for example, was fearful of praying in a group. "I felt unqualified
to pray from my heart because I grew up praying only by rote.
'Who am I to pray so boldly?' I asked myself. 'I'm not in ministry or a
trained layperson.'"
Plus Kellie was concerned that her prayers wouldn't sound as eloquent
as everyone else's. And she was embarrassed that her son, who
at one point had given his life to God, was depressed, drank excessively,
and was rebelling against the Lord. How could someone with
such a child pray with others whose lives were much more . well,
spiritual?
Desperate about her son, who continued to sink deeper into rebellion
and depression, she decided she needed to join a Moms In Touch
prayer group. Now, if she could just find the courage to go to a meeting
and pray .
Then one day, as Kellie answered the phones at the Poway, California,
health facility where she worked, a caller responded to Kellie's
greeting by saying, "This is Fern Nichols."
"My heart pounded when I heard that," Kellie recalls. "I knew God
was pulling and dragging me to MITI." Yet fear still overwhelmed
her. She swallowed hard and then said, "I know you're the president
of Moms In Touch.
Continues.
